Religion are Cruel and Tyrannous The Church of Rome contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and Law of Nature does persecute Men and cause them to die meerly because they are not of her Opinion and Religion Therefore She is Cruel and Tyrannous The Major Proposition of this Argument is true as for the Minor which is in question I prove it thus It is evident that the Roman Church does persecute Men and cause them to die meerly because they are not of her Opinion and Religion The rigorous Laws of her Inquisition whereby She did persecute an innumerable number of Men and cause them to die meerly because they were not of Her Opinion and Religion is a convincing proof of what I say And that it is contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and Law of Nature to persecute Men and cause them to die because they are not of our Opinion and Religion I shall endeavour to prove it evidently 1. I say that this Doctrine of the Roman Church by Persecuting Men and causing them to Die meerly because they are not of her Opinion and Religion is contrary to Christ's Doctrine For Jesus Christ going to Worship at Hierusalem the Samaritans who were of another Religion refusing to receive him in his Journey two of his Disciples James and John presently took Fire and out of a well-meaning Zeal for their Master and of the true God and of Hierusalem the true place of Worship asked leave to dispatch out of the way these Enemies of God and Christ and the true Religion And to this end they desired our Saviour to give them Power to call for Fire from Heaven to consume them Jesus Christ seeing them in this heat which seem'd to be well-meaning did very calmly but severely reprove this Temper of theirs saying The Son of Man is not come to destroy Mens lives but to save them Luke 9. 56. You own your selves to be my Disciples but do you consider what Spirit now Acts and Governs you Not that surely which I do teach you which is not furious Persecuting and destructive Spirit but mild gentle and aiming at nothing but to save Men's Lives even of our greatest Enemies This Spirit of Persecuting and Destroying one another about Religion is contrary to the Intention for which I came into the World For I am not come to destroy Men's Lives but to save them Ye ought to love one another even your greatest Enemies and far from giving you leave to Persecute them I forbid you to hate those who Persecute you If I would destroy my Enemies and the Hereticks that are not of my Religion could I not do it by the Power which I have received from my Father and could I not obtain of him a Legion of Angels to destroy them But my Intention is not that Religion should be propagated in this cruel Method but by Meekness and Perswasion I will have Men to be drawn to the Profession of it by the Bonds of Love and Conviction If any Man saith he will be my Disciple if any Man will come after me And when his Disciples were leaving him he does not as they do in Rome and Spain set up an Inquisition to Torture and Punish them for their Defection from the Faith only says will ye also go away And in imitation of this blessed Pattern the Christian Church continued to speak and act for several Ages This was also the Language of the Holy Fathers and the Style of Councils they said that the Christian Law doth not avenge it self by the Sword Lex nova non se vindicat ultore gladio and that we must not offer Violence to no Man to compel him to Faith Nemini ad credendum vim inferre And Gregorius ad Episc Constant Writes thus Nova inaudita praedicatio quae verberibus exigit Fidem This sort of Preaching is new and strange which extorts Faith by Whips and Scourges If Hereticks were to be Persecuted and Destroyed the Samaritans who were true Hereticks and had affronted our Saviour himself the Honour of God and of Religion ought certainly to be punished And to shew the contrary Jesus Christ does severely rebuke his Disciples that had a great mind to destroy them saying unto them Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of and he gives them such a Reason as ought in all Differences of Religion how wide soever they be to deter Men from this Temper for saith he The Son of Man is not come to destroy Men's Lives but to save them What can then the Church of Rome plead for her Persecution to Men for the cause of Religion which James and John might not much better have pleaded for themselves against the Samaritans Does she practice these Severities out of a Zeal for the Honour of God of Christ and the true Religion Upon these very Accounts it was that James and John would have called for Fire from Heaven to have destroyed the Samaritans Is she perswaded that those whom she Persecutes are Hereticks and that no Punishment can be too great for such Offenders So James and John were perswaded of the Samaritans and upon much better Grounds than those of the Church of Rome for Jesus Christ does excuse them saying Ye know not what manner of Spirit ye are of But in the Church of Rome and especially in the Governing part of it this Excuse cannot be brought for a good Plea for the Christian Religion which they do Profess forbids them Persecution And it is no more evident in the New Testament that Jesus Christ was born died