Melancthon Praefat in 2. tom Luther who also was translated to the new-founded University of Wirtenberg some years after Luther for his famed learning in the Greek tongue Eruditis gratum erat quasi ex tenebris educi Christum Prophetas Apostolos conspici discrimen legis Evangelii promissionum legis promissionis Evangelicae quod certe non exstahat in Thoma Scoto similibus The Learned were well pleased to see the doctrine of Christ the Prophets and Apostles as it were brought to light and the difference betwixt the Law and Gospel the Legal promises and the Evangelical one now cleared to 'em which in the writings of the Schools Thomas Scotus c. were not at all or but obscurely to be met with Concerning which error in Justification the chief matter surely in all our Christianity he there also saith That Origenica aetas effudit hanc persuasionem mediocrem rationis disciplinam mereri remissionem peccatorum esse justitiam de qua diceretur Justus ex fide sua vivet Haec aetas pene amisit totum discrimen Legis Evangelii sermonem Apostolicum dedidicit In Origen's time first arose that perswasion That a little disciplining of reason was sufficient to merit remission of sins and was that Righteousness whereof it is said The Just shall live by faith We of this age have well nigh lost all distinction of law and gospel and unlearnt the doctrine of the Apostle O ridiculous pride and self-conceit § 5. n. 2. Hence Luther also proceeded to such bold speeches both concerning the Fathers and also in comparing the writings of the New Testament in order to his doctrine of sole Justification by Faith of which in his Preface to his Enarrations on Pet. he saith Qui hoc potissimum majori prae caeteris studio tractarunt quod sola in Christum fides justificet ii omnium optimi sunt Evangelistae c. Those that more particularly and diligently than the rest treat of this doctrine That Faith alone justifies they are the best Evangelists of all Hence may you more properly say The Gospel of St. Paul than of Matthew Mark Luke these latter being little more than a bare Historical narration of the works and miracles of Christ What not of his Doctrines and Sermons also and of the way to salvation he taught us And afterwards censuring the Fathers on c. 1. v. 8. Benedictus Deus c. O Deus saith he quam parum de hac praedicatione viz. Omnia nobis dona a Patre donata ex mera misericordia citra nostrum meritum in omnibus libris invenitur etiam iis qui optimi habentur c. O God! How little of this doctrine viz. All our Gifts bestow'd on us by the Father out of his meer mercy without our merits is there to be found in all even reputedly the best books In all the writings of St. Hierome and St. Augustine how is there nothing at all not so much as the words i.e. his sense of the words of St. Peter a sufficient autocatacrisis We ought thus to preach Jesus Christ viz. That he dyed and rose again and why he dyed and why he rose again that men mov'd by such preaching may believe in him and believing be sav'd Here must be interpos'd his solum else what more frequent in St. Austine and St. Hierome This is indeed preaching the true Gospel and whatsoever by whomsoever is preach'd otherwise Gospel it is not And a little below Inde facile discitur Epistolam Divi Jacobi nomine scriptam haud quaquam Apostolicam esse Epistolam c. Thence may we easily learn that to be no Canonical Epistle that is ascrib'd to St. James this makes sufficient way for his straminea arida worthleâ—s and dry as a straw there being scarcely the least tittle of this doctrine in it But then how much do we read there contrary § 5. n. 3. Yea so strangely affected was Luther himself also with this his new invention That abstracting from this device he most impiously makes bold much to prefer the Mahometan and Turks religion as to good life and practice before the Christian It is necessary I set you down his words that what I say here may be believed Thus then he in an Epistle before a Treatise De Moribuâ— Religione Turcarum joyned with the Alcoran and some other Treatises against the Alcoran published by him as he saith on purpose because those who had writ against the Alcoran concealed the good things of the Mahometan Religion but mentioned and confuted the odious but that Author had declared it with much integrity Now Ex hoc libro saith he videmus Turcarum seu Mahometi religionem caeremoniis poene dixerim moribus esse multo speciosiorem quam nostrorum etiam Religiosorum omnium Clericorum Nam ea modestia simplicitas victus vestitus c. By this book we see the Religion of the Turks or Mahomet is much more plausible for shew and ceremony I had almost said and for good