they are Gods Elect yet to speak precisely no mortal eye can infallibly discern them to be such since many times the Bristol-stone glitters as bright as the Diamond and Hypocrites make as fair outward shew as the real Saint The second sort therefore of the militant Church are Hypocrites and â—nâ—ound members who are not effectually called but disobey the truth whereof they make profession These distinctions being thus premised we proceed to acquaint you what we mean by a true Church of Christ and we shall do it in the very words of our mother the Church of England in the 19 th Article of her Faith The visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of Faithfull men in the which the pure word of God is Preached and the Sacraments be duly Administred according to Christs Ordinance in all those things that of Necessity are requisite to the same So that here we see wherever the word of God is sincerely preach'd and heard and the Sacraments Administred according to Christs Institution there is a Church of God for those are the marks whereby the Church may be known So that the visible Church which is also Catholick or Vniversal under the Gospel not confined to one Nation as before under the Law consists of all those throughout the world that profess the true Religion And particular Churches which are members thereof are more or less pure according the doctrine of the Gospel is taught and embraced Ordinances Administred and publick Worship perform'd more or less pure in them And not only the purest particular Churches under Heaven are subject both to mixture and Error but some may and have so degenerated as to become no Churches of Christ but Synagoges of Satan tho yet there shall to the end of the world be a Church on Earth to Worship God according to his will against whom the Gates of Hell shall not prevail Now whether the present Church of Râ—me be not one of these Apostatized Adulterous Churches against whom such a Divorce is sued out we shall proceed to Inquire as soon as we have told you what we mean by the Church of Rome And that is The whole Church of Rome as it is a Body consisting of one vissible head the Pope and of all Papists wheresoever Clergy and Laity professing themselves members of that Head and owning the Faith and Doctrine thereof This Body or Company I say is not in any sort to be accounted a true visible Church of Christ which I conceive will appear by diverse Arguments of which I shall give you one at present That Church which over throweth the main and proper cause of our Salvation is no true Church of Christ But the Church of Rome overthroweth the main and proper cause of our Salvation Therefore the Church of Rome is no true Church of Christ The Major I presume no man will deny and for the Assumption 't is notoriously evident for they have overthrown the principal and fundamental Article of Justification which is the Head and summ of all Religion they err in the Efficient Cause of our Justification which is the free Grace and favour of God which they deny building it upon mans merit of Congruity or works preparatory and dispository to Justification c. Coupling it with mans free-will They Err in the material cause Christ Obedience this they deny to be our Obedience or the matter of our Justification They Err in the Form of our Justification which it the Imputation of Christs Righteousness unto us They Err in the Instrumental cause to wit the Justifying Faith denying is to be a certain particular trust or Assurance in Gods mercy for the Pardon of our Sins They Err in the very Meritorious cause Christ our Redeemer several ways overthrowing all his Offices They Err also in the final cause of Justification being the free Gift of Eternal Life while they say the same is merited by the Condignaty They overthrow the very Fundamentals of Religion by denying the sufficiency of the Scriptures for the Rule of Faith and the necessity of its being known to Gods people They deny the right use of the Sacraments whilst they attribute unto them Grace ex opere operato and teach that their efficacy depends on the Intention of the Priest They deny the truth of Christs humane Body by their absurd whimsey of Transubstantiation and the vertue of His only and all alone sufficient Sacrifice by their propitiatory Masses c. So that 't is plain they have Corrupted or abandoned the main and proper Fundamentals of Salvation consequently has no Claim to the Title of a Church of Christ THE COURANT. Tory. HAVE you seen the famous Panegyrick the Sacrificâ— to the Rising-Sun Truem. No nor can guess what you mean But I have heard that amongst all sorts of Idolaters they were only a parcel of forlorn servile debauch'd effeminate Hen-hearted Chicken-soul'd Persians that worship'd the Sun rising And since you mention that word it puts me in mind what I read the other day in a Pamphlet Entituled A warning against the dangerous practises of Papists written by one Thomas Norton in good Queen Bess's days Anno 1586. Let it be well-weigh'd saith he what they mean to the Realm That under colour of Succeeding so far undermine the Head of our Country that they convey the countenance favour and supportation of a great corrupt number of such as may frame themselves any hope of Gain that way to persons that by such kindled Ambition may be the more hastily embolden'd This to do is to shew us a Sun rising to whose Worship they would fain draw us from our Sun declining as they suppose No no our Queen is our true Sun and whatever shining Thing they would set up in her time is no right Sun but an unlucky Comet And it is not yet Noon I trust with our Sun or if it be I hope yet God will lengthen the day to our Sun for his Honour-sake as he did to Joshua and rather have all good Subjects so to hope if the residue of that day may be so spent as Joshuah spent it and for which God did prolong it viz. To rid the World of God's Enemies Let it be considered what Hopes Anticipation and most dreadful Mischiefs which I fear and abhor to name the encouraging of such succeeding which is the work of Papists may minister where the only Person of our most dear and precious Soveraign standeth between them and their desired Effect the utter undoing of us all and specially where the power of Revenge may by possibility fall into their hands for whose sake it should be attempted It is no small mischief danger and appalling of our Faith and Courage when our Prince must be defended against those that by possibility may aspire to be our Princes themselves and to 〈◊〉 it upon good Subjects I dispute no Titles I have no reach beyond our Queen I can see nothing beyond our Queen 〈◊〉 a Chaos of Misery therefore I am
certainly be damn'd And that the longer you continue in the Errors in this Life the greater will be your torments therefore we cut you off thus betimes that your pain may be the less c. The mercies of the wicked are cruelties and this is the charity which Roman Catholicks so much boast of But God forbid Protestants should entertain such Sentiments we dare not pry into the Ark the Lord and the Lord only knoweth who are his we will not therefore presume to pass a peremptory doom or affirm that no Papist can be saved but this we may maintain with truth and safety that none by that Doctrine which at this day according to the Canons of the Council of Trent is taught in the Papists Assemblies can come to Salvation Though still we doubt not but in such their Assemblies there have been from time to time and still are not a few who although out of weakness they have Communion with them yet either they never gave an hearty Assent to those more grievous and fundamental Errors which are therein taught or were ignorant of them or before their death renounced them and in the true Faith of Christ though fullied with many infirmities they dye and are saved For as of old in Jerusalem when it was most corrupt there were still many there who bowed not their knee to Baal but did sigh and cry out by reason of those Abominations which were committed in the midst thereof So there is no doubt but under the Papacy such at this day may be found who though they dwell in the Tents of Kedar may yet be Heirs of Canaan but these are not properly said to be of the Roman Church though in it Nor is this any thanks to the Church of Rome she prohibits the true Doctrine of Salvation to be Preach'd and advances Errors that utterly make void the Gospel and suppose some Predicant Friar or so should transgress the Rules of the Council of Trent and so Preach the Word of Life to the People as that Souls come thereby to be saved For Example say he shall Preach unto them that they must believe to be saved by nothing but the merits and righteousness of Christ imputed unto them That they must not look to be saved by their inherent righteousness but by the only mercy of God to them in Christ That every one must have a particular Faith and Affiance of his own for the pardon of his sins That they must Worship God only and pray unto him and that in Christs name only That there is no Sacrifice for sin but that of Christ once offered upon the Cross That Christs Blood doth so purge away sin as there remains no stain nor punishment after this Life c. I say if any Friar shall dare Preach thus I deny not but he may be an instrument of saving many Souls But in the mean time does not he fall under the heavy Curses of the Tridentine Canons Is not the Inquisition ready to clapp him up for an Heretick Do these that have imbib'd such his sound Doctrines dare avouch them or are not they forc'd to recant and do pennance for the same So that if any by some special providence secret power and unlimited mercy of God in the Church of Rome shall come so to believe as thereby to be saved both he and his Faith are disavowed as not being the Faith of the Church of Rome but accounted and accursed by her as Heretical Therefore as we deny not but some particular persons that outwardly seem of the Church of Rome's Communion may enjoy everlasting Life so we cannot but look upon the generality of them in a very deplorable case and their Souls in unspeakable danger for the reasons following 1. God saith expresly in his word Rev. 14. That if any man worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his Hand he shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God And afterwards he saith all such shall be tormented in Fire and Brimstone Now whoever is joyned or reconciled to the Pope and submitteth himself to the Laws and Kingdom of Antichrist doth Worship the Beast and his Image Whoever openly professeth Popery receiveth the Popes Mark in his Forehead Whoever yieldeth to the practise of the Romish Religion receiveth his Mark in his Hand Let them therefore consider how they will avoid the Judgment threatned 2. Our Blessed Lord and Saviour Matth. 