and rose up for Sinners than it is manifest that Christians ought not to Persecute one another for the Mis-belief of any Article of Revealed Religion much less when these Articles are invented by Men or are imposed as only Ceremonies I know that those that live in the Roman Church are not all of this Opinion that all Hereticks or those that are not of their Opinion ought to be Persecuted and put to Death I knew some of them in France which were of a better and more Christian Principles yet it is too true that this hellish Doctrine is taught and practised among them Their several and frequent Conspiracies in England their cruel and horrible Massacres in Ireland France and other Countries as we may read in the History their severe and damnable Inquisition in Italy and Spain their rigorous Persecutions towards our poor Brethren of the Reformed Church in France which was these several years and is at present 〈◊〉 extreme that I should be toâ— long if I would write it down in this Treatise and the very words of the Council of Laâ—â—â—n are a certain Proof of what I say If a Temporal Lord saith this Council be required and warned by the Church to Purge his Country from this foul Heresie does neglect it let him be Excommunicated by the Metropolitan Bishop and from that time let him Denounce his Subjects discharged of their Allegiance and let him give
burn 1 Cor. 7. Formerly young Women were not admitted to take the Nun's Vail till they were forty years old as it may be seen Can. Sanctimoniales causa 20. 9. 1. And though St. Paul speaks thus I will that younger women marry bear children guide the house Let not a widow be taken in the number under threescore years old but the younger widows refuse for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ they will marry 1 Tim 5. Yet those of the Church of Rome laugh now at this Ordinance and Custome For they shut up young Maids in Monastries before they have any true knowledge of God of the World and of Themselves So Rhea Sylvia Numitor's Daughter was shut up in the Monastry of Vesta by her Uncle Amulius who had expelled Numitor for fear she should marry and get Children able to revenge and re-obtain her Father's Estate They are shut up in Iron Cages as wild Beasts and mad Folks for fear they should commit any disorder By this Prison wherein they are shut up and by this Prohibition of Gregory That all Priests and Clerks ought not to converse nor dwell with Women nor so much as with their Mothers Sisters and Kindred lest it should happen to them as it happened to the Son of David It is clear that neither the one nor the other have the Gift of Continence for if they were endued with it for what end all these Iron Cages to the Nuns and all those strict Prohibitions to the Priests And if they have not the Gift of Continence St. Paul commands them to marry and consequently they are not bound to keep their Vows Therefore all Priests Monks and Nnus are obliged to them but upon this condition that God has endued them with the Gift of Continence As he that made a Vow to be a great Philosopher or famous Orator is not bound to the performance of that Vow but upon condition that God gives him a sufficient Wit and Strength for the obtaining of these two eminent Qualities I have the Gift of Continence therefore I make a Vow to keep a perpetual Chastity that Consequence is good But I promise unto God a perpetual Chastity therefore he shall give me the Gift of Continence this Consequence is not good For in the Contracts we make with Men our Promise doth not oblige us but as it is accepted by him to whom we make it And when a young Man and Maid at sixteen years old solemnly promise unto God a perpetual Chastity who told them that God did accept their Promise Therefore since many Monks Nuns and Priests have neither the Gift of Continence nor any assurance that they shall have it all the Days of their Lives it is a Rashness to them to promise what is not in their Power Therefore their Vow wanting the last Condition to make it good becomes void therefore they may and ought to Marry For it is better to Marry than to Burn and Marriage is Honourable in all but the Whoremongers and Adulterers God will Judge The Origine of Monastical Life came from several Christians who in the time of Persecution retired into desert Places And when Persecution ceased many of them rested there either because they were used to that Calm Innocent and retired way of Life or because they were afraid to fall again into Persecution But this Monastical Life was quite different from that which is now seen at this day For then they made no Vow of perpetual Chastity they lived with the Labour of their Hands and many of them were Married And St. Cyprian l. 1. Epist 9. c. 11. tells us that the Virgins who did Consecrate themselves unto God that they might relieve the Poor had the liberty of breaking their Vow of perpetual Chastity when they thought they might better serve God in the State of Marriage than in that of Virginity Let us then conclude since those who contrary to Christ's Doctrine and the Law of Nature persecute and cause Men to die merely because they are not of their Opinion and Religion are Cruel and Tyrannous since those that do Worship the Creature for the Creator are Idolaters and since those that do add to the Word of God and diminish from it several Articles both of Faith and Practice are Hereticks The Roman Church contrary to Christ's Doctrine and the Law of Nature Persecuting and causing Men to Die merely because they are not of her Opinion and Religion Worshiping the Creature for the Creator and adding to the Word of God and diminishing from it several Articles of Faith and Practice it doth evidently follow that she is Tyrannous Idolatrous and Heretick FINIS First Sermon of Repentance Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Luke 13. 