doctrin Christ his Apostles taught and that the Catholique Church by her constant treading this way has still held the same true doctrin which she first received and consequently has never changed her doctrin nor brought in corruption as the Ministers do caluminate And therefore their pretended Reformation having no other ground but this calumnie is a groundlesse imagination and a destruction of Christs true doctrin But that the truth of this whole matter may yet more fully appear I will shew you briefly that this constant testimony is the only sure infallible way to attayn vnto the certain knowledge possession of our Saviours true doctrin that it is also most easy vniuersal for all sorts of persons that the holy Fathers primitive Church did follow it and that all Errors heresies have been clearly confuted by it We have already show'n that this testimony is a sure infallible means now that it is only sure infallible Aug. cont ep fond c. 5. is shewed For if there were any other it would be the Scripture as Protestants pretend But that cannot be 1. Because we cannot beleeve the Scripture without the testimony of the Church as S. Augustin clearly avoucheth 2. Albeit we could know it without that testimony yet by the Scripture we cannot know the whole doctrin of Christ especially since the Scripture it self saith 2. Thessal 2.15 Hold fast the Tradition Thirdly principally Albeit the Scripture contain'd the whole doctrin of Christ yet how shall I know assuredly by the letter of the Scripture the true sense of it without which I have not the true doctrin of Christ Yea I may corrupt the Scripture or follow those who corrupt it as S. Peter shewes many do vnto their own perdition Here many if not all Protestants are perplexed to show how by the Scripture the true sense of it may be had Some say that the Scripture is clear in all things necessary to Salvation so that every man may easily vnderstand them Others think that the Scripture is not so clear but an Interpreter is necessary But they are divyded in assigning this Interpreter Some say the Scripture in one place expounds it self in another Others assign the private Spirit and last of all some assign for an Interpreter every mans natural reason But all these are false frivolous pretences For first they could never shew what these necessary points are Besides this is an open confession that by the Scripture we cannot know assuredly our Saviours doctrin in these points which they call not necessary Then is not the true belief of the Sacrament necessary for the Church and yet we see what contrary glosses the Lutherans Calvinists make on our Saviours clear words Lastly if there needed no Interpreter for things necessary every one although vnlearned who could but read might pick out what are necessary which troubles the most learned heads among them to find out and these who could not read behoved to pin their implicit faith at at other mens sleeves Now what confusion would this make what vncertainty would there be in this case of our Saviours doctrin And how contrary are these things to truth and experience to Protestants principles practices So it is evident that by the Scripture alone we cannot come to the sure and infallible knowledge of our Saviours doctrin Neither can we attayn to it by the Scripture assisted by any Interpreter which Protestāts assign For it is false that the Scripture expounds it self it being obscure in many places which are not interpreted by others more plaine as may appear besides other reasons by the Protestants dissenssions in many points The conference of places study and the like which some require to be ioyn'd with the Scripture are but humane helps subiect to error and not infallible Then for the private Spirit it can give vs as little assurance of the sense as it can of the letter of the Scripture We see what contrariety is among those who all equally lay claim to it Neither is the last Interpreter to witt every mans reason assigned by M. Chilingworth the last peaceable Refiner of the English Church any white better but rather worse For besids that this opinion makes humane reason not the divine authority the main ground of our faith which is a dangerous errour it is so far from bringing men vnto the sure knowledge of what our Saviour taught that it professeth no more but a moral certainty for the truth of the whole Christian religion and leaves all particular doctrines to be pickt out of the Scriptures according to the diversity of mens particular reasons And so diuerse men according to the diversity of their reasons collect from the Scriptures opposite doctrines For what some think reasonable accept others esteem vnreasonable and reiect as is evident in the Socinians who deny the divinity of Christ principally vpon this ground because it chokes their reason as the Calvinists also chiefly for the same reason deny the reall presence So that this Interpreter brings as great vncertainty to know our Saviours doctrin as any other And therefore it remaines evident that the Scripture even assisted by any Interpreter which Protestants can assigne much more the Scripture alone is not a sure infallible means for this end and consequently the testimony of the Church is the only sure infallible means But here I did enquire of the Catholique If the Scriptures were as cleer every where as S. Augustin affirmes they are concerning the Church where he saith they need no Interpreter might they not then give vs vndoubted assurance of our Saviours doctrin To which he answered That although the Scripture were never so clear and as evident in every sentence as words can be written Yet because these words may be diversly vnderstood taken indifferent senses they cannot be so sure infallible away to certifie vs what was our Saviours doctrin as the living words testimony of the whole Church which received the true doctrin and the sense together with the letter of the Scriptures which she hath constantly transmitted vnto posterity This is evident in a very principal point of the Christian religiō to witt the holy Sacrament What words can be more clear then these of our Saviour This is my body which shall be given for you c And yet vpon these clear words there are reckoned about two hundred diverse interpretations since Protestāts arose How then should a man amōg such variety of senses come vnto the true sense be sure that he has attayn'd vnto it in which only Christs true doctrin consists Therefore it is evident in this case that the written word cannot do it and this only the Church can perform which has conserved both the letter and sense of the Scriptures from corruptions If then the Scriptures although they were written in most cleer words cannot certifie vs fully of the true sense of our Saviours doctrin
the principal article of their religion that man is iustifyed by faith only which is clearly against the word of God which saith in expresse tearmes Man is not iustifyed by faith only Iames 2.24 They beleeve that the Commandments are impossible to be kept Which is against the word of God which affirmeth that Gods Commandments are not grievous 1. Iohn 5.3 and that Zachary Elizabeth did keep them They beleeve that the Eucharist is not the body and blood of Iesus Christ Luke 1 6. which is directly against the Scripture which affirmeth It is his body and blood and that with such words as design the true body true blood Therefore it is evident that they cannot be perswaded of the truth of their religion by the Word of God seing the principal articles of their religion are so clearly against the word of God Yea before their religion can be true the most clear truth in all the Scriptures must be false to witt the perpetuity of the Church of Christ For their whole religion is founded vpon that supposition that the whole Church of Christ had become Anti-Christian and had perished for a long time before Luther Then which nothing can be more against the word of God as we have seen above Neither have the Covenanters any other refuge to shun these contradictions between their beleef and the Scriptures but to fly vnto tropes figures and pretend that these places of Scripture must be vnderstood figuratively which is the very fraude that was vsed by the auncient heretiques So soone Aug. lib 3. de doct Christian 6.10 saith S. Augustin as any Error doth prepossesse their mynds they esteem all to be figures which the Scripture saith to the contrary Yea they must bring senses iust contrary vnto the words of the Scriptures as for example the Scripture saith Man is not iustifyed by faith only which according to their beleef must be vnderstood as if the Scripture said Man is iustifyed by faith only which it nowhere saith Therefore if men can be perswaded by the Scripture to beleeve such things as are contrary to the expresse words of Scripture the Covenanters are perswaded by the Scripture of the truth of their religion otherwise they are not but rather perswaded to the contrary Secondly they come as small speed of their pretext of the Spirit of God For first they can bring no more ground for it then all sects do that is their own bare words and therefore they ought not to be beleeved more then others Secondly They cannot be perswaded by the Spirit of God who oppose the Catholique Church which according to Christs promise is ever directed by the Spirit of Truth S. Iohn who adviseth vs wisely not to beleeve every Spirit but to prove the Spirits if they be of God gives this Touch-stone by which they may be tryed He that knoweth God 1. Iohn c. 4. v. 6. saith he knoweth vs and he that is not of God knoweth vs not In this we know the Spirit of Truth and of Error This same Touch-stone has held in all succeding generations For these who would not beleeve the Catholique Church and the Pastors thereof succeeding vnto the Apostles although they bragged never so much of the Spirit of God were instantly seen to be misled by the Spirit of Error and were condemned as heretiques who with insolent folly would appropriat the Spirit of God vnto every one of their own giddie heads and yet deny it to the whole Catholique Church against the clear Scriptures The same holds against Calvin his descendents the Presbyterian Covenanters Thirdly They cannot have the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of Vnity who have mingled among them the Spirit of giddinesse and Contrariety by which their Erroneous Spirit is discovered now even to the most simple among the people Lastly the Covenanters falsly pretend that they are fully perswaded of the truth of their religion For if they had full assurance of it they would not make so many changes in it and besides their Director is very vnconstant for what is more changeable then the privat Spirit Having seen now said the Catholique the Covenanters vain false pretence of the word and Spirit of God we will briefly run through the description of their religion and to spare paines of often repeating their names we will turn our speech to them First you say that your faith religion is the only true faith religion pleasing God and bringing Salvation to man If this were true the world for many ages had been in a pittifull condition For about the space of a thowsand or 12. hundred yeares your faith religion were not known and so all that time there had been no means of salvation By which device you not only controule the clear Scriptures but also show your selvs enemies to the Glory of Christ to the riches of his Grace and to the perpetuity of his Kingdome yea and to the very good of Man And lastly you oppose most famous Protestants who acknowledge Salvation was had in the Roman Church before Luther and may be had now after him in so much that King Iames in his speech to the Parlament 1605. sharply censures you for this cruel opinion We confes saith he that many Papists especially our Ancestors c. may be saved and often are saved detesting in this parte and iudging worthy of fire the cruelty of Puritans who yeeld Salvation to no Papist Secondly you describe your religion further saying that it is now reveald to the world by the preaching of the Evangel But that is rather a mark of the false then of the true religion For the true Christian faith was reveald of old by Christ his holy Apostles and from that time could never be hid But your Presbyterian faith has iust two contrary qualities to witt it is now reveal'd and has lyen long hid S. Vincentius Lyrinensis sheweth the nature of your faith by describing the doctrine of the auncient Heretiques What do they propose saith he Vincent Lyr. cont haeres c. 12. but new and vnheard doctrines For you shall heare some of them say Come ô you vnwise miserable men who are commonly called Catholiques learn the true faith which besides vs none knoweth which has lyen hidd many ages but now is lately revealed and manifested Neither doth it a white availe you that you call your faith the Gospel and the revealing of your faith the preaching of the Gospel For so all heretiques call their greatest Errors the Gospel of Christ S. Hierom saith wisely that the Gospel of God Hieron 1. ad Galat. by a false interpretation becames the Evangel of man or which is woâ—se the Evangel of the Devil So there still remaines a great question about the truth of your preaching which is nothing but your privat interpretation Thirdly to make your faith more commendable you pretend that it is both auncient Vniversal You
that many Catholiques have been stirred vp by the Presbyterian Ministers for feare of their Excommunications and the Confiscation of their Estates which followed therevpon to swear and subscribe the Covenant against the light of their Consciences as was well known to the said Ministers which may be seen above p. 414. and 15. And seing many Catholiques are solicitited by Sathan and the PRESBYTERIAN MINISTERS To swear subscribe receive their Sacraments against the clear light of their Consciences for IVST FEARES of the Ministerial CONFISCATIONS and lossing of their Estates 31 31 All these to whom God has made the light of Truth to shine ought to be thankfull for so great a benefit and never commit so great ingratitude as to abandon it for worldly respects How much more ought they to abhorre from taking the Covenant which makes even some Protestants hearts to stand which containes so many grosse vntruths as we have seen above which is not only a Denial but an Abiuration ioynd with horrible blasphemies of almost all the points of the Catholique faith We solemnly promise by the assistaÌ„ce of Gods grace that we shall never yeeld vnto such temptations nor be so ingrate after God has made the light of his truth to shine vnto vs who were living in the darknesse of Error as to abandon the Truth against our Consciences But rather shall continue constant in the profession of the same though it be with the losse of our Lives and Estates knowing that God Almighty is power full and Hoping that his goodnesse shall be willing to render vnto vs a hundred fold and life everlasting To which God of his infinit mercy bring vs. Amen THE PRESBYterian Covenant or Confession of Faith WEE all and every one of vs vnderwritten protest that after a a The Catholiques long diligeÌ„t search may appeare by the former Trial whereas the Covenanters vsed neither long nor due examination of their consciences as may be seen above pag. 411. LONG due examination of our own Consciences in matters of true false Religion we are now b b Catholiques who relie vpon the immoveable Pillar and ground of Truth to Witt the holy Catholique Church which never changes are fully satisfyed and assured of the Truth But Heretiques who quite this solid ground and follow the Private Spirit which is very inconstant let them pretend what they please can never have full assurance which evidently appeares by their continual changes new pretended lights See above pa. 425. THROVGHLY resolved of the Truth by the c c Christ promised that the Spirit of Truth should remaine in his Church for ever teach her all Truth Iohn 14.16 Iohn 16.13 And yet it is strange that every new heretique without Scripture appropriats this Spirit to himself against Scripture Christs clear promise denys the holy Spirit to the whole Church The same may be said also of their vain pretext of the word of God See above pag. 423. 424. word and Spirit of God And therefore we beleeve with our hearts confesse with our mouths subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God and the whole world that this only is the true Christian faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing Salvation to man which d d The true faith was revealed of old and from that time can never be hid But the Presbyterian faith has two contraâ—y qualities to witt it is now revealed and has lyen long hid as may be seen above p. 426. See also Math. 5.16.17 NOVV is by the mercy of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Evangel and received beleeved and defended by e e The true Church must be in all Nations as Esay foretells saying All Nations shall flow vnto it Esay 2.2 and Christ shew that repentance should be preached in his name vnto all Nations beginning at Hierusalem Luke 24.47 For this cause the true Church is called Catholique as being dispersed through All Nations as she is also Catholique for Time endureing in All Ages But Heresys are only in some few Nations or corners of the world and in these also they are not the same but full of diversity and contrariety which is manifestly verifyed of the Presbyterians Protestants See above ch 32. 34. Many notable Kirks Realmes but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland the Kings Maiesty and the three Estates of this Realme as Gods f f As Gods Truth is Eternal so it cannot be hid Esay 62.6 But the Presbyterians pretended Eternal Truth has been too long hid ETERNAL Truth and only ground of our Salvation As more particularly is confessed in the Confession of our Faith stablished and publickly confirmed by sundry g g The approbations of all General Councels which are governed by the holy Ghost and which do never revoke their determinations by which the Catholique faith is approved and confirmed are a much more solid authority to confirme the Catholique religion then are the earthly courts of changeing Parliaments to establish any sort of the Protestant Religion We know by experience that there are nothing more changeable then Acts of Parliament See pag. 430. Acts of Parliament And now of a h h The Scottish Nation was converted to the faith an Christi 203. Leslaeus de Reb. gestis Scot. l. 1. p. 114. which is above 1400. yeares agoe during which time it remaind coÌ„staÌ„t in the Catholique faith except a little of late This indeed may be called a long time but the Presbyterians long time is only 20 years as may be known by calculation and as yet it is not a hundred LONG time hath been openly professed by the i i Since the conversion of King Donald the first Christian King there are reckoned above 80. Catholique Kings of this Nation as may be seen in our Histories whereas the Presbyterians had only one King to witt King Iames the 6. who subscrybed their Covenant in his younger yeares which he also disproved thereafter in the Conference at Hampton-Court Kings Maiesty and whole body of this Realme both in Burgh and Land To the which Confession and forme of Religion wee m m As it is evident that these who embrace the Catholique faith in Scotland where it is persecuted doe it willingly so it is manifestly known that many were constrained to take the Covenant and so did not willingly agree to it See above ch 4. p. 26. and sect 1. p. 417. VVILLINGLY agree as vnto Gods n n The Catholique faith is so vndoubted Truth that it is altogether vnalterable with the Catholiques But ths Protestant Faith cannot be vndoubted Truth seing it is so often altered by Protestants see p. 430. in fine VNDOVBTED Truth and Verity grounded only vpon his VVRITTEN word And therefore we abhorre and detest all contrarie Religion Doctrin But chiefly all kind of PAPISTRY in general and particular heads even as they are now damned and confuted by the
for the further manifestation of the truth and he turn's all the plots and cunning design 's of the Authours and Promoovers of falshood to the ruine and confusion both of it and of themselves and to the exaltation of that whereof they intended so eagerly the destruction This was evident of old in the Arrians who vsed all slight and might to obscure and extinguish the great mystery of the holy Trinity But it did never shyne so brightly neither was it so fully discussed clearly vnderstood till the Arrians begun to bark against it as S. Augustin speaks Aug. in psal 54. So that by the many fold grace of our Saviour that which the Enemy intends for hurt destruction God turn's into help and advantage These things for the most part are now by the goodnesse of God become very evident in the Scottish Covenant and Presbytery which prospered so much for a time and yet at leuth are come to nought notwithstanding all the wise deepe plots that were so subtilly deuised for the standing and aduancing of them And notwithstanding the great power of Armies which did raise and vphold them in these Nations And by which they should in a Martial rather then Apostolique manner haue been propagated troughout the world as the Ministers some others fondly imagined but more foolishly bragged The great Covenanters also haue been much disappoynted and come short of their design 's There was nothing wherein they so much gloryed as in their prosperity and in the ruine which fell vpon all their opposers whereby they avowed publiquely and frequently that their cause was clearly owned by Heauen All their discourses and sermons were nothing but Panegyriques of that great ingyring light as they tearm'd it which God had made shyne to them above all other Nations They did bragge not a litle that they were Gods Covenanted people and he their Covenanting God which high priviledge no nation else could claime Their wisdome in their counsels diligence in executions were highly esteem'd and much cry'd vp by many There seem'd nothing in humane prudence fitting for the advancment of their cause but they try'd it And nothing could appeare a crosse and hinderance to their designs but they provyded for it And yet notwithstanding all these pretended priuiledges exploits and diligences the Covenanting Presbyterians haue been brought to confusion their prosperity so much bragged of hath quickly turn'd into adversity and their self conceated wisdome Iob. 5. v. 13. hath now appear'd to all men to be manifest folly For God who takes th2 wise in their own craftinesse and dissipats the counsels of the froward as it is in Iob hath made that witty or crafty course which they took for their own standing tend to their ruine and hath caused their fall to proceed from those whom they least or in no wise suspected that is from their own Covenanting and Leagued Brethren whom they had of purpose raised and vpholden to be a prop to themselues and a ruin to their Enemies And now is verifyed in them that which S. Paul foretold showld befall to all false Teachers and Seducers 1. Thimoth 3.9 They shall not long prevaile for their folly shall be made manifest to all men Yea it hath not only pleased God to bring the Covenant and Presbytery to such a stay and to frustrate the designs of their Promoters but he who drawes good out of evil hath drawen this good from them amidst the many deplorable evils which they haue directly brought vpon this Nation That many who were not sensible of the great errour wherein they were lying haue been awakned as it vere out of a dead sleep by the huge confusion of the Covenant and Presbytery and so seeing their own danger haue been stirred vp to seeing for the truth and to see the day of God as S. Augustin speaks Multi vt diem Dei videant per haereticos é somno excitantur Aug. lib. de vera relig c. 8. Amongst which number his vnspeakable goodnesse hath been pleased to make me one who by all apparance would haue liv'd and dyed in a grosse security of the religion wherein I was bred if the Covenant Presbytery by their confusions changes and violence had not furiously endeavoured to dispossesse me of many points which I formerly beleev'd as I was taught for vndoubted truths and by that means pressed me to make an earnest search to informe my self of the true grounds of these alterations and to find some setled ground whereon I might safely rely for the Salvation of my soule and not be tossed to an fro with every wind of doctrine in the wickednesse of men and circumvention of errour Whilst there was nothing but some little jarres betwixt the Bishops and a few Ministers for conformity to the 5. articles of Perth which concerned kneeling at Communion privat Baptisme Confirmation of children observation of Christmasse and of some few festival dayes I was never moved to doubt of the religion publiquely professed For these dissensions were not as I conceaved in substantial points neither was the manner of them very vehement and rigorous by reason of the Bishops temper who did not vrge these things violently though establish'd both by Ecclesiastical and Civil lawes Besid's the Ministers who oppos'd them were but few and not considerable either for learning or prudence in regard of those who were of a contrary iudgement All this time I liv'd in a deepe security in an implicit faith of the Church of of Scotland and its doctrine imagining that it was the very same which was taught by Christ and his Apostles But so soone as that great storme of the Covenant did arise none got leave to sleep any longer at rest in that barke all were awakned by these unskilfull Mariners to whom we had rashly trusted our soules who fell at such oddes and dissensions amongst themselv's that hardly ever such confusion and noise was heard or seen every one of them contradicting condemning and accursing another and making such factions that they seem'd to thirst after nothing but blood with which they may be sufficiently glutted since they begun This tempest and confusion hath brought such shipwracke vpon the Church to speak nothing of the miseries of the Countrey that many of sound iudgement seing the danger haue been mov'd to abandon that confus'd and sinking vessell and putt themselv's in one more solidly built and govern'd by more sober wise and discreet Pilots This confusion was the occasion of my first doubt which made me begin to examin the particular points of these new dissenssions and to try the ground whereon our religion so easily shaken was weakly founded And finding that all was built vpon the sand I made there after a diligent search to find out that true religion and holy Church which Christ the wise Master builder had promised in the Scriptures to build vpon a Rocke which could not be shaken neither by the deceits of men nor
no Scripture for them in this point but in expresse words against them should I give credit to those who to maintaine their errour did first manifestly corrupt the words of Scripture with false translations and thereafter did pervert the sense of them with blasphemous interpretations should I believe those who although they quitted their first sense of blasphemy did invent another full of Tautology not so impious but very ridiculous And who last of all to compleate the worke did deny their Creed Or should I believe the old and new Testament the Prophets foretelling and the holy Apostles expounding the holy Fathers so vnderstanding the whole primitive Church assisted by the Spirit of truth so believing and professing And last of all should I believe my Creed which the whole Christian world did receive as a most perfect plaine rule of faith composed by the holy Apostles for the capacity of all men I must professe that after such a Triall I could not put these authorityes in the ballance together much lesse could I prefer the Presbyterians inconstant new opinion to the ancient constant beliefe of the whole world vnlesse I would haue renounced both Reason Conscience CHAP. XII A Reflection on the last and an Entrance into the Triall of the first supposed Reformation HAVING by the Divine grace by the former considerations discovered as well the falshood of the forsaid Presbyterian Innovaons as the ancient truth of the Catholique doctrine I was advised and much encouraged to make the like triall of the principal points of our first Reformation as concerning the Commandements our iustification the nature effect of the SacrameÌ„ts For iâ—t was represented vnto me that there was no lesse pretext of pure Scripture and a like lowd cryes of a great engyring light for the last then was for the first Reformation And seing by the former triall I had discovered these last pretences to be false Why may not I haue some confidence to do the like with the first if I would vse the l ke diligence And if the last Reformers haue been mistaken and misled by passion why might not also their Predecessours over see themselves too Or what assurance can any man haue of their infallibility more then of the others The Alterations that haue been lately made by the Presbyterians do shew even in their Iudgment that their first Reformers were not infallibly assisted 2. I was put in mind that I had found lately some of the most eminent among them to be Corrupters or as S. Paul speakes Adulterers both of the letter and sense of the Scriptures and therefore they are not to be altogether trusted without trial In a word great promises and assurances were made to me that I would by this triall find out the falshood of the first as I had done of the last Reformation by that means I might attaine vnto the possession of solid truth whereon I might safely rely for the good of my soule As truth can endure iust trial and desires nothing more by which it is more manifested so falshood cannot abide triall but alwayes shuns it because thereby it's deceits are detected Catoch Rom. q. 12. Sa pientisfime Maiores nostri c. Lastly it was showen vnto me that the ancient Pastours of the Church did most wisely reduce the whole substance of the Christian doctrin which is of it self so large and plenteous into these 4. heads to witt the Apostles Creed the Sacraments the Divine Commandements and our Lords prayer for all things which belong either vnto the knowledge of God the creation and governement of the world or the Redemption of mankind the rewards of the good or the punishments of the wicked are contain'd in the Apostolique Creed The signes and instruments which God hath instituted for attaining grace are the holy Sacraments The divine Commandements shew what we ought to do and our Lords prayer doth containe all what we can wish or desire And therefore these are as it were the foure great Pillars wheron the whole fabricke of Christianity relyes Now it was told me how I had found by the former triall that this last pretended Reformation had overturned two of these Pillars to witt the Apostles Creed the Lords prayer besides the fundamental governement established by Christ in his Church If then I should find also that the first Reformation had overturned the other two Pillars to witt the Divine Commandements the holy Sacraments Then I might Conclude that the end and intent of these Reformations what ever was the intention of the Reformers hath been vnder the pretence of Reformation totall Deformation and the destruction of the Christian religion and that betwixt them they haue compleated that hydeous worke of Desolation For if the first refomation tooke away two as the next hath taken away other two Then they both together have subverted so far as they could the 4. great Pillars of Christianity and the last Presbyterian Reformation hath compleated what the first had begun and had not perfected I begun then the trial of our first Reformation with it's doctrin concerning the divine Commandements and specially of the impossibility to keepe them which was taught by our first and is yet maintain'd by our last Reformers For it was showen to me if the Commandements of God were possible to be keept as all wise and iust lawes are ordain'd for that end that they may be observed Then we by teaching they were impossible to be keep 't destroyed the very end for which the Commandements were made and so destroyed the Commadements themselues CHAP. XIII Of the possibility to keepe the Divine Commandements with the assistance of Gods grace denyed by the Presbyterians and their first Reformers I had for some space a preiudicate opinion in this matter against the Catholique doctrin which affirmed as the Ministers taught that it was possible for any man to keep all the divine Commandements yea and to do more then God had commanded I conceived that to be false For since no man to my knowlege or their owne confession had kep't them all or doth keep them I thought it not possible they could keep them For it would seeme if a thing were possible some one among so many thousands would put it in act Vpon the other part I was not well satisfyed with our owne doctrine which teacheth that it is altogether impossible to keep the Commandements of God by reason of a dangerous consequence which a Catholique made me see to follow thervpon to witt That so many thousands should be damned for not doing that which was vtterly impossible for them to do I wondered how that could stand with the goodnesse iustice of God For greater Tyranny iniustice cannot be imagined then to punish one with eternal misery and grievous paines for not doing that which was altogether impossible for him to do The light of Nature would not permit me to impute such cruelty to God whose goodnesse
