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
fearful Tragedy ensued Our great Grand-mother Eve express'd more than an inclination to Fall in that she presum'd to hold Chat with the Serpent Peter the Champion of our Lord the only man whose Sword was drawn in his Quarrel is so far infected with the Air of the High Priests Hall that as he warmed himself at the Fire so he cool'd in Devotion to his Master till at last he utterly denies him and swears and curses to it like any Tory. Most dangerous it is to come within the smell of false Religion Tertullian in his Book De Coâ—onâ militis cuts off all appearance of Idolatry not permitting Christian Soldiers to wear a Lawrel because Heathen Victinus were encircled with such Garlands etiam Draco Terrenus de longinquo non minus spiritu absorbet Alites faith the same Father The Babylonish Dragon will infect with his Breath even a far off and will you be so fool hardy as to venture into his Don Will any except a mad man run into an house infected to riffle for a rich Suit or dip his hand into a fiery Crucible to pull out Gold or hazard his Soul for acquaintance with all Religions and damn himself in a vain curiosity Fly from Idols is the charge of the Beloved Apostle 1 John 5. 21. I will destroy those saith the Lord by his Prophet Zephaniah 1. 4. that swear by the Lord and Melcham Justly therefore doth rhe Apostle Paul cut off all Association with Idolaters an Association worthy to be abhorr'd by all true Protestants I would not that you should have fellowship with Devils no Society with Devils spiritually by having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness Ephes 5. 11. nor Sacramentally by combining in the practise of a false Religion It carries a special Emphasis Numb 25. 4. That Israel joyned or as som Translations render it coupled himself with Baal-peor and what followed The anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel He that will be safe from the act of evil must wisely prevent the occasions some indeed by a kind of spiritual Antiperistasis have thrived in Religion by being inviron'd with Heresie and Infidelity but these men are presidents for wonder more than Imitation their paths are not for ordinary steps Who dares venture on the mercy of Lions because Daniel in the Den found a guard or commit himself to a flaming Furnace because the Three Children escaped scorching 'T is merey above expectation to deliver that man who willingly casts himself into the mouth of a Temptation To close this Subject let us therefore beware of Blending Religions of thinking at once to serve God and Mammon of being both Papists and Protestants as conveniency serves Those that are neither hot nor cold God will spue them out The Jews might not Plow with an Ox and an Ass in the same Yoak The Church of Galatia might not indure the Co-partnership of the Jewish Ceremonies If Moses and Christ might not stand together much less Christ and Belial the Lords Table and the Altar of Devils Let us be united within our selves and bequeath oppositions to the Monks and persecution to the Inquisition learn manfully and resolutely to defie Rome and Hell come not within the pale or scent of her Idolatry and be ever stedfastly zealous for the Protestant Religion whereof Truth is the circumference and Jesus Christ the Centre This resolution to conclude in the words of Mr. Wotton an eminent Divine in the Church of England will bring safety in peace and in war victory that no ill tidings shall affright you no Plots harm you no losses discourage you no menaces turn you out of the right way the Lord Jesus himself like the Angel in Joshua will march at the Head of your Troops and be as a Cloud to refresh you in the heat of Summer and as a Fire to warm you in the cold of Winter your Swords shall eat the Flesh of your enemies your Pikes and Bullets shall be be drunk with their Blood and Babylon shall be cast like a Milstone into the Sea to the Glory of God that hath appointed her this punishment the increase of Religion the safety of the State and the honour in this Life and everlasting Salvation in the Life to come Necessity of Separation from the Church of Rome p. 295. The COURANT. Truem. PUt case I say that a Gentleman that scarce ever came to Church in almost twenty years together since His Majesties Restauration thinks convenient for Reasons best known to himself to make a Solemn Declaration that he is no Papist c. and that he intends to take the Sacrament upon 't and comes on the Wednesday to the Curate and Church-wardens desiring them to be witnesses and they or one of them knowing him infected with the Itch of Scribling tell him they will sign it but would by no means have their names exposed in Print whereupon he solemnly promises their names shall not be Printed yet on the Saturday following Prints them at large and has them bawl'd about all the Streets see Observ Numb 126. and yet for all this premeditated Breach of Faith at which an Heathen would blush roundly goes next day to the Sacrament What would you think of this man and the credit of his Protestation Tory. I must needs think him a great Knave and his Declaration no more to be credited than a Jesuites under the Gollows Truem. Hold hold or you 'll be Excommunicated at Sam 's why our Old Friend in High Holbourn is the very man Tory. How Nay then the Case is alter'd I 'le lay a wager he 'll deny it Truem. So the Papists do their Plot and so 't is probable he would the Creed when 't is for his advantage but his denial makes it nevertheless a Truth The Gentlemans Trade is Leasing-making and if that were half so Criminal in England as 't is said to be in Scotland he had trudg'd further North-west long ago Tory. Come come we shall have you in the Observator Truem. I value the driv'lings of an Observator no more than Harry Care does the silly Tories impotent malice in burning him in Effigie at Norwich O Heavens how some peoples Fingers itch to be at Fire and Fagot and will play at small games rather than stand out Had not the Writ De Haeretico Comburendo been unluckily abolisht they would no doubt have been glad to have Roasted the poor Fool in bad Earnest yet know no more harm by him than the Man in the Moon only that he has the courage to write against Popery once a week when swarms of Libels and Pamphlets are scattered every day to promote it I had almost said with Impunity Tory. There 's no fear of Popery man hast thou not seen a choice Book Intitutled Plain dealing is a Jewel c. Truem. Yes though like the Pestilence it yet walks in darkness I got a sight of it by the same token the Author p. 15. makes a Solemn Declaration just like