3. IF Lucifer with all his proud and obstinate Companions if Dives Judas and many other wicked Men were cast into Hell and did all likewise perish it is because they did not repent of their Sins But there is this difference between Angels and Men that though God according to all Divines did not grant the grace of Repentance to the former yet he did not refuse it to the latter For speaking concerning Man he saith Ezechiel 18. 32. I will not the death of a Sinner but that he turn and live Repentance is called by St. Austin a second Plank after Shipwrack For when Men have made Ship-wrack to lay hold on a Plank is their only remedy so when in the vast Ocean of this World they are lost by Sin the only remedy left them that they may not eternally perish is Repentance If I begin to Preach unto you this excellent Virtue ye are not to wonder at me for I do nothing but what St. John the Baptist Jesus Christ the Apostles and Holy Prophets have done when they began to Preach and convert Sinners Repent ye for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand said Jesus Christ in his First Sermon and in the words of my Text he speaks thus except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish By these words ye shall see the necessity and utility of Repentance but because it is hard to Men first I will shew you its difficulty That Repentance is hard will be the first part of my discourse that it is necessary will be the second and that it is very useful will be the third 1. Part. I must confess that Repentance is very hard the Latin word Poenitentia does evidently shew it for it means nothing but pain and grief Indeed there is nothing in this World more difficult to Men than Repentance whether we consider it in respect of the Creator or in respect of the Creature If we consider it in respect of the Creator God must without forcing our wills make a change in our minds and Hearts He must change the mind and heart of him that feeds an Inclination for revenge Love must take the place of hatred meekness and clemency that of bitterness and cruelty God must without destroying
ROME TYRANNICAL Idolatrous and Heretical The Origine of Her Errors WITH An Answer to Her Objections Also Three short Sermons of Repentance against Swearing and Drunkenness Preached to the Ships Company before Admiral Aylmer and several Captains By Peter Berault Chaplain in His Majesty's Ships the Kent and Victory in the Late War Gal. 3. 1. O Foolish who has bewitched you that ye should not obey the Truth London Printed by W. Redmayne for the Author 1698. TO His Excellency The Right Honourable John L. Summers Lord Baron of Evesham High Chancellor of England one of the Lords of His Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council and one of the Lords Justices of England during the Absence of His Majesty May it Please your Excellency ROME who in former Ages was both Holy and Orthodox â—s now corrupted not only in Her Manners but also in Her Doctrine Yet She is so Confident as to accuse of Impiety and Heresie all the Protestant Churches of England Holland Germany and other Countries and peremptorily affirm unless they be of Her Communion they must never expect to be sav'd And so I may say without any passion that She is like those Lewd and Naughty Women who quarrelling with those that are Honest do immediately call them infamous and opprobrious Names lest the same should be justly retorted upon Themselves I do not here intend to speak of the Vices of the Church of Rome since most of 'em to our Shame are too frequently found amongst us I will only make mention of Her Tyrannies Idolatries and Heresies which thanks be to God are not yet seen in Reformed Churches and were the true Reasons why I left my Native Country and came hither to live and end my days I know a different Construction will be made by the Papists as also by some Protestants for as St. Paul being newly converted to the Christian Religion was not only hated by the Jews some of them making an Oath they would neither eat nor drink till they had kill'd him but even was suspected by the Apostles themselves who were for some time afraid to converse with him So when a Man leaves the Errors of the Church of Rome and embraces the Truths of the Protestant Religion then all the Zealots of his former Opinion do presently Anathematize him and those who were his most intimate Friends become his greatest Enemies And that which most aggravates his Trouble is that the Protestants amongst whom he came to secure himself do commonly doubt of the Sincerity of his Conversion and are very shy of putting Confidence in him He that has powerful