life too that word stuck a little with his modesty at first than that even of our Religious nay all the Clergy put together For no where amongst us are to be seen that modesty and simplicity of diet apparrell houses all things or the like fasts prayers public conventions of the people as this book recounts Then the miracles and the prodigious abstinencies and severities of their Religious whom of our Monks do they not quite put down and shame And this is the reason why from the Christian faith so many revolt and so pertinaciously adhere to Mahometanisme Again Christiana Religio longe aliud sublimius aliquid est quam Ceremoniae speciosae rasura Cucullus pallor vultus jejunia horae Canonicae universa illa facies Ecclesiae Romanae per orbem c. Christian Religion is quite another and far more sublime thing than a few specious ceremonies shaven crowns cowls pale countenances fastings Canonical hours of prayer and all that outward pomp of the Roman Church all the world over for in all these the Turks infinitely go beyond us Will he stay here No. Christiana religio longe aliud est quam boni mores seu bona opera Nam in his quoque ostendit is liber Turcas longe superiores esse Christianis nostris Christianity is quite another thing than a good life now without a paene dixerim or good works for even in these also as this book shews the Turks far out-do us Christians And Nunc video quid causae fuerit quod a Papistis sic occuleretur religio Turcica cur solum turpia eorum narrarunt sc Quod senserunt id quod res est si ad disputandum de religione veniatur totus Papatus cum omnibus suis caderet c. Now I see the reason of the Papists concealing many things of the Turkish Religion and relating only the deformities thereof viz. because they were sensible which is the plain truth of
the business that should Religion once come to be disputed the whole Papacy with its adherents unable any longer either to defend their own religion or to confute the Mahometan must needs fall to the ground since they would be oblig'd to confute those things themselves most of all allow of i. e. good life good works fastings ceremonies c. named before Yet worse Discant saith he religionem Christi aliud esse quam caeremonias mores atque fidem Christi prorsus nihil discernere utrae caeremoniae mores leges sint meliores aut deteriores sed dâ—scant omnes in unam massam contusas ad justitiam nec esse satis nec â—is esse opus Let them know saith he that Christianity is something else than ceremonies and good living and that the faith of Christ says not one word whether their ceremonies customs and laws or ours be better or worse of the two but let them know this that all these pounded in one heap together would neither be sufficient nor needful to justification And again Si quis hos articulos teneat scil quod Christus sit filius Dei mortuus pro nostris peccatis resuscitatus ad vitam nostram Quod side in Illum justi peccatis remissis salvi sumus c. Quid illi noceat c. If one does but believe these articles viz. That Christ is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again for our justification That being justified by faith in him we obtain remision of our sins and salvation thereby what worse is he tho he neither fast pray watch nor use abstinence so much tho he be not altogether so modest in his diet apparrel carriage house-keeping c. Let both Turks and Papists excel in these things if they please yet at the same time void of true i.e. his faith c. Thus if we may believe this new Doctor and unless we will take his new fiduciary faith for the substance of Christian Religion Mahomet notwithstanding all the assistances of Grace and the Holy Spirit acting in the Church and so dearly purchased for it by our Lord hath out-done Christ and the Alcoran the holy Scriptures as to the producing and establishing of Sanctification and good Works as to mortifying the flesh and worldly lusts as to the devout service of God praying watching fasting c. And our Lord who gave himself for us that he might purify unto himself a peculiar people zealous of good works Titus 2.14 and who gave himself for his spouse the Church that he might sanctify cleanse and purify it unto himself not having spot or wrinkle c. Eph. 5.26 27. is in this his chief end much out-gone by other Religions and their working upon the bare stock of Nature Nature depraved without Regeneration without God's Spirit of Grace At tibi imperet Dominus ' the Lord rebuke thee If Christian Religion be not the holiest Religion it is not God's As for the Relation he urgeth it gives no such character of the Mahometan Religion as he pretends secondly did it it must deliver a