ann 1059 that the Pope shall afterward be created by the suffrages of the Cardinall bishops of Rome with the consent of the rest of the cleargie and people and the Emperour himselfe and all Popes are excommunicate accursed as Antichristes that enter otherwise as al now doe Ioachimus Abbas saith Antichrist was long since borne in Rome and shall be yet aduanced higher in the APOSTOLIC◠SEE Petracrh saith Once Rome now Babylon And Ireneus booke 5. chap. last said before all these that Antichrist should be Lateinus a Romane Again this cōmandemēt must not so much be vnderstoode of a bodily departure in respect of cohabitatiō presence as of a spirituall seperatiō in respect of faith religion And the meaning of the holy Ghost is that men must depart from the Romish Church in regard of Iudgememt and doctrine in regard of their faith and the worship of God Thus then wee see that the words containe a commandement from God inioyning his Church and people to make a separation from Babylon Whence I obserue That all those who will be saued must depart and seperate themselues from the faith and religion of this present Church of Rome And whereas they are charged with scisme that seperate on this manner the truth is they are not scismatikes that doe so because they haue the commandement of God for their warrant and that partie is the scismatike in whome the cause of this separation lieth and that is in the church of Rome namly the cup of abomination in the whores hand which is their hereticall and scismaticall religion Nowe touching this dutie of seperation I meane to speake at large not standing so much to prooue the same because it is euident by the text as to shew the manner and measure of making this separation therin I will handle two things First how farforth we may ioyne with them in the matter of religion secondly how farforth and wherein wee must dissent and depart from them And for this cause I meane to make choice of certaine points of religion and to speake of them in as good order as I can shewing in each of them our consent and difference the rather because some harpe much vpon this string that a vnion may be made of our two religions and that we differ not in substance but in points of circumstance The first point wherewith I meane to beginne shall be the point of Freewill though it be not the principall 1. Our consent Free will both by them and vs is taken for a mixt power in the minde and will of man whereby discerning what is good and what is euill he doth accordingly choose or refuse the same I. Conclus Man must be considered in a foure-fold estate as he was created as he was corrupted as he is renewed as he shalbe glorified In the first estate we ascribe to mans will libertie of nature in which he could will or nill either good or euill in the third libertie of grace in the last libertie of glorie All the doubt is of the second estate and yet therein also we agree as the conclusions following will declare II. Conclus The matters where about freewill is occupied are principally the actions of men which be of three sorts naturall humane spirituall Naturall actions are such as are cōmon to men with beasts as to eate drinke sleepe heare see smell taste and to mooue from place to place in all which we ioyne with the Papists and holde that man hath free will and euen since the fall of Adam by a naturall power of the minde doth freely performe any of these actions or the like III. Conclus Humane actions are such as are common to all men good and bad as to speake and vse reason the practise of all mechanicall and liberall artes and the outwarde performance of civill and ecclesiasticall duties as to come to the Church to speake and preach the worde to reach out the hande to receiue the sacrament and to lende the eare to listen outwardly to that which is taught And hither we may referre the outward actiōs of civill vertues as namely Iustice temperance gentlenes liberalitie And in these also we ioyne with the church of Rome say as experience teacheth that men haue a naturall freedome of will to put them or not to put them in execution Paul saith Rom. 2. 14. The Gentiles that haue not the law doe the things of the law BY NATVRE that is by naturall strength and he saith of himselfe that before his conuersion touching the righteousnes of the law he vvas vnblame able Phil. 3. 6. And for this externall obedience naturall men receiue rewarde in temporall things Mat. 6. 5. Ezech. 29. 19. And yet here some caueats must be remēbred I. that in humane actions mans will is weake and feeble and his vnderstanding dimme darke and thereupon he often failes in them And in all such actions with Augustine I vnderstand the wil of man to be onely woūded or halfe dead II. That the will of man is vnder the will of God and therefore to be ordered by it as Ieremie saith chap. 10. v. 23. O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in man to walke or direct his steppes IIII. Conclus The third kind of actions are spirituall more neerely concerning the heart and conscience and these be two fold they either concerne the kingdome of darknes or else the kingdome of God Those that concerne the kingdome of darknes are sinnes properly and in these we likewise ioyne with the Papists teach that in sinnes or euill actions man hath freedome of will Some peraduenture will say that we sinne necessarily because he that sinneth can not but sinne and that freewill and necessitie can not stand togither Indeede the necessitie of compulsion or coaction and freewill can not agree but there is another kinde of necessitie which may stand with freedome of will for some things may be done necessarily and also freely A man that is in close prison must needes there abide and cannot possibly get forth and walke where he will yet can he mooue himselfe freely and walke within the prison so likewise though mans wil be chained naturally by the bonds of sinne therefore cannot but sinne and thereupon sinneth necessarily yet doth it also sinne freely V. Conclus The second kind of spirituall actions or things concerne the kingdome of God as repentance faith the conuersion of a sinner new obedience and such like in which we likewise in part ioyne with the Church of Rome and say that in the first conuersion of a sinner mans freewill concurres with Gods grace as a fellowe or co-worker in some sort For in the conuersion of a sinner three things are required the word Gods spirit and mans will for mans will is not passiue in all and euery respect but hath an action in the first conuersion and change of the soule When any
be gathered and beleeued not vpon bare tradition but from the very bookes themselues on this manner Let a man that is indued with the spirit of discerning read the seuerall bookes withall let him consider the professed author thereof which is God himselfe and the matter therein contained which is a most diuine and absolute truth full of pietie the manner and forme of speach which is full of maiestie in the simplicitie of words The ende wherat they wholly aime which is the honour and glorie of God alone c. and he shall be resolued that Scripture is Scripture euen by the Scripture it selfe Yea and by this meanes he may discerne any part of Scripture from the writings of men whatsoeuer Thus then scripture proves it selfe to be scripture and yet we dispise not the vniversall consent or tradition of the Church in this case which though it doe not perswade the conscience yet is it a notable inducement to mooue vs to reverence and regard the writings of the Prophets Apostles It will be said where is it written that scripture is scripture I answer not in any one particular place or book of scripture but in euery line and page of the whole bible to him that can read with the spirit of discerning can discerne the voice of the true pastour as the sheep of Christ can doe Obiect III Some bookes of the canon of the scripture are lost as the booke of the warres of God Num. 21. 14. The booke of the iust Iosua 10 13. the bookes of Cronicles of the kings of Israel and Iuda 1. King 14. 19. the books of certain prophets Nathan Gad Iddo Ahiah and Semiah and therefore the matter of these bookes must come to vs by tradition Ans. Though it be graunted that some bookes of Canonicall scripture be lost yet the scripture still remaines sufficient because the matter of those bookes so farforth as it was necessarie to saluation is contained in these bookes of scripture that are now extant Again I take it to be a truth though some thinke otherwise that no part of the Canon is lost for Paul saith what soeuer things were written aforetime vvere written for our learning that vve through patience and comfort of the Scriptures c. Rom. 15. 4. Where he takes it for graunted that the whole canon of holy Scripture was then extant For if he had thought that some books of scripture had beene lost he would haue said whatsoeuer was written and is now extant was written for our learning and comfort For bookes that are lost serue neither for learning nor comfort Againe to hold that any bookes of scripture should be lost calls into question Gods prouidence and the fidelity of the Church who hath the bookes of God in keeping and is therefore called the pillar and ground of truth And touching the bookes before mentioned I answere thus The booke of the warres of God Num. 21. 14. might be some short bill or narration of things done among the Israelites which in the daies of Moses went from hand to hand For sometime a booke in scripture signifieth a roule or Catalogue as the first chapter of Mathew which containeth the genealogie of our Sauiour Christ is called the booke of the generation of Iesus Christ. Againe the booke of the iust and the bookes of Chronicles which are said to be lost were but as the Chronicles of England are with vs euen politike recordes of the acts and euentes of things in the kingdome of Iuda and Israel out of which the Prophets gathered things necessarie to be knowne and placed them in holy scripture As for the bookes of Iddo Ahiah Semiah Gad and Nathan they are contained in the bookes of the Kings and Chronicles and in the bookes of Samuel which were not written by him alone but by sundry prophets 1. Chr. 29. 29. as also was the booke of Iudges As for the books of Salomon which are lost they did not concerne religion and matters of saluation but were concerning matters of philosophy and such like things Obiect IV. Moses in Mount Sina beside the written lawe receiued from God a more secret doctrine which he neuer writ but deliuered by tradition or worde of mouth to the Prophets after him and this the Iewes haue now set down in their Cabala Ans. This indeede is the opinion of some of the Iewes whome in effect and substance sundrie Papists follow but we take it for no better then a Iewish dotage For if Moses had known any secret doctrine beside the written law he would neuer haue giuen this commandement of the said lawe thou shalt not adde any thing thereto Obiect V. Heb. 5. 