Enemies stands in need of a mighty Protection and this is the reason My Lord why I do here under God implore yours which I do not in the least question since you are an Enemy to the Romish Errors and have a great Love for the Truth of the Reformed Religion and no less Tenderness and Affection for them that couragiously defend it The Three Sermons I have lately presented to your Excellency were so kindly receiv'd that I thought I was obliged upon the first opportunity to make some acknowledgment to your Excellency by dedicating this small Treatise I should not offer you a Present of so little value had I not this to encourage me that it is not the Gift but the Intention in giving which finds acceptance with Great and Generous Minds I do not here intend to attempt an enumeration of all your excellent Qualities I will only say that every one admires your solid Judgment extraordinary Prudence and wise Conduct in the high Places you are in as well as in all the Affairs you undertake either Publick or Private that England doth find in you both Equity and Integrity in the Administration of Justice and that our very Prudent and most Generous King William having chosen you amongst so many Learned Lawyers to be Chancellor of England one of the Lords of his most Honourable Privy-Council and one of the Lords Justices of England during his Absence is a certain Proof of your Merits and the best Commendation of your eminent Virtues These Virtues My Lord will render your Name Immortal to Posterity and will leave a lively Idea of your Renown which will serve to influence your Example to all succeeding Ages I abhor Flattery but I love Justice and in all that I have said here to your Excellency every body is obliged to declare or with Silence give their Consent that I only give Honour to whom Honour is due I ask your Excellency's Pardon for the Liberty I have taken I pray God Almighty that you may live long and healthful in the high Places wherein you so worthily acquit yourself I wish you every thing that may contribute to make you intirely Happy in this World and when in the other you are call'd at the Judgment-Seat of our Lord Jesus Christ you may hear these comfortable words Come you Blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the Foundation of the World It is and shall be as long as I live the earnest Prayer of him that is with Sincerity and Respect Your Excellency's Most Humble Most Obedient and Most Affectionate Servant P. Berault A MON SEIGNEUR SUMMERS CHANCELIER D'ANGLETERRE EPIGRAMME SAge Juste Summers ta profonde Science Jointe à ta grande Probité Demande que par Equité Châcun par tout te rende Homage Reverence On dit que la Justice que la Verité Ne sont plus icy sur la Terre Il est Faux car dans l'Angleterre Summers par un beau Don de la Divinité Possede l'une l'autre en leur Integrité P. Berault ROME Tyrannous Idolater and Heretick THE Church of Rome may be now compared to the Image of Nebuchadnezzar for as his Head was of fine Gold his Breast and Arms of Silver his Belly and his Thighs of Brass his Legs of Iron and his Feet part of Iron and part of Clay So when we look upon the Ancient Church of Rome She was then as pure as Gold But when we come to the following Ages we do find in her so notable a change that we do now see in her an Iron-Age and quite different from the former I do not here intend to imitate several Authors who even when they compose but a small Book are wont to make a long Preface They build as the Proverb saith the Door bigger than the House They do promise much and perform but little That I may not be guilty of the fault which I do here impute to others I immediatly enter into my Subject and prove per Argumentum ad Hominem that is by the very Principles of the Church of Rome that She is Tyrannous Idolater and Heretick 1. I shew that She is Cruel and Tyrannous for all those that contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ and Law of Nature do persecute Men and cause them to die meerly because they are not of their Opinion and
his Country to be Possessed by the Catholicks And in the next words several Priviledges and great Indulgences are granted to all Men that shall endeavour to destroy the Hereticks 2. I make it appear that this Doctrine of Persecuting and Destroying those which are not of our Opinion and Religion is contrary to the Law of Nature For this is the Law of Nature As ye would that Men should do unto you so do you unto them We would not be Persecuted and Destroyed for our Opinion and Religion therefore we ought not to Persecute and Destroy others But some will object we have a Law and by this Law they ought to be Persecuted and Destroyed I Answer if that were a sufficient Reason to warrant Persecution we could not blame the Jews when they Crucified Jesus Christ for they said They had a Law and that by this Law he ought to die And we could not blame Queen Mary who by a Law in her days caused so many to suffer Martyrdom nor could we now blame the Papists who by their Laws in France Italy and Spain establish Cruelty and Oppression and as so many Nebuchadnezzars give Order that all Persons that will not Worship their God of Bread or refuse to bow before their Images or will not believe what they believe be