lesse are they impossible Yea I found it was the love of God that made the Commandements which seeme so hard and difficult to others to be easy vnto the Saints David saith Psal 119. that the Commandements of God were more sweete then the honey or the honey comb and againe I did run in the way of thy Commandements when thou didst enlarge my hart Moreover all the children of God love Christ and they who love him as himself testifyeth keep his words Iohn 14.23 and S. Iohn saith This is the of love God that we keep his Commandements Therefore hauing diligently considered these testimonies of the Scripture I found that the Scripture was clearly for the possibility of keeping Gods Commandements with the assistance of his grace as the Catholiques teach and against the impossibility of observing them as the Prerbyterians almost all Protestants hold Wherevpon I tooke occasion to admire at two things First how it was possible that all the points of our religion are expressly in Scripture and that the contrary points maintain'd by the Papists are not in Scripture but condemned by it since vpon serious triall I found the Scripture to be in this matter so clearly against vs. 2. I did no lesse admire that I reading frequently the Scriptures before this search did not till now observe our doctrin to be contrary vnto it But a Catholique to whom I imparted my thoughts some space thereafter did quickly free me of these admirations by shewing me the reasons of both The first said he is not to be much admired For if the first Reformers had not pretended that all their new doctrines were expressly in the Scriptures they had got no followers and if the Ministers did not continue to make the same pretence there would be few or none so foolish as to abide with them This same pretence of Scripture all Heretiques have ever made although their errours were clearly against Scripture And this pretence they must all make if they intend to find any Credit The reason also of the second said he is no lesse evident For it 's no wonder that till of late yow did not find your doctrin to be contrary vnto the Scriptures because you did reade them before very superficially without solid reflexion attention as the most part of Protestants do and many also reade them with preiudicate opinions framing their faith vnto the Scripture but wresting the Scripture vnto their errours That is not to search the Scriptures to which our Saviour did exhort the Iewes who contented themselves with the like superficiall reading of them and therefore could find nothing of Christ in them But he shew if they would search that is reade diligently consideratly they would find that the Scriptures bare testimony of him The like may be said truly of the Catholique Church Religion that if the Protestants would search the Scriptures they would find therein sufficient and clear testimonies of them Thus spake the Catholique But although the above cited testimonies of the Scripture appeared sufficiently clear vnto me yet least relying vpon my own iudgment I might be deceived I had my next recours after the Scriptures to the exposition of the holy Fathers to the beliefe of the holy Primitive Church From which the old Episcopal Ministers did affirm that the Papists were altogether degenerated and we were made by them to believe that as our doctrin was conform to the Scriptures so it was also conforme to the holy Fathers who were all said to be of our religion true Protestants But to speak mildly whithout any exaggeration I found that to be a grosse vntruth and that the Puritans who either not claime the holy Fathers or yeeld them vnto the Papists are much more ingenuous in this matter then the old Protestants as shall be seen God willing in the progresse of this Triall Concerning the possibility of keeping the divine Commandements I found three things to be clearly contayned in the holy Fathers 1. They affirm that the Catholique doctrin is expressed in the Scriptures which they did so vnderstand and expound 2. They prove it by the light of reason drawen from the nature iustice goodnessâ— of God They not only condemn the contrary that is Presbyterian doctrin as an heresy but they accurse it as a blasphemy against God In proose of the first S. Crysostom brings these words of our Saviour above cited My yoke is easy and my burden is light Chrys lib. de compunct cordis and saith Christ hâ—m self hath truely affirmed of his CoÌ„mandements that there is nothing laborious nothing troublesome in them saying my yoke is easy my burden is light And we on the contrary make them heavy which he hath made light and what he hath made sweete we make bitter by sinning If there were any thing laborious in the Commandements deservedly and decently labour should accompany vertue for rewards are propounded after labours c. And elswhere he explaines the same words daintily thus Idem hâ—mil 6. Hearing my precepts to be a yoke be not affray'd for it is replenished with rare delight Neither feare ye that I name it a burden in Math for it is light How then said he before the gate to be narrow and the way to be straight through tribulation O that is when thou art drowsie or a dastard but when with courage thou doest that work then the burden shall be light c. S. Augustin proves by these words of S. Iohn And his Commandements are not heavy that the Commandements are not only possible but also easy and he shewes that it is the Love of God which makes them light the want of that love that makes them seem heavy The precepts of God saith he Aug. lib. de nat gra c. 69. are good if we vse them lawfully For in so much as it is believ'd most firmely that God who is iust good cannot command impossible things therevpon we are admonished what we are to do in easy matters and in difficult what to request pray for For all are made easy to charity to which alone the burden of Christ is light or it is the burden it self which is light according to that which is said And his Commendements are not heavy And let him to whom theâ— be heavy consider that it could not haue been said in holy Scripture they are not heavy vnlesse there could be such a disposition of heart to which they are not heavy and let him pray for that which is commanded And a little after How can that be heavy which is the Commandement of charity For either a man doth not love and then the command is heavy or else he doth love and then it cannot be heavy In which words divers notable things are contayn'd I took notice principally of these 1. That he saith the possibility of keeping the Commandements is most firmely believed 2. he doth not only prove it by
As a man who was rich and had mispent his estate cannot be iustly commanded by any new law to pay as much tribute as when he had his estate nor be punished for not paying it thereafter for such a law would be both vniust ridiculous commanding impossibilities and so would be no law and the makers of it would be both vnreasonable cruel So man after the fall of Adam could not by any new law be iustly commanded by God to do that which was impossible vnto him vnlesse we would make that new law vniust and ridiculous God him self vnreasonable Tyrannous Therefore since God made and promulgated his law long after the fall of man vsed exhortations propounded rewards and threatned punishments to induce men to keep it and all his actions are iust and wise they presuppose necessarly the possibility of keeping that law with the assistance of his grace or else such things would not be only against Gods goodnesse iustice but also against ordinary prudence Moreover the same Catholique shew me that the Presbyterians who accuse the Catholiques falsy for taking away the second commandment as they call it of which matter we shall haue occasion to speak more fitly hereafter may be iustly accused for taking away in reality not one but alle the commandments For their errour of the impossibility of them destroyes the end for which they and all iust lawes are made to wi t that they may be kept and so they destroy the Whole divine commandments and make them of no effect yea this errour destroies also the end of Christs Incarnation Passion if we will believe S. Augustin For having brougt many passages of Scripture to this purpose he subioyns Quibus appaparet D. Iesum Christum nullam aliam ob causam in carnem venisse c. Aug. lib 1 de pecc mer rem c. 26. where he sheweth very largely that Christ for no other cause came vnto the world and became obedient vnto the death of the Crosse but that he might reconcile sinners to God destroy the power of sin obtaine grace from God to make vs walk in newnesse of life and in obedience of his holy commandments Whereby it may be seen what a dangerous fundamental errour this is which is against such principal fundamental points of the Christian religion Therefore the Presbyteriās would de well to make vse of the same holy Fathers sound advice when he saith Let him to whom the commandments are heavie know Aug. lib. de perfect institue c. 10. that he hath not got the gift to witt of the love of God by which they are made not heavie but yet though he find them heavie let him not be broke with despaire but let him be enforced and stirred vp to seek to beg and to knock But the Presbyterians who hereby may know that they want the love of God cannot make immediat vse of this wholsome counsel to seek and beg that love of God by which his commandments are made easy till they first correct or rather quite their erroneous faith whereof they make this a chiefe article that it 's impossible to love God or keep his commandments Therefore they must first beg true faith that they may believe Gods commandments to be possible with help of his grace and then they may beg and obtaine the second to witt the love of God by which they may find grace to fulfill them This article of the Presbyterians faith gave occasion to a Catholique Gentleman of my acquentance to say to the Presbyterians who were much pressing him to subscrib the Covenant that he would never be of their religion who professed they did not love God yea and made it an article of their faith that they could not love him Thus he Having therefore diligently considered all these grounds I could no longer believe the impossibility of keeping Gods commandments even with the help of his grace as an article of my faith reveald in Scripture which I found to be against Scripture and against the goodnesse iustice and wisdome of God Which the holy Fathers some Protestants do call extream blasphemy which destroyes the vertue and power of Gods grace which puts the blame of our negligence sluggishnesse from our selves and layes all vpon God which is against the end of Christs Incarnation merit of his Passsion which hinders the growth of piety and opens a gate to all wickednesse and makes all the divine commandments of no effect But vpon the contrary I resolved by Gods grace to embrace and believe the ancient Catholique doctrin concerning the possibility of keeping the commandments with the help of Gods grace Which I found to be so clearly expressed in Scriptures so strongly maintaind by the holy Fathers so consonant to right reason iustice piety and which did make so much for the glory of Gods grace the merits of Christs death and passion CHAP. XV. Of Iustification by Faith onely maintain'd by the Presbyterians and their first Reformers as the principal article of their Religion AFTER the triall of our doctrine concerning the Commandments I considered in the next place our doctrine of Iustification not only because this hath connexion with the former but also for the importāce of the matter For I haue read and heard this article of Iustification by faith onely called by many Protestants the soule and life of their religion and of all articles the principal and greatest on the contrary they call Iustification by works the life of Popery so that M. Fox saith that Luther Fox Acts. Man p. 402. by opening a certaine veine which lay long hid to witt our Iustification by faith only did overturne the foundation of Popery Moreover I haue heard it affirmed that Iustification by faith only was so certaine a truth and so evidently contain'd in the Scriptures that some of the learned Papists after they had much oppposed it were at lenth overcome by the strenth of it and made to acknowledge it and there was no point of Popery esteem'd to be more absurd nor more against the Scriptures then Iustification by works in so much that M Knox in his first sermon at S. Andrewes did make instance principally in it Knox Chron. pag. 76. 77. for thus speaks his history of him He plainly proved the Papists doctrine lawes to repugne directly to the lawes of God the Father and of Christ Iesus his Son This he proved by conferring the doctrine of Iustification expressed in the Scriptures which teach that man is iustifyed by faith only c. and the doctrine of the Papists which attributes iustification to the works of the law And vpon severall occasions I haue heard the Ministers pretend great advantage in this point which they ordinarly vrge very much Having then no small expectation to find such expresse and convincing Scripture for this point of Iustification by faith only that any impudent front cowld hardly deny it I begun
all men would be cleansed from sin and so all would be saved which is false If they say It is not death simply but death ioyn'd with faith that hath this power Why shall not also faith and life have the same power How can the Presbyterians without any ground in Scripture assigne that power to faith and death which they deny against Scripture to faith and the holy Sacraments and to the blood of Christ Death indeed may put an end to sin that one sin no more but it cannot take away sins already done or else death would be more powerfull according to that tenet then the blood of Christ the holy Sacraments which is not only a groundlesse fancy but also a great absurdity Out of which it followeth that either the Presbyterians must grant that they do not go to heaven which is very much against the assurance of their election or that they are purged from their sins after this life since they are not purged in it which is against their negative confession And so these who deny a a Purgatory for venial sins must grant a new and most dangerous Purgatory for mortal sins For my part I could never find a solid answer to this reason and therefore I leave it to the Presbyteries consideration But because this Catholique did trouble vs with this difficulty I thought to have entangled him as much with the words of Bellarmin whereof I had heard some Ministera often boast Did not Bellarmin said I after he had much laboured to prove Iustification by works in end conclude That it was most safe to put all our confidence in the only mercy of God What will become then of all your works and merits which such a great Champion of your Church doth renounce To which he answered that Bellarmins words fully related do clear the whole matter Bellar. lib. 5. de Iustif cap. 7. prop. 3. and shew the vanity of the Ministers pretences For thus he speaks By reason of the vncertainty of our proper Iustice and of the danger of our vaine glory it is most safe to put all our confidence in the only mercy favour of God Where he doth not deny neither good works nor merits but only affirmeth that for two reasons which he there toucheth that it is most safe not to rely vpon them but vpon the alone mercy of God Out of which the Ministers would make this false collection therefore we are not iustifyed by works Which is as ridiculous as if you would say The Protestants teach that it is most safe to rely vpon the mercy of God Therefore they are not iustifyed by faith If then the Protestants relying vpon the mercy of God taketh not away Iustification by faith why should not also the Catholiques relying on the same mercy not take away Iustification by works Bellarmin speaks so clearly in this matter that his meaning cannot be wrested without malice For he sheweth in the same place that David and other Saints had some confidence in their iustice and good works according to that in the 17. Psalme The Lord will render to me according to my iustice because I have kept his wayes The like he sheweth of Nehemias Ezechias and Ester And this they did with great humility But because such cōfidēce is dangerous to many by reason of pride vaine glory that may arise beside there are few who haue such merits or are sure to have them Therefore Bellarmin saith it is most safe to rely on the mercy of God whereof he gives this reason Either a man hath good works or he hath none but evil works If he hath no good but evil works then he is perniciously deceived who trusts in evil works for these are deceitfull riches as S. Bernard calls them If he hath good works he looseth nothing by not looking on them by putting his trust in the mercy of God alone for God lookes on them knowes them well and will not suffer them to passe without their due reward Thus Bellarmin Yea Concil Trid. sess 6. cap. 16. the Councel of Trent makes the like profession when it saith Although much be given to good works in the holy Scriptures c. Yet God forbid that a Christian should trust or glory in himself not in our Lord whose goodnesse is so great that he willeth these things to be our merits which are his own gifts The Ministers may collect out of these words by their Logique that the Councel of Trent yea and that all Papists are Protestants But they will not distinguish between the necessity of good works and confiding in them which are very different At least all moderat Protestants may know by this open profession the falshood of that calumny which is often beaten into their eares to witt that all Papists presume in their merits S. Augustin sheweth that there are two gulfs in this matter one vpon either hand and that the truth is a direct way in the middle Presumption of iustice or good works is the gulf vpon the one hand and negligence of good works is the precipice on the other But the earnest care of good works and piety accompanyed with humility is the safe way in the middle Thus ended the Catholique to the good satisfaction of some Protestants who were present To conclude this matter wherein I have stayed longer by reason of the Ministers specious pretences of great advantage in it I can not believe any more Iustification by faith only as the principal article of my religion because it is not in Sctipture because it is expresly against Scripture against the holy Fathers because it is an ancient heresy condemned in Simon Magus Eunomius because the Presbyteriās iustifying faith is not a true Catholique faith having the divin reveal'd truth for its obiect as these he retiques required but is a private fancy a false faith Shelf aboue as it is acknowledged by some Protestāts having for its obiect humane presumption Because it makes Christ a most imperfect Physician and either debarreth man from the kingdome of heaven into which he cannot enter with the filthinesse of his sins or exposeth him after this life to a most dangerous purgation Because it breeds neglect of all piety and good works and opens a wide gate to all sort of vice In a word albeit the Ministers bragged much of this article yet I found they had never lesse reason if we will stand to the iudgment of the Scriptures Fathers which God willing I ever intend to prefer to their fancies and to their Philosophical distinctions or rather confusions to which they are forced to run that they may lurk in their obscurities when they are beaten out of the Scriptures in which at first they pretended to be impregnably setled It is sufficient for me that the Scripture expresly saith that a man is iustifyed by works and not by faith only Which is the contradiction of the Presbyterians faith and
that themselves do acknowledge in end the necessity of good works But to know how they are necessary either as causes or conditions is not a necessary curiosity wherof few are capable and without which many have gone to heaven And so now I proceed to the Trial of our doctrin concerning the Sacraments CHAP. XVIII Of the Excellency of the Christian Sacraments and particularly how they conferre Grace which is denyed by the Presbyterians AS I knew the Christian religion to be the most excellent of all true religions that ever have been whether we consider that which was vnder the law of nature or the other which was vnder the law of Moyses so I iustly conceived that it was most agreeable to Gods goodnesse and wisdome to adorne and enrich it with most excellent Sacraments For since no religion whether true or false can be without some sensible signes Aug. lib. 19. cont Faust cap. 22. as S. Augustin hath observed the Christian religion which is not only the true but also the most perfect religion to which the former two served as preparations must also have the most perfect and efficacious Sacraments And so I found the same S. Augustin extolling the perfection of the Christian Sacraments above these of the ancient law Aug. lib. 3. de doct Christ c. 19. Aug. cont Faust lib. 19. c. 13. Our Lord saith he and the Apostolical disciplin haue delivered some few Sacraments for many and these most easy to be done most magnificent for signification and most pure to be observed And elswhere he saith the Sacramenss are changed they are made easier fewer holsommer happier Now the principal perfection of the Christian Sacraments was generally believed to consist in this that God by them did conferre grace vnto our soules Which truth is so engrafted in the hearts of Christians that I knew diverse Protestants could not be at first perswaded that Luther or Calvin or that their Church taught the contrary and. when that was sufficiently manifested to them they were much scandalized at it In so much that some of them did say If the Sacraments do not confer grace and baptisme doth not take away original sin for what vse serve the Sacraments for what end were they ordain'd Wherefore being thus stirred vp to try this question I found in end that the Catholique doctrine which taught that the Sacraments of the new Law do confer grace is conformable to the divine Scriptures that it was expresly believed by the holy Fathers and doth duly exalt the perfection of the Christian Sacraments Whereas the Presbyterians doctrin which denyeth the Sacraments to confer grace is not only false against the Scriptures but was also condemned as an ancient heresy by the holy Fathers that it vndervalues the vertue of the Christian Sacraments and is so absurd that diverse famous Protestants haue abandoned that opinion albeit it was taught both by Luther Calvin and in this point do agree with the Catholiques All which things for brevities sake I will only touch Of Baptisme S. Iohn said to the Iewes 3.11 Math. I indeed baptize yow in water but he who comes after me shall baptize you in the holy Ghost fire Ananias said to S. Paul be baptized wash away thy sins Acts 22.16 Titus 3.5 Eph s 5.26 S. Paul calleth also Baptisme the Lauer of regeneration by which we are saved The same Apostle saith that Christ hath sanctifyed his Church by the lauer of water in the word of life By which testimonies albeit we speak nothing of many others it appear'd sufficiently clear to me since we are said to have our sins washed away by baptisme to be sanctifyed to be born of new again that by it we receive also grace without which these things could not be verified and performed The like is also affirmed of the Eucharist of which our Saviour saith If any man eate of this bread Iohn 6.51.54 he shall live for ever And again He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood hath everlasting life Now this everlasting life is no otherwise had here but by receiving Grace which is the seed of Glory and of eternal life happinesse Therefore these two Sacraments which are all that the Presbyterians admit do confer grace by the vertue institution of Christ What was the belief of the holy Fathers and of the whole Church in this point it is so clear that Calvin himself and other chief Protestants do acknowledge it to be the same which is now believed by the Catholiques against their doctrin Cal. lib. 4. Instit cap. 14. sect 14. 26. For. Calvin confesseth that with great consent it was taught and believed for many ages That the Sacraments of the new Law do confer grace if they were not hindered by mortal sin which albeit he calleth a pernicious and pestilentious opinion and alleadgeth that it drawes men from God to rest in the sight of corporall things and not in God himself yet he confesseth also that it was taught by S. Augustin the holy Fathers whom he striveth to excuse by saying that in their immoderat praises of the Sacraments Cent. 2. c. 4. cent 3. c 4. Muscul in loc com p. 299. they vsed hyperbolical speeches The Lutheran Centurists do ascribe the same doctrin as an errour to the most ancient Fathers as to S. Clement Iustin Cyprian and others Musculus saith plainly that Augustin did rashly affirm that the Sacraments of the new law conferred grace These open confessions shall save our paines of citing the Fathers testimonies And that this doctrin of the Catholiques doth manifest the perfection of the Christian Sacraments it is so clear of it self that it needeth no illustration Vpon this consideratiō S. Augustin Aug. tract 80. in Ioan. admiring the wonderfull effects of the Sacraments cry'd out Vnde tanta virtus aquae vt corpus tangat cor abluat Whence comes saith he so great vertue to the water that it toucheth the body and cleanseth the soule Where he ascribes this wonderful effect to the goodnesse omnipotency of God which sheweth also that his speeches are not hyperbolicall as Calvin falsly pretends Thus much briefly to shew that I found the Catholique doctrin to be conforme to the Scriptures holy Fathers and to manifest the perfection of the Christian Sacraments And therfore Calvins opinion which is iust contrary must needs be against all these He himself confesseth that it is against the holy Fathers and consequently it cannot be conforme to the Scriptures whereon they founded their faith and not vpon humane imaginations That it taketh away a great perfection from the Sacraments denying them to conferre grace is so evident that it needs no proofe Calvin saw this so clearly that he pretended the Farhers vsed immoderate praises of the Sacraments and that this vertue which the Catholiques do ascribe to the Sacraments makes people to trust more in creatures them in God himself But as I found
a more excellent foode then Manna Iohn 6.33 to witt the bread of life his own flesh But if the Sacrament were meer bread and not Christs body it would not be more excellent then Manna which was called the bread of Angels but much inferiour to it as is evident 4. Christ who is goodnesse and wisdom it self would not for tropes and figures have vsed so many asseverations as are set down in the 6. chapter of S. Iohn Neither would he have suffered so many of his disciples and others to go away from him after so many doubts proposed by them but he would have cleared the matter vnro them Lastly If this liberty be once graunted to expound the Scripture figuratively when we are not forced to it by any other Scripture or article of our faith then nothing will remaine but vncertaine opinions of divine things and so by this means the whole mysteries of the Christian religion may be denyed or overturned For there is no more requisite according to this licentious rule but that some few Novelists think a mystery impossible albeit all the holy Fathers ancient Church did ever esteem it not only possible but also a truth reveal'd by God and an article of their faith And so diverse heretiques have imagined the mysterie of the Incarnation of the holy Trinity and such like principal articles of the Christian religion to be impossible and therefore have expounded all the Scriptures which speak of them figuratively as the Presbyterians do here For these reasons besides the authority of the holy Fathers it appear'd sufficiently evident to me that the words of Christ concerning the holy Sacrament ought to be literally plainly vnderstood and not figuratively This truth also of the reall presence was shewed to me to betestifyed and confirmed from heaven by miracles both auncient and modern which are related by famous and faithfull Authors For either some singular benefites have been obtain'd by the faith of this holy Sacrament as expulsion of Devils deliverance from shipwrack and the like or some punishments have fallen vpon those who either did not beleeve the reall presence or vsed the Sacrament irreverently or some visions and apparitions of Christ in the forme of a child or flesh have been seen to confirm those who were doubtfull of the reall presence Of the first sorte Prosp de promissi Praed Dei c. cap. 6. S. Prosper bringeth an example which fell out at Carthage how a young Arabian maide who by a certaine sin made her self an habitation to the Devil by whom she was so miserably vexed some dayes that her throat being stopped she could receive no meat or drink was at length delivered by the Communion of the sacred body of our Lord. But most famous is that miracle which S. Bernard by the holy Sacrament did at Milan before innumerable people For he cured a woman who had been possessed many yeares by the Devil and was rather a monster then a woman In vita S. Bernardi lib. 2. cap. 3. by holding the holy Sacrament above her head and saying O wicked Spirit here is present thy Iudge Here is the highest power resist now if thou canst Now said he the Prince of this world shall be cast forth This is that body which was taken of the body of the Virgin which was stretched on the tree of the crosse which lay in the sepulchre which in the sight of his disciples ascended vnto heaven I command thee O wicked Spirit in the terrible power of this Maiesty that going out of this hand maid of our Lord thou presume to touch her no more God approved the truth of S. Bernards faith which was alwayes the faith of the Catholique Church by granting his desire Flor. Reym de ortu haeres lib. 2. cap. 12. The like miracle was done in this last age at Laon in Picardie on the person of a young woman named Nicolas Obry as is related with many admirable circumstances by an eye witnesse Florimond Reymond Counsellour of the Parliament of Burdeaux by which miracle he professeth himself to have been drawen out of the gulf of heresie Ambros in Orat. funeb de obitu Satyri S. Ambrose doth also relate how his brother Satyrus by the great faith he had of this holy Sacrament was miraculously delivered from shipwrack How God hath punished those who have abused or blasphem'd this holy Sacrament both auncient and modern histories do shew S. Cyprian relateth many of these miracvlous punishments Ott Mileâ—it cont Parmen lib. 2. For. de ortu haerâ—s lib. 4. c. 10. which fell out in his time so that some were filled with vnclean Spirits others were turned into madnesse S. Optatus doth shew that the Donatists who threw the holy Sacrament of the Catholiques vnto dogges immediatly thereafter felt the divine iudgment for the dogges becoming enraged did set vpon their own Masters and tore them in pieces The above named Florimond doth relate how an Arian woman of Cracovie in the yeare 1579. looking out at her window and seeing the holy Sacrament caried in procession cry'd out Behold the beare which the Papists carie and adore But immediatly she was punished For the Devil seazing on her did so torment her that blaspheming she expired in her husbands armes Moreover Idem lib. 4. cap. 6. the same-Author sheweth that a Iew having made himself Christian did steale out of a Catholique Church three consecrated hosties with which he fled to Hungarie where he sold one of them to a Iew in Presburg and with the other two he went to another town called Nickesburg where he assembled diverse of his companions to shew their outrage against the Sacrament Whence it came to passe that one of the company taking a knife did stob the sacred hostie which was lying on a table saying if thou be the God of the Christians shew it by some miracle The blow was no sooner given but the blood did spring vp by which they were astonished and in the same houre thunder came from heaven which destroyed that house and consumed into ashes that wicked company except only three who half burnt were left to be witnesses of their wickednesse and having escaped the fire of heaven were severly punished by the hand of man as the Author recounts This miracle was so much the more famous that the table and the two hosties of which one was pierced by a knife were found entire among the middest of these ashes and were collected at the sight of innumerable people This miracle fell out in the yeare 1580. I passe by many more which were showen me to this purpose Paul Diac. in vâ—ta S. Greg. Ioann Eiar in vita eiusd Greg. lib. 2. c. 41. Lastly for the comfort of the faithfull or for confirmation of the doubtfull some visions have appeared in the holy Sacrament That which is recounted in the life of S. Grego the great is very remarkable The historie is briefly this