12. Gods worde is of two sortes milke and strong me at By milke we must vnderstand the word of God written wherein God speakes plainely to the capacitie of the rudest but strong meate is vnwritten traditions a doctrine not to be delivered vnto all but to those that growe to perfection Ansvv. We must knowe that one and the same word of God is milke and strong meate in regard of the manner of handling and propounding of it For beeing deliuered generally and plainely to the capacity of the simplest it is milke but beeing handled particularly and largely and so fitted for men of more vnderstanding it is strong meate As for example the doctrine of the creation of mans fall and redemption by Christ when it is taught ouerly and plainely it is milke but when the depth of the same is throughly opened it is strong meate And therefore it is a conceit of mans braine to imagine that some vnwritten word is meant by strong meat Obiect VI. Sundrie places of Scripture be doubtfull and euery religion hath his seuerall exposition of them as the Papists haue theirs and the Protestants theirs Now then seeing there can be but one truth when question is of the interpretation of scripture recourse must be had to the tradition of the Church that the true sense may be determined and the question ended Ans. It is not so but in doubtfull places Scripture it selfe is sufficient to declare his owne meaning first by the analogie of faith which is the summe of religiō gathered out of the clearest places of scripture secondly by the circumstances of the place and the nature and signification of the wordes thirdly by conference of place with place By these and like helpes contained in scripture we may iudge which is the truest meaning of any place Scripture it selfe is the text and the best glosse And the scripture is falsly tearmed the matter of strife it being not so of it selfe but by the abuse of man And thus much for our dissent concerning traditions wherein we must not be wauering but steadfast because notwithstāding our renouncing of popery yet popish inclinations and dispositions be rise among vs. Our common people maruelously affect humane traditions yea mans nature is inclined more to be pleased with them then with the word of God The feast
in effect is the doctrine of master Caluin that when we begin by faith to knowe somewhat and haue a desire to learne more this may be tearmed an vnexpressed faith Secondly this point of doctrine serues to rectifie and in part to expound suudrie catechismes in that they seeme to propound faith vnto men at so high a reach as fewe can attaine vnto it defining it to be a certen and full perswasion of Gods loue and fauour in Christ whereas though euery faith be for his nature a certen perswasiō yet onely the strong faith is the full perswasion Therefore faith is not only in general tearms to be defined but also the degrees and measures thereof are to be expounded that weak ones to their comfort may be truely informed of their estate And though we teach there is a kinde of implicite faith which is the beginning of true and liuely faith yet none must herevpon take an occasion to content themselues therwith but labour to increase and go on from faith to faith and so indeed will euery one do that hath any beginnings of true faith be they neuer so little And he which thinks he hath a desire to beleeue and contents himselfe therewith hath indeede no true desire to beleeue The difference The pillars of the Romish Church laies downe this ground that faith in his owne nature is not a knowledge of things to be beleeued but a reuerent assent vnto them whether they be knowne or vnknowne Herevpon they build that if a man knowe some necessarie points of religion as the doctrine of the godhead of the trinity of Christs incarnation and of our redemption c. it is needelesse to knowe the rest by a particular or distinct knowledge and it suffiseth to giue his consent to the church and to beleeue as the pastors beleeue Beholde a ruinous building vpon a rotten foundation for faith containes a knowledge of things to be beleeued and knowledge is of the nature of faith and nothing is beleeued that is not knowne Isai 53. 11. The knowledge of my righteous seruant shall iustifie many Ioh. 17. 2. This is eternall life to knowe the eternall God and whome thou hast sent Iesus Christ. In these places by knowledge is meant faith grounded vpon knowledge whereby we knowe and are assured that Christ and his benefits belong vnto vs. Secondly this kinde of assent is the mother of ignorance For when mē shall be taught that for sundrie points of religion they may beleeue as the Church beleeues that the studie of the Scriptures is not to be required of them yea that to their good they may be barred the reading of them so be it they know some principall things contained in the articles of saith that common beleeuers are not bound expressely to beleeue all the articles of the Apostles Creed that it suffiseth them to beleeue the articles by an implicite faith by beleeuing as the Church beleeueth fewe or none will haue care to profit in knowledge And yet Gods commaundement is that we should grow in knowledge and that his word should dwell plenteously in vs Col. 3. 16. Again the Papists say that the deuotion of the ignorant is often seruice better accepted then that which is done vpon knowledge Such say they as pray in latine pray with as great consolation of spirit with as little tediousnes vvith as great deuotion and affection and oftentimes more then the other and alwaies more then any scismaticke or hereticke in his owne language To conclude they teach that some articles of faith are beleeued generally of the whole Church onely by a simple or implicite saith which afterward by the Authoritie of a generall Counsell are propounded to be beleeued of the Church by expresse faith Rofsensis against Luther giues an example of this when he confesseth that Purgatorie was little knowne at the first but was made known partly by Scripture and partly by reuelation in processe of time This implicite saith touching articles of religion we reiect holding that all things concerning faith and manners necessarie to saluation are plainely expressed in Scripture and accordingly to be beleeued The seuenteenth point Of Purgatorie Our consent We holde a Christian Purgatorie according as the word of God hath set downe the same vnto vs. And first of all by this Purgatorie we vnderstand the afflictions of Gods children here on earth Ier. 3. The people afflicted say thou hast sent a fire into our bones Psal. 65. 12. We haue gone through water and fire Malach. 3. 3. The children of Levi must be purified in a purging fire of affliction 1. Pet. 1. 7. Afflictions are called the fierie triall wherby men are clensed from their corruptions as gold from the drosse by the fire Secondly the bloode of Christ is a purgatorie of our sinnes 1. Ioh. 1. 7. Christs bloode PVRGETH vs frō all our sinnes Hebr. 9. 14. It PVRGETH our consciences from deade workes And Christ baptiseth with the holy Ghost and with fire because our inward washing is by the blood of Christ and the holy Ghost is as fire to consume and abolish the inward corruption of nature To this effect saith Origen Without doubt vve shall feele the vnquenchable fire vnles wee shall novv intreat the Lord to sende downe from heauen a purgatorie fire vnto vs vvhereby vvorldly desires may be vtterly consumed in our mindes August Suppose the mercy of God is thy purgatorie The difference or dissent We differ from the Papists touching purgatorie in two things And first of all for the place They holde it to be a part of hell into which an entrance is made onely after this life we for our parts denie it as hauing no warrant in the worde of God which mentioneth onely two places for men after this life heauen and hell with the two-folde condition thereof ioy and torment Luk. 16. 25 26. Ioh. 3. 36. Apoc. 22. 14 15. and 21. 7 8. Matth. 8. 11. Nay we finde the contrarie Rev. 14. 13. they that die in the Lord are said to rest from their labours which cannot be true if any of them goe to purgatorie And to cut off all cauills it is further said their works that is the reward of their works follow them euen at the heeles as an Acoluth or seruant doth his master Augustin saith wel After this life there remaines no compunction or SATISFACTION And Here is all remission of sinne here be temptations that mooue vs to sinne lastly here is the euill from which we desire to be deliuered but there is NONE OF AL THESE And We are not here without sinne but vve shall GOE HENCE VVITHOVT SINNE Cyril saith They which are once dead can adde nothing to the things which they haue done but shall REMAINE AS THEY VVERE LFFT and vvaite for the time of the last iudgement Chrysostome After the ende of this life there be NO OCCASIONS of merits Secondly we differ from them