15. Teacheth us that such worship God in vain as teach for Doctrines the Precepts of men But the Doctrine of Popery as it addeth to Antient Catholick Religion is nothing but a Mass of humane Inventions Devises and Precepts Their Decretals are the Popes conceits their Forms of Worship contained in the Missals and Breviaries are meerly Humane From mans devise proceeded the Popish Worship of Angels Saints Images c. Most part of their Resolutions of Cases of Conscience is grounded on the Popes Laws Finally the turnings skippings heavings greasings spittings and other Ceremonies of Mass-Priests and their Followers proceed from man's invention Popery therefore by Christs rule is nothing but vanity weariness and vexation of Souls whilst they seek to serve God not according to his appointments but their own fond imaginations and how shall a vain Religion bring any man to heaven 3. We read Rev. 22. Without are Doggs and that Enchanters Whore-mongers Murtherers Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie shall be excluded out of the Kingdom of God Now how like two Dogs do the Pope and his Adherents refuse and bark at Gods word and bite and tear those to pieces who seek to feed them with the Bread of Life Not a few of the Popes have been Magicians and Necromancers as Benet the 9. Gregory the 6. and 7. Sylvester the 2. Paul the 3 c. And one of their Offices in their Church is that of an Exorcist or Conjurer They permit publick Stews allow Concubines and to Monks Friars and Mass-Priests forbid Lawful Marriage They have murdered and Massacred millions of Christians to erect and uphold their Anti-christian Kingdom They set up Idols in Churches and every corner of their streets and in high-ways giving Divine Honour to the Cross and to the Images of the Trinity and calling the Sacrament their Lord and God and making Vows Prayers and Confessions to Saints and burning Incense to Images and saying Mass in Honour of Saints and Angels Finally they do not only make and delight in Lies as forging not only horrid slanders against M. Luther Zwinglius Calvin and other sincere Preachers of Gods word but also against all Protestants asserting that we teach That God is the Author of Sin That Christ despaired That there is no Hell but horror of Conscience That good works are not to be practised or commended c. All which we expresly detest Therefore these wickednesses in Papists not being so much the sins of particular private men as the natural consequences of
ought we to esteem any thing small or light that is repugnant to the Divine Will especially in a matter of this moment as we have proved it to be tending to advance Idolatry rob God of his honor harden Papists in their impiety and laying a stumbling block before weak Christians Remember that famous History Recorded by Josephus and in the Book of the Maccabees touching Eleazar and the Jewish woman with her seven Sons All that Antiochus and the persecutors urg'd them to do was only to taste a little Swines-flesh a small business you 'l say what not eat a bit of Pork and yet being expresly against the Law of their God they all chuse rather to dye with exquisite Tortures and the reason is notably given by the good old man 2 Maccab. 6. 24. in these words It becometh not our age in any wise to dissemble whereby many young persons might think that Eleazar being fourscore years old and ten were now gone to a strange Religion And so they through mine Hypocrisie and desire to live a little time should be deceived by me and I get a stain to my old age and make it abominable For though for the present I should be delivered from the rage of men yet I should not escape the hand of the Almighty neither alive nor dead 'T is true this History is no part of Canonical Scripture but yet it was never esteemed Fabulous but the Church has always reckon'd them for Holy Martyrs and applauded their Faith and Constancy and consequently must condemn those that practise the contrary In a word those that repute this feigned compliance with Idolatry for a little matter and dare join with Papists in their damnable Superstitions know not how highly Gods Honour ought to be prized by all his Creatures which have their Being to no other end but to glorify him nor have sufficiently weighed that Tremendous Declaration of the great Jehovah Isaiah 42. 8 I am the Lord my Glory will I not give to another nor my Praise to Graven Images Obj. You will say here 's a stir indeed about going to Mass will you compare that with the Idolatries of the Heathen are not the Papists Christians I answer That the Church of Rome is no Church of Christ we have lately prov'd at large that she is guilty of Idolatry is apparent in this respect worse Idolatry than the Heathens because she is faln into the same by Apostacy 'T is an aggravation of her Crime that she was once a Spouse of Christ a man resents more sensibly the Disloyalty and Adulteries of his Wife than those of a common acpuaintance or ordinary friend Nor is this any other than the Doctrine of the Church publickly profest and taught in her Book of Homilies part the 2. p. 213. The Church of Rome as it is at present and hath been for the space of 900 years and odd is so far wide from the nature of the True Church that nothing can be more And again in her Homily against the peril of Idolatry she thus plainly expresses her self That the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous Church not only an Harlot as the Scripture calls her but also a foul filthy old withered Harlot and the Mother of Whoredme guilty of the same Idolatry and Worse than was amongst Ethnicks and Gentiles Thus thought thus spake the Church of England heretofore and whatever some young flashy heads who fancy a Reconciliation with Rome possible may pretend our Church â—â—till of the same Juâ—gment witness Dean Stillingfleet's learned Discourse Of the Idolatry of the Church of Rome witness to that excellent and most true Assertion publickly delivered by the Right Honorable the present Lord Chief Justice Pemberton at Plunket's Trial p. 100. That Popery is a Religion ten times worse than all the Heathenish Superstitions so that we have the present Papists not only accused by our Church to maintain and practise Doctrines and Fopperies worse than Heathennism and the Charge made good by our most able Divines but also judiciously condemned from the Bench for the same However it may be still Objected what if Popery which God forbid should once again in after Ages gain the Ascendent of England and the Mass happen to be Establisht by Law may not I if I am a Minister brought up in the Protestant Religion comply so far as to say Mass if it be done purely out of a good intention thereby to gain an opportunity of Preaching the saving Doctrine of Christ to the people for their Edification who otherwise will be bereaved thereof I answer as Jehu replied to Joram talking of peace 2 Kings 9. 22. What peace so long as the Whâ—redoms of thy Mother Jezabel and her Witchcrâ—fts are so many So what talk you of Preaching to Edification when you practise shall lead to Destruction This is an excuse that proceeds from the Belly not from the Heart he that makes it whoever he shall be has more respect to the keeping a Fat Benefice than the Salvation of the people or if indeed his aim should be right it will not follow that what he does is not sinful for good intentions can never justify bad actions God indeed sometimes by his omnipotent providence can promote his word even by means unlawful being an All-wise Artist that can bring good out of evil but shall it therefore be said that he approves of the irregularity or that he is excusable that commits it when he that mounts the Pulpit to take upon him the Person of Christ by instructing the people in the Gospel under his name and authority and performing the office of an Ambassadour from Heaven shall fain a consent to abominable Idolatry which is openly repugnant with the chief Scope of the Evangelical Doctrine what hopes are there of Edification from such an Hypocrite Let such boast their pious designs as much as they please those Cobweb pretensions are all instantly swept away and overthrowâ—â— by this one word of Eternal Truth That no Evil is to be done that good may follow Others there are that alledge they haunt Popish Chappels only out of curiosity spectatum veniunt they come meerly to see but let them remember too spectantur ipsi they are seen by men which if Papists may by their presence be Confirm'd in their Idolatries and if Protestants may be scandaliz'd and perverted by their Example for who can tell what their Intentions are when they do as the rankest Papists do and what is yet more they are also seen by God who will revenge and punish such their mispending their precious time and abetting of damnable Superstitions It is not safe to touch upon the borders of evil Dinah in curiosity went out to see the Maids of that Country otiosè spectat sed non otiosè spectatur her gazing was her vanity but her being gazed upon produced worse than vanity far was it from her thoughts that such a petulant curiosity should forfeit her Chastity yet we see what a