testament of Moyses rod turned into a serpent of water turned into blood You see then saith he that by prophetical grace nature was twise changed what shall we then say of the divine consecration it self where the words of our Saviour do operate if the speech of Elias was so prevalent that it brought down fire from heaven shall not the speech of Christ prevaile to change the species or nature of the elements Cypr. serm de de coena Domini Greg. Nys Orat. Catech. cap. 37. Damasc l. 4. Ortho fidei S. Cyprian above cited saith that the bread is changed not in shape but in nature and by the omnipotency of the wotd is made flesh S. Gregory Nyssen affirmeth that the bread wine are transelemented And S. Iohn Damascen averreth that the elements are transchanged ascribing also that change to the omnipotency of God albeit we cannot know the manner how it is done Neither is that much to be admired for the same Father saith we can hardly tell how bread and wine or water by eating drinking are turned into the substance of our body blood If we can hardly know the manner of that change which is made every day by nature how can we think to comprehend the manner of this supernatural change which is made in the divine mysteries by the omnipotent power of the God of nature These testimonies besides others shew me sufficiently both the possibility antiquity of the thing signified by transubstantiation to witt a conversion of the whole substance of the bread and wine into the substance of Christs body blood the outward formes or accidents of bread wine remaining Therefore the Presbyterians do affirm very rashly in their new Confession that this change is not only repugnant to Scripture but also to common sense and reason seing the holy Fathers who cannot with any modestie be denyed to have common sense and reason did believe and prove it both by the Scriptures reason At least I resolved to preferre alwayes the common sense of the Fathers to the private sense of the Presbyterians Then when the thing it self is clear it is great follie in some to make out cryes against the word transubstantiation which they may do as well vpon the same ground against the words Trinity Consubstantial If they receive these vpon the authority of the Church and a General Councel why not the other also vpon the same authority If the change of our Saviours figure or Countenance vpon mount Thabour be fitly called Transfiguration Math. 17. v. 2. why may not also this substantial change of the elements into his body blood be iustly called Transubstantiation yea Beza plainly confesseth that if the letter of the Scripture be followed Papistical transubstantiation is established Beza vt infra And we have seen that the letter must be followed As I saw great vnity among the Catholiques in their belief concerning the holy Sacrament so I admired to find such dissension and confusion among Protestants in so substantial a point of the Christian religion and that this confusion should have risen eVen among their chief Apostles and the first builders of their high tower of Reformation Luth. in lib. de Capt. Babyl cap de Eucha Zuing. in lib. de vera falsa relig ca. de Euc. Cal lib. 4. Instit cap. 18. For Luther teacheth that Christs body is truely and really in the Sacrament but that the substance of the bread is not changed into it and that they remayne both together Zuinglius opposed his Master and taught that the Sacrament is only a bare signe of Christs body which is not in or with the elements but only really in t he heavens Then Calvin the third Apostle came in with pretence of a third light wherewith he would illuminate the world and reform these Reformers First he taught with Zuinglius against Luther that Christs body is only really in the heavens and not in the elements Then against Zuinglius he saith that the elements are not bare signes but they exhibite vnto vs the true body blood of Christ which we eate by the mouth of faith And because it seems impossible to eate any thing remaining at so great a distaÌ„ce he telleth yow that this mysterie is vnperceptible as indeed it is in his opinion which is more hard to conceive then the belief of the Catholiques because it is impossible and hath no ground neither in Scriptures nor Fathers But as some grave Authours have ' observed Calvins opinion of the Sacrament ' differs nothing in reality from the opinion of Zuinglius except only in obscurity of words which are trimmed vp to deceive men putting them in hopes of realities but indeed giving them nothing but bare figures For which cause Luther and his Disciples do brand both Zuinglius Calvin and their successors with the infamous name of Sacramentarian heretiques We do seriously censure saith he Luth. cont artic Louan Thesi 27. Idem tom 7. Vvit f. 381. ibid fol. 382. Luther in lib de Missa priuata vnct sacerd com 7. wit om Zuingl in lib da subsidiâ— Encharsstia Tigurini tract 3. cont confes Luth. p. 61. Zuinglians all Sacramentaries as heretiques strangers from the Church of God Again I take God to witnesse the whole world that I do not agree with them nor shall ever agree with them so long as the world endureth but I shall keep my hands free from the blood of those whom these heretiques draw from Christ whom they deceive and murder He leaveth also a perpetual curse to all those who will make peace with them which curse his disciples have diligently shun'd Yea he professeth that amongst other things the Devil counselled himself to deny the real presence to which he did not give consent by reason of Christs clear words to the contrarie But what the Devil could not do in this point with the Master he performed by his Scholler Zuinglius who by his own confession learned this opinion of a Spirit in the night for which cause Luther saith that the Devil doth now ever dwell in the Zuinglians that their blasphemous breasts are insatanized supersatanized and persatanized with many other horrible expressions of which the Zuinglians say did ever a man heare such words proceed from a furious and infernal Devil Luthers Schollers do continue their Masters zeale for one of them very famous Schlussel de Theologia Cavin lib. 1. c. 20. writes that as of old Averroes the Arabian the Pagans Iewes railed at the Christians for their beleef of Christs reall presence so do now hostes abiurati testamenti filij Dei Calvinistae blaspbemi the blasphemous Calvinists the foresworne enemies of Christs tâ—stament and with the auncient Pagans they take great pleasure with poisoned and Devilish blasphemies to deface and inveigh against the receiving of Christs true body which we by Christs words defend And having shewed by all circumstances that the
recorded in the Scriptures not equal in glory but more inglorious then the Iewish Synagogue hath been even since the coming of Christ For ever since that time the Iewes have professed their religion and had visible Synagogues in diverse famous nations whereas the Presbyterians make the Church of Christ to be invisible for many ages of that time in which not one could be found who had the courage or devotion to professe the true religion Now what can be more against the Sriptures and the honour of Christ then this wicked device what more opprobrious to all the Christians of these times God speaking of the Church Aggai 2.9 saith by the Prophet Aggai The Glory of this later house shall be greater then of the former But if the Christian Church had been so many ages invisible it had been more inglorious then the Synagogue of the Iewes which was all that time visible Christ is called by S Paul Heb. 8.6 the Mediator of a better Covenant which was established vpon better promises But by the Presbyterians invisible Church he is made Mediator of a worse Covenant and to have failed of his promises S Hierom saith Hieron cont Lucifer cap. 6. Nimium prophani sunt c. They are too prophane who affirm the Iewes had more Synagogues then the Christians had Churches Therefore they may be called most prophane who affirme the Iewes had many Synagogues and deny the Christians to have had so much as one Church throughout the whole world Whence this opinion gives great advantage to the Iewes and infidels against the Christian religion For they may iustly pretend that the Christian Church if it was so many ages invisible could not be the true Church kingdom of the Messias which the Prophets foretould clearly should be eternal conspicuous and glorious and that Christ could not be the true Messias who had failed so palpably of his promises Yea this opinion is very dangerous to Protestants so that it hath made some to stumble at the Christian religion and it hath drawn others into flat Atheism Sebastian Castalio Professor of Basil having cited some clear testimonies of Scripture for the perpetuity of the Church and the conversion of Kings Nations writes very perplexedly vnto Edward the 6. King of England Sebast Cast in praef Biblior lat Truly saith he We must confesse that either these things will be or that they have been or God is to be accused of aâ— lie If any man say they have been I inquire of him when I inquire how the knowledge of God and pietie which was promised to be eternal and more aboundant then the waters of the sea was not altogether perf ct Osiand in epitom cont 16. parte 2. p. 647. and could so soon decay By which words he shewes what stuck in his stomack David George a Protestant of Holand proceeded further vpon this ground of the visible decay of the Church blasphem'd against Christ saying If the doctrin of Christ his Apostles had been true the Church which they planted had endured Idem p. 818. And here vpon he became an impure Apostat from the Christian religion Adam Neuserus the chief Pastor of Heydelberg of a Minister became a Turk and was circumcised at Constantinople Prot. Apolog. tract 2. cap. 1. sect 5. These and some other examples may be seen in the Protestants Apology By all which may be seen how false dangerous pernicious this opinion of the invisible Church is against a most clear truth to witt that the Church cannot be hid Therefore as S. Augustin did conclude against the Donatists Aug. li. 2. cont pâ—til c. 104. in these words The Church hath this most certain mark that she cannot be hid she is then known to all Nations the sect of Donatus is vnknown to all Nations that then cannot be she So we may conclude more forcibly against the Presbyterians The Church of Christ hath this most certain mark that she cannot be hid or invisible She is then known or visible to all Nations The Protestant Church before Luther was invisible and vnknown to all Nations as the Presbyterians do confesse Therefore the Protestant Church cannot be she CHAP. XXIX That albeit the true Church might be invisible yet the Protestants had no invisible Church before Luther IT hath been already proved that albeit the Protestants had had an invisible Church before Luther yet it could not be the true Church which must be alway's visible Now remaines to be shewed the second thing which was vndertaken above to witt that albeit an invisible Church were sufficient yet the Protestants had not so much as one of that nature before Luther and so they succumb as well de facto as they have done de iure and consequently this device of an invisible Church for two reasons will serve them to no purpose Which is shewed thus An invâ—sible Protestant Church is a Church which beleeved the Protestant faith in their heart albeit they made no external profession of it But de facto there was no Church before Luther which beleeved the Protestant confession of faith Therefore there was no visible Protestant Church before Luth r. The Maior is evident because there is this difference between a visible and an invisible Church that the first professeth the faith the other professeth it not but they both agree in this to have inwardly the faith Without which there cannot be any Church Therefore an invisible Protestant Church is a Church which beleeved inwardly the Protestant faith The Minor is proved of the time immediatly preceeding Luthers preaching For either Luther himself before he began to oppose the Pope was a member of this lurking Protestan Church beleeving the Protestâ—nt Confession or these who adhered to him were members of it or some others who did nor ioyne with him and besids these no others can be found or imagined But none of these can be said For Luther is avowedly confessed by himself and all men in ad lat to have been a Roman Catholique a Priest a friar of S. Augustins order and as himself acknowledgeth said Masse devoutly and honored the Pope in his heart Therefore Luther before he opposed the Pope did not beleeve inwardly the Protestant faith and was not a member of the Protâ—stants lurking invisible Church but was a member of the Roman visible Church But so were Melanchton Carolstadius the Saxons and all the rest who followed him Papists or Priests professing the Roman religion knowing nothing of the Protestant till Luther taught them Therefore all these who adhered to Luthers new doctrin were before that time not lurking Protestants but profes't Papists Neither were there any other members of that suppos'd lurking Protestant Church who did not ioyn with Luther For if there had been any they should and would have come out of their lurking holes so soon as Luther began to preach and got the protection of secular Princâ—s For then there
was no more feare of persecution which was the only reason why these men did not professe their religion And therefore that being taken away if there had been any such invisible Protestants they would have showen themselvs visible acknowledged their brethren run and ioyn'd hands with them and said Behold this is the faith which we alway's beleeved although we did not or durst not professe it But no such persons did appeare when they might safely and ought in all duty to have appeared Therefore there was no lurking Protestant Church before Luther and consequently the Protestants had no Church at all before him neither visible nor invisible This may be yet further illustrated confirmed For there may be conceived two kinds of invisible Protestant Churches The first is a Church which believed in their hearts the Protestant faith and yet made profession of the contrary religion to witt of Popery The second is a company of people beleeving also internally the same faith but making no profession of a contrary religion And between these two extreames there is no medium But the Protestants had neither of these two invisible Churches before Luther Therefore they had none at all Not the first which although they had could not have been the true Church of Christ or a society of faithfull Christians but rather was a miserable crue of dissembled Sycophants for so they behoved to be who beleeved one thing professed the contrary which they thought grosse superstition Idolatry Not the first I say For such a dissembled Church behoved to beleeve the Protestants faith in their heart and professe the contrary against their consciences But there were none before Luther who beleeved the Protestant faith in their hearts c. because Luther himself beleeved the Roman Catholique faith in his heart and of this there can be no greater evidence then his own testimony against himself For he professeth that he honoured the Pope for conscience sake and thought that he would have been severed from God if he had been separated from the Pope and much more to this purpose Therefore Luther was not a dissembled Protestant but rather a sincere Papist before he began to oppose the Pope Neither were there any other before him who believed the Protestant faith professed the contrary because his followers were ignorant of the Protestant religion till Luther taught it and shew them the light This is witnessed by prime Protestants who say It 's ridiculous to think Cont. Shlus in Theol. Cal. l. 2. f. 131. that any man before Luther did attayn vnto the true doctrin or that he receiv'd it from others and not others from him That all the world was overwhelmed with more then Cimmerian darknesse that Luther was sent to dispell it and to restore the light of true doctrin Besids that chief article of Iustification by faith only was altogether vnknown before Luther Fox Acts. p. 402. so that M. Fox affirmeth that Luther by opening that veine which lay a long time hid overturned the foundation of Popery M. Wotton averres that Luther may truly glory that he was the first who taught Christ especially concerning that principal Euangelâ—cal doctrin of Iustification by faith alone VVotson in Exam. tit Rom. Therefore saith he It was a great honour to Luther to have been a Son withovt a Father and a Disciple without a Master All which testimonies do evince that there was not so much as a dissembled Protestant Church before Luther Neither as I conceive will any iudicious Protestant plead much for such a Church which although it had been could not be the Church of Christ but rather the Synaguogue of Sathan and so not the true Church which we are now searching after Neither had the Protestants that other kind of invisible Church before Luther which beleeved the Protestant faith in their hearts and made no profession of the contrary For first Luther his followers did not beleeve it till he opposed the Pope as hath been presently proved Secondly they professed themselves both by words actions to be Roman Catholiques and so made profession of a religion contrary to the Protestant Therefore in both these conditions this invisible Protestant Church is visibly deficient and consequently there was no kind of an invisible Church before Luther neither a sincere nor a dissembled Church if we will iudge of it by the persons who mâ—de it visible Neither were there any other lurking Protâ—stants for they would have shown themsâ—lves when there was no more danger for them as hath been said which they dâ—d not or if they were lurking they are still lurking and will ever lurk vnto the day of Ivdgment For there is no more reason that they shall appeare at any time hereafter then now or in the time of Luther Therefore this invisible Protestant Church is a meer Chimeâ—a fiction without all ground and against sense experience The Independents who arosâ— within these twelve years or thereabout and who before had been for the most part violent Presbyterians may pretend vpon the same groundlesse fancy that their Church had alway's endured invisibly The same might also pretend the Quakers who are more lately sprung vp But if any of these Congregations were so vnreasonable as to make that pretext which they may as lawfully do as any other Protestâ—nts who would be so vnreasonable as to beleeve them or who could be so simple as to be decived by them the beginning and progresse of those Congregations being so well known so late and fresh in all mens memories In the Presbyterian sense any person although never so great a liar might take vpon him to be a Prophet For albeit he foretold things never so false which never came to passe yea that fell out quite contrary he might say with the Presbyterians they were all fulfilled but invisibly Now what is more foolish then this device What would be more ridiculous in the iudgmâ—nt of Iewes and Pagans and more iniurious to the truth of the Christian religion For if they would demand how are the prophesies concerning the perpetuity of Christs Church fulfil'd How are his clear promises to his Church kep't And if it were an swered as the Presbyterians do that they were all fulfilled and kept but invisibly What could more confirm these men in their infidelity then this answer What could make the Christian religion appeare to them to be more false and ridiculous S. Augustin did far otherwise vnderstaâ—d the proâ—hesies of the Scripture concerning the Church For writing against the Donatists on this same subiect of the Church he saith Let vs heare some few things out of the Psalms so long ago sung and foretold and let vs now with ioy see them fulfil'd Again Aug Vnit Eccl. Heare this out of the Divine booke how it was foretold and see now in the world how it is at complish'd Therefore as there is no other way to make a prophesy true but
length described So by this means M. Knox gote his Vocation to be a Minister from the call of that holy Congregation which was guiltie of murder and robbery and was then in actual rebellion by the mouth of their Preacher who could have no lawfull vocation himself but being an vnlettered man had taken vp by all appearance that calling at his own hand as many others did For it is said of him in the 74. page Albeit he was not the most learned yet was his doctrin without corruption c. I was much astonished when this historie of our first Reformer his Vocation was first shown me in his own book by a Catholique who did not faile to manifest the ridiculousnesse of it by all the circumstances Now these are all the different Vocations of the Protestant Ministers and all and every one of them are so vnsufficient that they are disproved not only by Catholiques but also by most famous Protestants who are brought to such confusion in this matter that they hardly know what to say For they can neither pretend ordinary nor extraordinary Vocation not the first because they evidently want succession as also ordination both which are requisite to an ordinary calling Not the second because they want the power of working miracles and have no extraordinary holynesse which are qualities very requisite and vsual for all Gods extraordinary Ambassadours And albeit neither of these qualities were required yet these who pretend this extraordinary Vocation do fall into such contradictions that they are evidently known thereby not to be Gods extraordinary Ambassadours whom he never vseth to send with contrary Commissions So that to the Protestant Ministers or Bishops agree well the words of S. Cyprian Cypr. de simplicit Praâ—lator These are men saith he who without any divin disposition preferre themselvs among rash people who make themselvs Prelats without any lawfull ordination who none giving to them a Bishops office take the name of Bishops vpon them Therefore the Protestant Pastors wanting clearly succession from the Apostles are not Apostolique and so are not true Pastors but Vsurpers and consequently the Protestant Church is not the true Church for that cannot be the true Church which hath no lawfull Pastors Vpon the other part this succession of Bishops from the Apostles has been ever so evidently in the Church of the Roman Communion that the holy Fathers did bring it as a most evident argument to show the true Church and therefore they reckon out ordinarly the succession of the Roman Bishops Aug. cont epist fund c. 4. S. Augustin saith The Succession of Priests from the Seat of Peter the Apostle vnto the present Bishoprique holds me in the Church And elswhere shewing the continuance of the same succession he saith The continuance of the true Church by most certain succession of Bishops Aug. lib. conâ— advers leg prophet c. 20. doth persevere from the Apostles time vnto ours and to the times after vs again And this succession doth to this day continue in the Roman Church as evidently as it did in the time of the holy Fathers neither can any thing be said now against it which might not have been said as iustly by the auncient heretiques Therefore as the Church in Communion with the Sea of Rome has been shewed to be one holy and Catholique Church so it is no lesse evident that it is Apostolique having lawfull Pastors as it has ever had deriving their Vocation from the holy Apostles by lawfull ordination personal succession and consequently this is the true Church lawfull spouse of Iesus Christ This matter of Vocation is of great importance because doctrin depends vpon it and because it is easily discerned so that it is compared by our Saviour Iohn 10.1 to a Gate As then it is more easy to hold a theef at the gate then to thrust him out being once let in so all heretiques are more easily confounded for lack of Vocation which is to hold them at the doore of the Church then by the falshood of their doctrin which is to expell them after they are once admitted For if they cannot bring evident testimonies of their Vocation ordination from a known Pastor of the Church they are presently known to be Wolves who run when they were not sent who enter not by the doore but climb vp another way Therefore it is great deceit in some Ministers to vndertake to prove the lawfulnesse of their Vocation by the truth of their doctrin which is a preposterous and ridiculous way Numer 16. Core and his complices taught no other doctrin but that which was taught by Moyses and yet because they vsurped the Priests office we know how fearfully they were punished What would be more ridiculous then if one would vsurp the Office of a Iudge in the state and then would prove himself to be a lawfull Iudge by the iustice of his decisions This question then of Vocation being so important and easy a Catholique gave me this advice which I resolve God willing to follow never to admit a Minister to dispute of religion till he first shew the lawfulnesse of his Vocation and to make ever that the first question Wherefore having now seen such evidence for the truth of the Roman Catholique Church to which alone the marks and properties of the true Church recorded in Scripture do so clearly agree I will draw to an end by this subsequent Conclusion CHAP. XXXVI The Conclusion AS light is more pleasant after darknesse so is the invention of truth more delightfull after errors I have now by Gods grace and by the former Triall seen both our pretended Reformations which were called such great engyring Lights to be nothing but thick Aegyptian darknesse obscuring the chief and most clear truths of the Christian Religion both in doctrin disciplin I have now found amongst the Protestants what S. Augustin observed amongst the Manichees Aug. cont epist fund c. 4. that they have nothing but a meer promise of truth a pretext of following only the Scriptures wheÌ„ indeed they follow their own Errors That their doctrin is nothing but counterfeit Mettall which cannot endure the fire of Triall Yea I have clearly seen that their Church which is the ground work of all has not the least resemblance of the Church of Christ as she is without ambiguity described in the Scriptures For according to them the Church of Christ must endure for ever But the Protestant Church has only endured since the time of Luther According to the Scriptures the Church cannot be hid but must ever shine like a light set vpon a Candlestick But the Protestant Church has lyen many hundred years hid and invisible vnder a bushell The Church of Christ must have Vnity as becomes the house of God But the Protestant Church is full of division confusion both in doctrin disciplin The true Church must be holy in all her doctrin and
of them of some excellent privilege For they spoile God of his goodnesse by making him the Author of sin Christ of his merits by denying he dyed for all and the holy Trinity of Glory They spoile the Angels and the Saints of their felicity and of all respect and reverence from men They rob the Church of the continual assistance of the Holy Ghost Man of his free-will the living of the prayers of the Saints and the faithfull departed of the suffrages of the living They rob the Sacraments of Grace and the Commandments of obedience Yea what have they left vntouched in the Church They have taken away many books of the Scriptures almost all the Sacraments all Traditions Priesthood Sacrifice Vowes set Fasts Festival Dayes Altars Reliques Holy Images all Monuments of Piety all the antient Ecclesiastical Lawes all Order and Disciplin all Comlinesse and beauty from the House of God They have abolished the Apostolique Government denyed the Apostles Creed subverted the Divine Commandments and abiured all the Evangelical Counsels and many more points have they destroyed as we shall see in the progresse of the Covenant so that never any heresy deserved more the title of Destroyer never any heretical Confession of Faith deserved so much the Title of the Negation of Faith as the Covenant For never any heresy or negative Confession denyed so many points of the Catholique faith and so overturn'd the Christian Religion both in doctrin disciplin in all the Monuments and helps of Piety As the matter of the Covenant is very large containing so many points of the Catholique Faith which it deny's so the manner how it doth renounce them which is as it were the life and forme of the Covenant is very considerable For it doth not only deny these articles but it detests and abiures them yea and blasphemes them adding a blasphemous Epithet almost to every point For thus it speaks We renounce and detest the Vsurped authority of the Roman Anti-Christ his wicked Hierarchie his Devilish Masse Blasphemous Priesthood Profane Sacrifice Bastard Sacraments Doubtsome Faith Desperat Repentance c. Behold said the Catholique to me what a Rapsodie of lies and calumnies against manifest sense and experience against the ancient faith and true religion was fathered vpon God the Author of truth and was called his Covenant Behold what a blasphemous Negation of the Faith was entitled the Confession of Faith Behold what a monstrous Idol of lies execrations blasphemies the Covenanters did so highly honour reverence as if it had been Gods vndoubted truth and not only did Idolatrize it themselv's but with furious zeal and rigour enforced others to adore it against their Consciences S. Cyptian affirmes that the Devil Cypr. de simâ—l Praelator Hieron in EsaiaÌ„ c. 21. in place of the old Pagan Idols has invented the deceits of Errors Heresies and S. Hierom saith that all Heretiques are Idolaters adoring their own fictions and imaginatio s as divin truths According to this doctrine if the Covenant containe heresies as we shall see it containes not a few the Covenanters have been great idolaters The old Pagans did indeed adore false Gods and the works of their own hands but never any carying the name o Chr stians did more Idolatrize the fancies of their own braines then the Covenanters have done The prosperity of the Covenant for a time did blind many but now the Visitation which God has sent vpon it has opened the ey 's of a great part so that the Covenant which was before the obiect of their greatest reverence respect is now become the subiect of their laughter sport The Prophet Ieremy foretells that these miseries should befalls to all Idols They are vain things Ieremy 10.15 Hieron â—u hunc loâ—um saith he and a work worthy to be laughed at in time of their Visitation they shall perish Which words S. Hierom applies excellently to Heresies Who would not laugh saith he when he considers the Idols of Heretiques c. Heresies prevaile only for a time that these who are chosen may be made manifest and be approved But when the Visitation of God comes and his eys do behold their fooleries then all are quyet and siâ—e it And so now is the Covenant silent and fallen asleep But enough for our intended brevity of the false Titles of the Covenant and of the grosse vntruths in it against sense We shall now run brieflâ— through the Spiritual vntruths of it against Faith SECTION III. Of the Covenantes vain pretext of the word and Spirit of God and of the marks by which they describe their Relâ—gion THAT this matter may proceed more clearly we shall set down in order the words of the Covenant and then subioyn the Observations we made vpon them The Preface then of it goes thus Covenant Wee all and every one of vs vnderwritten protest that after long due examination of our Consciences in matters of true false religion Wee are now throughly resolved of the truth by the word Spirit of God And therefore we beleeve with our hearts confesse with our mouths subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God the whole world that this only is the true Christian faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing salvation to man which now is by tho mercy of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Evangel and received beleeved and defended by many and sundry notable Kirks Realms but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland the Kings Maiesty and the three Estates of this Realm as Gods eternal Truth and only ground of our Salvation as more particularlâ— is confessed in the Confession of our faith established and publickly confirmed by Sundry Acts of Parliament and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the Kings Maiesty and whole body of this Realm both in Burgh and Land To the which Confession and forme of Religion we willingly agree in our Consciences in all points as vnto Gods vndoubted Truth and Verity grounded only vpon his written word To passe by the first sensible vntruth about the long and due examination of their consciences which was lately touched they pretend next that they are fully perswaded of the truth of their Religion by the word and Spirit of God But this is no new song neither is it only peculiar to them All sects although never so monstrous which receiv'd the Scriptures have made and do make the same pretexts And this they must all do or else they would get few followers But that the Covenanters make this pretext as falsly as any other sects is very evident For first they falsly pretend to be perswaded of the truth of their Religion by the word of God seing they beleeve diverse points as principal articles of their religion which are expresly against the word of God Which may be shown by many Instances but we shall be content with two or three The Covenanters beleeve as