lye nor ought any Christian to give more credit to it than to Mahometanisme § 6 And thus I have discovered unto you the main root of the first Reformation by Luther Wherein first he hath shamefully mistaken Whâ—re 1. That the Churches doctrine concerning Justification was mistaken or mis-related or mis-reported the common doctrine of the Church in all ages as indeed the reformed Religion chiefly subsists by mis-relating or mis-construing the Catholick tenents and the greatest mischief the Devil doth in the world is by his lying He hath shamefully mis-reported the Churches doctrine I say which doctrine holds our Justification to consist not only in infused Grace or inherent Righteousness through Christ's merits tho it is most true that the Regenerate are formally made just holy and righteous of formerly sinners and impious by Grace infused into them by God for Christ's merits sake but also in remission of sin through Christ's merits and in remission of sins not only before our Regeneration but after it also in which also they acknowledge that in multis offendimus omnes ' in many things we offend all See Conc. Trent sess 6. c. 7. Justificatio non est sola peccatorum remissio sed renovatio interioris hominis per susceptionem gratiae c. Justification is not only remission of sins but also renewal of the inward man by susception of grace therefore not renewal alone but also remission of sins And Bell. de Justif 2. l. 6. c. Vtraque pars Justificationis id est remissio peccatorum donum renovationis Both parts of Justification i.e. remission of sins and the gift or grace of renovation of the inward man And see Cassand consult on Art 4. This is the faith and profession of the Monks that watch fast and pray ancient and modern Luther excepted § 7 He hath broach'd a doctrine detested by the most learned of the modern Reformed See what Dr. Hammond of Fundamentals 2. That his new opinion concerning it is detested by many judicious Protectant c. 12 13. Mr. Thorndike Epilog 2. l. 7. c. p. 41. Just Weights c. 9. p. 57 95. and others have written against the Solifidian and Fiduciary as most pernicious errors Nay I may say at least the consequence thereof even detested by Luther himself in his latter time For thus he In visitatione Saxonica Multi dum audiunt from the Evangelical Teachers ut solummodo credatur omnia ipsius remitti peccata fingunt sibi fidem c. Many being taught that they need only believe that their sins are remitted devise a new faith to themselves and fancying themselves clean become temerarious and self-secure thereby Which carnal security is worse than all the errors that were ever heard of to this day Elsewhere in a Sermon super Evang. Dominicoe Iae Adventus he observes his reformed magis vindictae cupidos magis avaros magis ab omni misericordia remotos magis immodestos indisciplinatos multoque deteriores quam fuerint in Papatu to be more revengeful covetous cruel more immodest unruly and much worse than under Popery And in his Preface to the Gal. he mentions a new Sect quam minime omnium saith he praevidissem aut sperassem i.e. which of all things he should least have fore-thought or lookt for of such as taught That the ten Commandements ought to be taken out of the Church Thus as he saw the bad weeds that grew up out of his doctrine he endeavoured but in vain to tread down and stifle them and the bad influence which this new tenent speedily had on many of Luther's Disciples was observed by many others Thus Erasmus complains in an Epistle to P. Melancthon 1524. Vt largiamur esse vera quae docet Lutherus quid inutilius ad Christianam pietatem quam haec audire vulgus indoctum hoec instillari auribus adolescentum Pontificem esse
Antichristum Episcopos Sacerdotes esse larvas Constitutiones hominum esse haereticas Confessionem esse pestiferam opera merita conatus esse voces hoereticas nullum esse liberum arbitrium sed omnia necessitate geri nihil referre qualia sunt hominis opera Haec a nonnullis nuda circumferuntur ab improbis in pessimam partem rapiuntur c. Supposing Luther's doctrines true yet what can be less tending to promote Christian piety than to have it taught the vulgar and instill'd into the ears of young men That the Pope is Antichrist Priests Hobgoblins Humane Constitutions heretical Confession pernicious works merits endeavours heretical words That there is no free-will but all things govern'd by fatal necessity no matter whether a man's works be good or bad These things without any welt or guard thus plainly taught by the simple are greedily catch'd at and interpreted even in the worst sense by the bad I know you will say the follies of some whom you deservedly