the Rivers or as the Branches of the Frankincense-Tree in the time of Summer Touching Wickliff's Parentage all we can find is That he was born about the farthest part of York-shire and Mr. Birckbek who was Minister of Gilling in those Parts in his Learned Treatise Entituled The Protestants Evidence printed 1632. Centur. 14. assures us That some of the Family remain'd there then and probably may continue to this day his words are these Our Country-man John Wickliff was born in the North where there is near to the place where I live an ancient and worshipful House bearing the name of Wickliff of Wickliff But in what Year he was born is not Recorded only 't is certain that he was liberally Educated and became Learned beyond that Age and flourished about the year of our Lord 1371. in the Reign of King Edward the Third being then Fellow of Merton-Colledge in Oxford A happy Foundation Illustrious for breeding many most famous Men as Friar Bacon Burley Scotus Occham Peccham Bradwardine c. He was afterwards Master of Baliol-Colledge in Oxford where he commenc'd Doctor and was chosen Reader in Divinity In which public Lectures he shew'd himself a deep Schoolman as in his ordinary Sermons a faithful Pastor of the Church for whose Edification he spar'd no pains for he Translated the whole Bible into the vulgar Tongue one Copy whereof written with his own hand is or lately was extant in St. John Baptist Colledge in Oxford He was beloved of all good Men for his holy Life and admired even by his Adversaries for his Learning For we find Walden his profess'd and spiteful Enemy in a certain Letter to Pope Martin the Fifth forc'd to acknowledge That he was wonderfully astonish'd at his most forcible Arguments the various and pertinent Authorities he had gathered with the vehemence and smartness of his Reasonings Nor was he unacquainted with Humanity or polite Civil Learning especially he is observed to have been well read in our English Laws and wrote so many large Volumes as well in Philosophy as Divinity as the same is almost incredible He seem'd to follow in the course of his Studies the method of the Schoolmen and amongst them was a profess'd follower of Occham by reading of whose Works and sundry others who lived about the same time or not long before as Bradwardine Marsilius St. Amore Abelardus Armachanus and that great and godly Learned Man Rob. Grosthead and especially and above all by diligent perusal of the Holy Scriptures God gave him grace and understanding to see the truth of his Gospel and by seeing it to loath all superstition and the ill precepts and practises of the then pretended Rules of the Church In particular by Occham and Marsilius he was informed of the Popes Intrusions and Usurpations upon Kings their Crowns and Dignities Guido de S. Amore and Armachanus shew'd him the sundry abuses of Monks and Friars in upholding this usurped Power By Abelard and others he began to have a right Apprehension touching the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Bradwardine taught him the Nature of a true sole justifying Faith against Meritmongers and Pardoners Finally by Grosthead's Work with which he seem'd most conversant he descried the Popes to be the very Antichrist by hindering the Gospel to be preached and placing unfit and unworthy Men in the Church and in making all Religion subservient to his damnable Policy Being thus enlighten'd 't is no wonder if in his Writings and Preachings he delivered many things against the then corrupted Doctrine of the Church but his Positions were chiefly directed against the several Orders of Begging Friars who were his professed Persecutors and all Foreign usurped Jurisdiction of the Pope By which he purchased some favour or at least connivance at Court and got his other Complaints against them for other matters the more easily heard and regarded for at that time the Friars Orders by their manifold and notorious Disorders were become exceeding odious and the Popes pretences of Jurisdiction by Provisions Reservations and Collations not only grievous but utterly intollerable This made way unto those excellent Acts of Parliament of Praemunire against any that should appeal to Rome or draw the Subjects of England ad aliud Examen To any Foreign Jurisdiction as also against Provisors and the Abuses of Begging Friars which fobridled and restrained the Pope's Authority that he could but little prevail in England during the Raign of King Edward the Third or Richard the Second Towards making which Law Wickliff had no small Interest by disposing several of the Nobility and the Body of the Commons thereunto maintaining no less Loyalty and Magnanimously than Learnedly the King's Jurisdiction Crown and Dignity by the Laws Civil Canon and Common For which reason the Learned Dr. James in Wickliff's Life tells us That he was by one King sent Ambassador into Foreign Parts and by another consulted here at home But amongst all his Arguments he most insisted upon those drawn from the common Municipal Laws of England the best Bull-works for the Prerogative and Imperial Right of our Kings against all the Usurpations and Encroachments of any Exotic Claim for the maintenance of his Opinions and the better to enable him therein he had good Directions and Advice from time to time from the Reverend Judges and Sages in the Law He was not so much hated of the Monks and Clergy out of Self-interest because he opposed their lewd Practises but he was much indulg'd and favour'd by the Temporal State for his Piety Learning and Virtue For not only many of the Nobility but the City of London and the University of Oxford were his Friends which makes Walsingham the Monk angry who upon all occasions vomits out his Gall against poor Wickliff that that famous Academy where as he saith was the very height and top of Wisdom and Learning should so kindly entertain him Nor were they Freshmen or younger Fry of Students there that were his Admirers but even the Heads and Chief of the University for Mr. Robert Rigge Vice-Chancellor and the two Proctors took part with him as also Nicholas Herford John Ashton of Merton Colledge John Ashwarby of Oriel Colledge Minister of St. Maries Church these all being Preachers and Batchelors of Divinity joined with him and were put to Trouble for the same THE COURANT. Tory. NAY now I think you are met with what say you to that ingenious Piece publish'd last week Entituled A Postscript of Advice from Geneva Truem. I shall not say much to it let my Lords the Bishops look after it for as Governours under His Majesty of our Protestant Church I humbly conceive it concerns them abundantly more than me since 't is plain the Libel is the â—pawn of some rank invenom'd Popish Priest and whether Nat. Thompson or Gammer Turner a profest Papist or a masqueraded one Midwif'd it into the World is not much material It pretends indeed to fall soul on the Calvinists which possibly Striplings in
Divinity or some of the short sighted Laity may think at this time of day a mighty Service to the King and the Church But whoever is conversant in Roman-Catholic Authors cannot but know that they frequently Nickname the Church of England and her truest Sons with that opprobrious Title I appeal to all the Learned moderate Divines of our established English Church if this be not true nay I my self at two hours warning could give more than 100 Instances of it But I shall be content at present only with one but 't is of a Pope who you know is Infallible in his Rogueries in a Bull against Blessed Q. Elizabeth we have these words Impia Mysteria Instituta ad Calvini praescriptum c. The wicked Mysteries and Institutes according to Calvin ' s prescription by her received and observed she hath commanded to be embrac'd by her Subjects In a word 't is evident this skulking Author's business is to scandalize all the Learned pious Instruments which God hath made use of for the first Reformation As not only Calvin Zwinglius and Beza p. 1 2. but Luther Melancton Bucer c. p. 5. Therefore with what Notion would a Cranmer or a Ridley or a Latimer those glorious Martyrs or even Patient Hooper himself or Reverend Jewel and such-like famous Lights of our Church some of them the very Compilers of the Venerable Liturgy have beheld such a virulent Pamphlet Or can any Man that has a value for the Protestant Religion but feel his Blood curdle to see it sold with Impunity at the Royal-Exchange and through the Streets of a Protestant City which by the very same devilish Hands was within these 16 years laid in Ashes Tory. Come come you are hot and peevish I doubt 't is only because it presses you too close for only those that know not how to answer Books would stifle and have them suppress'd Truem. Nay then let it go on for I am sure the matter of it has been answer'd 150 times There 's nothing in this Pamphlet but Parsons that Bastard of a Jesuit 't is the Complement his own Brother-Priests gave him printed long ago You may find it too in a Book Entituled The Image of both Churches written by one Musket a Jesuit and printed in King James's time or you may have the effect of it in a Pamphlet Entituled Philanax Anglicus scribbled soon after His Majesty's happy Restauration by a Popish Doctor of the Civil Law to which the Reverend Du Moulin one of the Prebends of Canterbury return'd an Answer But if no such Refutations were extant as 100 are yet all the World knows your Bolsec was a most prostituted Liar and the rest of your Authors forg'd and Counterfeit Nor will I hope any that are truly of the Church of England be bubbled with such stale Shams but rather take notice who they are that thus blow these Coals and keep such a noise against Calvinists such a stir against Ignoramus Juries and are so overjoy'd at the prosecution of Conscientious Dissenters and if they find them at bottom no other than either Papists or Atheists or Debauchees who are half one half tother they may then competently judge whose Interest is promoted by these Intrigues Tory. Well there 's no talk to you now but I 'le warrant you L'Estrange will Crow bravely this fortnight for the other days work in the City Truem. What! because his old friend John Starkey is made one of the Common-Council I tell you Sir I value Roger's Observatorisms no more than I do Eustace Commyne's Narrativisms they both pretend to serve the Royal Family and the Bishops and in truth they both perform it at the same Rate Nor will you find much more reason upon the whole matter to thank St. Thomas than you have to Sacrifice to Madam Address who 't is forty to one when you come to try her will prove as Errand a Jilt and as Insignificant as an Irish Evidence Printed for Langley Curtis 1681. The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY Dec. 30. 