might be chased away Wherevpon one went and offered vp saith he there the Sacrifice of the body blood of Christ to the end that the vexation might cease and by Gods mercy it did cease immediatly As therefore it is evident by what has been briefly said from the Scriptures holy Fathers that there is nothing more holy divine in the whole Christian religion then the Christian Sacrifice of Christs pretious body blood vnder the formes of bread wine which was foretould by the Prophets instituted and offered vp by Christ himself and was thereafter offered vp by the holy Apostles and their Successors so you very wickedly call it Devilish For that cannot be Devilish which was ordain'd by God himself and whereby he is most honoured that cannot be Devilish which chaseth away Devils But your railing against it and abolishing it must be Devilish because the Devil by his principal instrument the great Anti-Christ is to abolish it in the later dayes Daniel 11.31 and Luther your first Reformer Luth. de Missa pri tom 7. by a strange divine Providence did confesse to the world that the Devil did stirre him vp by many arguments to abrogat it And as the Sacrifice is most holy divine so is the office of Priesthood by which it is offered most sacred and venerable If the Aaronical Priesthood whereby only bullocks and beasts were Sacrificed to God was so sacred how much more sacred excellent must be the Christian Priesthood according to the order of Melchisedech by which the body blood of Christ are offered vp vnto God a pure Oblation And therefore you very wickedly call the office of Priesthood blasphemous and by dishonouring it you dishonour God himself who did institute it as S. Ignatius the Disciple of the Apostles affirmes when he saith that Priesthood is the Top of all Honours Ignat. epist ad myrn that are amongst men which if any man dishonoureth he dishonours God our Lord Iesus-Christ the alone chief Priest of God by nature Your Ministerial office is rather blasphemous against God which robs him of his supreme worship by Sacrifice which has been given vnto him since the Creation That the Christian Sacrifice is offered vp for sins our Saviour shewes when he saith This is my blood which is shed for many to the remission of sins And that it is profitable also for remission of sins to the faithfull departed the holy Fathers do teach by the Scriptures and practice of the whole Church Aug. l. de cura pro mortuis c. 1. S. Augustin saith We read in the Books of the Machabees of Sacrifice offered for the dead but though it were no where read in the old Testament yet not smal is the authority of the Vniuersal Church which shines in this custome where the commendation of the dead hath its place in the prayers of the Priest which are powred out to our Lord God at his altar lib. 9. Con. c. 3 And in his ninth book of Confessions he tells vs His Mother Monica desired on her death-bed that memory should be made of her at the Altar from whence she knew the holy Sacrifice to be dispensed wherewith the indictment against vs was blotted out Where you may see also the Saints call that a Holy Sacrifice which you call profane SECTION IX Of the Canonization of Saints Invocation of Angels and Saints Worshiping of Images Reliques and Crosses Dedicating of Churches Altars c. NOW follow these words of the Covenant We detest his Canonization of men calling vpon Angels or Saints departed worshiping of Images Reliques Crosses Dedicating of Kirks Altars Dayes and Vowes to Creatures We shall now for brevities sake run speedily through all the rest of the Covenant First you blame here the Catholique Church for a most laudable custome which she has ever observed of Canonizing that is declareing some persons who had been eminent for holynesse to be glorifyed Saints in heaven There have been indeed different wayes by which this Canonization has been performed For sometimes it was done by the voice of the people with consent of their Prelats or by the Prelats the people not controuling But since the year 800. none have been Canonized but by the Sea Apostolique according to the decree of Pope Leo the third Whence it is that this action is performed with greater diligence and more exact trial both of life miracles then when it was done in a popular manner What then can you iustly blame here But indeed you are to be blamed who Canonize in your own manner not Saints but sinners that break mortaly every day Gods commandments and such was your Covenanting Army which you ordinarly called the Army of the Saints You passe next from detesting the Catholiques Canonizing of Saints to detest the Invocation both of Angels Saints But indeed you cannot detest that vnlesse you detest also the Scriptures the practice of the Saints of the whole Primitive Church For did not Iacob invocat an Angel when blessing Iosephs children he said The Angel Genes 18 16. Osee 12.4 which delivered me from all evil blisse these children Doth not the Prophet Osee testify the same saying Iacob prevailed agrinst the Angel he wept prayed to him Did not also Abraham Lot Gedeon pray to Angels as may be seen recorded in the Scriptures Genes 18.4.19.1 Iudges 6.3 Therefore in detesting the invocation of Angels you detest the Scriptures practice of the Saints The same may be also said of the Invocation of Saints departed For if it be lawfull to invocat the Angels why not also the Saints of Heaven whom our Saviour affirmes to be equal vnto the Angels Luke 20.36 Yea if it be lawfull to invocat Saints and sinners living vpon earth and to desire the assistance of their prayers why is it not lawfull to invocat the Saints raigning in Heaven and desire them to pray for vs To say that they do not hear our prayers and know not what is done here below which may concern them Luke 15.10 is most false For our Saviour sheweth that there is ioy among the Angels of Heaven at the Conversion of a sinner Therefore they must know it And shall the Angels know such things and reioyce at them and the glorifyed Saints who are of our own nature be altogether ignorant of them and have no fellow-feeling with vs Shall some Saints living here on earth know the secrets of others hearts know what is done at a distance as is recorded in Scripture of Samuel in relation to King Saul 1. Kings 1.19 and of Elizeus in regard of his man Giezi 4. Kings 5.25 to passe by other instances of Daniel S. Peter shall I say these Saints have such knowledge in their exile here on earth and shall the glorifyed Saints in their Countrey in the presence fruition of God be ignorant of such things and so be in a worse condition No that cannot be for
PRESBYTERIES TRIALL OR THE OCCASION AND MOtives of Conversion to the Catholique Faith of a Person of quality in Scotland TO WHICH IS SVBIOYNED A LITTLE TOVCH-STONE of the Presbyterian Covenant Beloved beleeve not every Spirit but prove the Spirits if they be of God because many false Prophets are gone out into the world 1. Iohn 4.1 If thou seemest to thy self to have been already sufficiently tossed and wouldest make an end of these labours paines Follow the way of the Catholique Disciplin which hath proceeded from Christ himself by his holy Apostles even vnto vs and from hence shall descend and be conveyed to posterity Aug. lib. de Vtilitate credendi c. 8. Truly the Covenants and Leagues of Heretiques are Thornes clasping one another Hier. in cap. 1. Nehum Printed at Paris anno 1657 Permissu Superiorum THE PREFACE TO THE CHRISTIAN and well-disposed Reader COVRTEOVS READER Although all Christians doâ— acknowledge that of all the affaires in this world there is none of that importance vnto man as the saying of his soule and that Salvation cannot be obtaynd without the true Faith and Religion yet manifest experience dayly sheweth that many thowsands do carrie themselvs so slouthfully in that most important affaire of Religion as if it were a matter of the least or rather of no consequence For we see that in whatsoever Error or Heresy though never so monstrous men are bred for the most part they continew in the same or els according to the mutability of their Inconstant Leaders they passe after them from one falshood into another without making any further search for the Truth This is truly one of the greatest miseries and the most deplorable follie of man that he should be so slouthfull and almost insensible in these things which concern his eternal Salvation whereas he is so diligent carefull about his Temporall affaires which are incomparably of lesser moment Neither is this negligence follie proper only to the rude and ignorant but it is also very ordinarie to many who are neither fooles nor vitious but rather have good store of worldly wisdom and of Moral vertues This then being vndenyably the common Lethargie of almost all those who live in the false Religions and sects of perdition wherewith the world is now pestered it is no small favour which they receive who by the divin mercy are awakned out of that dead sleep and being made to open their eys do see their own danger and seeing it strive by all means to free themselvs of it by seeking earnestly with imploring the divin assistance the right way vnto eternal happinesse This favour God hath been pleased to vouchsafe lately vnto diverse Protestants in Scotland awakning them by the great Confusion and Division most sensible and Natural Marks of Falshood that had falne vpon their Religion and by the grievous Dissensions that have been rageing a long time amongst their inconstant Teachers And amongst others he was pleased to graunt this favour vnto a certain honorable personnage who had been a very zealous Protestant relying altogether vpon the Ministers words But so soon as he saw their horrible contradictions Dissensions and that they condemned accursed what themselvs had before taught practized yea and furiously enforced others to follow them and swear to all their Innovations replenishing in the mean time the whole Nation with vnspeakable miseries calamities he thought it was not fitting nor secure for him to trust any longer these Inconstant Guides in a iourney of such importance since he could not prudently trust Guides of such qualities in an earthly Voyage Wherefore being thus awakned and not a stranger from good letters he did set himself seriously to seek the Truth choosing the Divin Scriptures for his Rule and the Holy Fathers for Interpreters of the same by which means he conceived that he should attayn vnto the knowledge of the practice beleef of the Primitive Church which by all sides is acknowledged to have been the true Church And so beginning his search with the Trial of the Innovations which were lately introduced by the Presbyterians he did not only soone find them to be against the Scriptures holy Fathers but also he began to see a glimse of the Truth of the Catholique Religion which he had heard so often defamed by the Ministers For he clearly perceived by pervsing especially some peeces of S. Augustins works and the Protestants Apologie that the holy Fathers Primitive Church beleeved diverse points which are condemned by Protestants and are still beleeved by Catholiques whereat he was not a little astonished especially when he saw this acknowledged by the chief Divines of the late English Church which pretended above all others to be most conformable vnto the primi ive times whose Testimonies are diligently collected by M. Breirly in the forementioned Apologie Having then thus seen the great deformity of the Scottish Presbyteian Kirk which is so monstrously different from the Primitive and the great prevarication of the late English Church he remained for some time in great perplexity of mind not being able of himself to overcome some difficulties preiudices which had been a long time beaten into his eares against the Catholique Religion Till at length falling into the acquentance of a Roman Catholique whom he perceived to be somewhat versed in these questions he was pleased to vnfold his mind to him and after diverse conferences received not only full satisfaction of his doubts but also was instructed in the chief principles and immoveable grounds of the Catholique faith whereby he saw also the sandy grounds of the Protestant Religion Being therefore in end fully resolved to enter into the bosome of the holy Catholique Church he desired the said Catholique would be pleased first to draw vp in some few sheets the Occasion Motives of his Conversion to the end that having these papers by him he might be more able to give satisfaction to others who might enquire of him the reasons of his change Which was done accordingly with intention only that it might serve for his private vse But some other zealous Catholiques coming thereafter to the sight of these papers were of opinion that they might prove profitable to others if the same Methode being observed the matters there touched were a little more enlarged and then published And therefore they ioyntly desired the said Catholique would be pleased to vndertake that labour giving him good hopes that not only the new Converted Catholiques would be thereby confirmed but also others who were seeking the Truth might be helped and assisted besides some other goods which they thought might redound from it In obedience to whose Desires this labour was vndertaken by him now it is his earnest wish that it may answer their expectation albeit perhaps for that end some more time had been requisite Thus Courteous Reader thou hast heard the occasion of writing this book Now thou maist be pleased to see a
little the Model and Methode of it In the first place are set down the Occasions of that Honorable new Converts doubts concerning the Truth of the Protestant Religion such as are the Ministers Inconstancy in Doctrin Disciplin their great Dissensions and Divisions Their Tyrannizing over mens Consciences Their Contradicting their own Principles c. In which matters some late histories or passages are interlaced without expressing the names of persons therein concerned because that was not necessary since the things here touched are publique late fresh in all mens knowledge and Memories within the Countrey and the persons also well enough known Neither is it the digrace of any mens persons Hier. Apolog. 3. cont Ruffin c. 11. which S. Hierom calls the Machines of Heretiques but the correction of their Errors which is here intended After the occasion of the doubts is shewed in some few chapters then followeth the Triall of the last pretended Presbyterian Reformation in the principal points thereof as its condemning of Episcopacy the abolishing the hymne of Glory to the Father c. the denying the Apostolical authority of the Apostles Creed neglecting to say our Lords Prayer c. In all which points the Presbyterians are found to go against the word of God the Primitive Church the former doctrines practises of many among themselvs against their first Reformers and many learned Protestants So that this last pretended Reformation is shewed to be nothing but a reall Deformation destroying not only the Apostolique office government established by Christ in his Church but also the two chief Pillars or heads of the Christian Religion to witt our Lords Prayer and the Apostles Creed Then followeth the Trial of the first pretended Reformation which is also shewed to have destroyed in effect the other two chief Pillars of Christianity to witt the Divine Commandments and Holy Sacraments and to have brought in a most Erroneous doctrin of Iustification by Faith only expresly against the Scriptures holy Fathers So that these two pretended Reformations are shown to have made vp between them the hideous work of Desolation After this the whole Protestant Church by the vndenyable principle of the perpetuity of Christs Church is proved not to be the true Church of Christ And by the same vndenyable principle the Church in Communion with the Sea of Rome and she alone is demonstrated to be the true Catholique Church of Christ and to have in all ages still continued in the same doctrin which she received from Christ his Apostles notwithstanding the calumnies of Heretiques Then lastly the same truth is proved by the Marks whereby the true Church is clearly designed in the Scriptures as by her Vnity Sanctity Vniversality Apostolical Succession by which marks the holy Fathers also did prove the true Church in their times To which is subioyned a brief Examination of the Presbyterian Covenant or Confession of Faith which although it was much Idolatrized of late is shewed to be nothing but a Denyall and Abiuration of the holy Faith with many execrations and blasphemies against it This briefly Courteous Reader is the Scope and Methode of the ensuing Treatises which the Author thereof earnestly wishes may tend to thy profit That if thou be a new Converted Catholique thou mayst be coÌ„firmed thereby in thy holy Faith If one who after many tossings in Errors art seeking the Truth thou mayst be assisted to find it where only it can be found if lastly thou be one who not through malice but through negligence or ignorance adheres vnto Errors thou mayst be stirred vp to try them and to seek diligently the Truth which is a work most worthy of thy paines Neither is it so hard as some do imagin to find the Truth since God Almighty according to his infinit goodnesse wisdom has prepared the way to heaven so much the more certain easy to be known how much more Error and deceit in it brings greater losse with it and therefore he has promised so plain and direct a way vnto Eternal happinesse that fooles may not erre by it Esay 35.5 Whence it is evident if thou seekest this way with diligence and after the right manner thou mayst have great confidence by Gods grace to attayn vnto it But then thou wilt seek it in the right way according to the advice of the glorious Doctor S. Augustin to his friend Honoratus if thou dost vse fervent and frequent prayer Aug de vtilâ— credâ—s 15 16. strivest to have peace and tranquillity of mind if thou wilt hear that Church which God hath established on earth with so great authority and which is called Catholique both by her own by strangers For it is by Authority only whereby men can come vnto the knowledge of Divin Truth and there is no Authority equall vnto this wich began by Miracles and is most famous for Multltudes of peoples and Nations and therefore if thou proceedest orderly at this Authority thou oughtest to begin as the same holy Father affirmes But if thou contemnest so great Authority and only openest thy eares to the Enemies and Calumniators of so famous a Society which has been also calumniated by all the former heretiques as well as by these of this Age thou canst not be excused neither canst thou arrive vnto the possession of solid Truth Therefore if thou be wise follow the former advice of S. Augustin who was so wise so learned a Doctor and who had such great knowledge and experience in this affaire And if thou wouldest take a short and compendious way to come vnto the Truth Try only that one question of the Church according to the marks abovementioned whereby it is clearly designed in Scripture and thou wilt not only soone find that they cannot agree to thy New Inconstant Church but also thou wilt quickly see that they agree to the Catholique Church which has ever endured and against which Hels gates could never prevaile and so with the true Church thou wilt find aâ—l Truth because it is ever governed by the Spirit of Truth and is the Pillar and ground of Truth This is the right manner for thee to attayn vnto the Truth and to true Happâ—nesse To which that God Almighty may direct and bring thee shall be earnestly desired by thy welwisher F. W. S. A TABLE OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. I. THAT God by the Confusion of Error stirres vp many to seek the Truth p. 1. Ch. II. Of the Ministers Inconstancy and of the Alterations made by the late Presbyterian Reformation p. 8. Ch. III. Of the Ministers Dissensions Divisions p. 15. Ch. IV. Of the Presbyterians Rigour and Tyranny over Protestants p. 26. Ch. V. Of the Presbyterians contradicting their own Principles p. 34. Ch. VI. Of the Presbyterians Disobedience to the Civil Magistrate and of their pretext of Piety p. 46. Ch. VII Of Episcopacy condemned as Anti-Christian by the Presbyterians p. 53. Ch. VIII Of our Lords
by the power malice of the Devil Having then after a serious equitable and zealous search of the truth found it by Gods grace to be where the Ministers clamours and my education made me least suspect it was And therefore being to abandon that religion and particular new inconstant confus'd Church wherein I was bred and to incorporat my self into the vniuersal ancient perpetual and invariable Church protected alway's from heaven against the gates of Hell I thought fitting to to recollect the occasion and reasons of my happy change both for the contentment of my own mind that I may briefly see what I have long and diligently sought after and for the satisfaction of others who perhaps may imagine I had done rashly desiring earnestly God may be glorifyed in both The reasons which mov'd me to think strange of our religion were these following all which I saw with my eyes 1. The Ministers Inconstancy in Doctrine 2. Their Dissensions 3. Their contradicting their owne Principales 4. Their Cruelty over mens consciences 5. Disobedience to Civil Magistrats with a shew of Godlinesse without any effect or truth of it CHAP. II. Of the Ministers Inconstancy and of the Alterations made by the late Presbyterian Reformation THERE is hardly any thing that makes people to stumble more at religion then the often changing of it and nothing makes them more apprehensive of their Pastours falshood then their levity and inconstancy in their doctrines and practises For how can people think that religion true and solid which they see is never constant but is alway's changing like the Moone And how can they but suspect their Pastours to be false prophets whom they heare at diverse times teaching them contrary doctrines For it 's evident by the light of reason that such lighsnesse and inconstancy especially when it is accompayn'd with a proper condemnation of their own former doctrines and practises is a reall open confession of their former errours if not of formal deceit's And therefore it shewes them to be either deceitfull or at least blind Guides to neither of which can people either prudently or safely intrust their soules If such wandering and erring Guides after some experience had of them would not be followed nor trusted in earthly voyages How much lesse are these to be followed or trusted in our voyage to heaven which is of greater concernment As lightnesse and inconstancy are farre from the office of true Apostles so they are alwayes proper to false Teachers and Prophets S. Paul writing to the Corinthians freeth himself and other true pastours from such imputations 2. Cor. 1. ch v. 17. seq Did I vse saith he lightnesse or was my preaching It is and it is not for the son of God Iesus Christ who was preached by vs among you by me and Sylvanus and Timothee was not It is and it is not but. It is was in him But vpon the other part the same S. Paul writing to Timothee shewes that all false Teachers are light and incōstant Evil men 2. Thimoth 3. saith he and seducers prosper to the worse erring driving into errour This is the worst most deplorable kinde of inconstancy which proceeds from evil to worse which is too evident in the Presbyterians who haue abrogated condemned and deformed many things which their first Reformers had left vntouched allowed and practised as shall be presently seen For vnder vaine imagination of a new Reformation they haue gone further from the truth and vnder pretext of attayning greater purity they have plung'd themselves more deeply into the puddle of errour First then they changed the governement of the Church by Bishops which had continued a good time and was established both by Civil and Ecclesiastique lawes yea they did not only change and abrogate the governement of Bishops but they condemned also their very office as vnlawfull and Antichristian and forced others to swear and subscribe to their sentence And in place of Episcopacy they brought in a parity of Ministers and a forme of discipline which they call Presbytery Declaring that this was the only governement conforme to the word of God and which Christ had ordain'd for his Church to which sentence also all behoved to sweare And therefore to the two marks of the Church ordinarly assign'd by Protestants the Presbyterians ioyn'd their discipline as the third whereby they declared that all Protestant Churches which wanted this governement were not true or at least pure Churches of Christ So that they made their Presbyterian discipline a substantial point of doctrine the contrary whereof was taught believed and practised in the Bishops time in the Isle of Britaine and in all places where the Lutheran Protestants lives And what ever was the practise of the French Calvinists yet they did not definitiu'ly declare the office of Bishop to be Antichristian but kept society with these Protestant Churches where Episcopal governement was established and wrote most respectiv'ly vnto the Bishops themselves as may be seen in the Survey of the new discipline Secondly After the change and abolition of the old governement of the Church They proceeded next to abolish all sett prayers all the orders and directions which were ordain'd by I Knox the first Fundatour or Reformer of this Church for administration of the Sacraments and of Mariage yea all sett formes of prayer were disallowed and cancelled vpon pretext that they nourished tepidity and smoothered the fervour of the Spirit according to which all persons were ordain'd to pray albeit oftentymes it prov'd the Spirit of giddinesse as appear'd by their frequent Tautologies and bablings But it had not been so much matter for abrogating Mr Knox his prayers if they had not been too bold with the most excellent of all prayers made by our B. Saviour himself and recommended by him to all Christians For although the Ministers were accustomed before to end their imperfect prayers as they spoke in that most perfect forme of prayer made by Christ which was also the practise of their first Reformers Knox chron p. 288. as may be seen in Knox Chronicle at the conclusion of the prayer for a benediction to the Superintendent yet it was left off any more to be said by these new Presbyterian Reformers the rest of the brethren thought it most secure for their own own standing to follow their Leaders Albeit they cashiered all other sett prayers yet they might have excepted this both for the excellenty of it and the dignity of the Authour They indeed spoke nothing publickely and directly against it till one of their prime Apostles did not stick to call the frequent vse of it most irreverently a Papistical charme Thirdly they changed not only the prayers but also the manner of singing psalmes for they tooke away and abolished the hymne of Glory to the Father and to the Son c. with which the Psalme was ordinarly concluded according to the custome which was kept from the beginning of the