call monsters and the worst of villains are not to be imputed to Luther Yet these very monsters are cherished by those whom Luther himself owns for the champions of the Evangelical doctrine The first preaching of our Saviour's Gospel produced a new sort of men to the world what sort of men this new Gospel has brought forth I list not to tell you Perhaps with you they are otherwise but here I assure you they are such as were I to make a bargain I had rather deal with any Papist than them Lastly some I have formerly known excellent men and even by nature very virtuously inclin'd I now see grown much worse And ad Vulturium Neocomum Profer mihi quem istud Evangelium ex commessatore sobrium ex feroci mansuetum ex rapaci liberalem c. Bring me one who by this new Gospel is become from a drunkard sober from fierce mild from covetous liberal of a reviler well-speaking of shameless modest and I will shew you a great number made thereby worse than themselves And in another Epistle fratribus inferioris Germaniae Quos antea saith he noveram puros candidos fraudis ignaros eosdem vidi ubi se sectoe dedissent loqui coepisse de puellis lusisse aleam c. Some persons whom I knew formerly innocent harmless and without deceit no sooner have I seen joyn'd to that Sect but begun to talk of wenches play at dice leave off prayers grown extreamly worldly most impatient revengeful vain like vipers tearing each other I speak by experience Calvin l. 6. de Scandalis Cum tot hominum millia cupide saith he ut videbantur nomen dedissent Evangelio quam pauci obsecro a suis vitiis resipuerunt Imo quid prae se major pars tulit nisi ut excusso superstitionum jugo solutius in omnem lasciviam diffluerent homines Lucianici Epicurei Of so many thousands seemingly eager in embracing the new Gospel how few since have amended their lives Nay to what else do the greater part pretend but by shaking off the heavy yoke of superstition to lash out more freely like Epicures or men of Lucian's faith and temper into all manner of looseness and lasciviousness Musculus loci com c. de Decalog Evangelici nostri adeo sibi ipsis facti sunt dissimiles ut cum in Papatu fuerint in erroribus ac superstitione Religiosi in luce veritatis agnitae sint ipsis hujus saeculi filiis prophaniores leviores vaniores temerariores Our new Gospellers are grown so unlike themselves that whereas under the errors and superstitions of Popery they had yet some sense of Religion in them now since the light of the Gospel has shin'd to 'em they are become more prophane light vain and temerarious than the very children of this world § 8 3. Void of consolation and contradâ—cting it sâ—lf Thirdly he broached a doctrine full of fraud and delusion in it self and when it is thorowly examined void of all that consolation and security it pretends tho few that are taken with it discern this For first he grants this full perswasion that their sins are forgiven them to be such a faith as some may feign it to themselves and think they have it when they have it not So that tho all fully perswaded are certainly justified yet we may believe our selves fully perswaded and from this justified when we are not so 2ly That it is such a faith when true as hath always good works joyned with it as the fruits and signs thereof by which our selves and others and God at the last day try it whethe true For so he is pleased to interpret the Scriptures of God's judging every one according to his works that is by his works God tryeth him whether he hath this true faith so that tho not when he is justified yet when he hath this true faith or full perswasion whereby he comes to be justified every one must go about trying this by his own good works the way by which other men and also God tryeth it Since then some may fully believe that their sins are forgiven that do not rightly believe so and there is no sure sign but the necessary fruit of it Good works or Christian Virtues to which I add Repentance and Contrition to know this true faith from the false are not we still reduced to the performance of these at least as the necessary fruits of true faith and to the reviewing of these for the discerning our spiritual condition And are not Monks to look upon their fasting and prayers and mortifications contrition and repentance their temperance and continency and obedience and other Christian virtues from these at the least to collect the truth of their Faith and from that to collect the truth of their Justification and is not Luther left still as well as when he was a Monk for tryal of the truth of his faith in the same sollicitude and doubtfulness concerning his good works First That they be