1681. Potentes in Clero qui Religionem Christi dissipant sub pallio Sanctitatis vel punientur hîc per praepositos suos aut Laicos vel destruentur per vastationes Hostiles vel congregant facinora in ultionem Divini Judicii Wickliff de verit Script p. 432. Objections against Wickliff answer'd An Example or two of his writing in his own ancient Style His Troubles The Vniversity like to reject the Popes Bull c. THE Papists who are most exquisite and ready forgers of Lies and Scandals on all that oppose or go about to detect their Villanies have raised several Aspersions and Calumnies against honest Wickliff As first they affirm That his Preaching was not out of Conscience but spite and desire of Revenge because forsooth he was put by the Bishopprick of Worcester which he aim'd at Therefore he declaim'd so fiercely against the Church Answ This is only the malicious suggestion of Parsons and Brerely and such upstart Pettifoggers for the Church of Rome There is no ancient Author tho most of them as being Monks rail horribly against poor Wickliff that mentions any such matter Nay Parsons himself gives himself the Lie for in his three Conversions Part 3. Cap. 5. Numb 14. he saith Wickliff condemn'd all temporal Goods How then should he so greedily affect the Bishopprick of Worcester And elsewhere he confesses That Wickliff was in great favour with the Duke of Lancaster who bore chief sway during the time of King Edward the Third so that if Wickliff had been so fond of a Bishopprick sure that Duke's Interest might have got him one 2. They object that Wickliff taught That so long as a Man is in deadly Sin he is no Bishop or Prelate neither doth truly Consecrate or Baptize Answ If Wickliff did say so what more did he say than what St. Ambrose had said before him Vnless thou embrace and follow the good works of a Bishop a Bishop thou canst not be Ambr. de dignit Sacerd. cap. 4. Nay there is a Vote of a Council if that will help the matter in a Case almost to the same effect Quicunque sub Ordinatione Presbyterii vel Episcopatûs mortali Crimine se dixerint esse pollutos à supradictis Ordinationibus submovendos esse Censuimus Whoever coming under Ordination of the Presbytery or Eiscopacy shall be polluted with mortal Sin we think it fit That such be removed from those Orders saith the Synod of Valentia held under Damascus cap. 4. It must be remembred that Wickliff lived in a most corrupt Age when the Clergy were so seared in Impiety that it required sharp Launcings and good store of Vinegar to make them sensible It was only their abuses he inveigh'd against so tartly for elsewhere he reproves those that would not obey their lawful Prelates and in his Book of the verity of the Scripture he thus explains his
hold forth this new sect and thus this new Religion maie not last but if it be by this Blasphemie to constraine a man unable by Gods dome to hold this new sect and suffer him not to come to freedome of Christs Order And Chapter the 4th Friars saien if a man bee professed to there holie Order hee shal not Preach freelie and generallie the Gospel of Christian men without en licence of his Soveraign for virtue of obedience be his Soveraign never so cursed man of life and uncunning of Gods Law and enimie to Christian men souls and in case a foule Devil of Hel thowgh this man professed have receaved of God never so much cuninge of Gods Law and power and wil to work after this cuninge and so this man shall needes be damned for misspending of Gods treasure For sith Gods Law saies that hee is out of Charity that helps not his Brother with bodilie Almes if he maie in his nede much more is he out of Charity that helpes not his Brothers soule with teaching of Gods Law when hee sees him runne to Hel yea by â—gnorance And thus to magnifie and maintaine their rotten sects they neden men by Hypocrisie falseteaching and strong paines to break Gods heasts and leese Charity Out on this false heresie and tyrantrie of Antichrist that men be neded strangely to keep more his Lawes and obaye more to them then to Christ's Commandements ever rightful And Page 17. Thus As Christ saved the wordle by writing and teaching of foure Evangelists so the Fiend casteth to Damme the wordle and Priests for letting to Preach the Gospel by these foure by fained Contemplation by Songs by Salisbury use and by wordly buysiness of Priests The COURANT. Illa propago Contemptrix Superûm Saevaeque avidissima Caedis Et violenta fuit Scires è Sanguine Natos Ovid. I. Metam Tory T was bravely done to ' ther day in the West I love people that will go thorough stitch with their Business I can shew you a French Author Naudaeus by Name that affirms the Bartholomew-Massacre at Paris had been one of the most glorious acts of Christianity if it had not unluckily been perform'd but by halves Truem. Ay but destroying of BIBLES if that story be true was sure attempted a little too soon such Exploits would be time enough under a Popish Successor 'T is our present happiness and comfort under God that we live under a Prince who is a Defender of the Protestant Faith content his loving Subjects should have English Bibles and much averse in his Royal Nature to such Sanguinary Rigours as some hot-headed people men of as little Estates or Interest in their Country as of Brains Piety or real Loialty would fain be practizing to imbroil us in Confusions and help forward the Popes Design by weakning the Body of Protestants with unnecessary and unnatural Heats amongst themselves Tory. Well I am sure our Parson and hee 's a Gentleman that wears a Scarf already and hopes to be a Right Reverend ere long told us last Sunday that t' was a Duty to teize and worry Dissenters and that it was their own faults if their Brains were beat out for why the Vengeance don't they Conform Truem. Prethee present my Service to his Reverence and desire him from a Friend of mine to return an answer to the Case following Suppose his Doctorship were a Minister of the Reformed Church in France whether at Charenton Caen or Saumurr it matters not Tory. Hold hold do you think our Doctor will suffer himself to be suppos'd into a Damn'd Presbiterian a Traiterous Villain of a Calvinistical Hugenote Truem. Patience Man The supposition I le warrant you shall not infect him therefore still I say for once suppose him so and that Monsieur the Intendant of that Province should thus accost him Sir being your Neighbour I am so far your Friend as to pitty and advise you for though you are an Heretick you are yet one of humane Race and may easily make a good conformable Catholick the King our Master will have but one Religion in his Dominions and you must comply or you are undone He is resolv'd all his Subjects shall Worship God in the same Mode therefore go to Church or your Estate Liberty and perhaps your Life will be Sacrific'd to his Royal Indignation and your own obstinate Folly Then Imagine he should answer thus Monsieur I conserve a profound Respect to our Puissant and invincible Monarch am ready to obey all his just Commands but in this particular I pray have me Excused I dread his Majesties displeasure but am much more apprehensive of God's the one may hang or break me upon the Wheel but the other will Damn me to Eternity I beseech you therefore interpose with his Majesty on the behalf of me and my Brethren that we may Enjoy the same liberty of Worshiping God as we have hitherto had under him and his Royal Predecessors we vow all Duty and Allegiance to his Person and Government we will defend him with our Lives and Fortunes Nothing is so dear unless our Consciences which we will not Sacrifice to his pleasure and Honour but in the Matters proposed we cannot comply without the offence of God and our Souls The Catholick Gentleman like any Observator replies These are only Flams to colour Hypocrisy Rebellion and Disobedience His Majesty is advis'd to put an end to all Religious Feuds amongst his people thereby to render his Government more firm and secure He is weary of the everlasting Squabbles of different Perswasions The Temple of Janus shall therefore be shut he will have no more Religious Wars amogst his Subjects To grant or connive at any Liberty of serving God after your own own way is not a course to end Differences but to perpetuate them for should you be gratified others may succeed with newscruples and under pretence of Conscience carry on differences as high as ever to the weakning of his Authority and Empire c. Now let the Doctor but tell us what in this case he would Rejoyn to such a Catholick Monsieur and if from the same Topicks our Protestant Dissenters cannot fairly excuse themselves the Doctor shall have all the Money that the Devil and Thompson found out tother day under the Holy-Bush in Mannock-Hill and a sine Cure into the Bargain Printed for Langley Curtis 1681. The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY Jan. 6. 1681-2 Optarem quod omnes Ritus nostri forent a Deo Confirmati Wickliff de verit Script p. 581. An Omission in the last supply'd The means how Wickliff's Doctrine was spread into Bohemia c. His Death His Bones dug up and burnt BY a mistake at the Press last week there was not only some things mentioned in the Contents more than there was room for in that Sheet but also four or five Lines happen'd to be twice repeated For the latter we beg the Readers