cry'd alway's for iustice to divert from the land as they gave out Gods iudgements It would be tedious to relate all the particulars that have past of their severity That alone which they vs'd against the Lord Montrose and his fellow Captives made their temper sufficiently knowen to all Europe For although they coul'd not have been much blam'd supposing their principles for removing out of the way such an active enemy yet the manner of it shew too great passion and cruelty Some respect might have been had to his ancient Nobility to his personall Gallantry and many worthy parts but especially to his admirable Clemency show'd to his Enemies after many notable victories obtayn'd over them But notwithstanding all these respects when he fell into the Presbyterians hands they were not content to put him symply to death vnlesse they satisfyed their passion by putting disgraces vpon him For they brought him vp the high street of Edim borough bound with ropes to a chaire in a Carte bareheaded the common Executioner riding in livery covered before him which spectacle was so cruel and lamentable that it wrested teares from many of his Enemies This was the Triumphal Entrie he got into that cittie which was in his power after the battall of Kilsyth to have burn't and sack'd but of his innate clemency did spare it And within two or three dayes after this solemne entrie they caused him not only to be hang'd but also to be dismembred and quartered ordaining his Head Legges and Armes to be affix't in the principal Townes of the Countrey and the trunck of his body to be buryed vnder the common gallowes And all this was done by expresse order of the Presbyterians who excluded all other from having voices in Parliament That scaffold which was erected at the crosse of Edimborough for the execution of Montrose did remaine vnremoved about the space of two months conrrarie to all former custome vpon which every week the Presbyterians offered vp diverse sacrifices of gallant and worthy men so that it became a heape of blood and therefore it was called by many of the people The Ministers Altar who as they alleadged delights not in vnbloody sacrifices Yea some of the Ministers hatred against Montrose was so great that it did not end with his death but pursued his memory after death calling him publickly a periur'd Traytor a Dogge the Malignants God with many such vncivil epithets Then they bragged who durst any more oppose them or set their faces against them That God had now own'd their cause and had brought their greatest Enemy's to confusion as they had often prophecy'd for which ever thereafter they ought to be beleev'd But all the severity and rigour that had past was nothing to that which many wise men foresaw was approaching if the reigne of Presbyt'ry had endured longer Before Montrose death the Presbyterians were not free of feares and were not fully Masters but shortly after getting home the King whom they made to subscryb and swear their Covenant and solemne League and to confirme all their proceedings they had higher design 's But as the Christian Moderatour hath observed their fall was nearer then they expected and the hand of God stop't them in their full carriere So that they were not only rendered vnable to do more hurt which they intended but also they were happily hind'red from doing any more that which they practised at least in their accustomed rigour These obvious considerations made the rigour and severity of Presbyt'ry appeare to be very Tyrannous vnto me For thereby I saw that it was both Spiritual and Temporal and extended to the Soules and Bodies lives and Estates yea and to the very Memories of men after their death and that for pretext of religion to Protestants whom sometimes they acknowledge to be of their owne religion And therefore I made this reflection with my self How can this Presbyterian Church have Christian truth and purity since it 's so voyd of Christian meeknesse mercy How can these Presbyterian Ministers be Christs true Disciples Matth. 11.29 since they do not learne nor practise his lessons Christ saith learne of me for I am meek and humble of heart They learne this lesson backward for they shew no Meeknesse nor Humility but rather the contrary all Pride and cruelty Our Saviour saith to his Disciples Love your enemies Math. 5.44 The Presbyterians hates and persecut's their friends their owne Brethren Protestants Truly I cannot think there can be much truth among Presbyterians where there is so little mercy They would have done well to have ioyn'd these two together vsed Salomons wise advise Let not mercy and truth leave thee and then perhaps they had found more credit CHAP. V. Of the Presbyterians contradicting their owne Principles TRVTH is alway's consonant to it self Wise men do not fall into manifest contradictions and good men do not practise these things which they blame and condemne in others Now in many things the Presbyterians appear'd to me to contradict their owne principles â—oth in deeds and words whereby they bewray'd the vanity of their faire pretexts and shew that some of their Principles were so false that themselv's were forced to goe often against them and controwle them 1. This appeared in their pretext of tender Consciences which truly I and many others beleeved they for the most part had till they tooke the power of ruling or rather domineering over other mens Consciences But as it is in the proverbe Magistratus indicat virum Many seeme good so long as they have no power to do evil The Presbyterians tendernesse of conscience was most esteem'd when it was least knowen but so soone as it was brought to the light it lost more credit then they acquyred power When the prime Ringleaders of this mad Presbyterian Dance were vrged to conformity in the Bishops time O then they cry'd vp their tender Consciences They could not so much as cary a Cassocke nor make a Sermon on Christmasse in remembrance of Christs Nativity nor Baptize a child privat'ly although at the point of death Their tender Consciences could not digest such hard meates they would stand to the purity of their Reformation which had abandonned all such Superstitions But after they became Masters they seem'd to swallow downe some more grosse morsels and for all the pretended purity of their first Reformation they would yet Reforme and purify it more For then they digested the denying of the Apostles Creed the abrogating the hymne of Glory to the Father the forbearing of saying our Lords prayer all which were practised by their first Reformers besids the many terrible oaths of the Covenant and their obedience sworne to their Superiours Civil and Ecclesiastical all which and many more they swallowed downe without the least trouble of their Consciences Now how can such men be iustly thought to have tender Consciences who started so at straw's and leap't over Mountains who are like those of whom our
Tim 3.13 what the first Reformers who could not on a suddaine deny all truths left vntouched your second Presbyterian Reformers haue abolished as they haue done here the hymne of Glory which was said in praise of the holy Trinity and for which you haue got the noble exchange of cōtinual praises of the Covenant Presbytery But as the great Councel of Nice did add vnto the ancient hymne of Glory to the Father c. that clause As it was in the beginning c. For confusion of the Arian heresy So also it hath by the same addition prophetically foretold the continuance of it for ever to the confusion of this new sect called Presbytery which is most consonant to that of S. Paul To God be glory in the Church and in Christ Iesus to all generations world without end Amen Ephes 3.21 That Church which hath triumphed over the Arians who corrupted this glorious hymne will also triumph over the Presbyterians who have abolished it Yea this hymne shall not only continue to the worlds end in the Church Militant but it shall be also the exercise of the Church Triumphant which shall never cease for all eternity to sing praise glory vnto the most holy Trinity Thus ended my Catholique friend whose words I found to be more waighty a good space after then they appear'd to me at the time when he spoke them Moreover I remember he desired me to consider that these innovations against our Lords prayer and the hymne of Glory were such blacke actions that the prime Presbyterians who introduced them were ashamed to make acts to forbid them as they had done for abolishing of Episcopacy and some other points but only brought them in by a desuetude as they speake and so wore them out of vse Which sheweth said he that they would gladly haue some things done covertly which they are asham'd to avow publickly CHAP. X. Of the Apostles Creed denyed to be Apostolical by the Presbyterians THERE was hardly any thing that the Presbyterians did which made me stumble so much as their Innovation concerning the authority of the Apostles Creed They were not content with their Reformation or rather abrogation of the Apostolique governement vnlesse they also did deny the Creed to be made by the Apostles and so weare it out of vse as they had done our Lords prayer At the end of of their new Catechisme they speake thus of the Creed Shore Cat. Vvest in fine Albeit the substance of the doctrine comprised in the Abridgement commonly called the Apostles Creed be fully set forth in each of the Catechismes so as there is no necessity of inserting the Creed it self yet it is here annexed not as though it were composed by the Apostles c. In which words they reach covertly two things 1. That the Creed it self is not necessary if we have the substance of it as it is explain'd in the new Presbyterian Catechisme 2. that it needs not be esteemed to be composed by the Apostles But their practise did shew more evidently their meaning For they did not only declare it not to be Apostolical and therefore to be only a humane collection but also they did no more say it neither did they require it to be said any more of others as the custome was formerly at Baptismes And by these means they put it out both of estimation and vse This innovation gave great scandal to many who thought iustly they could thereafter be sure of nothing since their Creed was called in question This was vniversally esteem'd before the Covenant began the badge or mark of a Christian and the principal foundation of the Christian religion The authority of it was held so sacred that it was an ordinary proverbe in mens mouth 's when they would give great assurance of performing any thing they had promised that before they failed They would as soone deny their Creed As it was called the Apostles Creed so it was taught for such so it was believed and esteemed to be It was publickly said in the Church by parents at the Baptisme of their Children and it was required to be said by the people when they were Catechized But all these things were altered and overturned by the Presbyterians The authority and esteem of the Creed was dash't by their denying it to be Apostolicall and the custome of saying it both publikly privatly was taken away so that it was soone worne out both of vse and request If they did this so easily with our Lords prayer which is contain'd in Scripture how much more easily would they do it with the Creed which is not in Scripture and which they pretend to be a meer humane collection And so in a short time they would get it to be altogether slighted as a humane invention and banished out of the memories of men Wherefore being desirous to penetrat this matter more inwardly I found after some diligence that the same grounds which can be brought for the Apostolique authority of the Scriptures are also brought and that in an eminent degree for the like authority of the Creed And therefore if we receive the one we cannot reiect the other I shall briefly collect what I found or hath been shewed vnto me for the Apostolique authority great excellency frequent laudable vse of this diuine Symbol Baron tom 1. Annal. an 44. n. 15. seq Cardinal Baronius in the 1. tome of his Annals doth shew by the testimony of the holy ancient Fathers that the Creed was composed by the holy Apostles a little before they were to part and goe into several Countries to preach the Gospel vnto the Gentils to the end there might be a certaine short clear rule of faith in which they all agreed wherein they were to instruct all persons and by which as by a certaine badge all Christians might he knowen For this cause it was not committed to writing but was delivered by lively voice and imprinted in the hearts of Christians by the faithfull diligence of the Apostles This S. Hierom Hier. epist 61. and S. Augustin do testify The first saith The Symbol of our faith hope which was delivered by the Apostles is not written in paper or inke but in the fleshly tables of the heart The other affirmeth Aug. ser 119. de temp Idem ser 69. de expos Symb. that the Creed was not written that it might be retain'd in the hearts of the faithfull And againe he saith The holy Apostles did deliver a certaine rule of faith which being comprehended in tuelve articles according to the number of the Apostles they called a Symbol by which the faithfull may hold Catholique vnity and tread vnder feete heretical impiety To these two great Doctours Ambro. ser 38. epist 81. agrees also S. Ambrose who saith The holy faith is contain'd in the Symbol of the tuelve Apostles who as skiful Artificers meeting together haue made a key by common
words of Christs institution ought to be litterally vnderstood he concludes in these words Ibidem fol. 90. Horrible therefore and detestable is the malice of the Sacramentaries that this so clear a word they do perversly interprete and change into significations tropes and figures Melanch in lib de verit corp Christi in Sacram Melanchton also saith that these words of Christ This is my body fulmina erunt they shall be thunderbolts against those who deny the beleef of Christ true body in the Sacrament Thus we have seen what iudgment Luther and his followers have of the Zuinglians Calvinists for their negative belief of the real presence Neither is the iudgment of the Zuinglians and Calvinists much better of the others for their beleef of the reall presence by Consubstantiation Zuinglius speaking to this purpose of Luther saith Zuingl tom 2. respons ad Confess Lutheri f. 478. Tigurini tract 3. cont Confes Luth. p. 61. Cal in admonit vlt. ad Vvestphal tom 7. p. 829. Idem cont Hes husium Behold how Satan endeavoures to possesse wholly that man And his Tigurin Schollers speak yet more clearly Luther calleth vs say they a damned execrable sect but let him take heed least he shew himself as an heretique who will not or cannot communicate with these who do professe Christ How clearly doth Luther here shew himself to have a Devil How many filthy things breathing all the Devils of hell doth he belsh forth c. Calvin saith We affirm that they to witt the Lutherans do speak and think more grosly of the corporal presence then the Papists And in another place he saith speaking of the Eucharist I have shewed a long time ago that the Papists are a little more modest and sober in their raveries then they Beza affirmeth that we cannot insist vpon the letter of these words of Christ this is my body but Papistical Transubstantiation is established And again Either transubstantiation is to be established tom 7. p. 844. Beza de Coena Domini cont Vvestph◠p. 215. p. 216 217. or a figure Thus we see how these first Apostles of Protestants like the builders of Babilon are divided in so important an article of the Christian faith The beleef of Zinglius and Calvin in this matter is heresy blasphemy to Luther his Schollers And Luthers faith to Calvin is a meer raverie more insuportable then the Popish transubstantiation If this dissenssion was so great at the beginning how great must it be now in the progresse How can these men be true Apostles who disagreed so manifestly bitterly in such a necessarie princicipal point of the Christian religion Or what assurance can any man have who followeth such vnsure Guides To conclude this point I could hardly desire greater satifaction for the Catholique belief of the real presence then by Gods grace I found to witt expresse Scriptures the holy Fathers vniuersal Church famous miracles the light of reason grounded vpon the goodnesse and wisdome of Christ whereas for the Presbyterian opinion which is an ancient heresie is condemned by the Lutherans as a blasphemie I found we had no Scriptures but were enforced to flie from the clear words of it to tropes figures to some shallow carnal reasons against the Scripture omnipotency of God which reasons I saw clearly answered in the Catholique writers and as a Catholique shew me more strong reasons have been brought by Pagans some heretiques against the mysterie of the Trinitie Incarnation I perceived also that the Presbyterians involved their opinion in such obscurities that by their words one might collect they beleeved both a real presence a real absence and they made vse of either as the time required and that the most part of them did not know and could not tell what they beleeved But at length when the best of them were well sifted all ended in this that Christs body was only in the heavens neither was it possible to be in the Sacrament nor in two places at once And so their pretended real presence proved indeed to be a real absence In a word I found that the Presbyterians by taking away the real body of Christ from this Sacrament and giving vs an emptie figure do really take away the substance of this Sacrament and so destroy it as they had done before to baptism by denying both the vertue and necessitie of it And therefore in effect they have destroied both these Sacraments which they would seem to have left Their doctrin which denyes the Sacraments to conferre grace shewes that they esteem them graclesse and their seldom vseing of them especially of the Eucharist manifests that they think them vselesse or fruiltlesse Both which errours S. Augustin refuteth by these two excellent sentences Aug. qu 84. in Leuit. Idem lib. 19. cont Faust c. 11. Without the grace saith he of invisible Sanctification for what vse serve the visible Sacraments And again The vertue of the Sacraments vnspeakably availeth much and therefore it being contemned makes men sacrilegious For that is impiously contemned without which piety is not perfited CHAP. XXII Some Reflections vpon both the pretended Scottish Reformations HAVING found aboundant satisfaction for the truth of the Catholique doctrin in the points lately tryed I did freely acknowledge to the Catholique by whose advice and assistance I had made this last Trial of our first Reformation that I did not only see the truth to be vpon the Catholiques side but also that I perceived a notable difference between the sublimity of the Catholique doctrin and the lownesse of Presbyterian opinions especially concerning rhe holy Sacraments and particularly the Eucharist Wherevpon he took occasion to shew me that there is indeed such a notable difference between the doctrines of the true Church all heretical opiniōs s that as some of the ancient Fathers cōpare iustly heretiques to the prodigal child who left his Fathers house so they fitly parallel their doctrines to the husks where with he was fed For thus speaketh S. Gregory Nyssen A fugitive from the faith went into a far Countrey and divided his Fathers goods into two halfes Greg Nyss orat in suam ordinat whilst he threw down sublime doctrines to base Swinish opinions and wasted his riches with whoorish heresies For heresy is a harlot which with pleasures as with deceits draweth many vnto her So one who leaves the Catholique Church that rich house of his heavenly father leaves also the heavenly bread of Christs precious body wherewith his children are nourished and feasted and going astray vnto Calvins Congregation finds nothing but an empty drie Calvinistical supper having nothing divine no iuice in it but bare signes figures which contayn lesse then Manna or the shew bread of the ancient table He leaves also the other sublime doctrines concerning the Sacraments as how they conferre sanctifying grace purge the soule from sin
c. and is turned vnto vaine opinions in which nothing is solid nothing stable that can satisfie the minde Therefore he striveth to satiat himself dayly with new opinions and idle inventions but all in vaine for these are nothing but husks which leave the bellie empty There is no remedie for him but to return with the prodigal child vnto his fathers house where he will be received with ioy and feasted with the bread of Angels But said the Catholique to make a general reflection vpon all that hath past vnder this Trial Do you not now clearly see how falsly these Reformers pretend alwayes the Scriptures to be for them when you have found the Scriptures so expresly against them in all these principal points of the Christian religion already examined And which is very considerable have you not seen these Scriptures to be so vnderstood by the holy Fathers in the pure and primitive times as they are now vnderstood by the Roman Catholiques Do y not now perceive how Heresy like a strumpet fardeth her self with the colours of the divin Scriptures by which fain'd and false beauty she allures and deceives many but so soone as she is brought near the fire of Triall how her fardings melt fall away and her own vglinesse appeares Among heretiques saith S. Augustin Aug. cont epist. fuÌ„d c. 1. Ioseph lib. 5 de bello Iudaico c. 5. there is nothing but the promise of truth a meer shew or pretext of it no performance Their doctrines are like the fruites of Sodom and Gomorrha which as Iosephus testifyeth have a specious shew and appear pleasant vnto the eye but so soone as they are touched fall into ashes So truly are all hereticall opinions they are given out for the fruites of pure Scriptures they appeare very specious and pleasant but so soone as they are tryed diligently according to the Scriptures and are touched as it were by the fingers of the holy Fathers they presently evanish and nothing remaines but the flammes of heretical dissentions like the smoak of Sodom Gomorrha as a testimonie of the divin iudgment vpon them Have you not now seen that these two pretended Scottish Reformations have between them compleated the hydious work of desolation and destroyed the 4 principal pillars of the Christian religion and that as the later hath taken away two to witt the Lords prayer and the Apostles Creed so the first hath taken away in effect the other two to witt the divin Commandments and the holy Sacraments and so the Presbyterians haye overturned what their Predecessors left vntouched In a word they may be briefly described thus They have a Creed from the Apostles which they do not beleeve they have a prayer from Christ which they do not say they have Commandments from God which they professe they will not keep and the two Sacraments of the law of grace which they had only left to themselves they have made altogether gracelesse almost vselesse And besids all this they have robbed the holy Trinity of Glory and the Church of the Apostolique governement together with all order decency to speak nothing of their other smaller pranks Therefore I am now confident that you have found what I promised at the beginning to witt that the first pretended Reformation was no better grounded then the last and that the end of both hath been total desolation and the destruction of the chief Pillars af the Christian religion whereas vpon the contrary you have seen the Catholique religion which you had heard so often calumniated with strong and shamelesse cries to be in all these principal points conforme to the Scriptures and holy Fathers and to the primitive Church Thus he As I was so clearly convinced in all these particulars that I behoved to renounce both knowledge conscience if I would deny them so I did ingenuosly confesse to him my satisfaction and withall I promised if I could find the like evidence for the Catholiques in all the other controuersies that I would by Gods grace render my self a Roman Catholique To which he answered that the triall of all the particular doctrines in controversie after the former manner was a long laborious md needlesse way and that God had appointâ—d more easie and shorter meanes to come vnto the knowledge of the truth or else what would become of those who are not capable to make such trials Therefore he would vndertake to prove shortly by a clear vndeniable Principle and granted by all Protestants the Protestant Religion their whole Church to be false and by the same principle to shew clearly the present Catholique Church in Communion with the sea of Rome to be the ancient Catholique Church established by Christ his Apostles and to have continued still in their doctrin without any variation And so with some confidence arising from my former experience I prepared my self to receive this new instruction CHAP. XXIII That the true Church of Christ must be perpetuall and must endure without interruption vnto the end of the world THE principle said my Catholique friend whereby I will demonstrate the Protestant Church not to be the true Church of Christ shall be so evident and convincent that as nothing is more expresly in Scriptures so nothing is more freely granted by Luther Calvin generally by all learned Protestants And this principle is the perpetuity of Christs Church or that Christ must have a Church which hath endured from his ascension vntill this time shall endure from this vntill the end of the world Before I proceed further I will first manifest vnto you the strength of this truth by the Scriptures Fathers by Protestants and their reasons The passages of Scripture for this truth are many but I shall content my selfe with some few which may serve for your satisfaction The first do concern the eternal kingdome of Christ by which all men vnderstand his Church Of this the prophet Daniel saith In the dayes of these Kings Daniel 2.44 the God of heaven shall set vp a kingdome which shall never be destroyed c. It shall break in pieces all these kingdomes and it shall stand for ever The Angel Gabriel speaking of the same kingdom of Christ to the blessed Virgin said And of his kingdome there shall be no end Luke 1.33 Calvin proveth by these places and others which speak of the kingdome of Christ the perpetuity of of his Church against Servetus So doth also Beza and the Confession of Holland If then the kingdome of Christ be perpetual there must alwaies be some to acknowledge him to be their King The second passages of Scripture contayne Christs promises to his Church Math. 16.18 and the Governours of it Vpon this rock saith he will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it By this place S. Augustin proveth both the perpetuity Auge lib. 1. de Symb. ad Catech c. 8 and inuincibility of
be visible before Luther which we shall shortly run over CHAP. XXVII That the Protestant Church was not visible in the primitive Church or the holy Fathers nor thereafter in the Roman Church IT was very ordinary for the old Protestants of the late English Church to alleadge that the ancient Fathers were of their religion and that their Church was conforme to the primitive Church In which matter M. Iewels appeale to the Fathers of the first 6. hundred yeares is very famous But that pretence is idle in regard of our present question 2. it is false First it 's idle because were it true as we shall see it to be most false that these Fathers of the first 5. or 6. hundred years were Protestants yet could not that suffice to prove them a continued succession of 1600. years For I enquire what became of the Protestant Church after the Fathers to the time of Luther Did it perish or not If it perished then it is not the true Church which must be perpetual according to the first vndeniable principle above setled If the Protestant Church did not perish but remain'd visible for 900. years between the Fathers Luther then the question remaines where was it in what kingdome Province or Citie which-can never be shewed Yea some famous Protestants do acknowledge Peâ—kins expos symbol p. 266. whit that all that time the Protestant Church was not to be seen Therefore although the Fathers were granted to have been Protestants the Protestant Church cannot be continued by them after their time Secondly its most false that the Fathers were Protestants 1. Because the Christians of the sixth age must needs know better what was the religion and tenets of them who lived in the fifth age by whom they were instructed and with whom they conversed th n Protestants can do now But these Christians have protested on their salvation that it was the very same with theirs receiv'd from them by word of mouth Therefore if the Christians of the sixth age were not Protestants neither were the Fathers and Christians of the 5. age Protestants and so you may go vpward even to the Apostles This reason shall be more cleared hereafter 2. It may be known that the Fathers were not Protestants by the points already examined For they did not beleeve Iustification by faith only the impossibility of keeping the Commandments They did not deny the necessity effect of baptism they did not deny the real presence which are principal articles of the Protestant religion but taught the quite contrary as hath been seen Therefore according to the second principle above setled they were not Protestants 3. Not to descend to particular doctrines this same truth may be shewed by the little account Protestants make of the Fathers whom they would highly esteem if they made for them and in a word by the open Confession of the chief Protestants that the Fathers were against them in many things Luther as if he were a little after cups speaks very intemperatly of the Fathers In the writing saith he of Hierome there is not a word of true faith Luth. in colloq c. de patrib or sound religion of Chrysostome I make do accompt Basil is of no worth he is wholly a Monk I weigh him not a haire Cyprian is a weak Divine c. Idom de seruo arbitr cap. 2 And generally he affirmeth that the authority of the Fathers is not to be regarded If the Fathers had been Pâ—otestants Luther had not so vnderva ved them nor disclaim'd their authority Calvin also ingenuously confesseth that the Fathers are against him in many points Cal inst lib. 3. cap 5 sect 10. It was a custom saith he about 1300 years ago to pray for the dead but all of that time I confesse were caried away into error He granteâ—h also that the Fathers taught satisfaction free will merit fasting in Lent c. All which Whitaker confirmes Vvhit cont 2 q. 5 c. 7. li. 6. eâ—nt Durieum P. Mar. de voto It 's true saith he what Calvin the Centurists have written that the ancient Church did erre in many things as touching limbe free will merit of works c. And again he saith The Popish religion is patched vp of the Fathers errors Peter Martyr accords to him So long saith he as we stand to the Councels and Fathers we shall remaine alwayes in the same Errors An other famous Protestant said more clearly If that be true Duditius ap Bezam Epist 1. which the Fathers have professed by mutual consent it is altogether on the Papists side This open Confession of the Protestants chief Reformers and best Schollers sheweth evidently that the holy Fathers were not Protestants And therefore the Presbyterians who disclaime the holy Fathers yeeld them to the Papists are much more sincere ingenuous in this matter then the late English Protestants who laid claime to the Fathers deceitfully made the people beleeve that they were Protestants which they were enforced to deny when they were dealing with Schollers as may appeare by the former testimonies By all which it is more then evident that the holy Fathers and primitive Church were not Protestants and therefore the Protestant Church cannot be shewed to be visible in theÌ„ much lesse can the visibility of it be continued after them Wherefore we must go and seek out this visible Protestant Church els where for here it cannot be seen The last valiant attempt was made by some famous Protestants who after they had seen that all their neighbours and Predecessors had wearied themselves in vaine by travailing all the world over to find out a visible Protestant Church before Luther which could not be found had in end their recourse vnto the Popish Church as vnto a City of refuge in this great straight They taught two things 1. That the Roman Protestant Churches are all one Church as agreing in all fundamental points of faith although they disâ—gree in not fundamentals and by this distinction they think to answer easily that hard question where was your Church before Luther To witt they say it was the ve y same with the Roman which they acknowledge to be a true Church keeping all the fundamental points of religion which are necessary to salvation albeit she had some errors not fundameÌ„tal which do not destroy the nature of the Church but only make it si k and weak And so by this means they think to avoid all the inconveniences into which other Protestants do fall For hereby it is shewed that the Church did not perish nor was invisible nor was only visible for a time but was perpetually visible 2. They deny that the Protestant Church made any real substantial separa ion from the Roman and affirm that all which they did was only to free themselves of some errors which as sicknesses though not in themselves mortal had crep't in vpon the Roman Châ—rch which being often