externally such and then That they be also inwardly sound and free from Hypocrisy and Pride which if they be not the Monks before he was born knew and taught as well as he that they were nothing worth I say not sollicitous that they be every way perfect and without sin for no Monk unless it were Luther believes that it is necessary they should be so because they believe Remission of all their sins in all their works us well those after their Regeneration as before through the sole merits of Christ and say every day dimitte nostra debita ' Forgive us our trespasses Now what avails it then here to tell me that nothing but non-believing can damn me when this is tacitly reserved that when ever good works are not in me I am necessarily an unbeliever And to tell me that if I strongly believe that I am absolved lam absolved from my sins quicquid sit de contritione ' whether contrite or no When this is reserved that if
waspish haughty lying one in its stead § 31. n. 2. Thus also Calvin who liked well and himself to some degree imitated Luther's reviling spirit when he wrot against the Church yet censures and condemns it when turned upon his own party in an Epistle to Bullinger Calv. Ep. p. 325. Audio saith he Lutherum tandem cum atroci invectiva non tam in vos quam in nos omnes prorupisse I hear that Luther has wrote a bitter invective not so much against you as us all Then counselling the Tigurines to forbear him Ne invicem se mordendo lacerando consumerentur least biting and eating one another they should be consum'd one of another Sepe dicere solitus sum saith he etiam si me Diabolum vocaret me tamen hoc illi honoris habiturum ut insignem Dei servum agnoscam qui tamen ut pollet insignibus virtutibus it a magnis vitiis laborat Hanc intemperiem qua ubique ebullit utinam magis fraenare studuisset vehementiam autem quae illi est ingenita utinam in hostes veritatis semper contulisset non etiam vibrasset in servos Domini Vtinam recognoscendis suis vitiis plus operae dedisset Plurimum illi obfuerunt adulatores cum ipse quoque natura ad sibi indulgendum nimis propensus esset I have often said that should he call me Devil an usual reproach with Luther yet I would honour him as an eminent servant of God one who has tho great vertues yet no less vices That over-boyling heat and passion in all his writings I wish he had studied more to asswage and moderateâ— and always employ'd against the enemies of the truth that vehemency which is natural to him and not have turn'd it also against the servants of the Lord. Would to God he had been more vigilant in looking to his own faults He met with flatterers that did him harm being withal by nature over-apt to follow his own fancy Vehementia ingenita and Ad sibi indulgendum propensus natura Thus the evil habits of an unmortified Will are charg'd upon Nature And thus tenderly his friend handles those sores which he could not cover § 31. n. 3. Lastly hear old Erasmus thus schooling him in a letter Ep. p. 828. after he had bin formerly too much a cherisher of his Novelties and also a pattern to him of scoffing at Religious persons and other sacred things thus I say he in his wiser old age when he had felt the smart of Luther's virulent pen in his servo Arbitrio Cujus ingenii sis jamorbis novit stilum vero sic temperasti ut hactenus in neminem scripseris rabiosius imo quod est detestabilius malitiosius Hic videlicet tibi succurrit te peccatorem infirmum esse quum alias postules tantum non pro Deo haberi Quid faciunt ad argumentum tot scurrilia convitia tot criminosa mendacia me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 esse me Epicureum me Scepticum in his quae sunt Christianae professionis me blasphemum esse quid non plusquam tertiam voluminis partem his occupare libuit dum tuo morem geris animo Illud mecum optiseditioso totum orbem exitiabili dissidio concutis Breviter sic tractas Evangelii causam ut sacra profanaque omnia commisceas c. What disposition you are of the world now sees and to shew your moderation you have hitherto writ against none more outragiously and which is worse more malitiously than against me Here you remember your self to be a poor sinful creature when at anther time you look to be worshipt as a God To the matter in in hand what are so many scurrilous reproaches so many slanderous lies of my being an Atheist Sceptical in Religion a blasphemer and what not Above a third part of your Book is taken up with such stuff as this I suppose to please your own capricious humour To see the world rent and torn with dissension by your arrogant sawcy and turbulent wit is that which grieves me and every good man Your way of handling