they worshippe not images but God and Saints in images for neither God nor the Saints doe acknowledge this kinde of honour but they abhorre it Whence it followes necessarily that they worshippe nothing beside the image or the deuise of their owne braine in which they faine to them selues such a God as will be worshipped and receiue our praiers at images It will be saide that the Papists doe no otherwise tie the worship and inuocation of God to images then God tied himselfe to the sanctuarie and the temple of Salomon And I say againe it was the will of God that he would shewe his presence and be worshipped at the Sanctuarie and the Iewes had the warrant of Gods word for it but we haue no like warrant either by promise or commandement to tie Gods presence to an image or crucifix Againe reason yet further may discouer their idolatrie They which worship they know not what worship an idol but the Papists worship they know not what I proue it thus To the coÌ„secratioÌ„ of the host there is required the intention of the priest at the lest vertually as they say if this be true it follows that none of theÌ„ can come to the Masse or praie in faith but he must alwaies doubt of that which is lifted vp by the haÌ„ds of the priest in the masse whether it be bread or the body and blood of Christ. For none can haue any certeÌ„ty of the intention of the priest in consecrating this bread and this wine but rather may haue a iust occasion of doubting by reason of the common ignorance and loosenes of life in such persons Thirdly the commaundement touching the Sabbath giues a libertie to worke sixe daies in the ordinarie affaires of our callings and this libertie cannot be repealed by any creature The Church of Rome therfore erreth in that it prescribeth set and ordinarie â—â—stiuall daies not onely to God but also to Saints inioyning them as straitly and with as much solemnitie to be obserued as the Sabbath of the Lord. Fourthly the third commandement or as they say the fourth inioynes children to obey father and mother in all things specially in matters of moment as in their marriage and choise of their callings and that euen to death and yet the Church of Rome against the intent of this commandement allowes that clandestine marriages and the vowe of religion shall be in force though they be without and against the consent of wise and careful parents Fiftly the last commandement of lust forbids the first motions to sinne that are before consent I prooue it thus Lusting is forbidden in the former commandements as well as in the last yea lusting that is ioyned with consent as in the commandement thou shalt not commit adulterie is forbidden lusting after our neighbours wife and in the next lusting after our neighbours goods c. Now if the last commandement also forbid no more but lust with consent it is confouÌ„ded with the rest and by this meanes there shal not be ten distinct words or commandements which to say is absurd it remaines therfore that the lust here forbidden goes before consent Againe the Philosophers knewe that lust with consent was euil euen by the light of nature but Paul a learned Pharise and therefore more then a philosopher knewe not Lust to be sinne that is forbidden in this commandement Rom. 7. Lust therefore that is forbidden here is without consent Wicked then is the doctrine of the Romane Church teaching that in euery mortall sinne is required an act commanded of the will and hence they say many thoughts against faith and vncleane imaginations are no sinnes 6 Lastly the words of the second commandement And shew mercy to thousands on them that loue me and keepe my commandements ouerthrowes all humane merits For if the reward be giuen of mercy to them that keepe the lawe it is not giuen for the merit of the worke done To come to the third part of the Catechisme the Lords praier is a most absolute and perfect forme of praier For which cause it was called of Tertullian the Breuiarie of the Gospell and Caelestinus saith the lawe of praying is the law of beleeuing and the lavv of vvorking Nowe in this praier we are taught to direct our prayers to God alone Our father c and that onely in the name and mediation of Christ. For God is our father onely by Christ. It is needles therefore to vse any inuocation of Saints or to make them our Mediatours of intercession vnto God and it is sufficient if we pray onely vnto God in the name of Christ alone 2. In the fourth petition we say thus Giue vs our daily bread In which words we acknowledge that euery morsell of bread is the meere gift of God VVhat madnes then is it for vs to thinke that we should merit the kingdome of heauen by works that can not merit so much as bread 3 In the next petition Forgiue vs our debts foure opinions of the Romane religion are directly ouerthrowne The first is concerning humane Satisfactions For the childe of God is here after his conuersion taught to humble himselfe day by day and to praie for the pardon of his daily sinnes now to make satisfaction and to sue for pardon be contrary The second opinion here ouerthrowne is touching merits For we doe acknowledge our selues to be debters vnto God yea bankrupts and that beside the maine summe of many thousand talents we daily increase the debt therefore we can not possiby merit any of the blessings of God It is meere madnes to thinke that they which cannot pay their debts but rather increase them day by day should deserue or purchase any of the goods of the creditors or the pardon of their debts if any fauour be shewed them it comes of merre good-will without the least desert In a word this must be thought vpon that if al we can doe will not keepe vs from increasing the maine summe of our debt much lesse shall we be able by any merit to diminnish the same By good right therefore doe all the seruants of God cast downe themselues and praie Forgiue vs our debts The 3. opinion is that punishment may be retained the fault being wholly remitted but this cannot stand for here sinne is called our debt because by nature we owe vnto God obedience for the defect of this paiment we further owe vnto him the forfiture of punishment Sinne then is called our debt in respect of the punnishment And therefore when we pray for the pardon of sinne we require the pardon not onely of fault but of the whole punishment And when a debt is pardoned it is absurd to thinke that the least paiment should remaine The fourth opinion is that a man in this life may fulfill the lawe whereas in this place euery seruant of God is taught to aske a daily pardoÌ„ for the breach of the law Answer is made that our daily sinnes are
A Reformed Catholike OR A DECLARATION SHEWING HOW NEERE WE MAY COME TO THE PRESENT Church of Rome in sundrie points of Religion and vvherein we must for euer depart from them with an Advertisment to all fauourers of the Romane religion shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme PRINTED BY JOHN LEGAT Printer to the Vniuersitie of Cambridge 1598. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVL SIR WILLIAM BOWES KNIGHT c. Grace and peace RIght Worshipfull it is a notable pollicie of the deuil which he hath put into the heades of sundrie men in this age to thinke that our religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance and that they may be reunited as in their opinion they were before Writings to this effect are spread abroad in the French tōgue respected of English Protestants more thē is meete or ought to be For let men in shew of moderation pretend the peace and good estate of the Catholike Church as long as they will This vnion of the two religions can neuer be made more then the Vnion of light darknes And this shall appeare if we doe but a litle consider how they of the Romane church haue rased the foundation For though in words they honour Christ yet in deede they turne him into a Pseudo-Christ and an Idol of their owne braine They call him our Lord but with this condition that the Seruant of Seruants of this Lord may change and adde to his commaundements hauing so great a power that he may open and shut heauen to whome he will binde the very conscience with his owne laws and consequently be partaker of the spirituall kingdome of Christ. Againe they call him a Sauiour but yet in Vs in that he giues this grace vnto vs that by our merits we may be our owne Sauiours and in the want of our owne merits we may partake in the merits of the Saints And they acknowledge that he Died and Suffred for vs but with this caueat that the Fault beeing pardoned we must satisfie for the temporall punishment either in this worlde or in Purgatorie In a word they make him our Mediatour of Intercession vnto God but withal his Mother must be the Queene of heauen and by the right of a mother commaund him there Thus in word they crie Osanna but in deed they crucifie Christ. Therfore we haue good cause to blesse the name of God that hath freed vs from the yoke of this Romane bondage hath brought vs to the true light liberty of the gospel And it should be a great height of vnthankfulnesse in vs not to stand out against the present church of Rome but to yeeld our selues to plottes of reconciliation To this effect and purpose I haue penned this little Treatise which I present to your Worship desiring it might be some token of a thankefull minde for vndeserued loue And I craue withall not onely your Worshipfull which is more common but also your Learned protection being wel assured that by skill and arte you are able to iustifie whatsoeuer I haue truly taught Thus wishing to you and yours the continuance and the increase of faith and good conscience I take my leaue Cambr. Iune 28. 1597. Your VVorships in the Lord William Perkins THE AVTHOR TO THE Christian Reader BY a Reformed Catholike I vnderstand any one that holds the same necessarie heades of religion vvith the Romane Church yet so as he pares off and reiects all errours in doctrine vvhereby the said religion is corrupted Hovv this may be done I haue begunne to make some little declaration in this small Treatise the intent whereof is to shevve howe neere we may come to the present Church of Rome in sundrie points of religion and wherein we must for euer dissent My purpose in penning this small discourse is threefold The first is to confute all such Politikes as holde and maintaine that our religion and that of the Romane Church differ not in substance and consequently that they may be reconciled yet my meaning is not here to condemne any Pacification that tends to perswade the Romane church to our religion The second is that the papists which thinke so basely of our religion may be wonne to a better liking of it when they shall see how neare we come vnto them in sundrie points The third that the common protestant might in some part see and conceiue the point of difference betvveene vs and the Church of Rome an◠knovv in what manner and hovv far forth vve condemne the opinions of the said Church I craue pardon for the order vvhich I vse in handling the seuerall points For I haue set them downe one by one as they came to minde not respecting the laws of methode If any Papist shall say that I haue not alleadged their opinions aright I ansvver that their bookes be at hand and I can iustifie what I haue said Thus crauing thine acceptation of this my paines and wishing vnto thee the increase of knowledge and loue of pure and sound religion I take my leaue and make an ende The places of doctrine handled are 1 Of Free-will pag. 11 2 Of Originall sinne 28 3 Assurance of Saluation 38 4 Iustification of a sinner 61 5 Of merits 103 6 Satisfactions for sinne 117 7 Of Traditions 134 8 Of Vowes 151 9 Of images 170 10 Of Real-presence 185 11 The sacrifice of the Masse 204 12 Of Fasting 221 13 The State of perfection 232 14 Worshipping of Saints departed 245 15 Intercession of Saints 258 16 Implicite faith 266 17 Of purgatorie 278 18 Of the Supremacie 283 19 Of the efficacie of the Sacraments 297 20 Of Faith 305 21 Of Repentance 316 22 The sinnes of the Romane church 331 REVELAT 18. 4. And I heard another voyce from heauen say Goe out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sinnes and receiue not of her plagues IN the former chapter S. Iohn sets down a description of the whore of Babylon and that at large as he sawe her in a vision described vnto him In the sixteenth verse of the same chapter he foretells her destruction and in the three first verses of this 18. chapter he goeth on to propound the said destruction yet more directly and plainly withall alleadging arguments to prooue the same in all the verses following Now in this fourth verse is set downe a caueat seruing to forewarne all the people of God that they may escape the iudgement which shall befall the whore and the wordes containe two parts a commandement and a reason The commandement Come out of her my people that is from Babylon The reason taken from the euent least ye be partakers c. Touching the commandement first I will search the right meaning of it and then set downe the vse thereof and doctrine flowing thence In historie therefore are three Babylons mentioned one is Babylon of Assyria standing on the riuer