required an accompt of the Protestant Church before Luther For they could not say the Church had perished which had been a blasphemous falshood against the most clear Scriptures they saw also that all the other pretences to the Waldenses and the rest were false and frivolous seing none of these agreed intirely with Protestants neither had any of them perpetual continuance and being ashamed of the Puritans invisible Church which we shall see to be a meer Chimera they had no other refuge but to flie vnto the Roman Church which they were therefore enforced to acknowledge to be the true Church which had alwayes remain'd albeit their first Reformers had abandonned it as a false Church accusing it of superstition Idolatrie as the most part of all visible Protestants yet continue to do But this refuge hath been shewed to serve them to no purpose These men do in a part resemble the prodigal child who never thought of returning to his Fathers house till he had spent all hâ—s means and till great misery necessity compelled him so these learned Protestants after they had fare travailed wearied themselv's much and spent all their braines in seeking out their Church before Luther and not finding it any where at length by meer necessity had their last refuge vnto their Fathers house the Catholique Church which they had before left But there was this deplorable difference between the prodigal child and them that he being truly penitent and confessing his fault with great humility was by his Father most lovingly met embraced kissed cloathed and feasted whereas they returning not with humility repentance for their separation but with idle excuses and vaine accusations without any other intention save only to get their nakednesse covered and their other vrgent necessities supplyed were neither met nor received clothed nor feasted but have perished for famine and cold and are now almost all with the decay of their late ill founded Church exstirpared out of the world They called the Roman a sick Church and their own a whole Church yet it is verifyed that their whole Church is dead and hath decayed before the sick Church And as their Church according to them was only visible in the Roman Church before Luther so it 's now invisible in it self and only visible as it was in the beginning and like to continue so vnto the end By all which considerations it is evident that no visible Protestant Church can be found before Luther and much lesse a continuall succession of it from the time of the Apostles We have travailed almost all the world over seeking this Church and we have followed diverse Protestant Guides who vndertook to shew it vnto vs but ever in the end they faile of their promises Therefore we must passe now from the Protestant visible Church which cannot be seen before Luther to their invisible Church which we shall see cannot be found before him CHAP. XXVIII That the Church of Christ ought to be alway's visible and therefore an invisible Church cannot be the true Church HAVING gone hitherto along with diverse Protestants who promised to shew vs their Church visible before Luther we must now leave them as falling short of their promises and quit all further search of this Church in the light and follow these other Protestant Guides who vndertake to find out their Church to vs in the dark For vnto that old demand where was your Church before Luther They answer that it was although invisible And in this answer of invisibility the most part of all visible Protestants and especially Presbyterians do now acquiesce thinking this last refuge such a strong and retir'd hold for them and so well guarded by the Scriptures in that answer which God gave to the complaint of Elias that they cannot be smoaked out of it But notwith â—anding these pretences the same Catholique shew me that the Church of Christ ought to be alway's visible that the invisible Protestant Church is a meer Chimerical invention against the Scriptures Fathers famous Protestants against the ends for which the Church was instituted against Protestants own principles and that many grosse absurdities follow vpon it to the disparagment of the Christian religion and advancement of Atheism The Scripture which affirmeth so clearly as we have seen above that the Church must be perpetual affirmes no lesse evidently that it must be manifest and visible For this cause the Prophet Esay compareth the Church to a Mountain Esay 2.2 The Mountain of the Lords house saith he shall be established in the top of Mountains and shall be exalted above the hil es and all Nations shall flow vnto it Again the same prophet speaking of the Church saith Vpon thy walls Esay 62.6 o Ierusalem I have appointed wâ—tchmen all the day and all the night they shall not hold their peace for ever Conforme to this first prophecie our Saviour compares his Church vnto a City seated on a hill which he saith cannot be hid Math. 5.14 and vnto a light shining in the world Conforme to the second prophecie S. Paul sheweth that Christ hath established Pastors to remain continually in the Church for the consummation of the Saints Now Ephes 4.11.12 what is more manifest then a Mountain a City built vpon a hill what more visible then light shining and Pastors continually teaching Therefore according to the Scriptures the Church of Christ which must be perpetual must be also visible and cannot be hid or invisible For the Fathers we shall bring S. Augustin who produceth the same places which he calls clear and evident to prove the same truth against the Donatists There is nothing Aug. tract 1 â—n epist Ioan. saith he more manifest then a Mountain but yet there are some Mountains vnknown because they are placed in one part of the earth The Mountain of the Church not so it must be known because it hath filled the whole face of the earth And elswhere bringing our Saviours words Idem de vnit Eccles c. 14. he saith The Church is not hid because it is not vnder a bushel but vpon a candlestick that it may shine to all who are in the house A City seated on a hil cannot be hid c. But it is as it were hid vnto the Donatists because they hear such clear and manifest testimonies which shew her to be in the whole earth and they choose rather with shut ey 's to dash against that Mountain then to go vp to it And further he saith Cont. Petil. li. 2. c. 104 Chrys hom 4. in 6. Esay The Church hath this most certain mark that she cannot be hid To the same purpose S. Chrysostom affirmeth That it is easier for the Sun to be extinguished then that the Church shall be obscured So that it is all one both in it self and with the holy Fathers to say the Church had perished and that it is hid or invisible And therefore if the one
be so abominable the other is no lesse detestable S. Augustin who censured so heavily the opinion of the Donatists who taught that the Church had perished every where except only among themselves as if he had foreseen this Presbyterian shift which pretends the Church had not perrished but was invisible writes thus against it Aug. de pastor c. 16. Some one may say It may be God hath other sheep but I know not where of which he taketh care but I know them not O how absurd is he vnto humane sense who imagines such things We have seen how this opinion is against the Scriptures Fathers and now in S. Augustins iudgment it 's against sense we shall see presently how it is against reason and famous Protestants All men ordinarly agree in this general notion of the Church that it is a society of people instructed in the faith of Christ governed by lawfull Pastors and having Communion together in the Christian Sacraments But if the Church were invisible there could be no instruction no governement no administration of Sacraments And hence will appear that an invisible Church is against all the ends for which God had established a Church vpon earth The first was to instruct and guide the members of the Church vnto the port of Salvation And for this end are necessary instruction in the faith administration of Sacraments which require visibility both in the Pâ—stors and in the people For invisible Pastors cannot instruct nor administrate Sacraments and therefore the Church which consists of Pastors people must be visible For as D. Humphrey saith Whilst the Ministers teach Humph Iesuit part 2 rat 3. others learn they administrate the Sacraments these receive them c. who seeth not these things is more blind then a Mâ—odiwarp But if the Church were invisible there could be no instruction consequently no faith no Sacraments so none could be directed in this invisible Church vnto the port of Salvation This sheweth that the Church must be visible at least to the members of it The second â—nd for which the Church was ordain'd was to receive the Gentils and to afford to all persons who are astray the means of salvation by entering into the Church This the Prophet Esay speaking of the Church foretold Esay 60.11 Thy gates shall be open continually day and night they shall not be shut that the strength of the Gentils may be brought vnto thee But if the Church had been invisible her gates had been worse then shut for they could never have been found to be knokt at and so the Gentils heretiques albeit never so desirous could never have entered which is against the Scriptures and goodnesse of God This reason proveth that the Church must be visible even to strangers The third end was to compose diffâ—rences which might arise among Christians according to that of our Saviour Math. 18.17 Tell the Church But had the Church been invisible she could neither have been told nor found Invisible Iudges cannot compose differences The fourth end was to oppose all errors heresies Ephes 4.11 For which cause God established Pastors in the Church to conserve the people in the true doctrine froÌ„ the circuÌ„vention of error But had the Church been invisible she could not have opposed heresies they had prevailed without coÌ„troul It there had been no Church to oppose heresies before the Protestants peep 't vp what had become of the Christian religion Surely it had been a puddle of errors or a Masse of Confusion So that this invisible Church is against all the cheef ends for which God established a Church vpon earth It is also against famous Protestants who sharply censure it Melanchton whom Luther equaleth to the Fathers Melan. in Concil Theol p. 393.394 calls it Monstruous It is necessary saith he to confesse the Church to be visible Wherevnto tendeth this monstruous speech which denyeth the visible Church It abolisheth all testimonies of Antiquity it causeth an endlesse confusion and induceth a Commonwealth of vnruly Ruffians or Atheists where no one careth for another Humph Ies par 2. rat 3. Enoch Claph in Antid schi p. â—7 D. Humphrey saith It is a manifest Conclusion that the Church ought to be conspicuous Another Protestant saith of the Puritans They affirm against the Scripture that the Church for some ages was not visible This cannot be a sound article of the Protestant religion which such Protestants so sharply censure Now we shall see how it is against Protestants principles yea and destroyes it self For they ordinarly assign two necessary marks of the Church to witt the right preaching of the word administration of the Sacraments To which the Presbyterians add their disciplin as a third mark I inquire then if this Church which some of them make invisible for 900. some for 1000. and others for 12. hundred years had preaching and Sacraments during that time or not If it had then it could not be invisible for invisible people can neither be instructed nor baptized If it had no preaching nor Sacraments then it hath been a miserable Church or rather no Church at all which wanted these two things which are necessary to constitute a Church If a famous Presbyterian Minister took occasion lately whilst he was baptizing a child on a cold winter day to say against the Anabaptists It is cold dipping to day I love not Sommer Sacraments May not any one say more iustly against the Presbyterians In many dayes an invisible Church cannot be found out I love not a Church wherein for a thowsand years above there were neither sommer nor winter Sacraments Moreover either this invisible Church had some government or it had none If it had any it could not be invisible as is evident and if that governement was Presbytâ—rian disciplin that Church had not been only visible to these who obey'd it but also very sensible to those who did not willingjy stoop to it or else it hath been very far different from the nature of our Scottish Presbytery If that invisible Church had no government then it wanted that which no society can want and without which there is no order but confusion Yea this invisible Church is such a rare device that it destroies it self For no Church albeit never so invisible can be imagined without internal faith at least Now faith coms by hearing Rom. 10.17 according to S. Paul and how shall they heare saith the same Apostle without a preacher But in an invisible Church there could be no preaching or instruction and so no faith and no faith no Church Not so much as an invisible one In a word this invisible Church which wanted preaching faith Sacraments and government hath been a miserable or rather a Chimerical Church Lastly this invisible Church doth highly disparage the Christian religion For it makes the Church of Christ of whose glory above the Synagogue of the Iewes so much is
by fulfilling it so there is no other way to know it to be fulfilled but by visible and sensible performance of it By what is said may be easily seen that the complaint of Elias which is alway's in the Puritans mouth makes nothing for their invisible Church before Luther For first Elias was only speaking of Israel as a famous Protestant confesseth Enoch Cleopham in Antidot Schism p. 17. in these words Our vnskilfull Reformers say that the Church was invisible in the time of Elias but the holy Spirit testifyeth that he spake this of Israel and not of Iuda for he knew that good Iosaphat was reigning in Iuda and that the Church was not only visible there but also floorishing in great piety Wherefore it is an evil parity to say the Iewish Synagogue was invisible a short time in one province albeit it was visible at the same time in another Therefore the Christian Church may be or was invisible throughout the whole world for a thowsand years above 2. These who were lurking in the time of Elias bowed not their knees to Baal which if they had done they had not belong'd to the invisible Church of God But all the suppos'd invisible Protestants as Luther and his followers bowed their knees to the Masse which they esteem Idolatry as hath been shewed Therefore they could not be the invisible Church of God 3. Although these good Israelits were invisible to Elias at such a distance when he fled yet he knew many of them to be visible both to others 3. Kings 18.13 and among themselves For Abdias told him a little before that he had hid 100. Prophets of the Lord in two Caves where he fed them But all Protestants before Luther were invisible both to others and themselves For not so much as one person knew himself to be a Protestant before Luther taught that religion as hath been proved 4. Although the whole Iewish Synagogue had been invisible which is most false yet it followes not the whole Christian Church may be or was so too For this as S. Paul testifyeth is founded vpon better promises 5. Heb. 8.6 Salvation was not altogether tyed before Christ to the Iewish Synagogue for there were some faithfull Gentils as Melchisedeck Iob c. But the Presbyterians by making the whole Christian Church to be invisible for many ages take away all the ordinary means of salvation which only can be had in the visible Church Lastly Albeit all the faithfull both Iewes and Gentils had been invisible in the time of Elias yet this would make nothing for Protestants vnlesse they had been also invisible before Luther But de facto there were no lurking Protestants before him as hath been clearly proved Therefore although the Church could be invisible yet the Protestants had no invisible Church before Luther And besides the reasons brought above against this invisible Church it may seem truly strange that for so many ages not so much as one person of it was heard of or known never so much as one false brother could be found among them to reveale them And which is most strange when this invisible Church became visible not so much as one person did appeare who had been a lurking member of it Such groundlesse conceipts require strong imaginations to fancy them but much more credulous hearts to beleeve them Wherefore Elias complaint for many reasons makes nothing for Protestants but is cleary against them So is also their other refuge to the Church of the predestinate which they say was invisible before Luther For 1. there is no such Church because Christs Church is a Congregation of all true beleevers as well reprobate as predestinate Math. ch 3. ch 13. There is in his floore both wheat and chaffe and in his field both corne tares 2. The Predestinate are as visible as the reprobate S. Peter was as visible as Iudas 3. Although it were granted there had been some invisible Predestinate before Luther yet none of them could be Protestants because none believed the Protestant faith till Luther taught it as hath been proved 4. Either these supposed Protestants before Luther professed their faith or not If they professed it then they were not invisible Rom. 10.10 If they profess'd it not then they were not predestinate For with our heart saith S. Paul we beleeve vnto iustice and with our mouth Confession is made to salvation 5. It is at least requisite that the predestinate should not deny their faith if they will not confesse it or else they cannot be predestinate But all the supposed invisible Protestants before Luther denyed their faith by professing Popery as hath been shewed 1. Cor. 11.19 Therefore they could not be predestinate Lastly heresies and persecution make the predestinate more conspicuous Heresies saith S. Paul must be that these who are approved be made manifest among you Who are more approved before God then the predestinate Who are made more manifest before men then they especially when heresy persecution do arise For then by their close adhereing to the true faith and their profession of it whereas others either through error or feare fall from it they are rendred more conspicuous as the Scripture shewes and therefore they are not made hid invisible as the Puritans do alleadge Hence it is that the Church is so far from being invisible in the predestinate more then in others that vpon the contrary when that might happen in others either by error infirmity or feare of persecution then the true Church shall be most manifest in the predestinate Aug. epist 48. ad Vincent and is principally conserved in them For then as S. Augustin speaks In suis firmissimis eminet she shines in her most stedfast members Predestination indeed is invisible and so is reprobation but the predestinate are as visible as the reprobate yea Mel. in locis com cap. de Eccles they are the most eminent members of the visible Church out of which they cannot be found as Melanchton confesseth Let vs not dreame saith he that the elect can be found any where but in the visible Society of the Church But the Protestants had no visible Church before Luther therefore they had no predestinate and so many wayes this Babel is overturned The Apostles and all the ancient Christians who were predestinate were members of the visible Church and professed their faith in the time of the Heathen persecutions which were more cruel vniversal then any that has hapned since They had not Giges ring to make themselves invisible not the black arte of dissembling in religion as the invisible Protestants if there were any behoved to have which are qualities very vnbeseeming the predestinate By all which it remaines sufficiently proved that the Protestant Church cannot be the true Church For to resume briefly the argument The true Church must have still continued since the ascension of Christ to this time But the Protestant
Church hath only continued since the revolt of Luther Therefore the Protestant Church is not the true Church There is nothing more certain then the Maior The Minor hath been proved because if there had been any Protestant Church before Luther it had been either visible or invisible But there was neither Not the first because there was no Church nor person before Luther that professed entirely any Protestant Confession for any little time much lesse for the whole time between the Apostles Luther Not the second because if there had been any invisible Protestant Church before Luther it had become visible when Luther appeared and the feare of persecution was taken away But no such invisible Church did then appeare And moreover it hath been shewed that although the Protestants had had an invisible Church before Luther yet it could not be the true Church which ought to be alwayes visible and that an invisible Church is against Scriptures Fathers reason Protestants own principles disparageth the Christian religion gives great advantage to Iewes and infidels and leads men into Apostasy and Atheism And so both the holes of Visibility and Invisibility by which these foxes were accustomed to escape are now lay'd or stop't The diverse essaies which many Protestants make to find their Church shew the difficulty of the question so that they see what they ought not to say but cannot see what to say that hath any probability of truth They have travailed much to find out their Church before Luther they have been above these 100. years in seeking it and we have followed the most famous Guides among them But both they we have laboured in vaine to find that which cannot be found Yet we make much profit of our labour if we have discovered that the Protestant Church before Luther cannot be found not because it was hid but because it was not as hath been proved and therefore leave off any further search of it following S. Augustins advice who writes thus to the Donatists about the like purpose Some thing saith he may be Aug cap. 16. de vnitate Eccles and yet not found out but that which hath no being cannot be found Let them therefore leave off to seek that which they could not find not because it was hid but because it was not To this purpose spake the Catholique who vpon my desire delivered me thereafter these things more fully in writing which after serious consideration of them gave me such satisfaction that I desired him to proceed to the proof of his own Church which he did in the manner following CHAP. XXX That the Church in Communion with the sea of Rome and she alone is the true Church HAVING already proved to your satisfaction said my Catholique friend to me your Church not to be the true Church and that by the vndenyable principle of the perpetuity of the Church I will now endeavour with the assistance of Gods grace to prove no lesse clearly by the same principle laying aside other proofs the Church in Communion with the sea of Rome and her alone to be the true Church Which I briefly do after this manner That is the only true Church which has had a continued succession from Christ his Apostles to this time But the Church in Communion with the ea of Rome and she alone has had a continued succession from Christ his Apostles to this time Therefore the Church in Communion with the sea of Rome and no other is the true Church The Maior is clear For to have a continued succession to be perpetuall is the same thing Now as we have seen above that the true Church must be perpetual or must have continually endured from Christ his Apostles to this time so it is no lesse evident that that is only the true Church which has been perpetual or has still endured This the holy Fathers do testify this the light of reason doth evince S. Hierom saith Hieron Dial. cont Lucifer I will bring a short and clear declaration of my mind that we ought to remain in that Church which being founded by the Apostles endures even vnto this day And the reason is because we ought to remain in the true Church and that according to S. Hierom is the true Church which hath still endured from the Apostles Tertull. lib. 4. contr Marcion c. 5. To the like purpose Tertullian saith That is true which is first that is first which was from the beginning that is from the beginning which was from the Apostles And therefore that is the true Church which has continued from the Apostles This same truth is also cleared by the light of reason For the true Church was first founded by Christ his Apostles before any heresies or false Churches which carie the name of Christian were or could be raised by heretiques Because truth is alway's before falshood the body is before the shaddow and the good seed is sow'n in the field before the tares Therefore that is the true Church which was first and from the beginning and consequently that is the only true Church which hath been perpetual for that only could be first from the beginning Moreover this truth is confirmed For it is certain that de facto no heresies or false Churches have continued from the primitive times because these which arose of old have long ago evanished and these which remain to this day have but for a short time endured Therefore if it be most certain that the true Church must be perpetual then it is also certain that that only is the true Church which has been perpetual since one only Christian Church hath been perpetual Yea albeit any heresy had continued even from the ancient primitive times as never any of them by Gods special providence can see so many dayes yet it could not be perpetual because it could not be first and from the beginning which only the true Church can be as we have seen but it behoved to be raised thereafter by heretiques and therefore could not be so ancient as the true Church and consequently had not perpetually endured By all which the Maior of our argument is sufficiently cleared The Minor to witt that the Church now in Communion with the sea of Rome and she alone has still endured or has had a continued succession from Christ and his Apostles to this time is proved by all the evidences whereby such a proposition can be proved whereby the holy Fathers proved it in their times For all histories all Monuments records publique fame the Consent of people Nations and as S. Augustin speaks the Confession of mankind bear witness that this Church and she alone has had a continued succession For this was the Church which in the primitive times suffered and overcame all the cruel persecutions of the Iewes Pagans this is the Church which hath converted Kings Nation from infidelity to Christianity which
how much lesse can they as they are now being in many places hard and obscure These Protestants who reiect all but Scripture would make Christ to have been the most imprudent Lawgiver that ever was in ths world to have left vs only a written law or a book in many things very obscure and expose it to every man to scance vpon without assigning an Interpreter who could give vs full assurance of the true sense of it That way would never bring men to the sure knowledge of Christs doctrine and the true sense of his law but would make all things vncertain and bring in a confusion more worthy of Babel then of the house of God But his divine wisdom hath otherwise provyded We haue seen then said the Catholique that the testimony of all Christians in every generation is the only sure infallible way Now we shall see that it is the most easy vniversal way to attayn vnto the certain knowledge of what Christ his Apostles taught For what is more easy then to hear a continued testimony of Pastors people who constantly depose that this is the doctrin which they have receiued from their Forefathers what can be more easy then to open our eys and see the practise of all Christians No man of sense will deny if the true doctrin can be surely known hereby but it is a much mor easy way then by the Scriptures which are so hard and obscure or by any written word although never so cleer And it is also evident that it is more vniversal for the Scriptures are only for those who can read and vnderstand them but this serues for all sortes of persons learned or vnlearned these who can read or cannot and even for the meanest capacities This was certainly the meaning of God when he promised vnder the Gospel a direct way so that fooles cannot erre by it Therefore this being so sure Esay 35.8 so easy so vniversal a way the wisdom goodnesse of God who disposeth all things wisely and sweetely has made vse of it This may be yet further illustrated and confirmed by the manner how the Christian religion was planted First the Apostles stayd long in one place that they might diligently inculcate the Christian doctrin as S. Paul said to the Ephesians Acts 20 27.31 I haue not spared to declare vnto you all the Counsell of God c. For three years night day I ceased not with teares to warn every one c. Secondly the Apostles earnestly exhorted their disciples to keep carefully what they had received 2. Timoth 2.2 Galat. 1.9 to entrust it vnto faithfull witnesses and not to admit any doctrin contrary to that which they had received not although an Angel from heauen should preach otherwise Thirdly The mysteries of the Christian religion were not only sensibly taught to the eare but they were rendred visible to the sight by the â—ractise devotion of the Christian people Fourthly The Christian religion was planted at once in many diverse nations Therefore it was easy for the primitive Christians to know what was the Apostles doctrin which they had heard so often beaten into their eares which they saw practised with their eys and which was profest through out the whole word and great reason had they not to receive any doctrin contrary to it It was also easy for them to discern hold out all new false doctrins For although some would pretend never so much the Scriptures against the publique doctrin of the Church yet the ancient Christians knowing certainly that the Scriptures are not contrary to the doctrin which the Apostles had clearly delivered by lively voice and publickly establish'd in the Church they vnderstood the Scriptures according to the clear rule of faith left by the Apostles They did not vpon pretext of contrariety between the doctrin of the Church the Scriptures abandon the Apostles clear lively doctrin vniversally establisht and follow a new glosse of their writings contrary to it which had been indeed grosse follie and directly against the Apostles command in the Scriptures as has been shown And as this was an easy way in the first ages to know the truth and to discern error so it has been in the succeeding ages For the rule of faith ought to be immoveable as the faith it self is God himself promiseth the continuance of this easy way when he said by Esay Esay 59.21 My Spirit which is in thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth and out of the mouth of thy seed for ever And again Vpon thy walls ô Ierusalem Esay 62.6 I haue appointed watchmen all the day all the night c. The Scripture directs vs to this way Deuter. 32.7 Remember the dayes of old saith Moyses Consider euery Generation ask thy Father and he will show thee thy Elders they will tell thee God himself saith in Ieremy Ieremie 6.16 stand you in the ways and see and ask for the old Paths where is the good way and walk therein and you shall find Rest to your soules Because many leave this old good way we see they change many wayes and can find no rest and never will vntill they return again to the old good way which they foolishly abandoned Christ directs vs to this way Math. 18.17 when he saith Tell the Church and who heares you heares me c. The holy Fathers followed this way S. Augustin shewes that this is the way to put an end to all doubts to attayn vnto the truth to be at rest which he knew by his own experience Aug. de vtilitate cred cap. 8. If thou seeme to thy self saith he to have been already sufficiently tossed and would make an end of these labours paines Follow the way of the Catholique Disciplin which has proceeded from Christ by his Apostles even vnto vs and from hence shall descend and be conveighed vnto posterity Tertullian affirmes there is no other way to know the Apostles doctrin Tertull. de praescrip c. 21. What the Apostles taught saith he I will prescribe ought no otherwise to be proued then by these Churches which the Apostles founded And that we must begin with the testimony of the Church in the time wherein we live to ascend by every generation vnto the ancient Church and so to the very mouth of Christ his Apostles the same Tertullian shewes who makes this ladder of belief Tert. de praes c. 21. What I believe I receiued from the present Church the present Church from the Primitive the Primitive from the Apostles the Apostles from Christ c. According to this tradition the holy Fathers did vnderstand the Scriptures Vincent Lyr. cont heres c. 1. S. Vincentius Lyrinensis shewes the necessity of this rule to avoid the turnings and windings of diverse errors where he cites and commends the following words of