Persecuted Tortured and put to Death by the most cruel Torments If any Man be found a Plotter or breed Sedition and Disturbance in a Kingdom if he contrive any Evil against the King or Government he ought to be Punish'd according to the Law of this Kingdom But if he only be found Erring concerning some Articles of Religion he ought to be Taught and Admonish'd by the Bishop and afterwards rejected from the Congregation if he will not be perswaded But he ought not to be cast into Prison nor deprived of his Estate nor sent to the Gallies nor Condemned to Die For this Cruelty as I have already shewed is not only contrary to the Doctrine of Jesus Christ but to the Law of Nature also And therefore it is evident that the Church of Rome is Cruel and Tyrannous since contrary to Christ's Doctrine and the Law of Nature she Persecutes and puts Men to Death meerly because they are not of her Opinion and Religion The Origine or the Author of this hellish Doctrine was a Dominican Fryar or rather the King Nebuchadnezzar for as he that would not Worship his Image was cast into a fiery Furnace so those that will not Worship the God of Bread of the Papists and bow to their Images are Condemn'd to be burnt alive Secondly I shew that the Roman Church is Idolater All those that do Worship the Creature for the Creator are Idolaters The Church of Rome does Worship the Creature for the Creator Therefore she is an Idolater The Major Proposition of this Argument is true and is granted by all Divines As for the Minor which is in question I prove it thus The Church of Rome does Worship a bit of Bread baked upon the Fire and takes it for her God therefore she does Worship the Creature for the Creator therefore she is an Idolater That the Roman Church Worships a bit of Bread baked upon the Fire and takes it for her God this does clearly appear since she believes that the Bread being Consecrated by her Priests is really Transubstantiated or changed into the true Body of Jesus Christ and renders unto it the very same Adoration that we render to the Godhead And that it is false that this Bread Consecrated by her Priests be really changed into the true Body of Jesus Christ I will make it evidently appear because this Doctrine of theirs is contrary to the Holy Scripture to Senses to Reason and to the Holy Fathers 1. I say that it is contrary to the Holy Scripture that the Bread Consecrated by her Priests be really changed into the true Body of Jesus Christ and consequently be here still upon Earth for Jesus Christ being about to leave the World and his Disciples afflicting themselves upon this account he doth not comfort them by saying I leave you my Body under the Species of Bread and Wine but he tells them The Poor ye have with you but me ye have not always I came forth from the Father and am come into the World again I leave the World and go to the Father He tells them that his Father will Protect them will send them his holy Spirit and that he is going to prepare them a place in Heaven He tells them of his intercession and of his second coming to Judge both the quick and the dead and that the Heavens must receive him until the time of the restitution of all things John 12. 8 16 28. Acts 3. 21. and in the 24th Chapter of St. Mat. 26 Verse it is written that a time will come when they shall say Lo here is Christ or there behold he is in the secret Chambers and that we must not believe it By these words it appears clearly that it is contrary to the holy Scripture that the Body of Jesus Christ be yet here upon Earth and consequently that the Bread Consecrated by the Priests be really changed into his Body Object Jesus Christ saith the Roman Church took Bread and gave Thanks and said Take ye and eat this is my body which is broken for you Matth. 26. 1 Cor. 11. 24. Jesus Christ saith the Roman Church is true he has said in giving the Bread This is my Body therefore this Bread ought to be changed into the true Body of Jesus Christ therefore he is here still upon Earth And to shew she saith that it is not the Figure of Jesus Christ and these words This is my Body are not Metaphorical because he said which is broken for you Now it is not the Figure of Jesus Christ which was broken for us but his true Body Answer It is certain that Jesus Christ is true and though he said This is my Body which is broken for you and that it was the true Body of Jesus Christ which was broken for us and not the Figure yet that doth not hinder these words from being Metaphorical and to let you see it clearly observe my Reason This is my Body which was broken for you is that is to say signifieth or representeth As you may see in several other Texts of the holy Scripture as for Example in this The Rock was Christ where this word was means did signifie or represent Which is broken for you the Relative which does not serve to shew the Transubstantiation or that the Bread is changed into the true Body of Jesus Christ because it is related to this Word Body and not to the Proposition This is my Body It has a relation to the Attribute and not to the Subject That which hinders not this Proposition from being Metaphorical no more than this the Rock was Christ. For if the Evangelist had added which was Crucified or which was raised