an Idol And Isidore saith that the heathen vsed the names of image and idol indifferently in one and the same signification And S. Steuen in his apologie Act. 7. 41. calls the golden calfe an Idol Hierome saith that idols are images of dead men Ancient Diuines accorde with all this which I haue said Lactantius saith Inst. lib. 2. cap. 19. Where images are for religions sake there is no religion The Councel of Elibera can 36. decreed that nothing should be painted on the walls of Churches which is adored of the people Origen We suffer not any to worship Iesus at altars images and temples BECAVSE IT IS VVRITTEN Thou shalt haue none other Gods And Epiphanius saith It is against the authoritie of the Scriptures to see the image of Christ or of any Saints hanging in the Church In the seauenth Councel of Constantinople these wordes of Epiphanius are cited against the Encratitae Be mindfull beloued children not to bring images into the Church nor set them in the places where the Saintes are buried BVT ALVVAIES CARRIE GOD IN YOVR HE ARTS neither let them be suffered in any common house for it is not meete that a Christian should be occupied by the eyes but by the meditation of the minde Arguments of the Papists The reasons which they vse to defend their opinions are these I. In Salomons temple were erected Cherubins which were Images of angels on the Mercieseat where God was worshipped and thereby was resembled the maiestie of God therefore it is lawefull to make images to resemble God Ansvv. They were erected by speciall commandement from God who prescribed the very forme of them and the place where they must be set and thereby Moses had a warrant to make them otherwise he had sinned let them shewe the like warrant for their images if they can Secondly the Cherubins were placed in the holy of holies in the most inward place of the Temple and consequently were remoued from the sight of the people who onely heard of them none but the high priest saw them and that but once a yeare And the Cherubins without the vayle though they were to be seene yet were they not to be worship ped Exo. 20. 4. Therfore they serue nothing at all to iustifie the images of the Church of Rome Obiect II. God appeared in the forme of a man to Abraham Gen. 18. 1 â—3 and to Daniel who sawe the auncient of daies sitting on a throne Dan. 9. Nowe as God appeared so may he be resembled therefore say they it is lawful to resemble God in the forme of a man or any like image in which he shewed himselfe to men Ans. In this reason the proposition is false for God may appeare in whatsoeuer forme it pleaseth his maiestie yet doth it not followe that man should therefore resemble God in those formes man hauing no libcrtie to resemble him in any forme at all vnles he be commanded so to doe Againe when God appeared in the forme of a man that forme was a signe of Gods presence onely for the time when God appeared and no longer as the bread and wine in the sacrament are signes of Christs body and blood not for euer but for the time of administration for afterward they become againe as common bread and wine And when the Holy Ghost appeared in the likenes of a dove that likenesse was a signe of his presence no longer then the holy Ghost so appeared And therefore he that would in these formes represent the Trinitie doth geeatly dishonour God and do that for which he hath no warrant Obiect III. Man is the image of God but it is lawfull to paint a man and therefore to make the image of God Ans. A very cavill for first a man cannot be painted as he is the image of God which standes in the spirituall gifts of righteousnes and true holines Againe the image of a man may be painted for ciuil or historicall vse but to paint any man for this ende to represent God or in the way of religion that we may the better remember and worship God it is vnlawfull Other reasons which they vse are of small moment and therefore I omit them II. Differ They teach and maintaine that images of God and of Saintes may be worshipped with religious worship specially the crucifixe For Thomas of Watering saith Seeing the crosse doth represent Christ who died vpon acrosse and is to be worshipped with diuine honour it followeth that the crosse is to be worshipped so too We on the contrarie hold they may not Our principall ground is the second commandement which containeth two parts the first forbiddeth the making of images to resemble the true God the second forbids the worshipping of them or God in them in these wordes Thou shalt not bowe downe to them Now there can be no worship done to any thing lesse then the bending of the knee Againe the brasen serpent was a type or Image of Christ crucified Ioh. 3. 14. appointed by God himselfe yet when the people burned incense to it 2. King 18. 4. Hezekias brake it in pieces and is therefore commended And when the deuill bad our Sauiour Christ but to bow downe the knee vnto him and he would giue him the whole world Christ reiects his offer saying Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue Math. 4. 10. Againe it is lawfull for one man to worship another with ciuill worship but to worship man with religious honour is vnlawfull For all religious worship is prescribed in the first table and the honour due to man is onely prescribed in the second table and the first commandement thereof Honour thy father which honour is therefore ciuill and not religious Now the meanest man that can be is a more excellent image of God then all the images of God or of Saints that are deuised by men Augustine and long after him Gregorie in plaine tearmes denieth images to be adored The Papists defend their opinions by these reasons I. Psal. 99. 5. Cast downe your selues before his foot stoole Ans. The words are thus to be read Bow at his foot stoole that is at the Arke and Mercyseat for there he hath made a promise of his presence the wordes therefore say not bovv to the Arke but to God at the Arke Obiect II. Exod. 3. 5. God saide to Moses Stand a farre off and put off thy shooes for the place is holy Now if holy places must be reuerenced then much more holy images as the crosse of Christ and such like Ansvv. God commanded the cermony of putting off the shooes that he might thereby strike Moses with a religious reuerence not of the place but of his owne maiestie whose presence made the place holy Let them shewe the like warrant for images III. Obiect It is lawfull to kneele downe to a chaire of estate in the absence of the king or Queene therefore much more to the images of
God and of Saints in heauen glorified being absent from vs. Ans. To kneele to the chaire of estate is no more but a ciuill testimony or signe of ciuill reuerēce by which all good subiects when occasion is offered shewe their loyaltie and subiection to their lawfull princes And this kneeling being on this manner and to no other end hath sufficient warrant in the word of God But kneeling to the image of any Saint departed is religious and consequently more then ciuill worship as the Papists themselues confesse The argument then prooueth nothing vnlesse they will keepe themselues to one and the same kind of worship III. Differ The Papists also teach that God may be lawfully worshipped in images in which he hath appeared vnto mem as the Father in the image of an old man the Sonne in the image of a man crucified and the Holy Ghost in the likenes of a doue c. But we hold it vnlawfull to worship God in by or at any image for this is the thing which as I haue prooued before the second commandement forbiddeth And the fact of the Israelites Exod. 32. in worshipping the golden calfe is condemned as flat idolatrie albeit they worshipped not the calfe but God in the calfe for v. 5. Aaron saith To morrovve shall be the solemnitie of Iehovah whereby he doth giue vs to vnderstand that the calfe was but a signe of Iehouah whome they worshipped Obiect It seemes the Israelites worshipped the calfe For Aaron faith vers 4. These be thy Gods O Israel that brought thee out of Egypt Ansvv. Aarons meaning is nothing els but that the golden calfe was a signe of the presence of the true God And the name of the thing signified is giuen to the signe as vpon a stage he is called a King that representes the King And Augustine saith that images are wont to be called by the names of things whereofthey are images as the counterfeit of Samuel is called Samuel And we must not esteeme them all as madde men to thinke that a calfe made of their earings beeing but one or two daies olde should be the God that brought them out of Egypt with a mightie hand many daies before And these are the points of difference touching Images wherein we must stand at varience for euer with the Church of Rome For they erre in the foundation of religion making indeede an idol of the true God and worshipping an other Christ then we doe vnder new tearmes maintaining the Idolatry of the heathen And therefore haue we departed from them and so must we still doe because they are Idolaters as I haue prooued The X. point Of reall presence Our consent I. We holde and beleeue a presence of Christs bodie and bloode in the Sacrament of the Lords supper and that no fained but a true and reall presence which must be considered two waies first in respect of the signes secondly in respect of the communicants For the first we hold and teach that Christs bodie and bloode are truly present with the bread and wine being signes in the sacrament but how not in respect of place of coexistence but by sacramentall relation on this manner When a word is vttered the sound comes to the eare and at the same instant the thing signified comes to the minde and thus by