can it be but wonderfull to consider that this Church being dilated throughout the world in so many diverse remote Kingdomes Provinces Countreys of different languages Customs worldly interests and some of these being enemies to others in worldly affaires should all agree in the Vnity of the same Catholique faith as if they were one man Whereas all other Churches which go out from this vnder pretext of greater purity although they do not fill the earth but are comprized in small bounds fall into such horrible dissensions and divisions that they never rest till like generations of vipers they destroy one an other and oftentimes the later destroies the former as we have seen in our time The Church in Communion with the sea of Rome may be known to be the true Church by this admirable Vnity for which Christ prayed and Christ by it may be known to have been sent from heaven who had establish't vpon earth so large a Kingdome of such admirable Vnity If the Vnity of the Catholique Church were not a special blissing of God how could it fall out to her alone How could it have continued so long among such great multitudes of people as have been and are of her Communion How comes it to passe that Vnity could never be conserved among heretiques who although but few and new could never shun the curse of Division which ever destruction followes at the heels For my part I cannot resist vnto this clear reason As this Vnity in the Catholique Church proceeds principally from the blissing of God so secondarly it flowes from the ordinary means which his divine wisdome has appointed and whereof all false Churches are destitute As first from this principle that she beleeves nothing but what has descended vnto her by the constant testimony of her forefathers in all ages from the time of Christ his Apostles By which means it has been shown that she cannot but keep Vnity in faith Secondly She receives the Decrees of all General Councils which in all reason ought to be believed to preserve that which was delivered by the Apostles and if any doubt arise about the sense of the Scriptures are more able to interpret them then any other persons To which therefore all the members of the Catholique Church do modestly wisey submit their iudgments they never ransack any matter of faith once defined but it remaines ever inviolable And lastly All Catholiques submit themselves to one Supreme Pastor whom they acknowledge to be establish't by Christ over the whole Church From whom the holy Fathers do affirm that the Vnity of the Church doth much depend This person appoynted by Christ they shew out of the Scriptures to have been S. Peter to whom Christ said Math. 16.19 Iohn 21 16.18 Cypr. in tract de simplicite Praelator I will give thee the keys of the Kingdome of Heaven c. and again Feed my sheep feed my Lambs Vpon which S. Cyprian saith That Christ might shew Vnity he establish't one Chaire and he disposed by his authority the Origin of that Vnity to proceed from One c. The Primacy is given to Peter that one Church of Christ and one Chaire might be shown S. Hierom seeing the necessity of One head Hieron lib. 1. cont Iovinian for keeping Vnity saith excellently One is chosen that a head being appoynted Occasion of schisme might be taken away And that the Bishop of Rome is successor to S. Peter in that same Dignity Primacy and that the Vnity of the Church depends vpon his authority all the holy Fathers do affirm The same S. Hierom writing to S. Damasus Bishop of Rome saith Hier ep ad Damasum With the Successor of the Fisher with the Disciple of the Crosse I speak c. I am ioyn'd in Communion with thy Holynesse that is with the Chaire of Peter vpon that rock I know the Church is built who gathereth not with thee scattereth S. Augustin affirmes Aug. cont epist fundament c. 4. that the Succession of Priests from the seat of Peter to whom our Lord after his resurrection commended his sheep to be fed vntill the present Bishop held him within the lap of the Church There is nothing more ordinary with the Fathers then to reckon out the succession of the Roman Bishops from S. Peter vnto their time Aug. epist 166. Cypr. epist 73. 45. S. Augustin tearmeth the sea of their residence the Chair of Vnity and S. Cyprian calls it the beginning of Vnity the roote of the Catholique Church As by these means the Vnity of the true Church is preserved so for want of them there can be no constant Vnity in false Churches For they all reiecting the infallible testimony authority of the Catholique Church by which we are certified of our Saviours doctrine as has been shewed put their own election and private iudgment in place of it and their iudgments being diverse they make diverse faiths having no Compasse to steer by but the Scriptures which they diversly interpret according to their pleasures Neither do they submit themselv's to the sentence of any Church for they beleeve that all Churches may erre neither is their own Church constant in her sentence for one Assembly ransacks and condemns as heresy and Anti-Christian what another has defined approved as Christian truths Neither have they any supreme Pastor to whom they obey And in a word they have no bond to ty them together except sometimes worldly interest or the hatred of another religion And when these interests faile when by mutual assistance ioyn't forces they have subdued or overturned that Church which they esteem their Common adversarie then they instantly begin to be miserably scattered divided as fresh experience sheweth how after the destructiō of the late English Church the brethren of Scotland and England became hugely divided notwithstanding the solemne League Covenant which had before so straitly tyed them together Yea it is impossible for the wit of man to make it otherwise For besides that it is impossible that many men can a long time adhere to the same falshoods as we suppose all heresies to be the nature of man being so strongly bent vpon truth this confusion division followes from the nature of their principal doctrin which is the ground work of all the rest to witt that every one should have liberty of reading interpreting Scripture and iudging the Preachers doctrin thereby From which ground there must needs arise variety of sects in religion according to the various conceipts and apprehensions of people Moreover God in his iust iudgment sends ever the curse of division among heretiques for according to their sin so are they punished They endeavoured to divide the Church and themselvs are divided and so at length destroied This God promised by the Prophet Esay when he said Esay 19.2 I will set the Aegyptians against the Aegyptians and they shall fight every one
and eternal Salvation Here in this house of faith is found the the true Catholique invariable faith of which S. Augustin truly saith That no riches Aug. serm 1. de verbis Apost no treasures no honors no substance of this world are comparable vnto it Therefore in end I will offer vp my thanksgiving vnto God in the words of that glorious Doctor for the same benefite Truly O Lord Aug. Soliloq c. 33. thou art my God who hast drawn me out of darknesse and out of the shadow of death and thou hast called me into thy admirable light and behold I see Thanks be given to thee O thou who art the illuminator of my soule I looked back and saw the darknesse wherein I had been and that profound black pitt wherein I had lyen and I was sore affraid and said Wo Wo be to that darknes wherein I lay Wo Wo be to that blindnes wherein I was not able to see the light of Heaven Wo Wo to that former ignorance of mine when I had no knowledge of thee O Lord. But I give thee thanks O my Illuminator and deliverer because thou hast illuminated me and I have knowen thee Yet still am I come too late to thee O thou antient Truth too late am I come to know thee O thou eternal Truth And because I cannot praise thee sufficiently I humbly desire the blessed Virgin all the Angels Saints of heaven to blisse and magnify thy glorious name and to offer vp their holy prayers for me that as by thy grace I have acquired the true faith So I may also attayn vnto sincere piety and so may have the happinesse to praise thee in their holy society for all Eternity Amen FINIS A LITLE TOVCH-STONE OF THE SCOTTISH COVENANT BEING desirous after the Triall of Presbytery to take a serious view of the late famous but now vnfortunat Scottish Covenant Presbyteries principal Chartour I required the accustomed assistance of my above mentioned Catholique friend which he willingly vouchsafed to me Wherevpon we had diverse Conferences and he was also pleased to write some papers on this matter for my contentment out of which I will make a brief Collection of some principall observations whereby as by a little Touch-stone the Covenant which glistered so much for a time and which was sold for the pure gold of divine truth may be seen to be nothing but base Counterfeit Mettall SECTION I. Of the great esteem and high Titles of the Covenant and that it was vniustly called Gods Covenant THE respect which the Covenanters gave to the Covenant was so great that perhaps it may seem incredible vnto posterity For they esteemd it as much as if God had sent it from heaven or had given expresse order for making it They were not content to esteem it so much themselvs but they would have all persons within their power to do the same They were not satisfyed with mens simple profession to beleeve it but they enforced all persons to swear and subscribe it yea and to take their Sacrament vpon it and were resolved by furious zeal to propagate it by force throughout the world They gave it also high Titles calling it ordinarily Gods Covenant or the Covenant between God and the Kirk of Scotland The Confession of faith The holy Covenant c. All which shew their great esteem of it At the very first serious view and once reading over of the Covenant we presently saw that it did not deserve these high Titles and especially of Gods Covenant because it containd some most grosse and palpable lies of which we observed three most obvious The first is containd in the very first words of the Covenant which begin thus We all and every one of vs vnderwritten protest that after long and due examination of our own Consciences in matters of true false religion c. where they professe to have vsed long due examination of their Consciences before they swore and subscribed the Covenant Now this is a falshood so manifest that men need not to examine their consciensces but only to recollect their senses and consider what their eys saw done to discover it For when the Covenant was subscrived at the beginning of the Troubles anno 1638. in the Grayfriers Church of Edinburgh all the long examination then vsed was to heare it once read over accompanied with a Panegyrick made by the Lord Lowdon and a prayer by M. Henderson and immediatly thereafter all almost who were present ran contentiously to it Throughout the rest of the Countrey the Ministers commendation of it was made to serve for all the peoples long due examination and presently followed their subscription with an implicit faith vpon the Ministers bare word which is no sure ground to relie vpon The Puritans ran to it every where with little knowledge and furious Zeal that they might pull down the Bishops and the old Protestants being awakned by their false Alarmes did swear and subscribe it inconfideratly that they might oppose the entrance of Popery which they were made beleeve to be at the doore So that it is evident even to sense that few of the Covenanters vsed any diligence most of them vsed none at all and none of them vsed long and due examination of their Consciences but their Subscriptions and oaths went before their knowledge and their knowledge before due Trial and diligence Whereof this is an evident sign that as yet after 19. years agitation few of their chief heads know all the points abiured in the Covenant as opus operatum works of Supererogation Stations and the like Therefore the first words of the Covenant are manifestly false The second grosse vntruth is a little after the Middle of the Covenant in these words And seing many are stirred vp by Satan and the Roman Anti-Christ to promise swear subscribe and for a time vse the holy Sacraments of the Kirk deceitfully against their own Consciences minding thereby first under the external Cloak ef religion to corrupt and subvert secretly Gods true religion within the Kirk and afterward when time may serve to become open Enemies and Persecutors of the same vnder Vain hopes of the Popes dispensation devised against Gods word to his greater Confusion and to their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Iesus c. Here said the Catholique are linked together diverse lies and not only lies but calumnies and both so evidently false impudent that the Father of lies if he had any shame might be ashamed of them For what can be more false and malitious then to say that the Pope stirres vp Catholiques to swear and subscrybe the Protestant to abiure the Catholique Religion against their Consciences That he stirres them vp to vse the Protestants Sacraments and that of purpose to subvert their religion vnder hope of his dispensation First the Catholique Church hath ever constantly taught with S. Paul that no evil is to be done
pretend Vniversality when you say that your faith is beleeved received and defended by many Notable Kirks and Realmes but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland Next you lay claime to a certain kind of Antiquity when you say that it hath been of a long time openly professed Such is the evidence of Truth that Enemies to it are sometimes enforced to make vse or rather a shew of it But to speak first of the vniversality of your faith where are all these many notable Realmes and Kirks which you affirm do professe your religion In Europe no such Kingdomes can be found For Swedland Denmark are known to be Lutherians who have neither Vnity of faith with you nor Communion in Sacraments and abhorre the very name of Calvin of all Sacramentaries The Realme late Church of England maintaind the Hierarchy of the Church abhorring very much the Anarchy of your Presbytery and now since England became a Commonwealth it hates nothing more then the Soule-Tyranny as it is commonly called there of your Presbytery The other famous Kingdomes of Europe are either totally or for the much greater part Roman Catholiques So that the many Notable Realmes of your religion are as yet invisible vnlesse you would count all those to be of your religion who are not Papists or who go vnder the general name of Protestants But that cannot be done for the Vniversality of a Church requires Vnity in faith Communion in Sacraments which you evidently want with a great part of Protestant Churches And therefore knowing that you want this Vnity you wisely pretend that this faith which you so much praise is chiefly professed by the Kirk of Scotland For every one of you pretends to be chief and will not yeeld to another Then yow come as little speed of your Antiquitie For all the long time that your faith was profest from the beginning of your Reformation to the first making of the Covenant is but about 20. years and as yet to this day it has not past the bounds of one Age. If you had the Vniversality Antiquity of the Catholique Church how would you glory when you make such a stirre with your fewnesse and Novelty For your one Kingdome and your one hundred years in which your religion has been professed we can show you the same Kingdome professing the Catholique religion above 14. hundred years and all the famous Christian Kingdomes and Countries of the world making the same profession even to the first time of their Conversion from Infidelity to Christianity And for your one King mentioned in your Covenant which he took in his younger years disproveing it when he became more ripe as appears in the Conference at Hampton-Court we can show you 80. Kings of the same Nation diverse of which are glorious Saints in heaven who lived and dyed in the Catholique Profession To whom we may add all the famous Christian Kings Emperours that have been in the world But albeit you were more spread then you are you would find no great advantage by it S. Augustin compareing you with good reason to smoake Aug. serm 2. in Psal 36. which doth vanish so much the sooner by how much it is greater more dilated abroad This we have seen verifyed in our time For the late Church of England intending to dilate her self in Scotland did shortly thereafter vanish like smoake in England Again the Scottish Presbytery indeavouring with great zeal to propagate it self in England lost soone much of its fyrie force in Scotland Secondly Antiquity of your religion would tend no lesse to your ruine for as S. Hierom hath observed all heresies please only men for a time and when they grow old they weare out of request as may be known by the many alterations of religion that have happened in Scotland but especially in England since their publique fall from the Catholique religion Then for Acts of Parlament whereby you say your faith is confirmed they cannot be very many seing the religion is so late neither can they give great confirmation to a religion because they are very changeable We see one Protestant Parliament has ransacted the Kings Suâ—remacy which many Protestant Parliaments had enacted and that which was before declared Heresy if not Treason to deny is now iudged both great follie and Treason to affirme The true religion is warranted by a higher authority then by earthly Courts But the Protestant religions are made and vnmade by Protestant Parliaments The last point here proposed containes three vntruths linked together as where you say that you all willingly agree in all points All the Horologes of the world will sooner agree then your wills When coercive power is now taken out of your hands you see how many do willingly freely disagree from you Then you call all the points of your faith Gods vndoubted truth which they cannot be besides other reasons because many Protestants doubt of diverse of them yea they think them vndoubted falshoods and besides yourselves are often changeing them which shewes that many articles of your faith are doubtsome and your faith of them is nothing but meer opinion Lastly it is most false that all your faith is grounded only vpon the written word because you beleeve some things without the word of God as the changeing of the Sabboth into Sunday the baptizing of infants and which is more you beleeve some points against the expresse word of God as your article of Iustification by faith only to speak nothing of diverse others And moreover you lay down a false ground when you professe to beleeve nothing 2. Thes 2.15 but what is containd in the Scriptures whereas they expresly bid you Hold fast the Traditions Thus we have seen all your pretences as about the word Spirit of God the Vniversality Antiquity of your faith by which you would make it more commendable to be false groundlesse Now we shall see how bitterly you renounce accurse the Catholique faith SECTION IV. Of the Popes Supremacy where it is shewed that the Pope is not Anti-Christ nor an Vsurper as the Covenanters do calumniate AFTER the former Preface follow these words of the Covenant And therefore we abhorre and detest all contrary Religion Doctrin but chiefly all kind of Papistry in generall and particular heads even as they are now damned confuted by the word of God and Kirk of Scotland But in special we detest and refuse the Vsurped Authority of the Roman Anti Christ vpon the Scriptures of God vpon the kirk the Civil Magistrate and Consciences of men c. Here you ingenuously confesse your selves to have one quality which all heretiques have ever had to hate and detest most the Catholique religion And your practice sheweth this your Confession to be true For albeit any person become a Socinian Anabaptist or Atheist you take no great notice of him but if you heare of any that is become a Papist he is sure to
practice of the whole Church against whose custome to dispute as S. Augustin affirmes is most insolent madnesse Therefore without or rather against all reason do you detest the Ceremonies of the Catholique Church No religion can be without Ceremonies and we see in the Scripture that all great mysteries are accompanyed with sublime significative Ceremonies as our Saviours Nativity Baptism Transfiguration Resurrection Ascension the Descent of the holy Ghost c. Our saviour also at all great solemn actions vsed many Ceremonies as at the raising of Lazarus the cureing of the man who was both deaf dumb Mark 7.33 and vpon many other occasions all which Ceremonies serve as Ornaments of religion presenting an external Maiesty to the senses and making the spiritual mysteries to be more clearly vnderstood to be received with greater reverence and to be more deeply imprinted in the hearts of the beholders The same might be easily verifyed of the Catholique Ceremonies Therefore you who vnder pretext of spirituality are profest Enemies to all Ceremonies do not take heed that you take all order decency from the Church service of God that you oppose the practice of Christ his Apostles and of the whole Primitive Church and do render the sublime mysteries of the Christian religion contemptible You renounce also to vse your words the Popes 5. bastard Sacraments But that is only proper to adulteresse Churches to have bastard Sacraments The Catholique Church has none but lawfull Sacraments instituted by her heavenly Spouse Iesus-Christ of admirable vertue grace as we have seen all these 5. to be But indeed you have made even those two which you keep bastard Sacraments by robbing them of all vertue and grace We shall only speak a word of your other Detestations which follow in this Section because some of them have been touched above First vnder the name of the Pope you detest the iudgment of the Catholique Church as cruel against infants dying without Baptism and for the absolute necessity of Baptism But this was also the iudgment of the Primitive Church yea of Christ himself who has said Iohn 3.5 vnlesse one be borne again of water the Spirit he shall not enter into the Kingdome of Heaven And therefore is not cruel as has been shewed above at more length Whereas your iudgment is both false and cruel against many children dying with Baptism excluding them from heaven Yea not only your Iudgment is cruel but also your practice suffering many children to dye without Baptisme Confer Hampton-Court for which cruelty King Iames affirmed that your Ministers who were guilty of it would be damned You accuse next the Catholique Church of blasphemy for beleeving the Reall Presence or Transubstantiation which you wisely make all one question and for teaching that the wicked receive the body of Christ But they are not blasphemous who do beleeve Christs words expressed by 3. Evangelists and one Apostle and who follow the constant doctrin of the holy Fathers of the auncient Church as the Catholiques do in this matter as has been shewed above And if the wicked did not receive the body of Christ how could they be guilty of it as the Apostles affirmes the vnworthy receivers of it to be But you are rather guilty of blasphemy even in the iudgment of Protestants who will not beleeve Christs clear words and deny thereby his Omnipotency Luther your first Apostles gives this Iudgment of you We censure as heretiques aliens from the Church of God the Zuinglians all Sacramentaries Luth. cont Lovanien Thes 27. who deny the body blood of Christ to be received with the Carnal Mouth in the Eucharist And a famous Doctor of his Church continues the same opinion of you for speaking of this same matter he saith the sect of the Calvinists is grown to such blasphemy and madnesse Conrad Shlussel Theol. Calvin l. 1. c. 3. that they dare call in question Gods omnipotency Then you accuse the Pope Catholique Church for Dispensations in solemn Oaths and Periuries But these are either vain or false allegations For it is certain that the Church may dispense sometimes with the bond of oaths as she may loose from punishments and free men from the bonds of sins according to that power which Christ gave to her saying whatsoever thou shall loose on earth Math. 16 shall be loosed in heaven c. But it must be for a iust cause and without the iust preiudice of others as Becan shewes Becan de ur iustitia quest 88. q. 11 or else the dispensation is not valid Periuries or false oaths need no Dispensations as you mistake or calumniate but must be only taken away by true Repentance as other sins are purged It is strange that you should deny the lawfull power of dispensing to the whole Catholique Church such as S. Paul vsed with the incestuous Corinthian and yet appropriate it to every one of your selves and should obiect that falsly as a crime to others whereof yourselves are so deeply guilty For it is known how many oaths vowes your first Reformers did either break or dispense with at their own hands and if we will beleeve King Iames Basilicon Doron p. 41. you are not behind with any in these enormities You accuse also falsly the Pope Catholique Church for dispensing in degrees of Mariage forbidden by the word of God that is by the Law of Christ vnlesse you will have the Ceremonial Law of the Iewes to be the Law of Christ and to oblige all Christians whence it would follow that if a man died without issue Deuter. 25.5 his brother should marie the Widow which yourselves do not observe but deny that it ought to be done The Church is so far from dispensing in degrees forbidden by the eternal Law of God that she has made Lawes forbidding dissolving Mariages in degrees not prohibited by the Eternal Law of God which serve as out-works to guard the divin Law She dispenseth indeed sometimes vpon good reason in her own lawes but never in the eternal Law of God which she professeth to be altogether indispensable Neither is the Pope and Catholique Church guilty of cruelty against the innocent divorced by forbidding them to marie vnlesse Christ himself and S. Paul be cruel and the Primitive Church which taught the same doctrine Luke 16.8 Our Saviour saith every one that putteth away his wife and marieth another committeth adulterie and he that marieth her committeth adulterie 1. Cor. 7.10 S Paul saith not I give commandment but our Lord that the wife depart not from her husband if she depart to remaine vnmaried or to be reconciled to her husband Whence it is clear that neither of the parties can marie so long as the other lives This was the doctrine of the holy Fathers and of the ancient Church S. Augustin proveth this in his bookes de adulterinis coniugijs
worship to any Creatures but not the holy Images of Christ his Saints nor a competent worship due vnto them Did not God himself in the same book command the holy Images of Cherubins to be made and due Veneration to be given vnto them Adore you his foot-stoole c. Is God contrary to himself or will he command Idolatry Secondly you falsly alleadge that the Catholiques take away the second Commandment whereby you deceive many For they make only that a part of the first commandment which you make the second and therein they follow the authority of S. Augustin who expresly saith Aug. q. 71. sup Exod. that more conveniently three precepts of the first Table are to be reckoned then foure and that these words Thou shalt not make any Idol are indeed an explication of the former Which division of the commandments was also shown to me to be most agreeable to right reason Thirdly you falsly calumniate the Catholiques for Idolaters seing they do not worship holy Images as Gods with divine worship but with a respect infinitly below that like vnto the honour which the people of God gave vnto the Arke and the Cherubins and which is given by all good Christians to the letters of the holy Scriptures But indeed all these accusations which you bring falsly against others may be iustly retorted against your selves For though you adore no Idols made with hands yet you adore many Errors fancies of your own braines which S. Hierom calls the Idols of Heretiques And you have not taken away only one but in effect all Gods commandments by denying the possibility of keeping them What has been said of holy Images may also be vnderstood of Crosses Then for Reliques the Scripture Fathers and right reason are so clear for dutifull respect veneration to be given vnto them that there can be no doubt of it Do we not read in the Scripture how the woman in the Gospel by touching respectfully the hem of our Saviours garment was cured of her bloody flux Math. 9.21 How S. Iohn Baptist did so respect honour the latchet of our Saviours shoe that he esteem'd himself vnworthy to vntye it Mark 1.7 How the Napkins that had but touched the body of S. Paul cast out Devils and cured diseases Acts 19.12 How the ancient Church did reverence Reliques Aug. ep 103. S. Augustin testifyeth saying They bring the Reliques of most blessed Stephen the Martyr which your Holynesse is not ignorant as we also have done how conveniently you ought to honour And in his 22. book of the Citie of God he sayes At the Reliques of S. Stephen only there were in a short space so many Miracles wrought that they might fill many Volumes It is also agreeable to right reason to honour Reliques For the very light of Nature teaches vs to honour the Instruments of supernatural effects and to carie due respect vnto the bodies of the Saints But these who dishonour and destroy them imitat the old Pagans and the enemies of the Christian religion You accuse lastly in this place the Catholiques for dedicating Churches Altars Dayes Vowes to Creatures But it is sufficient against your accusations to know that they observe the custome of the holy Fathers ancient Christians who dedicated Churches Altars c. not to Creatures but to God the Creator albeit in memorie of the Saints Martyrs So S. Augustin saith Aug. lib. 20 cont Faust c. 21. The Christian people celebrateth the memories of Martyrs with fuligious solemnity c. but yet so that we apwant Altars to none of the Martyrs but vnto the God of Martyrs though in memorie of the Martyrs The same he affirmeth of Churches saying We build not Churches vnto our Martyrs Aug. lib 22. de Civ c. 10. as vnto God but Memories as vnto dead men whose Spirits live with God Then for Dayes they are principally dedicated vnto God though in honour and memorie of the Saints As also Vowes are properly principally made to God as vnto the first Principle Author of all good but when they are made to the Saints they are made in a secondary manner as vnto the Friends of God by whose prayers intercession we receive benefits from him which is a respect infinitly inferiour to that which is given by vowing to God as may be seen in Bellarmin lib. 3. de cultu Sanctor c. 11. But indeed you are iustly to be blamed who dedicate no Churches nor Altars to God but have destroyed profaned many that were consecrated to his service and have abolished the festival dayes not only of the Saints but of Christ himself and are so far from honouring the Saints whom you call very simply Creatures with Vowes that you have taken away that worship respect from God the Creator which had been alwayes given to him both in the Law of Moyses in the Law of Nature SECTION X. Of Purgatory Praying for the dead Praying in an vnknown Tongue Processions Litanies Auricular Confession c. YOV go on in your Covenant saying We detest His Purgatory Prayer for the dead praying or speaking in a strange language with his Processions blasphemous Litanies and Multitude of Advocats or Mediators His manyfold Orders Auricular Confession As you are pleased to father all the points of the Catholique faith vpon the Popes as if they were their Inventions so you father this point of Purgatory vpon them in a special manner crying out that it is a meer fiction a late invention of the Popes for their own gaine that it was not beleeved by the Primitive Church with which vain fancies you fill your peoples eares But having found you already to be so often false Accusers we will not think it strange to see you here like your selves For the holy Fathers of the Primitive Church not only beleeved there was a Purgatory that is a third place of temporal punishment where some soules are purged and punished after this life for venial sins and for the temporal punishment due to their mortal sins not fully satisfyed in this life but also they proved it by the Scriptvres whereof we shall bring two or three testimonies The first is of S. Paul 1. Cor. 3. where he saith the work of every one of what kind it is the fire shall trie c. if any mans work burne he shall suffer detriment but himself shall be saved yet so as by fire which words S. Augustin bringing speaks thus Because it is said Aug. in psal 37. He shall be safe that fire is contemned yet that fire shall be more grievous then what ever a man can suffer in this life Purge me Lord in this life and make me such an one as shall not need that mending fire S. Ambrose expounds it after the same manner saying But whereas S. Paul says Amb. in cap. 3. ep ad Cor. Yet so as by fire he shewes indeed that he shall be saved but yet shall suffer