Saviour of his Sectaries as Parsons 2 d. of his 3 Conversions p. 250. relates from Walsingham or as Stow botches up the story The last words that he spake to Sir Tho. Erpingham Adjuring him that if he saw him Rise from Death to Life again the Third day he would procure that his sect might beat peace and quiet Now let any man read his papers and discourses in Fox savouring of such firm piety prudence and sobriety of mind and then judge how unlikely he was to be Guilty of such a phrensical Extravagance But possibly he might at his Execution say that though they so severely persecuted those Truths which he bore Testimony to and sought by all means to suppress and bury the same yet they would Rise again and his Doctrine be Reviv'd And from some such true words the Father of Lies and his Journy-men the Monks might take occasion to raise that wicked scandal And now having thus fairly represented Sir John Oldcastles Case to posterity we take leave of his Manes but that we may do it civily tho the prejudice of those times would afford him neither Tombstone nor Grave yet certainly we my be allow'd to offer an Extempore Epitaph to his Memory On Sir John Oldcastle Lord Cobham who suffer'd Decem. 1417. Rome's Old new fraud in Cobhams Fate we view The Hereticks must still be Traitors too All Popish Sham-plots are not hatch'd of late Long since their Int'rest Culli'd in the State For God and for the King the Prelates Cry'd But only meant their own Revenge and Pride Had the sly Meal Tub fadg'd or Irish Oathes Been Jury-proof old Churches hated Foe 's Ere now had been Old-Castled Hang'd and Burn'd And Loyalst Patriots into Rebells turn'd But Midwife Time at last brings Truth to Light For after Death each man receives his Right Then sleep brave Hero till last Judgments day Raising to Glory thy twice-martyr'd Clay Romes malice and thy Innocence display But here we may note that before the Execution of this noble-man viz. in the year 1414. his bitter Persecutor Tho Arundel Archbishop of Canterbury who originally caused his trouble and Condemn'd him for Haeresy and who in a synod had forbidden the Scriptures to be translated into or read in the English Tongue was taken away by a strange death His own Tongue being so swell'd that for many days he could swallow no sort of sustenance and so was starv'd to death A most remarkable Judgment that he who by his Canons forbad the Food to the Soul and had pronounc'd Sentence of Condemnation on many Innocents was now both famish't and struck Dumb together Thomas Gasconous in his Theological Dictionary thus plainly tells the story Tho. Aruudel Cant. Archiepiscopus sic Linguâ Percussus erat ut nec deglutire nec Loqui per aliquot dies ante mortem suam potuerit et sic tandem obiit Atque Multi tu nofieri putabant quia vâ—rbum Alligasset ne suo Tempore praedicatur Tho Arrundel Archb. of Canterbury was so smitten in his Tongue that he could neither swallow nor speak and so died which was thought by many to come upon him for that he restrain'd the word of God from being preached in his days The COURANT. A CHARM against ROGERISM Triceps est Cerberus tèr ego te Despuo Triplex est Eumenis tèr te ego Despuo Vomas dico vomas tèr vome Improbam Pectore purgato Rabiem ad Phlegetonta Remitte Enter Jesuit solus NOW shall I turn Heraclitus Ridens and split my sides with laughing to see how sweetly matters go on 'T is the hopefullest Spring I have known or read of above 100 years and all our Projects are blythe and blooming How kindly do our Councils work and cully in the hood-wink'd crowd the French Monarch our mighty Patron plays a Game at Tick-tack with his Holiness and the World stares and gapes as if they were at Sharps What if he clip the Wings of the duller Orders Let him go on and prosper Roma interim crescit Albae Ruinis No matter for those swarms of Drones our active Society if the Fools prove peevish and stubborn may beg their Lands Nor need we fear the gripes of his Talons since we have twisted our Interests inseparable with his for Campanella has shifted the Scene and 't is resolv'd in spite of Providence one Monarch and one Religion shall govern the Europaean World They are pitifully read in School craft that cannot modelize Divinity to each complexion of Affairs there lies a little spot on the Northwest corner of the Map that has cost us many a pangful Thought Father La-Chese long since undertook the Conversion of those Infidels and tho he met with some rubs despairs not in time to accomplish it If one Broad-side does not sink a Vessel another may the Needle 's in and the Thread must follow O Beata Maria into what Confusions have we put the Hereticks amongst themselves Well! let Whig and Tory scuffle 'till their Hearts ake whilst we tour aloft like the Vulture hovering over the Lion and Wild-boar in their Combatings as hoping to devour the Carcases of them both O the Church the Church the Church by Law establish'd There 's Musick enough in that very sound to supersede the office of the Organs But then not one in forty Dreams what those words signifie in our Dictionary Pshaw Pshaw you Dolt-heads Verity is Vnity there is but one Church in the World and that 's the Catholick and Catholick is Roman and there 's the Riddle unfolded But how is this Religion by Law establish'd We 'l make That out I 'le warrant you you shall have enough of Magna Charta Is there any prescription against the Church Shall any Laws prevail against St. Peter's Right Or indeed what power have Excommunicated Hereticks to make any Laws at all All such Provisions are still-born Ipso facto void as errant Felo's de se as we would make Sir Edmondbury Godfrey and holy Mother-Church unjustly disseiz'd may lawfully make a Re-entry Let 's first down with the Dissenters crush them maul 'um hang 'um if we can or ruine them at least and then their Church of England shall have Polypheme's courtesie O Bristol Bristol thou hast done gallantly I could not but snicker the other day to see a parcel of Wooden-shoe'd French Hereticks that had fled thither for shelter how sillily they look'd when they saw a parcel of English Calvinists dragg'd out of their Meeting and hurried to Gaol But we have a greater work in hand 't is a Protestant Plot must do our business and a Protestant Plot we 'l have if it cost us as much as we got by burning of London There are a fresh Cast of Beuk-blawers listed spick and span new ones never yet baulkt or blasted by an Ignoramus they only want a little Documentizing as to matter persons times and places for all the rest they remember right well I must away and Discipline them and if they prove
such incorrigible Bunglers as our Irish Rascals let 'um be damn'd blacker than Luther Printed for Langley Curtis 1682. The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY April 21. 1682. Quae si cum sociis Stultus cupidúsque bibisset Sub dâ—mina Meritrice fuisset turpis excors Vixisset Canis Immundus vel amica Luto Sus. The Grand Question Whether the Church of Rome be in any kind to be esteem'd a Church of Christ entred into the Reasons why the same is here discuss'd The definition of the Church and how divided HAving deduc'd our History somewhat below the year 1400. and being Arriv'd at those times wherein our Ancestors in England first of all were brought to Capital sufferings for the purity of Religion and were to use the Apostles phrase Hebr. 12. 4. forced to resist unto Blood the wicked Impositions of the no less cruel than Idolatrous Papal Hierarchy It will be convenient if not necessary to inquire what opinion we ought to have of the Church of Rome in its present state A task we undertake not meerly for diverting the Reader tho sure variety in all other things delightfull will not here be offensive nor the intermixing Polemicks with History be censured since we find precedents of it in the best and most approved Authors But we do it for his satisfaction too that he may make the truer Judgment of those many Tragical Scenes all fill'd with fire and fagot Blood and horror Popish fury triumphant and Pious Innocence torn and mangled and Butcher'd with a thousand Barbarities For though to each Judicious peruser the very prospect of these Cruelties is enough to satisfy him that these are the Talons of the Vulture not the sweet Breathings of the Holy Dove practises of the Synagogue of Satan not of the Church of the meek and mercifull Jesus yet some hot and superficial Readers especially in this debaucht and unhappy Age may be apt to say Here 's a Clutter indeed with a parcell of Peevish Fellows what if they were burn't or hang'd out of the way whose fault was it why would they not conform and honestly come to Church if the Church of Rome be a true Church wherein a man may go to Heaven why did they trouble themselves and the world and make a Schism and disturb the Government you make a stir and call them Martyrs but for ought I know they were Follies Martyrs rather than Gods and I remember I have seen a Book Intituled Semper Iidem or a parallel betwixt the antient and modern Phanaticks Printed here at London with I think Authority I am sure publickly and without any trouble to the Bookseller Richard Lownds at the White Lyon in St. Pauls Churchyard 1661. which renders Oldcastle Bishop Latimer Woodman c. as errant Whiggs and Raskals as ever liv'd a sort of turbulent Hereticks that interrupted the Churches Tranquility and would needs be turning the world upside down though they knew neither why nor wherefore c. Suppose one should meet a Spark of this mettal and such frequently now adays at every Coffee-house you may meet with is it not fit my honest Country men should be ready provided to Confute his Folly and do right to those Glorious Worthies who did not sacrifice their Lives to a sullen Obstinacy or factious Freake but for the pure truths of God worth a million of Lives and departed from Rome because she was so far departed from God that if they had further accompanied her afterdivine Grace had open'd their eyes to see her Abominations they must necessarily have fallen