things of the Gospel is to turn all topsy turvey as if afraid the storm should blow over That which torments me is the publick calamity disorder and confusion irremediable and all caused by your unruly wit stubborn and deaf to the good advice of your friends but flexible to the suggestions of certain knaves that carry you whither they list He concludes Optarem tibi meliorem mentem nisi tibi tua tam valde placeret Mihi optabis quod voles modo ne tuam mentem nisi tibi Dominus istam mutaverit Were you not so much pleas'd with the mind you are in I should wish you a better and till God make it so may you wish me any thing rather than it Thus he A. D. 1526. But also when more indulgent and not yet stung with Luther's bad language he familiarly complains in an Epistle to Melancthon on this manner Erasm Ep. p. 630. In doctrina Lutheri multa me offendunt illud imprimis quod quicquid suscepit defendendum ibi impendio vehemens est nee unquam facit finem donec perferatur ad hyperbolen Eam admonitus adeo non mitigat ut omnia reddat 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I am displeased with many things in Luther's way of writing but chiefly in this That whatever he has once undertaken to defend he does it with too much vehemency nor ever stops till he comes to an hyperbole and when told thereof so little does he mitigate that he makes things still more extravagant This discovery Christians have of Luther's spirit And it is not to be omitted here tho I step a little out of my way to shew it that much-what the same may be observed in the ether Co-founder of Protestancy Calvin that we may see they both learnt of one Master As may appear to any that will only cast his eye upon two little discourses of his Tractatus Theologici first his Antidotum Concilâ—â— Tridentini and 2ly his Scholia on the Epistle of Pope Paul 3. to the Emperour In the former of which he frequently stiles the Reverend Fathers of that Council Impudentes Stultos Nebulones Bestias Cornutas bestias Asinos Porcos Simias Impudent fools knaves beasts horned-beasts asses swine apes and such like vilifies their persons learning manners decrees in such terms as these Ne quidem unciam sidei Tridentinam Synodum obtinuisse Vix unum esse versum qui non aliquo notabili errore conspersus sit Nullum esse tam nugatorium figmentum quod inter fidei dogmata ab istis asinis non censeatur Non unquam vel crassissimi subulci judicio permitere ausos fuisse suas insulsitates nisi Concilii larvam sperassent oppositam fore omnium oculis Istos nebulones ex suo capite fabricare ausos esse quod nullum habet in verbo Dei fundamentum Nec tamen pudere istos Porcos territandis simplicibus denuntiationem saevam
not abandoned of all good intentions so neither deprived of all moral virtues these seem to me two very faulty extremities to represent any man's life so wicked as to have nothing good in it or so holy as to have no faults For any thing I can find this man was very free from the vice of Covetousness but then it is true that some men are freed from this only on this score that it cannot thrive near or cohabit with the vice of Ambition or Vain-glory. He is reported by his friends to have bin very charitable to the poor but this also may be done tho I cannot say his was so with an eye in our charity to humane praise as well as to our neighbour's necessities So Melancthon notes of him that he exceedingly opposed taking up armes in defence or for propagation of Religion which yet might ground it self on no better foundation but only a consciousness in his time of the weakness of the Protestants power in comparison of their Adversaries and he might be averse from it more because he thought it not expedient than not just He seems likewise to have bin a man of great and indefatigable industry of a resolute and undauntable courage of which see what is said before § 47. But these are reckoned amongst good or bad things according to their effect and so far as they tend to God's service or to any others benefit men may hope for a just recompence from God in accession of glory or diminution of punishment so far as they tend to God's dishonour or anothers harm they must needs proceed from an evil root and from him they may expect their wages whose work they do and whose cause they promote § 51 If such things as these may be urged for him yet what more do they shew than some of them that he was not at his worst at first and other that he was never so bad as he might have bin but what are these to recompence or make satisfaction for that spirit of pride and contention of licentiousness and rebellion of anger and impatiency self-admiration and contempt