condemned but for doing the other they are commended in these things God commandeth a debt in those what you shall supererogate or bestow more he will render at his returne These are the excellent works of perfection to which a great treasure or reward is promised in heaven these are the Heroick acts of Vertue which are only performed in the Catholique Church and show the admirable excellency perfection of the Christian religion against which excellent works you are so great Enemies that you have not so much vertue as to approve them when they are performed by others The truth is so clearly here on the Catholiques side against you that it extorted a Confession from one of your own Coate M. Shelford a Protestant Minister who having spoken a little of the foresaid Evangelical Counsels and of the great rewards that are promised to them concludes in these words These are Gods Counsels Shelf p. 109. which of the Primitive Church were put in practise but in our times meaning of the Protestant Church they are put off with a Non placet You detest next the Catholique doctrine of Merits which you would make the ignorant beleeve to be most absurd and indeed so it will seem to any who lookes vpon it through your Ministerial spectacles representing it vnto them as if the Catholiques taught that good works done by the force of Nature and not by the power of Christs grace were meritorious of Heaven or that they taught that they were to be saved by their own merits and not by the merits of Christ whereas indeed the Catholique doctrine is iust contrary as may be seen in the Councel of Trent sess 6. can 1. 10. 32 33. and in the 8. Chapter of that same Session of which matter something has been touched above pag. 190. 191. and before that p. 171. where some words of the Councel to this purpose are cited The true sense then of the Catholiques concerning Merits is that good works done by a person in the state of grace and performed by the power strength of Christs grace have a reward of eternal life by Christs goodnesse promised vnto them The Scripture is so clear for this truth that it is wonder how any person can doubt of it it Our Saviour saith Be glad and reioyce for great is your reward in heaven Math. 5.12 Again call the workmen and pay them their hire ch 20. 8. S. Paul saith God will render to every one according to his works to them truly that according to patience in good works seek glory incorruption life eternal Rom. 2.6.7 who sowes in the Spirit shall reap in the Spirit life everlasting 1. Cor. 6.8 And of himself he saith I have fought a good fight c. concerning the rest there is laid vp for me a Crowne of Iustice c. 2. Tim. 4.7 And in the Apocalypse it is said of some Saints They shall walk with me in whites because they are worthie Whereby it is as evident as the Sun that life eternal is the reward and hire of good works and therefore they are meritorious for rewards are not given but to merits The holy Fathers are so much for this doctrine that Luther diverse Protestants doe censure them for it Prot. Apol. tract 1. sec 3. sub 6. Aug lib. 50. Homil 4. as may be seen in the Protestants Apology We shall be content to cite one only testimony of S. Augustin who saith He to witt Paul sayes that our Lord a Iust Iudge will render to him a Crowne he therefore owes it and as a Iust Iudge will pay it for the work being regarded the reward cannot be denied But the evidence of this truth is so great that it is acknowledged by other Protestants The forementioned M. Shelford saith Shelf p. 115. The main Tenet of the Scripture is that God will reward every man according to his works And much more to this purpose The Protestant Author of the Christian Moderator confesseth it yet more fully saying Christ Moder p. 67. I professe sincerely I should be so far from enforceing Papists to renounce the Doctrine of Merits that I am resolved to suffer a thowsand deaths rather then abiure so manifest a truth according to the sense wherein they explain themselves or affirm so great manifest an Errour according to the sense wherein we explain our selves Thus he But according to your principles yow have reason to renounce all merits since you deny all good works affirming that your best actions are mortal sins to which indeed not reward but punishment is due and so you will be in a very hard case if you be rewarded according to your works You renounce also Pardons or Indulgences but when these are known according to the Catholiques sense they are not such Boggles as you would make them appeare to children For these are only remissions of the temporal penance or paines which for the most part remain to be suffered for the Satisfaction of sin after the guilt thereof is taken away That the Church has this power is proved by our Saviours words Math. 16. Whatsoever thou shalt loose in earth shall be also loosed in heaven And by the practise of S. Paul who pardoned the incestuous Corinthian of the rest of his penance 2. Cor. 10. where he saith he pardoned him in the person of Christ Neither in this matter rightly vnderstood can there be any difficulty and therefore we will insist no more on it And the Ministers themselves have been known to give such pardons to some faulters freeing them from their stoole of Repentance For Pilgrimages to holy places which you detest we need not also to stand much vpon them seing they were ordained by God himself as may be seen Deuternomie 16. chapt ver 16. where Moyses saith Three times in a yeare shall all thy male appeare in the sight of our Lord thy God in the place which he shall choose The holy parents of Samuel carefully observed this precept 1. Kings 1. as also Christ himself and his blessed Mother Luke 2. Iohn 12. The Gentils likewise came from far Coūtreys to worship in Ierusalem as the Eunuch of Aethiopia Acts. 8.27 And the three wisemen came from the East Iohn 2. to adore Christ at his birth Mat. 2. The devout woemen went to visit our Saviours sepulchre Now what was the practice of the Primitive Church is so clear that it needs no proof Hier. epist 17. ad Marcellam S. Hierom saith it would be longsome to recount through every age from the Ascension of Christ to the present time the number of Bishops Martyrs and eloquent persons who have come to Ierusalem to adore Christ in these holy places c. And again The Iewes of old did worship the Holy of Holyes because there were the Cherubins the propitiatorie and Ark of the Testament Manna the Rod of Aaron the golden Altar But does not the Sepulchre of Christ seem more
reckons in the first place Basil l. de Sp. S. c. 27. Aug. tract 118 in Euang. Ioan Chrys iul quod Christus sit Deus Nazian orat 1. in Iulian amongst the Apostolical Traditions and which S. Augustin call the sign of Christ without which no benediction is rightly perfected It was so much honoured in the primitive times that it was erected as S. Chrysostome testifyes vpon the topes of Kings Crownes Scepters and imprinted vpon the front or head of man the most noble member of his body as vpon a living pillar and it is most efficacious against temptations and the affrightfull apparitions of Devils whereof Iulian the Apostata found experience as S. Gregory Nazianzen relates with many circumstances Therefore you are very rashly Enemies to this glorious sign of the Son of man and some of you very wickedly do call it the sign of the beast and it may be iustly said the Catholiques Crossings are much better then your cursings By detesting the anoynting of the Catholique Church you detest S. Iames Iames 5 Mark 6.13 who prescribed it and the holy Apostles who practiced it as S. Mark testifies saying They anointed with oile many sick the Primitive Church which vsed it Aug. in Pref. psal 26. enarr 2 whereby S. Augustin shewes the excellency of Christians to whom all now Vnction belongs which was only proper before to Priests Kings By detesting the hallowing of Gods good Creatures you detest your own practice in blissing your meat with long graces and the elements of your Sacrament with long prayers S. Paul shewes that Every Creature may be sanctifyed 1. Timoth 4.4.5 by the word of God and prayer The hallowing of Gods Creatures to pious vses is not superstition but the contrary practice is profanation The Popes worldly Monarchie as you call it has agreed better with all the Monarchs of the world and that for many ages then your worldly Democracy has consisted with one or two Monarchs in one corner of the world for the few years you have lasted And the Sacred Hierarchie of the Church which you without all modestie call wicked has not produced such wicked effects for the space of 16. hundred yeares and above as the Anarchy of your Presbytery has done in lesse then the space of twentie You abiure also the three solemn Vowes of voluntary chastity poverty obediēce which have been shown above to be works of greater perfection This shewes that the Prophet Esay did not mean of you but of the members of the true Church when he prophesied of them Esay 19 21. saying They shall Vow Vowes vnto our Lord pay them But your first chief Reformers Vowed these solemn Vowes and brake them And it may be iustly said that these 3. Solemn Vowes are much better works then your solemn League Covenant You renounce also the Clerical Tonsure which you call shavelings of diverse sorts But that this was a most ancient Ceremony Dionys lib. de Eccles Hierarchia c. 6 Athan. lib. de Virginitate Hier. epist ad Savinianum Beda hist. Anglor lib. 5. c. 22. S. Denis Athanasius Hierom and others do testifie◠and Venerable Bede affirmes that S. Peter did first of all carrie a Crown of haires the rest of his head being poll'd The mysterious significations of this ceremony may be seen in Bellarmin lib. 2. de Monachis cap. 40. And albeit no other reason be brought the very venerable antiquity of it alone is sufficient to shew that these shavelings of sundry sorts are better then your new Round-heads of sundry sects Then you detest according to your phrase the Popes corrupted bloodie decrees made at Trenf But that is ordinary for all Novelists to carrie hatred to and calumniate these Sacred General Councels by whose authority their corrupted errors are condemned so did the Arians to the great Councel of Nice That which you speak of a cruel bloody Band subscrybed there is a meer calumnie for no such thing was done there But indeed it is no calumnie to call your Covenant which was approved and subscrybed at your Assembly of Glasgow a cruel and bloudy Band as the effects have proved It is by such cruel and bloudy Bands that false religions must be propagated or rather enforced against mens Consciences But the Catholique Church trusting in the promise of Christs assistance and being armed with the force of truth goes on vpon other principles You are pleased also not only to detest the Decrees of the Councel of Trent but likwise the subscrybers Approvers thereof whom you call Conspirators against the Kirk of God But albeit your passion leads you to detest their doctrines yet civility should oblige you not to detest their persons especially since some Approvers thereof are the most Eminent Princes of the world to whom you ought to carrie respect And whereas you take vpon you the name authority of the Church of God it has been shewed above that your Kirk has lyen too long hid to be the Kirk of God You call your Kirk a Reformed Kirk but it ought rather to be called a new formed Kirk because it is substantially different from the old and it is so far from being truly Reformed that it is deformed in the principal points of the Christian religion as we have seen concerning the Apostles Creed our Lords prayer the Commandments Sacraments besides many other substantial articles above touched That which you say of the Popes Vain Allegories Rites Signs is frivolous It is known that these Allegories which you blame were vsed by the holy Fathers particularly by S. Augustin who excelled in the Allegorical sense of the Scriptures whose Allegories are not vain but most grave and will be preferred by all sound iudgments to your Ministers vain Tropes and figures against the clear Scriptures as we have seen in the matter of the holy Sacrament Of Traditions we have spoke sufficiently above All the rest that followes in your Covenant excepting the two vntruths touched above in the first section and your Oath for maintaining the Kings authority is nothing but a concatenation of most fearfull and horrible Oaths whereby you tye yourselves vnder highest curses and paines to maintaine these your grosse errors and Heresies which ought rather to be deplored then confuted especially since you are begun to find the effects of these enormities Thus I have briefly collected the principall observations which my Catholique Friend and I made vpon the Covenant although I have passed by many things that were in his papers that this book might not exceed the iust bignesse But by what has been said may be in some measure seen what counterfeit mettal the Covenant is and what a masse of Errors and old condemned heresies it containes ioynd with blasphemous Execrations of the principal points of the holy Catholique faith and what an Idol the simple people was made to adore It is truly to be regrated that our Nation which
for the space of 14. hundred years did professe the Catholique faith with so great piety and did propagate it abroad with so great glory zeal of which many Monuments are extant in forreign Nations should be now so blinded with Error and miscarried by passion against the truth that for the most part if it were in their power they are no lesse Zealous to extirpate it Baron tom 5. in supplem ad annum 429. The most famous Cardinal Baronius gives this excellent testimonie of the ancient Scottish Christians These saith he who received the Gospel first from Pope Victor and their first Bishop from Pope Celestin by whom they were all made Christians did profitt so much through the grace of Christ that they became the most excellent of all Christians and practising the Christian faith with great diligence by an Apostolical function did propagate it largely and gloriously among forreign remote Nations as we shall see in due place Thus Baronius It may please God in his own time to dispell the clouds of darknesse and Ministerial calumnies and make the light of truth appeare again vnto this Nation and turn their hearts vnto the right way from which they have gone very far astray And that this may be granted all ought to pray especially these whom God has called lately in this Nation vnto the knowledge of the truth With the concurrence of which desire I would make an end if the Renounciation of the Covenant shown by my Catholique friend to me and some other new Converted Catholiques wherein there is an Antithesis almost in every point between the Catholique and Presbyterian doctrine were not thought fitting to be here subioynd with which we shall conclude A RENOVNCIAtion of the Scottish Presbyterian Covenant or Confession of Faith WEE whom it hath pleased God of late to call mercyfully from the darknesse of Heresy vnto the admirable light of the holy Catholique faith doe professe that after a a The Catholiques long diligeÌ„t search may appeare by the former Trial whereas the Covenanters vsed neither long nor due examination of their consciences as may be seen above pag. 411. LONG and serious search for the Truth we are now b b Catholiques who relie vpon the immoveable Pillar and ground of Truth to Witt the holy Catholique Church which never changes are fully satisfyed and assured of the Truth But Heretiques who quite this solid ground and follow the Private Spirit which is very inconstant let them pretend what they please can never have full assurance which evidently appeares by their continual changes new pretended lights See above pa. 425. FVLLY satisfyed thereof by the c c Christ promised that the Spirit of Truth should remaine in his Church for ever teach her all Truth Iohn 14.16 Iohn 16.13 And yet it is strange that every new heretique without Scripture appropriats this Spirit to himself against Scripture Christs clear promise denys the holy Spirit to the whole Church The same may be said also of their vain pretext of the word of God See above pag. 423. 424. WORD and Spirit of God RESIDING constantly in the holy Catholique Church And therefore we beleeve and professe that this only is the true Religion without which it is impossible to please God which was of d d The true faith was revealed of old and from that time can never be hid But the Presbyterian faith has two contraâ—y qualities to witt it is now revealed and has lyen long hid as may be seen above p. 426. See also Math. 5.16.17 OLD mercyfully revealed by our blissed Saviour Iesus-Christ and by his holy Apostles through the preaching of the blessed Evangel which since that time has never lyeÌ„ HID but has ever shynd like a light set vpon a Candlestick And has been professed through All Ages in e e The true Church must be in all Nations as Esay foretells saying All Nations shall flow vnto it Esay 2.2 and Christ shew that repentance should be preached in his name vnto all Nations beginning at Hierusalem Luke 24.47 For this cause the true Church is called Catholique as being dispersed through All Nations as she is also Catholique for Time endureing in All Ages But Heresys are only in some few Nations or corners of the world and in these also they are not the same but full of diversity and contrariety which is manifestly verifyed of the Presbyterians Protestants See above ch 32. 34. All Christian Nations and particularly in the ancient Kingdome of Scotland as Gods f f As Gods Truth is Eternal so it cannot be hid Esay 62.6 But the Presbyterians pretended Eternal Truth has been too long hid Eternal and MOST KNOWN TRVTH the only ground of our Salvation as may be seen in the Catholique Confession of Faith approved and authorized by the g g The approbations of all General Councels which are governed by the holy Ghost and which do never revoke their determinations by which the Catholique faith is approved and confirmed are a much more solid authority to confirme the Catholique religion then are the earthly courts of changeing Parliaments to establish any sort of the Protestant Religion We know by experience that there are nothing more changeable then Acts of Parliament See pag. 430. Vniversal consent irrevocable Determinations of all the General Councels of the Christian world And has been not for the short space of 20. or hundred but for the h h The Scottish Nation was converted to the faith an Christi 203. Leslaeus de Reb. gestis Scot. l. 1. p. 114. which is above 1400. yeares agoe during which time it remaind coÌ„staÌ„t in the Catholique faith except a little of late This indeed may be called a long time but the Presbyterians long time is only 20 years as may be known by calculation and as yet it is not a hundred LONG time of 14. hundred years and above professed publickly not by one or two but by above i i Since the conversion of King Donald the first Christian King there are reckoned above 80. Catholique Kings of this Nation as may be seen in our Histories whereas the Presbyterians had only one King to witt King Iames the 6. who subscrybed their Covenant in his younger yeares which he also disproved thereafter in the Conference at Hampton-Court 80. KINGS of this Nation diverse of which are k k There were diverse of the Scottish Catholique Kings eminent for holynesse as S. william S. David S. Malcom and many more as may be seen in Camerarius lib. 3. de Scotorum pietate c. 4. where he reckons out also many great Saints of the Royal race as S. Rumoldus S. Fiacre S. Mathildis c. GLORIOVS SAINTS in Heaven and by the whole body of this Kingdome l l For the ancient piety and zeal of the Scottish Nation to propagate the Kingdome of Christ Baronius testimony cited at the latter end of the
last section is sufficient where the Scots are said to have become praestaÌ„tissimi omniuÌ„ Christiani c. which had filled the Christian world with the fame of their piety and zeal for propagating the eternal Kingdome of Christ To the which Confession and ancient VNIFORM Religion We without any constraint of men but meerly for the love of Truth in Hope of Eternal Reward though with imminent danger of Temporal losses doe most m m As it is evident that these who embrace the Catholique faith in Scotland where it is persecuted doe it willingly so it is manifestly known that many were constrained to take the Covenant and so did not willingly agree to it See above ch 4. p. 26. and sect 1. p. 417. WILLINGLY agree in our whole hearrs as vnto Gods n n The Catholique faith is so vndoubted Truth that it is altogether vnalterable with the Catholiques But ths Protestant Faith cannot be vndoubted Truth seing it is so often altered by Protestants see p. 430. in fine VNALTERABLE Truth grounded only vpon his o o The Catholiques beleeve all Gods reveal'd word whether vnwritten or written according to the expresse command of the written word Hold the Traditions 2. Thess 2.15 But the Presbyterians against the written word reiect all Traditions REVEALED word And therefore we renounce all sects and Heresies contrary vnto it But especially the PRESBYTERIAN sect and all the points thereof as they are now and have been anciently condemned by the p p How the Presbyterian sect albeit it preteÌ„ds the word of God as all Heretiques do ordinarly preteÌ„d is notwithstanding coÌ„demned by the word of God by the holy Catholique Church which is of far greater Authority then the Presbyterian Kirk of â—cotland may be seen almost every where in the former Treatises word of God and by the HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH But particularly we reiect the VNPARALLELD INSOLENCY of that Calvinistical q q As it has been shewed above sect 4. p. 432. that the Pope is the Vicar of Iesus Christ and therefore not Anti Christ so also all who do not belong to him belong not to Christ but to Anti Christ and therefore are Anti Christian So S. Hierom expresly affirmeth ibid. p. 437. ANTI-CHRISTIAN Sect vpon both the r r Calvin vsurped oveâ— the letter of the Scriptures by making vp a new Canon never known before And he vsurped over the sense of them by reiecting the ancient sense of the holy Fathers and by inventing new senses according to his private fancies So do also his Disciples the Presbyterian Ministers So did likewise Luther most grosly see p. 439. LETTER and SENSE of the holy Scriptures vpon the Å¿ Å¿ Calvin did vsurp over the holy Catholique Church who having no lawfull authority would take vpon him to reforme the Church to iudge and condemn her to prescribe his own fancies as divine Rules vnto her So do also the Presbyterians See p. 440. HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH vpon their own t t The Presbyterians in Scotland have had but 4. Princes since their religion began and they have vndenyably vsurped highly over them all as may be seen p. 440. and 41. LAWFVLL PRINCES and Superiors and their Tyrannizing over the u u How they Tyrannized over the consciences of their fellow subiects is notoriously known and may be seen chap. 4. p. 26. CONSCIENCES of their fellow-subiects x x These who vnder pretence of Christian liberty disobey iust Lawes such as are the Lawes of the Catholique Church which were also observed in the primitive times as these about lent fasting the single life of Church men c. make their freedome a cloke of malice against S. Peters advice 1. Pet. 2.13 and an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5.13 see above p. 454. 455. All their LICENTIOVS Exemptions from obedience to iust Lawes vnder pretence of Christian libertie to cloke INIQVITIE and give occasioÌ„ to the FLESH Their DESTVCTIVE Doctrin against the necessity of the y y The Presbyterians destroy all Traditions against the expresse Scripture See above p. 445. and 6. VNWRITTEN word expresly commended by the written word z z They teach that it is impossible even with Gods grace to keep his Law in observation whereof all perfection substantially consists and so indeed they destroy the end and perfection of the Law see above ch 13. 14. and sect 5. p. 448. against the FVLFILLING of the Law without which there is no PERFECTION against the Triple a a They destroy the office of Christ as King by spoyling him of the Kingdome of his Church for many ages They destroy his Priestly office by abrogating the dayly sacrifice and his Prophetical by denying the accomplishment of his Prophesies concerning his Churches continuance and Visibility see above p. 449. OFFICE of Christ as he is KING PRIEST and PROPHET which is a manifest corruption of the blessed Evangel Their corrupted Doctrine of b b Calvin teacheth that Original sin still remaines in vs even after Baptism and that it defiles before God what ever works proceed from vs and so makes theÌ„ mortal sins which doctrine the Presbyterians follow as may be seen above with more to this purpose p. 451. 454. ORIGINAL sin which makes their BEST actioÌ„s MORTAL sins Our c c The Presbyterians graunt such a natural inhability that they deny all supernatural ability in man to keep Gods Law even with the assistance of all his Grace which is a most dangerous corrupted doctrine as may be seen above p. 454. more fully ch 13. 14. of Presb. Trial. SVPERNATVRAL ABILITY and dutiefull SVBIECTION to Gods Law Our Iustification by d d They make Iustification by faith only the principal article of their Reformation and deny Iustification by works expresly against the Scripture Iames 2.124 and the holy Fathers See above ch 14. p. 157. WORKS Our e e They make our sanctification so imperfect that we cannot by it think so much as a good thought or do any thing but sin mortally and still disobey Gods Commandments so that such sanctification is rather profanation and such Obedience is Disobedience See above p. 455. PERFECT SanctificatioÌ„ and Obedience through Christs Grace vnto the Law The f f They have corrupted the Nature of the Sacraments by denying that they were ordaind to conferre Grace by making them only signs and Tokens They have corrupted the number by taking away 5. Sacraments and the vse by abrogating both private Baptisme Communion besides both the publique and private vse of others See above p. 458. seq and before ch 18. Presb. Trial. NATVRE NVMBER and VSE of the Holy Sacraments Their two g g By denying the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist which they admitt to conferre Grace They make them Gracelesse and so indeed Bastard Sacraments since the Sacraments of the Law of Grace were instituted to conferre Grace Above p. 467. before
511. 512. Baptizing of Bells Coniuring of Spirits CROSSING sauing anointing coniuring HALLOVVING of Gods good Creatures with the superstitious opinion ioyned therewith His worldly 22 22 How the Presbytery domineered over all sorts of persons may be seen above ch 4. and 5. of Presb. Triall 23. Their severity cruelty may be seen ibid. MONARCHIE and wicked HIERARCHIE 23 His three Solemn 24 24 Their solemn League Covenant which intended the setling of Presbytery in all the 3. Kingdomes is not such a work of perfection as are the 3. Solemn Vowes of chastity poverty Obedience which they here abiure and which their first Reformers Vowed but did not keep And therefore their Solemn League may be better renounced then the three Solemn Vowes abiured VOVVES with all his SHAVELINGS of Sundry sorts His corrupted and bloudy Decrees made at TRENT with all the Subscribers and Approvers of that cruell and bloudy Band coniured against the Kirk of God And finally we detest all his 25 25 See above pag. 229. 242. how by Trops and figures the clear words of Christs institution of the holy Sacrament are perverted by them against the sense of the holy Fathers and of the auncient Church Vain Allegories Rites Signs and 26 26 Their denying of privat baptism is a Presbyterian Tradition derived from Calvin as may be seen above p. 212. without or rather against the word of God and the practice of the auncient Church The same may be also said of their denying private Communion c. Traditions brought in the Kirk without or against the word of God and Doctrin of this true 27 27 As the Catholique Church is only the true Church of Christ so S. Cyprian has observed that all heretiques like Apes do take vpon them the name and falsly Vindicate to themselves the authority of the Church Cypr. Epist ad Iubaian REFORMED Kirk To the which we ioyn our selves willingly in Doctrin Faith Religion Disciplin and vse of the holy Sacraments as lively members of the same in Christ our Head 29 29 As the Catholique Church remaines constant in her doctrin and government so the Scottish Protestant Church has been very inconstant for it has changed diverse doctrines and very sensibly its disciplin three or foure times since the beginning of their pretended Reformation so that a man cannot wisely swear constant obedience to such an vnconstant Church See above ch 2. and 7. of Presb. Trial. Promising swearing by the Great Name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the Doctrin Disciplin of this Kirk and shall defend the same according to our Vocation power all the dayes of our lives vnder the paines contained in the Law and danger both of Body and soule in the Day of Gods fearfull iudgement 30 30 As it is a malicious calumnie to say that any Catholique is stirred vp by the Pope to deny and abiure the Catholique religion against his conscience vpon hope of the Popes Dispensation So it is a known truth by diverse fresh experiences that many Catholiques have been stirred vp by the Presbyterian Ministers for feare of their Excommunications and the Confiscation of their Estates which followed therevpon to swear and subscribe the Covenant against the light of their Consciences as was well known to the said Ministers which may be seen above p. 414. and 15. And seing many are stirred vp by Sathan and that ROMAN ANTI-CHRIST to promise swear subscribe and for a time vse the holy Sacraments of the Kirk deceitfully against their own Consciences minding thereby first vnder the external cloak of Religion to corrupt subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Kirk and afterwards when time may serve to become open Enemies and Persecutors of the same vpon VAIN HOPES of the Popes DISPENSATION devised against the word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Iesus 31 31 All these to whom God has made the light of Truth to shine ought to be thankfull for so great a benefit and never commit so great ingratitude as to abandon it for worldly respects How much more ought they to abhorre from taking the Covenant which makes even some Protestants hearts to stand which containes so many grosse vntruths as we have seen above which is not only a Denial but an Abiuration ioynd with horrible blasphemies of almost all the points of the Catholique faith wee therefore willing to take away all suspicion of Hypocrisy and double dealing with God his Kirk protest and call the Searchers of all hearts forwitnesse that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession promise Oath Subscription So that we are not moved for any 32 32 See above in the first section this last grosse vntruth of the Covenant p. 416. worldly respect c. FINIS Soli Deo Honor Gloria