relation the word and the thing spoken of are both present together Euen so at the Lords table bread and wine must not be considered barely as substances and creatures but as outward signes in relation to the bodie and blood of Christ and this relation arising from the very institution of the Sacrament standes in this that when the elements of bread wine are present to the hand and to the mouth of the receiuer at the very same time the bodie and bloode of Christ are presented to the minde thus and no otherwise is Christ truly present with the signes The second presence is in respect of the communicants to whose beleeuing hearts he is also really present It will be said what kinde of presence is this Ans. Such as the communion in the sacrament is such is the presence and by the communion must we iudge of the presence Nowe the communion is on this manner God the father according to the tenour of the Euangelicall couenant giues Christ in this sacrament as really and truly as any thing can be giuen to man not by part and peecemeale as we say but whole Christ God and man on this sort In Christ there be two natures the godhead and manhood The godhead is not giuen in regard of substance or essence but onely in regard of efficacie merits and operation conueied thence to the manhood And further in this sacrament Christs whole manhood is giuen both bodie and soule in this order First of all is giuen the verie manhoode in respect of substance and that really secondly the merits benefites thereof as namely the satisfaction performed by and in the manhoode to the iustice of God And thus the intire manhood with the benefits thereof are giuen wholly and ioyntly together For the two distinct signes of bread and wine signifie not two distinct giuings of the bodie apart and the blood apart but the full and perfect nourishment of our soules Againe the benefites of Christs manhoode are diuersly giuen some by imputation which is an action of God accepting that which is done by Christ as done by vs and thus it hath pleased God to giue the passion of Christ his obedience Some againe are giuen by a kind of propagation which I cannot fitly expresse in tearms but I resemble it thus As one candle is lighted by an other one torch or candle-light is conuaied to twentie candles euen so the inherent righteousnes of euery beleeuer is deriued from the storehouse of righteousnes which is in the manhood of Christ for the righteousnes of all the members is but the fruit thereof euen as the naturall corruption in all mankinde is but a fruit of that originall sinne which was in Adam Thus we see how God for his part giues Christ and that really To proceede when God giues Christ he giues withall at the same time the spirit of Christ which spirit creates in the heart of the receiuer the instrument of true faith by which the heart doth really receiue Christ giuen of God by resting vpon the promise which God hath made that he will giue Christ and his righteousnesse to euery true beleeuer Now then when God giues Christ with his benefits and man for his part by faith receiues the same as they are giuen there riseth that vnion which is betweene euery good receiuer and Christ himselfe Which vnion is not forged but a reall true and neare coniunction nearer then which none is or can be because it is made by a solemne giuing and receiuing that passeth betweene God and man as also by the bond of one and the same spirit To come then to the point considering
present yet was he not actually offered till the fulnes of time came and once offering of himselfe he remaineth a priest for euer al other priests beside him are superfluous his one offering once offered beeing all-sufficient The twelfth point Of fasting Our consent Our consent may be set downe in three conclusions I. We doe not condemne fasting but maintain three sorts therof to wit a morall ciuill and a religious fast The first being moral is a practise of sobrietie or temperance when as in the vse of meates and drinkes the appetite is restrained that it doe not exceede moderation And this must be vsed of all Christians in the whole course of their liues The second beeing ciuill is when vpon some particular and politicke considerations men abstaine from certaine meates as in this our common-wealth the Law inioynes vs to abstaine from flesh-meat at certain seasons of the yere for these special ends to preserue the breed of cattell and to maintaine the calling of the fisherman The third namely a religious fast is when the duties of religion as the exercise of prayer and humilatiō are practised in fasting And I doe now specially intreat of this kind Conclus II. We ioyne with them in the alloweance of the principall and right endes of a religious fast and they are three The first is that thereby the minde may become attentiue in meditation of the duties of godlinesse to be performed The second is that the rebellion of the flesh may be subdued for the flesh pampered becomes an instrument of licentiousnes The third and as I take it the cheefe ende of a religious fast is to professe our guiltinesse and to testifie our humiliation before God for our sinnes and for this ende in the feast of Nineve the very beast was made to abstaine Conclus III. We yelde vnto them that fasting is an helpe and furtherance to the worship of God yea a good worke also if it be vsed in a good manner For though fasting in it selfe being a thing indifferent as eating and drinking are is not to be tearmed a good worke yet being applyed and considered in relation to the right endes before spoken of and practised accordingly it is a worke allowed of God and highly to be esteemed of all the seruants and people of God The difference or dissent Our dissent from the Church of Rome in the doctrine of fasting standes in three things I. They appoint prescribe set times of fasting as necessarie to be kept but we hould and teach that to prescribe the time of a religious fast is in the libertie of the Church and the gouernours thereof as special occasiō shall be offered When the disciples of Iohn asked Christ why they and the Pharises fast often but his disciples fasted not he answered Can the children of the marriage chamber mourne as long as the bridegrome is with them but the daies will come when the bridgrome shall be taken away from them and THEN SHALL THEY FAST Math. 9. 15. where he giues them to vnderstand that they must fast as occasiōs of mourning are offered Where also I gather that a set time of fasting is no more to be inioyned then a set time of mourning It was the opinion of Augustine that neither Christ nor his Apostles appointed any times of fasting and Tertullian saith that they of his time fasted of their owne accords freely without lawe or commandement as occasions and times serued And Eusebius saith that Montanus was the first that made laws of fasting It is obiected that there is a set time of fasting prescribed Lev. 16. 29. Ans. This set and prescribed fast was commanded of God as a part of the legall worship which had his ende in the death of Christ therefore it doth not iustifie a set time of fasting in the new testament where God hath left man to his owne libertie without giuing the like commandement It is againe alleadged that Zacharie 7. 5. there were set times appointed for the celebration of religious fasts vnto the Lord the fifth and the seauenth moneths Ans. They were appointed vpon occasion of the present afflictions of the Church in Babylon and they ceased vpon their deliuerance The like vpon like occasion may we appoint It is further obiected that some Churches of the Protestants obserue set times of fasting Ansvv. In some Churches there be set daies and times of fasting not vpon necessitie or for conscience or religions sake but for politicke or ciuill regardes whereas in the Romish Church it is held a mortall sinne to deferre the set time of fasting till the next day following Secondly we dissent from the Church of Rome touching the manner of keeping a fast For the best learned among them allow the drinking of wine water electuaries that often within the compasse of their appointed fast yea they allowe the eating of one meale on a fasting day at noon tide and vpō a reasonable cause one houre before the time of fasting not yet ended But this practise indeede is absurd contrarie to the practise of the old testament yea it doth frustrate the end of fasting For the bodyly abstinence is an outward meanes and signe whereby we acknowledge our guiltines and vnworthines of any of the blessings of God Againe they prescribe a difference of meates as white-meat onely to be vsed on their fasting daies and that of necessity and for conscience sake in most cases But we hold this distinction of meates both to be foolish and wicked Foolish because in such meats as they prescribe there is as much filling and delight as in any other meates as namely in fish fruits wine c. which they permit And its against the end of a religious fast to vse any refreshing at all so farre as necessitie of health and comelines will permit Thus the Church in times past vsed to abstain not onely frō meat drinke but from all delights whatsoeuer euen from soft apparel and sweet ointments Ioel 2. 15. Sanctifie a fast let the BRIDGROME GOE FORTH OF HIS CHAMBER and the bride out of hir bride chamber Dan. 10. 3. I eate no PLEASANT bread neither came FLESH NOR VVINE within my mouth neither did I ANNOINT my selfe at all till three weekes of daies were fulfilled 1. Cor. 7. 5. Defraud not one an other EXCEPT it be with consent for a time that ye may giue your selues to FASTING and praier Againe we hold this practise to be wicked because it taketh away the libertie of Christiās by which vnto the pure all things are pure And the Apostle Gal. 5. bids vs to standfast in this libertie which the Church of Rome would thus abolish For the better vnderstanding of this let vs consider howe the Lord himselfe hath from the beginning kept in his owne handes as a master in his owne house the disposition of his creatures for the vse of man that he might depend on him and his word for