into Eternal perdition To Demonstrate this therefore it will I think be not unworthy your while and presently too lest the Disease come upon us before the Medicine be provided and black darkness surround us e're every body be sufficiently Acquainted with it's Hellish Nature to consider the three points following viz. 1. Whether the present Church of Rome ought in any sort to be esteemed a true Church of Christ 2. Whether any person Living and Dying in the Communion of that Church and understanding her Doctrine and practises and joyning therein may ordinarily be saved 3. Whether any person as suppose a Protestant out of fear compliance c. may be present at Mass understanding the same without committing of grievous sin These Three particulars we shall endeavour in this and some following Sheets to discourse of with all plainness and Candor so far from any violation of Charity that we thereby only design a most necessary Caution to prevent poor missed souls from precipitating themselves into endless Ruin and Destruction As to the first Quaery touching the present Roman Churches being a Church of Christ two things are to be premised and explained 1. What we mean in this debate by Church of Christ 2. What we understand by the Church of Rome 1. The word Church taken in its full Latitude signifies the whole company of all those whom God by his word and spirit calls to the knowledge and profession of his truth and from its members being called forth and separated from the rest of the world that live in gross and avowed Atheism or Idolatry without the knowledg and acceptation of those supernatural verities the Incarnation and Crucifixian of the Son of God for the sins of men upon the terms held forth in the Gospel it is termed the Church in Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 derived from the verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Evoco to call out or from The Church thus absolutely and simply considered in this Latitude is but one as the State and Company of the Kingdom of great Britain is but one since all and every one called to this Grace of how different estate qualities or condition soever belong one way or other to this Company but in this Church thus considered there are sundry differences and respects that is the persons called to the Faith of Christ are of diverse sorts for some part of the Church is already reduced from this mortal life and Crowned with that Glory whereunto they were called when here on Earth and thence stiled the Church Triumphant the other part is that which is successively abiding in this world which for that time is called the Church Militant because it lies as it were in the Camp always alarm'd and fighting against Hells Triple League the world the Flesh and the Divel under the Banner of our Lord the blessed Jesus and patiently waiting for the victory But amongst these latter there are again two sorts First such as are effectually called and these are the Elect only whom God not only calls but chuses by his free Grace inspiring them to obey that calling and to live Holily worthy of such their vocation and who shall infallibly be Saved in the life to come and this Company we call the Invisible Church because only God knows who are His and tho we see the men and by their fruits charitably hope
conceit 4. There is always and will be a Proportion between the worship of God and our perswasion of him and men in giveing unto God any worship have respect to his nature that both may be suitable and he be well pleased Let us therefore now turn our Eyes and behold with horror and detestation what manner of Worship the Roman Religion affordeth It is for the greatest part meer will-Will-worship without any allowance or command from God as is in effect acknowledged by their own Durandus in his Rationale wherein he pretends to give an Account of the Original Reasons and Mystery of those Devises and as we in several parts of this Work have particularly proved It is a fulsome Carnal Service consisting of Innumerable bodily Rites and Ceremonies borrowed partly from the Jews and partly from the Heathen it is divided between God and some of his Creatures in that they are Worshipt both with one kind of Worship let them paint and dissemble it how they can with nice and unintelligible distinctions Thus then if by their manner of worshipping we may judge how they conceive as most rationally we may it will appear they have plainly abandon'd the true God and have set up to themselves a Phantasie of their own For God is no otherwise to be Conceived than he hath Revealed himself in his Creatures and word and specially in Christ who is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Image of God 2 Cor. 4. 4. And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Character or lively figure of his person Heb. 1. 3. I proceed to another Argument If the Church of Rome which was once the Spouse of Christ have Committed Adultery and the Bill of Divorce be long since sued out she is no longer to be called or counted a Spouse or Church of Christ But she hath plaid the Adulteress and the Divorce is pass'd Ergo. That the Church of Rome hath long since and still doth commit Idolatry which is Spiritual Adultery Jer. 3. 9. Ezek. 23. 37. is notorious I shall at present only Instance in three particulars 1. Because they worship Saints and Angels with Religious Worship which without exception is proper and only due to God yea they transform some of them into detestable Idols making them Mediators of Redemption especially the Virgin Mary whom they call not only Lady but Goddess and Queen whom Christ her Son Obeyeth in Heaven a Mediatress our Life our Hope the Medicine of the Diseased c. And pray unto her thus Prepare thou Glory for us Defend us from our Enemies and in the hour of Death receive us Loose the Bands of the Guilty bring Light to the Blind drive away all Devils shew thy self a Mother by thy Maternal Right Command thy Son to receive our Prayers See for this the Roman Missal and Breviary and Bellarm. L. 2. De Sanctis Ca. 1. 6. 2. Their Idolatry is manifest in that they Worship Images or at least to give them their Excuse and Evasion into the Bargain Worship in at and before Images having no Commandment so to do but the contrary They alledge that they use and worship Images only in Remembrance of God but this it all one as if an unchaste Wife should receive many Gallants into her House in the absence of her Husband and being caught in Bed with them should answer That they were friends of her Husband and that she was so kind to them only in remembrance of him Would any man accept of such an Excuse much less will the great Jehovah who is a Jealous God and hath sworn that he will not have his Glory given to another 3. They are Guilty of Idolatry and that too more absurd than the Heathens themselves For they Worship a Breaden God For if our Blessed Saviour according to his Humanity be absent from the Earth 〈◊〉 undoubtedly he is For the Heavens must receive him until the times of the Restitution of all things Acts. 3. 21. Then the Popish Host is as abominable an Idol as ever was But you will say a known Harlot may afterwards remain a Wife and be so termed if she be not actually Divorc'd But as to that in the second place I answer the Bill of Divorce is long since Sued out her Sins have separated her and her God We have it expresly in the Word of God 2 Thes 2. You have her Apostacy exactly foretold and described Deceivableness of unrighteousness strong delusion that they should believe a Lie and what follows That they all might be damn'd v. 12. So in the 13. of the Revelation The Roman Apostatiz'd Church is set forth by the name of the Beast And Ca. 14. 9. It is said If any man Worship the Beast and his Image and receive his Mark in his Forehead or in his Hand he shall drink of the Wine of the Wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the Cup of his Indignation and he shall be tormented with Fire and Brimstone in the presence of the Holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the Smoak of their torment Ascendeth up for ever and ever and they have no Rest Day nor Night who Worship the Beast and his Image and whosoever receiveth the Mark of his Name And therefore Ca. 18. 3. It is said I heard a Voice from Heaven saying Go out of her my people c. Since God hath Commanded us to come out of Her we may conclude her utterly Divorc'd from God for we may not wholly forsake any people till they forsake Christ And therefore though an Adultress till publickly detected and cast off may pass for a Wife yet after she is Convicted and the Divorcement solemnly declared she ceaseth to be a Wife though she boast never so much of her Marriage in her youth and though she can shew her Wedding Ring yet all this will not prove her in any sort a Lawful Wife nor intitle her to any pretence of Claim to the Affections or Estates of the Husband But the Truth is though the Church of Rome have thus proved Disloyal to her Lord and committed Whoredome on every high Hill and under every Green Tree yet with the Strumpet mentioned by the Royal Preacher She wipeth her mouth and saith I have done no wickedness For it hath of late continually been her cunning to make the Adorable Jesus under pretence of being still his Spouse a Cover and Cloak of all her Abominations as a Subtle and Unreclaimable Adultress deals with her too long suffering and patient Husband That so she may seem to be an honest Matron though indeed she be a notable Strumpet And this indeed is the highest point of the Mystery of Iniquity The COURANT. Truem. WEll and how proceeds the worthy Mr. L'Estrange with his Translation of the French Jesuit Tory. What! do you mean The History of Calvinism I have not feen it yet but am told 't is Dedicated to the most Christian King and that the honest Author tells him he doubts not but