of others of railing and blaspheming against the Catholick Church stiling it the Whore of Babylon and the Spouse of Antichrist and that for many ages before his own time and against the spiritual Fathers thereof ancient and modern Prelates and Councils pronouncing even of the first Council of Nice Se non intelligere Spiritum sanctam in hoc Concilio see before § 19. against the Grace and Spirit of God as it inhabits in his Saints and brings forth fruits in them of a most sweet smelling savour to God of which he said for his advancing of Justification by Faith alone that Opus bonum optâ—me factum was peccatum mortale secundum judicium Dei and that Aeâ—â—ocertus se non semper peccare mortaliter against Chastity and Abstinency against Solitude and Watching against Fasting and Hair-cloth against the diurnal and nocturnal Offices of the Church and the Canonical hours of Prayer against hard treatment of the Body poverty and lowness of Spirit and preferring our Superiors reason and will for the conduct of our life before our own What are some good things found in this person as none is every way bad to counterpoise those vices so opposite to the fundamental virtues of Self-abnegation Humility and Charity which do appear in this former discourse to have so fully possessed and reigned in this man pride anger contention disobedience sensuality breach of lawful and sacred vows c Who is there that will absolve a Traitor arraigned for murthering his Prince because his neighbours come in and witness that he was charitable to the poor or a good house-keeper Or who will absolve the Pharisee for blaspheming our Lord's Spirit and Doctrine because he paid Tythe mean-while of his Mint and Cummin Whereas therefore those who have bin sent by God in several ages since our Lord's departure for the reforming of Christian manners and advancing of piety and religion have appeared to be persons of extraordinary sanctity and strictness and austerity of life of great humility and meekness and punctual obedience to their Ecclesiastical Superiours and their Reformations and new Institutions still licensed by the Same so it is that this person appeared in an opposite to all the former in casting down their works and in magnifying himself as a discoverer of new truth in throwing off all obedience to his spiritual Superiours in calling Christians to more liberty not strictness and casting the work of their salvation wholly upon Christ's shoulders yet how much he magnified the works of God the Son for the faithful so much depressing and vilifying the operations of God the Holy Ghost within the faithful § 52 13. The refeâ—â— blance of Luther's change of Rel gion in several particulars to the fâ—rmeroâ— Mahomet Where feeing that there have bin since our Lord's time only two most famous Innovations made in Religion against Church-Authority that have drawn many Nations after them and divided them one from another in the worship of God the first of Mahomet the second of Luther this second Innovator may be observed to have resembled the former in several particulars 1. In his overthrowing and rejecting the Sense exposition of the Scripture received in former times This later Innovator urging That the true sense and meaning of God's word was falsified for many ages as the other did that the words and writings thereof Of which see before § 20. Quanti errores in omnium Patrum scriptis Quisest qui non saepius Scripturas torserit c. And Scire cos volo me nullius Patris authoritate cogi velle c. And Si nihil habetur quod dicatur satius est omnia negasse i. e. in Patribus quam concedere Missam c. And Eruditis gratum erat saith Melancthon quasi ex tenebris educi Christum Prophetas Apostolos c. Sec before § 5. And of these his new Doctrines and Expositions Luther saith § 24. Illum se aut suam doctrinam Episcoporum aut ullius Angeli de Coelo subjicere judicio non dignari satis nunc datum esse stultae huic humilitati See before § 16. And Si nos ruimus ruit Christus und And Zuinglius observes of him Clandestinum effugium sibi hoc modo praeparat Si seductus aut falsus sum Deus me seduxit fefellit See before § 26. Such language this as never any Doctor or Reformer used before him unless Mahomet § 53 Secondly In his coming not with the power of the Spirit and Miracles nor with the spirit of temperance meekness and patience in worldly affronts but instead of these with the spirit of fury defiance and railing as the other said that he was sent not with Miracles but a Sword Hence that observation of the Tigurine Reformed Divines concerning his writings Tanta selectissimorum convitiorum copia scatere tanta verborum immodestia foeditate