when we doe things prescribed in the way of counsell we may profit our selues and merit therby But this answer doth not stand with reason For things commanded in that they are commaunded are more excellent then things left to our libertie because the will and commaundement of God giues excellencie and goodnes vnto them Againe counsells are thought to be haâ—der then the commandements of the law and if men can not profit themselues by obedience of moral precepts which are more easie much lesse shall they be able to profit theÌ„selues by counsells which are of greater difficultie Reason IV. If it be not in the abilitie and power of man to keepe the law then much lesse is he able to doe any worke that is beyond and aboue all the law requireth but no man is able to fulfill the lawe and therefore no man is able to supererrogate Here the Papists deny the proposition for say they though we keepe not the lawe yet we may doe things of counsell aboue the lawe and thereby merit But by their leaues they speake absurdly for in common reason if a man faile in the lesse he cannot but faile in the greater Now as I haue said in popish doctrine it is easier to obey the moral lawe then to performe the counsells of perfection Obiections of Papists I. Isaie 56. 4. The Lord saith vnto Eunuches that keepe his sabbath and choose the thinge that pleaseth him will he giue a place a name better then the sonnes and daughters Now say they an Eunuch is one that liues a single life and keepes the vow of chastitie herevpon he is said to deserue a greater measure of glory Ans. If the wordes be well considered they prooue nothing lesse for honour is promised to Eunuches not because they make and performe the vowe of single life but because as the text saith they obserue the Lordes Sabbath and chose the thing that pleaseth God and keepe his couenant which is to beleeue the word of God to obey the commandements of the morall lawe Obiect II. Mat. 16. 12. Christ saith There are some which haue made themselues chast for the kingdome of heauen therefore the vowe of single life is warrantable and is a worke of speciall glorie in heauen Ans. The meaning of this text is that some hauing receiued the gift of continencie doe willingly content themselues with single estate that they may with more libertie without distraction further the good estate of the Church of God or the kingdome of grace in themselues and others This is all that can be gathered out of this place hence therefore cannot be gathered the merit of euerlasting glorie by single life Obiect III. Math. 9 21. Christ saith to the young man If thou wilt be perfect goe sell that thou hast and giue to the poore and thou shalt haue treasure in heauen Therefore say they a man by forsaking all may merit not onely heauen but also treasure there that is an exceeding measure of glorie Ans. This young man beeing in likelihoode a most strickt Pharise thought to merit eternall life by the workes of the law as his first question imporieth Good master what shall I doe to be saued and therefore Christ goeth about to discouer vnto him the secret corruption of his heart and herevpon the words alledged are a commandement of triall not common to all but special to him The like commandement gaue the Lord to Abraham saying Abraham take thine onely sonne Isaac and offer him vpoÌ„ the mountaine which I shall shewe thee Gen. 12. 2. IV. Obiect 1. Cor. 7. 8. Paul saith It is good for all to be single as he was and v. 38. he saith it is better for virgins not to marry and this he speakes hy permission not by commandement v. 26. Ans. Here single life is not preferred simply but onely in respect of the present necessitie because the Church was then vnder persecution and because such as liue a single life are freed from the cares and distractions of the world V. Obiect 1. Cor. 9. 15. 17. 18. Paul preached that excelled in faith in the times of the olde and new testament II. They are to be honoured by giuing of thankes to God for them and the benefits that God vouchsafed by them vnto his Church Thus Paul saith that when the Churches heard of his conuersion they glorified God for him or in him Gal. 1. 13. And the like is to be done for the Saints departed III. They are to be honoured by an imitation of their faith humilitie meekenesse repentance the feare of God all good vertues wherin they excelled For this cause the examples of godly men in the old and new testament are called a cloud of witnesses by allusion for as the cloud did guide the Israelites through the wildernes to the land of Canaan so the faithful now are to be guided to the heauenly Canaan by the examples of good men that haue beleeued in God before vs and haue walked the strait way to life euerlasting Concl. II. Againe their TRVERELIQVES that is their vertues and good examples left to all posteritie to be followed we keepe and respect with due reuerence Yea if any man can shewe vs the bodily relique of any true Saint and prooue it so to be though we will not worship it yet will we not despise it but keepe it as a monument if it may conueniently be done without offence And thus farre we consent with the church of Rome Further we must not goe The dissent Our difference stands in the manner of worshipping of Saints The Papists make two degrees of religious worshippe The highest they cal Latria whereby God himselfe is worshipped and that alone The second lower then the former is called Doulia whereby the Saints and Angells that be in the speciall fauour of God and glorified with euerlasting glorie in heauen are worshipped This worshippe they place in outward adoration in bending of the knee and bowing of the bodie to them beeing in heauen in invocation whereby they call vpon them in dedication of Churches and houses of religion vnto them in sabbathes and festiuall daies lastly in pilgrimages vnto their reliques images We likewise distinguish adoration or worship for it is either religious or civill Religious worship is that which is done to him that is Lord of all things the searcher and trier of the heart omnipotent euery where present able to heare and helpe them that call vpon him euery where the author and first cause of euery good thing and that simply for himselfe because he is absolute goodnes it selfe And this worship is due to God alone being also commaunded in the first and second com mandements of the first table Ciuill worship is the honour done to men set above vs by God himselfe either in respect of their excellent gifts or in respect of their offices authoritie whereby they gouerne others The right ende of this worship is to testifie and declare that we
as God Therfore neither Saint nor Angel is to be honoured so much as with the bowing of the knee if it carrie but the least signification of diuine or religious honour Reason IV. The iudgement of the auncient Church August We honour the Saints with charitie and not BY SERVITVDE neither doe vve erect Churches to them And Let it NOT BE RELIGION for vs to vvorship deade men And They are to be honoured for immitation and not to be adored for religion Epiphan Neither Tecla nor any Saint is to be ADORED for that auncient ERROVR may not ouerrule vs that vve should leaue the liuing God and adore things made by him Againe Let Marie be in honour let the Father Sonne and holy Ghost be adored let NONE ADORE MARIE I meane neither vvoman nor man Againe Marie is beautifull and holy and honoured yet NOT TO ADORATION Whē Iulian obiected to the Christians that they worshipped their Martyrs as God Cyril graunts the memorie and honour of them but denies their adoration and of inuocation he makes no mention at all Ambrose on Rom. 1. Is any SO MADDE that he vvill giue to the Earle the honour of the King yet these men doe not thinke them selues guiltie who giue the honour of Gods name to a creature and leauing the Lord ADORE THEIR FELLOVV SERVANTS as though there vvere any thing more reserued for God Obiections of Papists I. Gen. 48. 16. Let the angel that kept me blesse thy children Here say they it is a praier made to angels Ans. By the angel is meant Christ who is called the angel of the couenant Malac. 3. 1. and the angel that guided Israel in the wildernes 1. Cor. 10. 9. compared with Exod. 23. 20. Obiect II. Exod. 23. 13. Moses praieth that God would respect his people for Abrahams sake and for Isaac and Israel his seruants which were not then liuing Ans. Moses praieth God to be mercifull to the people not for the intercession of Abraham Isaac and Iacob but for his couenants sake which he had made with them Psal. 123. 10 11. Againe by popish doctrine the fathers departed knewe not the estate of men vpon earth neither did they pray for thē because then they were not in heauen but in Limbo patrum III. Obiect One liuing man makes intercession to God for another therefore much more doe the Saints in glorie that are filled with loue pray to God for vs and we pray to them no otherwise then we desire liuing men to pray for vs. Ans. The reason is naught for we haue a commandement one liuing man to pray for another and to desire others to pray for vs but there is no warrant in the word of God for vs to desire the praiers of men departed Secondly there is great difference betweene these two To request our friend either by word of mouth or by letter to pray for vs and by Inuocation to request them that are absent from vs and departed this life to pray for vs for this is indeede a worshippe in which is giuen vnto them a power to heare and helpe all that call vpon them at what place or time soeuer yea though they be not present in the place in which they are worshipped and consequently the seeing of the heart presence in all places an infinite power to helpe all that pray vnto them which things agree to no creature but God alone Thirdly when one liuing man requests an other to pray for him he onely makes him his companion and fellowe member in his prayer made in the name of one mediatour Christ but when men inuocate Saints in heauen they beeing then absent they make them more then fellowe members euen mediatours between Christ and them The XU. point Of intercession of saints Our consent Our consent with them I will set downe in two conclusions Conclus I. The saints departed pray vnto God by giuing thankes vnto him for their owne redemption and for the redemption of the whole Church of God vpon earth Rev. 5. 8. The foure beasts and the foure and twentie Elders fell dovvne before the lambe 9. and they song a new song Thou art worthie to take the booke and to open the seales thereof because thou wast killed and hast redeemed vs to God 13. And all the creatures which are in heauen heard I saying Praise and honour and glorie and povver be vnto him that sitteth vpon the throne and vnto the Lambe for euermore II. Conclus The Saints departed pray generally for the state of the whole Church Rev. 6. 9. And I savv vnder the Altar the soules of them that were killed for the vvord of God THEY CRIED 10. How lōg Lord holy and true dost thou not iudge and auenge our blood on them that dvvell on the earth whereby we see they desire a finall deliuerance of the Church and a destruction of the enemies thereof that they themselues with all the people of God might be aduanced to fulnesse of glorie in bodie and soule Yea the dumbe creatures Rom. 8. 