shortly to present his Majesty with the story too of its utter extirpation The Northern Heresie must down They say 't is an excellent piece and will Claw off the Whigs confoundedly Truem. Yes yes a very suitable Subject for such a Pen our Churchmen have great cause to thank him and give him Guinneys for Blowing up the Church with Jesuites Powder under pretence of shooting Phanaticks 'T is mightily no doubt for the Advancement of our Religion at home and must be a most charming invitation and encouragement to Protestant Princes and States abroad to Love and Honor England if such Books shall be so kindly entertain'd amongst us and those Holy Men whom God raised up to be the First Reformers of his Church publickly exposed and ridicul'd by the prophane Buffonery of every mercinary Rascal But no matter for that till we see the Book abroad where do'st think I was to'ther night Tory. I 'le be hang'd if 't were not some damn'd Conventicle or Treason-whispering Club. Truem. Had Gadbury to solve the Question Try'd That Louse-killer could not have guess'd more wide No! no! Man I was even at the Academy of Non sense S's Coffee-house Tory. I am glad of that however for since peoples going to Church though driven thither in the Devils name passes for a laudable Conversion the very entring into S's must be esteem'd so many steps of Loyalty But prethee how didst like the Conversation Truem. Why the Room was large and crowded and there was Fire and Smoak and Hobgoblings in black and swearing and cursing and gnashing of Teeth Tory. Why thou describ'st it like the bottom of Hell Truem. No no Sir only an Antichamber an 't please ye The Universal Buzz was against the Whigs and Shaftsbury one magnify'd Craddock for an Hero another Painted Wilmore blacker than the Devil a third was telling who should be Poculiz'd to and a fourth who should be Hang'd first after that man entred into his Office a fifth was arguing how expedient it was to make a Bonefire of the City Charter c. when all on a sudden entred the Observator Bless us I shall never forget it what cringing and complementing and Sir-reverencing was there It put me presently in mind of the Play call'd The Lancashire Witches where in one Scene the Haggs being Assembled at Sabbatt when the Foul Fiend makes his appearance they all start up and cry Now now our Great Master 's come Arise prepare salute his Bum. And so they go and each reverently kisses the Tail of the Goat Tory. Leave your fooling and tell us what said the Oracle Truem. Nay you may now have all his Discourse in Print for Twopence he and the Company only predicted a brace or two of Observator-sheets to us Tory. Now thou talk'st of predicting Sheets I 'le tell thee how thou shalt get to predict next Tuesday 's Heraclitus Truem. Though 't is grown so horrid silly of late that 't is hardly worth a Stratagem and the attempt will not bring half so much honor as attacking the Smyrna Fleet yet let us hear it however Tory. Go but on any Sunday Night to the Sun in Aldersgate-street and send up Half a dozen Bottles of Claret to the Select Cabal and tell them a Gentleman below drinks the Duke's health to 'um you shall presently be admitted and hear the whole Manuscript read canvass'd debated and corrected Truem. Well! I do not know any body so fond of a Goose Egge That Paper had formerly some Witt with its malice a little Salt now and then as well as Roguery but now 't is become a meer Caput Mort The very Dreggs of Impertinence Printed for Langley Curtis 1682. The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY May 19. 1682. Ite truces Animae Letho Tartara vestro Polluite totas Erebi consumite poenas Whether Salvation may be obtain'd in the Church of Rome The uncharitableness of Papists towards Protestants The desperate Hazards ran by Roman Catholicks c. IN our Pacquet N. 18. We stated Three Questions which we proposed to treat of in Order 1. Whether the Church of Rome were a Church of Christ 2. Whether Salvation were therein attainable And 3 ly Whether a man may be present at Mass without sin The First of these in that and Three other Pacquets since we have dispatcht Now we proceed to the Second a point nice and difficult and which ought warily to be handled That neither excess of Zeal consume our Charity nor conceits of Charity violate Truth and encourage Error The Papists look upon it as a Ruled Case extra Ecclesiam non est salus out of the Pale of the Church there is no Salvation and He that hath not the Church for his Mother neither hath God for his Father which Axioms are very true if by Church they would suffer us to understand the universal Church of Christ but they restrain that Term to the present Ecclesia malignantium the Apostatiz'd Congregation of Romanists united to the Pope as their Head and guided in their Faith according to the Canons of the Conventicle of Trent and averr that all are Damn'd eternally that do not joyn with them therein 'T is a notable Rant to this purpose of one of their Tribe in a Book called The Reconciler of Religions Printed Anno 1663. and Dedicated to Mr. Laurence Dibusty of London Merchant p. 51. The Sacrilegious Illicit and Invalid Ordination saith he of or by Story which was the first pretended Holy Mission of Protestants and from whence they hitherto derive their Orders was not worth a straw and consequently their pretended Holy Orders he speaks of the Church of England are not worth a Pins head therefore they are no true Preachers What are they then Forsooth Intruders Thieves and Robbers Hypocrites Ravenous Wolves and Murderers Sons of Belial false Prophets and Priests of Baal which is their Heresie Rebellion and stubbornness against the Church Now if the Protestant or Sectarian Preachers pray observe he makes no distinction between Church-men and Presbyterians be such what must the Protestants and Sectaries themselves be If the Blind lead the Blind shall they not fall both into the Ditch Sure enough they shall even into the Ditch of everlasting burning Brimstone and Fire But yet more remarkable is that of Costerus the Jesuite in his reply to Osiander Proposit 8. p. ult Fieri nequit ut Lutheranus moriens salvetur Gehennam evadat ex Aeternis Ignibus eripiatur Si mentior damner ipse cum Lucifero 'T is impossible that any person that is a Lutheran should be saved when he dyes or can escape Hell and be snatcht from Eternal Fire If I lie in this assertion let me my self be damn'd with Lucifer Nay in the Irish Massacre and during the Bohemian Persecutions The Papists several times told the Protestants that they kill'd their Bodies in pure kindness to their Souls for say they since we know all you Hereticks must
nothing remains but the Ordinance or Decree of God to appoint Damnation as a punishment of this sin according to the desert thereof But that was passed long since by the Lord himself You shall put nothing to the word which I command you Deut. 4. 2 11. 30. There 's the Precept and the Penalty is express'd Rev. 21. 18. If any man shall add to these things God shall add to him the Plagues that are written in this Book But more plainly 2 Thes 2. 11 12. The Lord shall send them strong delusions that they should believe lies that all they might be damned which believe not thâ— truth Here we see the Lord wrappeth them up in Damnation by his Sentence that believe Lies that is false and erroneous Doctrin nor agreeable to the Truth which they ought to believe What then is wanting to them to make the Faith of the Church of Rome damnable and the Professors thereof liable to Damnation when both the thing it self deserveth it and the Lord hath decreed that they which believe it should have according to their desert Since therefore it thus plainly appears that every man is bound upon pain of Salvation to refuse the Faith of the Church of Rome in what a desperate case are those that continue in it 'T is not for nothing that the Almighty God of Love and Compassion makes Proclamation by his Sacred Herauld Rev. 18. 4. Come out of her people lest ye perish with her and partake of her Plagues We have a famous example in that depravation of the true Religion and setting up of Idolatry under Jeroboam 2 Chron. 11. 14. The Levites that dwelt amongst those Revolted 10 Tribes left their Suburbs and their Possessions that belonged unto them a great Act of self-denial and came to Judah and Jerusalem to do the Service of the Lord in the Temple there And after their example many people out of all the Tribes of Israel that abhorred Jeroboam's Idolatry came thither also for the true worship of God They knew to abide amongst Idolaters would bring them to destruction But if such wrath attend those that continue in that Communion wherein perhaps they were Born and Educated and to which sinkt by so many Chains of prepossession and hardned against truth with a thousand prejudices what Indignation may those expect who were born in Goshen within the daily sound of the Gospel and free tenders of the word of Life in a Land of Bibles baptized into a Reformed Church engaged for by Protestant Sponsors Educated by Religious Parents and under the sweet distillations of Divine Manna from the Lipps of sound and able Preachers If such as these I say will be trudging back to the Garlick and Onyons of Egypt if these Apostatize after so much light and embrace Popish darkness What remains But a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation which shall devour the Adversary He that despised Moses Law died without Mercy under two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy who hath trodden under Foot the Son of God in his Soveraignty Laws and Ordinances and hath counted the Blood of the Covenant wherewith he was Sanctified an unholy thing imperfect without the Virgins Milk and Saints Intercessions and hath done despite unto the spirit of Grace As the Apostle argues in the same Case Hebr. 10. 