23. are said to grone and sigh waiting for the adoption euen the redemption of our bodies much more then do the Saints in heauen desire the same And thus farre we consent The dissent or difference They holde and teach that the Saints in heauen as the virgin Marie Peter Paul c. doe make intercession to God for particalar men according to their seuerall wants and that hauing receiued particular mens praiers they present them vnto God But this doctrine we flatly renounce vpō these grounds and reasons I. Isai 63. 16. The church saith to God doubtles thou art our father though ABRAHAM BE IGNORANT of vs and Israel KNOVVE VS NOT. Now if Abraham knewe not his posteritie neither Marie nor Peter nor any other of the Saints departed knowe vs and our estate and consequently they cannot make any particular intercession for vs. If they say that Abraham Iacob were thē in Limho which they will haue to be a part of hell what ioye could Lazarus haue in Abrahams bosome Luc. 16. 25. and with what comfort could Iacob say on his death bed O Lord I haue waited for thy saluation Gen. 46. 18. II. Reason 2. King 22. 20. Huldah the prophetesse telleth Iosias he must be gathered to his fathers and put in his graue in peace that his eyes may not see all the euill which God would bring on this place Therefore the Saints departed see not the state of the Church on earth much lesse doe they knowe the thoughts and prayers of men This conclusion Augustine confirmeth at large III. Reason No creature Saint or angell can be a mediatour for vs to God sauing Christ alone who is indeede the onely Aduocate of his church For in a true and sufficient Mediatour there must be three properties First of all the worde of God must reueale and propound him vnto the Church that we may in conscience be assured that praying to him and to god in his name
time of their sufferings confirmed themselues against the crueltie of persecuters by setting the feare of hell before thier eyeis Abuses touching Confession are these The first is that they vse a forme of confession of their sinnes vnto God vttered in an vnknown language being therefore foolish and ridiculous withall requiring the aide and intercession of dead men and such as be absent whereas there is but one Mediatour between God man the man Iesus Christ. The second is that they in practise make coÌ„fession of their sinnes not onely to God but to the Saints departed in that they make praier to them in which they aske their intercession for the pardon of their sinnes and this is not onely to match them with God in seeing and knowing the heart but also to giue a part of his diuine worship vnto them The third and principall abuse is that they haue corrupted Canonicall confession by turning it into a priuate auricular confession binding all men in conscience by a lawe made to confesse all their mortall sinnes withall circumstances that change the kinde of the sinne as farre as possibly they can remember once euery yeare at the least and that to a priest vnlesse it be in the case of extreame necessitie But in the word of God there is no warrant for this confession nor in the writings of Orthodoxe antiquitie for the space of many huÌ„dred yeares after Christ as one of their owne side auoucheth And the commandement of the holy Ghost confesse one for an other and pray one for an other Iam. 5. 17. bindes as well the priest to make confession vnto vs as any of vs to the priest And whereas it is said Math 3. that many were baptised confessing their sinnes and Act. 19. 18. Many that beleeued came and confessed and shewed their workes the confession was voluntarie and not constrained it was also generall and not particular of all and euery sinne with the necessarie circumstances thereof And in this libertie of confession the Church remained 1200. yeares till the Councell of Lateran in which the lawe of auricular confession was first inacted beeing a notable inuention seruing to discouer the secrets of men and to inrich that couetous and ambitious See with the reuenewes of the world It was not knowne to Augustine when he saide What haue I to doe with men that they should heare my confessions as though they should heale all my diseases nor to Chrysostome when he saith I do not compell thee to confesse thy sinnes to others And If thou be ashamed to confesse them to any man because thou hast sinned say them daily in thine ovvne minde I doe not bidde thee confesse them to thy fellow seruant that he should mocke thee confesse them to God that cureth them The abuse of satisfaction is that they haue turned canonicall satisfaction which was made to the congregation by open offenders into a satisfaction of the iustice of God for the temporall punishment of there sinnes Behold here a most horrible prophanation of the whole Gospell and specially of the satisfaction of Christ which of it selfe without any supplie is sufficient euery way for the remission both of fault and punishment But of this point I haue spoken before Hitherto I haue handled and prooued by induction of sundrie particulars that we are to make a seperatioÌ„ from the present church of Rome in respect of the foundation and substance of true religion Many more things might be added to this uery purpose but here I conclude this first point adding onely this one caueat that we make separation from the Romane religion without hatred of the persons that are maintainers of it Nay we ioyne in affection more with them then they with vs. They die with vs not for their religion though they deserue it but for the treasons which they intend and enterprise we are readie to doe the duties of loue vnto them inioyned vs in the word we reuerence the good gifts of God in many of them we pray for them wishing their repentance and eternall saluation Now I meane to proceede and to touch briefly other points of doctrine contained in this portion of Scripture which I haue now in hand In the second place therefore out of this commaundement Goe out of her my people I gather that the true Church of God is and hath bin in the present Romane church as corne in the heape of chaffe Though Poperie raigned and ouerspread the face of the earth for many hundred yeares yet in the middest thereof God reserued a people vnto himselfe that truly worshipped him and to this effect the holy Ghost saith that the dragon which is the deuill caused the woman that is the Church to flie into the wildernes where he sought to destroy hir but could not and shee still retaines a REMNANT OF HIR SEEDE which keepe the commaundements of God and haue the testimonie of Iesus Christ. Now this which I speake of the Church of Rome cannot be saide in like manner of the congregations of Turkes and other infidels that the hidden Church of God is preserued among them because there is no meanes of saluation at all whereas the church of Rome hath the Scriptures though in a strange language and baptisme for the outward forme which helpes God in all ages preserued that his elect might be gathered out of the middest of Babylon This serues to stop the mouthes of Papists which demand of vs where our church was fourscore years agoe before the daies of Luther whereby they would insinuate to the world that our church and religion is greene or newe but they are answered out of this very text that our Church hath euer beene since the daies of the Apostles and that in the very middest of the papacie It hath bin alwaies a Church did not first begin to be in Luthers time but onely then began to shew it selfe as hauing bin hid by an vniuersall Apostasie for many hundred yeares together Againe we haue here occasion to consider the dealing of God with his owne Church and people He will haue them for externall societie to be mixed with their enemies and that for speciall purpose namely to exercise the humilitie and patience of his few seruants When Elias saw Idolatrie spred ouer all Israel he went a part into the wildernes and in griefe desired to die And Dauid cried out Woe is me that I am constrained to dvvell in Mesheck and to haue my habitation in the tents of Kedar Psal. 120. 5. And iust Lot must haue his righteous soule vexed with seeing and heaâ—ing the abhominations of Sodome Thirdly by this commandement we are taught what opinion to carrie of the present Church of Rome It is often demaunded whether it be a Church or no and the answer may hence be formed on this manner If by this Church be vnderstoode a state or regiment of the people whereof the Pope is head and the members are all such
least he partakes in the sinnes and punishments thereof Indeede to goe vpon ambassage to any place or to trauell for this ende that we may performe the necessarie duties for our speciall or generall callings is not vnlawfull but to trauell out of the precincts of the church onely for pleasures sake and to see strange fashions hath no warrant And hence it is that many men which goe forth in good order well minded come home with crased consciences The best traueler of all is he that liuing at home or abroad can goe out of himselfe and depart from his own sinnes corruptions by true repentance FINIS An advertisment to all fauourers of the Roman religion shewing that the said religion is against the Catholike principles and grounds of the Catechisme GReat is the number of them that embrace the religion of the present church of Rome being deceiued by the glorious titles of Vniuersalitie Antiquity Successiō And no doubt though sōe be wilfully blinded yet many deuoted this way neuer saw any other truth Nowe of them and the rest I desire this fauour that they will but way and ponder with themselues this one thing which I will nowe offer to their considerations and that is That the Romane religion nowe stablished by the councell of Trent is in the principall points thereof against the very grounds of the Catechisme that haue beene agreed vpon euer since the daies of the Apostles by all Churches These groundes are fowre the first is the Apostles Creede the second is the decalogue or ten cōmandements the third is the forme of praier called the Lords praier the fourth is the Institutiō of the two Sacramēts baptisme and the Lords supper 1. Cor. 11. 23. That I may in some order manifest this which I say I will beginne with the Symbole or Creed And first of all it must be considered that some of the principall doctrines beleeued in the Church of Rome are that the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the vicar of Christ the head of the Catholike church that there is a fire of purgatorie after this life that images of God and Saints are to be placed in Churches and worshipped that praier is to be made to Saints departed and their intercession to be required that there is a propitiatory sacrifice daily offered in the masse for the sinnes of the quicke and the dead These points are of that moment that without them the Roman religion cannot stand in the councel of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpō all such as deny these or any of them And yet marke the Apostles creede which hath bin thought to containe all necessarie points in religion to be beleeued and hath therefore beene called the Kay and rule of faith this creed I say hath not any of these points nor the Expositions made thereof by the ancient fathers nor any other creed or confession of faith made by any councell or Church for the space of many hundred yeares This a plaine proofe to any indifferent man that these be new articles of faith neuer known in the Apostolike Church and that the fathers and Councells could not finde any such articles of faith in the bookes of the olde and new Testement Answere is made that all these points of doctrine are beleeued vnder the articles I beleeue the Catholike Church the meaning whereof they will haue to be this I beleeue all things which the catholike Church holdeth and teacheth to be beleeued If this be as they say we must needes beleeue in the Church that is put our confidence in the Church for the manifestation and the certentie of all doctrines necessarie to saluation and thus the eternall truth of God the Creator shall depend on the determination of the creature and the written word of God in this respect is made vnsufficient as though it had not plainely reuealed all points of doctrine pertaining to saluation And the ancient Churches haue bin farre ouerseene that did not propounde the former points to be beleeued as articles of faith but left them to these latter times 2. In this Creede to beleeue in God and to beleeue the church are distinguished To be leeue in is pertaining to the Creatour to beleeue to the creature as Ruffinus hath noted when he saith that by this proposition in the Creatour is distinguished from the creature and things pertaining to God from things pertaining to men And Augustine saith It must be knowne that we must beleeue the Church NOT BELEEVE IN THE CHVRCH because the church is not God but the house of God Hence it followes that we must not beleeue in the Saints nor put our confidence in our workes as the learned Papists teach Therefore Eusebius saith We ought of right to beleeue Peter and Paul but to beleeue in Peter Paul that is to giue to the seruants the houour of the Lord we ought not And Cyprian saith He doth not beleeue in God which doth not place in him alone the trust of his whole felicitie 3. The article conceiued by the holy ghost is ouerturned by the transubstantiation of bread and wine in the masse into the body and blood of Christ. For here we are taught to confesse the true and perpetuall incarnation of Christ beginning in his conception and neuer ending afterward and we acknowledge the truth of his manhoode and that his bodie hath the essentiall properties of a true bodie standing of flesh and bone hauing quantitie figure dimensions namely length breadth thicknes hauing part out of part as head out of feet and feet out of head beeing also circumscribed visible touchable in a word it hath all things in it which by order of creation belong to a bodie It will be said that the body of Christ may remaine a true bodie and yet be altered in respect of some qualities as namely circumscription But I say againe that locall circumscription can no way be seuered from a bodie it remaining a bodie For to be circumscribed in place is an essentiall propertie of euery quantitie and quantitie is the common essence of euerie bodie And therefore a bodie in respect of his quantitie must needes be circumscribed in one place This was the iudgement of Leo when he saide The bodie of Christ is by no meanes out of the truth of our bodie And Augustine when he saide ONELY God in Christ so comes that he doth not depart so returnes that he doth not leaue vs but man according to bodie is in place and goes out of the same place and when he shall come vnto an other place HE IS NOT IN THAT PLACE VVHENCE HE COMES To helpe the matter they vse to distinguish thus Christs bodie in respect of the whole essence thereof may be in many places but not in respect of the whole quantitie whereby it is onely in one place But as I haue saide they speake contraries for quantitie by all learning is the essence of a
veniall and not against the lawe but beside the lawe But this which they say is against the petition for a debt that comes by forfiture is against the bond or obligation Nowe euery sinne is a debt causing the forfiture of punishment and therefore is not beside but directly against the lawe 4. In this clause as we forgiue our debters it is taken for granted that we may certenly knowe that we are in loue and charitie with meâ— when wâ— make reconciliation why then may not we knowe certenly that we repent and beleeue and are reconciled to God which all Romane Catholikes denie 5. In the last wordes and lead vs not into temptation we pray not that God should free vs from temptation for it is other whiles good to be tempted Psal. 26. 1. But that we be not left to the malice of Sathan and held captiue of the temptation for here to be bed into temptation and to be deliuered are opposed Now heÌ„ce I gather that he which is the child of God truely iustified and sanctied shall neuer fal wholly and finally from the grace of God and I conclude on this manner That which we aske according to the will of God shall be graunted 1. Ioh. 5. but this the child of God asketh that he might neuer be wholly forsaken of his father and left captiue in temptation This therefore shal be graunted 6 This clause Amen signifies a speciall faith touching all the former petitions that they shall be graunted and therefore a special faith concerning remission of sinnes which the Romane Church denieth To come to the last place to the Institution of the sacrament of the Lords Supper 1. Cor. 11. v 23. In which first of all the Reall presence is by many circumstances ouerthrowne Out of the wordes he tooke and brake it is plain that that which Christ took was not his body because he cannot be said with his owne handes to haue taken held and broken himselfe but the very bread Againe Christ said not vnder the forme of bread or in bread but This that is bread is my body 3. Bread was not giuen for vs but onely the body Christ and in the first institution the body of Christ was not theÌ„ really giuen to death 4. The cup is the newe testament by a figure why may not the bread be the body of Christ by a figure also 5. Christ did eate the supper but not himselfe 6. We are bidden to doe it till he come Christ then is not bodily present 7. Christ bids the bread to be eaten in a remembrance of him but signes of remembrance are of things absent 8. If the Popish reall presence be granted then the body blood of Christ are either seuered or ioyned together If seuered then Christ is still crucified If ioyned together then the bread is both the body blood of Christ whereas the institution saith the bread is the body and the wine is the blood 2 Againe here is condemned the administration of the sacrament vnder one onely kind For the commandement of Christ is drinke ye all of this Math 26. 27. And this commandement is rehearsed to the Church of Corinth in these wordes do this as oft as ye drinke it in remembrance of me v. 25. And no power can rehearse this commandement because it was established by the soueraigne head of the Church These fewe lines as also the former treatise I offer to the vewe and reeding of them that fauour the Romane religion willing them with patience to consider this one thing that their religion if it were Catholike and Apostolike as they pretend it could not be contrarie so much as in one point to the groundes of all Catechismes that haue beene vsed in all Churches confessing the name of Christ euer since the Apostles daies And whereas it crosseth the said grounds in sundrie points of doctrine as I haue prooued it is a plaine argument that the present Romane religion is degenerate I write not this dispising or hating their persoÌ„s for their religion but wishing vnfainedly their conuersion in this world and their saluation in the world to come FINIS To the Reader Pag. 235. l. 20. I say that Christ obaied the law for him selfe not because he did by his obedience merit his own glorie but because he was to be a perfect and pure high priest not onely in nature but also in life and as he was a creature he was to be conformable to the law Faults to be amended thus Pag. 1. l. 1. for 3. read 4. p. 9. l. 2. read Apostolicke p. 19. l. 17. read formeth and l. 23. read indeauour p. 39. l. last read too p. 48. l. 18. read or p. 55. l. 2. read holy p. 126. l. 2. read be p. 138. l. 13. read pertaining p. 142. l. 23. read matters p. 161. l. 5. read containe and l. last read chastitie p. 168. l. 5. read persecution p. 187. l. 7. read men p. 192. l. last read cannot p. 222. l. 5. read right p. 260. l. 9. read particular p. 265. l. 14. read I thinke p. 284. l. 2. read deputies Faults escaped in the places of Scripture Pag. 1. v. 3. pro 4. p. 4. c. 18. pro 17. p. 6. c. 18. pro 17. p. 7. v. 18. pro 8. p. 19. v. 5. pro 7. p. 22. v 2. pro 1. p. 43. v. 20. pro 28 29. p. 50. v. 21. pro 22. p. 52. v. 36. pro 63. p 75. v. 13. pro 12. p. 127. v. 12. pro 21. p. 135. v. 20. pro 8. p. 139. c. 8. v. 1. pro c. 1. v. 8. p. 164. v. 38. pro 37. p. 227. v. 18. pro 29. o Epist. 17. Eâ—stâ— Paula ad Marcellam Serm. in CaÌ„t. 33. Epist. 125. C. in nomine dist 23. referente Iuello 2 Thess. 2. d ExameÌ„ pacâ—â—qâ—â— imprimè de nou vâ—â—u a Caen 1590. d Hypogn 3. Ser. 15. de verb. Apost de grat â— arbitr 1. c Posse velle actu velle recipere c August de correp grat c. 12. d Epist. 105. e Fulgent lib. Prad f Bernard l. de libâ—ro arbitrio e Aug. contra Iul. l. 5. cap. 3. c ad Valer. lib. 1. c. 24. d Lib. 2. contra Iul. e Tract 42. in Ioh. c quoadimputationem d quoad exâ—â—tiam b contra Iuâ— l. 6. c. 6. e Bellar. l. 3. pag. 1129. cl Gal. 3. 14. Mark 11. 24. 1. Ioh. 5. 14. Ioh. 6. â—6 c de verbis Dei serm 28. d Tract 5. epist. Ioh. Bellar. dâ— Iustif. lib. 2. cap. 7. d Iren. lib. 5. cap. 17. Chrysostom homil ad Neoph. e namely for himself f as any one starre partakes in the whole light of the Sunne with the rest of the starres so farforth as the said light makes it to shine e we haue posse velle he had no more but posse si vellet he wanted velle quod posset August de corrept grat cap. 11. b de verbis Dei serm 7. c