27. It is reported by Ireneus cont Haeres L 3. Ca. 3. And by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical History L. 3. Ca. 25. That Holy and Beloved Apostle St. John when he spied Cerinthus the Heretick in the Bath where he was made all the haste he could possible to be gone apprehending it dangerous to be under the same Roof with him Yea the very Heathen as Tully de natura deorum L 3. witnesses being at Sea in a violent storm were much afraid of being Ship-wrackt because they had Diagoras the Atheist abord amongst them I would to God some Protestants were but as careful for their Souls as I say not the Apostle but the Heathen were for their Bodies and used the same discreet caution to provide for their Eternal Salvation as they had to procure their Temporal safety Neither was the Apostle any thing concern'd in the Impiety of Cerinthus or these Heathens with that of Diagoras and yet both He and They doubted some evil might befall them because they were in the Company of such profane wretches And can any Protestant Imagine that he may be free from danger though he joyn in Faith with the Pope that great Anti-christ though he harbour those Locusts Priests and Jesuites and converse daily with them and hearken to their Syren Musick and Imbibe their gilded poyson out of that Cup of Fornication wherewith they have Intoxicated the Kings of the Earth No No touching of Pitch always defileth It cost Jehosaphat dear though he were otherwise a good King for going to War with Idolatrous Ahab against a common enemy For what said Hanani the Seer 2 Chron. 19. 2. Wouldst thou help the wicked and love them that hate the Lord Therefore for this thing the wrath of the Lord is upon thee What then may they look for who like the Laodiceans are lukewarm neither hot nor cold altogether indifferent whether they be Papists or Protestants prepared to shift their Religion as the humour of the Successor shall happen such as are not asham'd to declare beforehand that they had rather be Papists than joyn with any of the Reformed Protestant Churches beyond the Seas that scoff at the very name Protestant and make it the best part of their Religion to swear and damn and rail against and persecute all those pious peaceable Protestants that cannot suppose it be through the error or weakness of their Conscience come up to the usage of some insignificant Ceremonies acknowledged to be indifferent though otherwise sound in their Faith Loyal to their King readily paying all Taxes useful to the publick and peaceable to their Neighbors whilst at the same time these high soaring Nominal Sons of the Church of England as they love to stile themselves though there is scarce one in forty of them but either is ignorant of or does not believe her Articles shall speak well of applaud and caress Papists and argue for their Principles and extenuate for their Treasons c. what shall we say of such people The Lord Rebuke them But least we should seem Fanatical in this assertion that the Faith of Rome is to be refused on pain of Damnation we shall here add some Testimonies of the Reverend Fathers and Divines of the Church of England 1. The famous Jewel in the defence of his Apology part 6. Ca. 22. Div. 2. We have departed saith he speaking of the Church of Rome from them who have utterly forsaken the Catholick Faith 2. Dr. Reynolds Conclus 5. The Church of Rome is not distemper'd with a little-Ague such as hindreth not greatly the functions of life
acknowledge him the said Sigismund as King But before this Treaty was fully perfected Ziska dies Some say that he should bequeath his Skin to make a Drum of or that his followers should carry it about with them thinking thereby to fright their Enemies but this I conceive but a Fable and yet 't is little more than what our valiant King Edw. the 1 st did who on his Death-bed commanded that his Bones well boil'd from the flesh should in a fit Vessel be carried about by his Son 'till he had Conquer'd the Scots telling his Son that as long as he had his Fathers Bones with him none should overcome him This is certain that after his Death the Bohemians call'd themselves Orphans as having lost the common Father of their Country man nor will it be amiss to insert here his Epitaph written on his Tomb in the City of Tabor as we find it before the History of the Abbot of Vrsperge I John Ziska rest here in the skill of Military Affairs not inferiour to any of the Emperours or famous Captains of old A severe scourge of the pride and covetousness of Clergy-men and a most valiant Defender of my Country That which Appius Claudius being blind did for the Romans in well counselling and furious Camillus in valiantly exploiting the same have I done for my Bohemians I was never wanting to the good fortune of the war nor it to me I have foreseen though blind all advantages and opportunities of well doing and with Ensigns display'd have fought eleven times in the open Field ever victorious It seemed to me most fit and honourable to take in hand the most just cause of the miserable and hungry against the delicate fat and full-cram'd Priests and in this doing I have found the assistance of God giving a Blessing to my arms if their envy had not hindred it no doubt I should have merited to be numbred amongst the illustrious men nevertheless my Bones lye here in this sacred place without asking the Pope any leave and in spight of his Teeth John Ziska the Bohemian an Enemy of Priests that are covetous of dishonest gain but in a godly zeal After his death the Pope and Emperour thinking the Hussites much discouraged thereby as in truth they were sent several great Armies against them but still they were strangely discomfited for the Bohemians saith Monstrelet feared neither death nor torments their very Women took arms and fought and the dead Bodies of many of that Sex were found amongst the slain in several Battels Wherefore being not able to extirpate them by War they are invited to come in order to hearing their demands and giving them satisfaction to the Council of Basil Indeed most of the Bohemian Churches being sensible of the perfidious treachery used to Huss and Jerome at Constance were loth to send any Deputies thither but the Nobility over-rul'd the matter that some should be dispatcht to render a Reason for the Innovations in Religion laid to their charge Commissioners were therefore chosen and sent amongst whom the most eminent were John Rokizane of Prague and Nicholas Episcopius of the Taborens both famous Divines and of the Nobility Procopius the General of the Taborens and William Rastka Baron of Postupiez and others who being honourably conducted in their passage and courteously received at Basil They declared that at Constance they had been condemn'd unheard though they held nothing but according to the Scriptures and then exhibited the four Requests and Articles following desiring that the Council would grant them or allow them to defend them by Argument 1. That the use of the Cup may be restored to the people and that the Service of the Church might be in their own Tongue 2. That Clerks or Ministers might usurp no Authority in Seculars 3. That the word of God might be freely Preached without disturbance 4. That there may be publick punishment of publick offences These Articles being read the Popes Legate demanded if they had nothing else to propound because he had heard it reported that they affirmed that the Orders of Monks were from the Devil Procopius made answer from whence else I pray can they derive their original which was instituted neither by the Patriarchs nor Prophets neither by Christ nor his Apostles However a Conference was appointed and 40 days some say 50 the Disputation lasted and when the Bohemians could not be confuted by Arguments they were at last wheadled into a composition John Rokisane being himself corrupted with the hopes of an Arch-bishoprick seduced others of the Commissioners and so matters were subtilly carried that leave being given by the Council that they should enjoy the use of the Cup in other matters they were brought to consent These four Articles with some Explanations were afterwards named the Concord and Commissioners were sent into Bohemia from the Council and Emperour to declare that Realm was received again into the Bosome of the Church and a Diet being there Assembled on that occasion Rokisane very rhetorically explained and magnified the benefits of this agreement whereby so much War Bloodshed and Devastation as otherwise might have happen'd to the Kingdom was prevented and now he was pleased to mention the Pope and Cesar in other Language than heretofore when he was wont to stile the one the Whore and the other the Beast This Rokisane continued a pitiful Hypocrite long after and at last died uncomfortably Anno 1471. The craft of the Council in granting the Cup to the Bohemians provided in all other things they would submit was considerable for hereby they set at variance the Calixstines and the Taborites and consequently prevented all their further endeavours of Reformation and the pure professors of the Gospel henceforwards were as much hated and persecuted by those that enjoy'd the use of the Cup as by those that disown'd it It was no little grief to many especially of the zealous Taâ—orites to depart in this manner from the Doctrine and Discipline of Christ delivered to them by Huss and return again to the profession of the Church of Rome nor could they ever be wholly brought over to embrace it but the truth has remained still amongst them and great Persecutions have they suffered even to our times as by the History thereof brought down to the year 1632. and Printed at London Anno 1650. appears To return to the Council of Basil the other most material Decrees they made were 1. That no Actions Suits or Controversies should by Appeals be carried up to be decided in the Courts at Rome which were above four days distant from thence 2. A Regulation of the Cardinals that they should not be above 24 in number and to exclude the Popes Nephews and Kindred from that office 3. Against the payment of Annals or first fruits to the Pope 4. Against Priests keeping Concubines 5. They brought two new Holy-days into the Church viz. The Conception and the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary As long as