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
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
The said Alexander died when he had held the Chair 8 or 9 Months and Baptista Panaetius of Ferrara a Cardinal in his 56 th Sermon tells us That the said Balthazar caus'd him to be poison'd by Marsilius de Parma his Physician brib'd thereunto with a vast sum of Money on purpose that he himself might follow him in his Papacy And how the said Balthazar got it at last as to the manner is very pleasant for as soon as Alexander was dead being at Bononia and having by his former Administration got the chief Power into his hands he commanded the Cardinals to Elect a Pope such as he might approve of and they offer'd several to him of whom he thought none fit enough At last they requested plainly to shew who he was for Give me then saith he the Cloak of St. Peter a Garment which they fling upon the new elected Pope and I will give it to him that shall be Pope Which being done he put it on his own shoulders and said Papa ego sum It is I am Pope and was as good as his word For tho several of the Cardinals mutter'd and grumbled yet none durst oppose him This Prank of his is credibly related by Johannes Stella in his Book De Pontificibus To fix himself firm in his Seat he courts Sigismund King of Hungary and gets him elected Emperour and summons a Council at Rome where a very odd accident fell out which Nicholas Clemangis Archdeacon of Bayeux a Man famous in those times delivers as follows At the first meeting of the Council Mass being said after the accustomed manner to invocate the Holy Ghost no sooner was the Council sat and Balthazar himself in a Chair provided for him higher than the rest but boâ—eld a dreadful ill-favour'd Screechowl the presage they say of Calamity with an horrible voice flew over their heads and seated her self upon the middle Beam of the Church with her Eyes directly fixt upon the Pope Behold said some of the lewd Italian wits the Spirit in the form of an Owl Balthazar the Pope himself seeing how she glar'd at him at first blusht for shame then began to sweat and by and by in confusion broke up the Council And at the second Session she was there again in the same manner and the Pope would have drove her away by noise and clamours but she would not stir 'till assaulting her with Pikes and Staves having receiv'd several blows she fell down dead before them all THE COURANT. Tory. BUT do'nt you perceive by the last Observator that old Roger has a Months mind to stand next Election one of the Candidates for his n'own Country of Norfolk when it shall please God and the King to bless us with a Parliament Truem. No truly for tho the doting fellow talks a little freakishly yet we understand true English Norfolk Dumplings as well as himself and are satisfied That the generality of Free-holders not only there but throughout the Nation too are to use his own phrase more clarified in their Vnderstandings than to chuse either Knaves or Beggars Besides that Gentleman has the same Antipathy to Parliaments as some folks have to Cats he sweats and swouns and is ready to run away at the sight or very smell on 't Nor has he any reason to ambition a place in an Assembly which he has so grosly and impudently abus'd That when ever They meet he knows his Ears will not be able to make Atonement for the petulancy of his Tongue and the French Itch of his Fingers 'T is true he has already dubb'd himself a Body Politic sometimes his own silly self is forsooth the Government sometimes the Church and in his own conceit makes as great a Figure in the World for Loyalty as Mother Celliers or her younger Sister Mrs. Elianor James with her Sham-Papeâ—s of Adviso's Alas Man he has places enow already is he not Mouth Extraordinary of Faction Principal Forger of Flams and Shams Grand Engineer for Bedaubing all Evidence of the Popish Plot The mighty Artist at Blanching of Blackamoors Supream Scavenger of the Town into whose Cart all the Popish Kennel-rakers that cannot find Stowage in Took and Thompson empty their Durt which he most industriously two or three times a week subtlely unloads at Protestants Doors And then For the whole Gang we hair-brain'd Tories call He 's Knight o' th' Shire and represents you All. Tory. Well! But he tells you the French King does not make all these Advances into Flanders meerly to pick up Cockle-shells or catch Whitings Truem. No I 'le warrant him nor does he contrive the mighty Haven at Dunkirk and expensive Fortifications there to make a Retreat for Herring-Busses But that wise and haughty Monarch has no doubt an Eye on enlarging his Empire and in subserviency thereunto prosecutes the poor Dissenters alià s Huguenots or Protestants within his Dominions that he may the more plausibly engage the Pope to favour his Enterprizes and lull Princes of that Communion asleep Nor is it my business to enquire why the Progress of his Arms were not stopt long since when means however diverted were not wanting or to look over old printed Letters to find who it was talk'd of Interests inseparable This I will only say That whether in other Parts of a different Religion and Interest where a Popish and French Plot is apparently discover'd to be working in their very Bowels it may be of use towards obviating his Designs to divide Protestants and worry one another to the undoing of many thousands nay hundreds of thousands of Families damping of Trade consequently lesseâ—ing the Revenue and embroiling Affairs and all this for a parcel of acknowledg'd Trifles or imaginary Stories forg'd by a knot of ill Men who have no other means to screen themselves from the Justice they apprehend out of conscious Guilt may still be a Question Tory. Pish you are harping on the Popish Plot but the same Author frankly tells you 'T is nothing but a Vision of Dragons in the Moon Truem. Right he 's indeed pleas'd to call it so but I humbly conceive The King the Nation and especially as 't is worded the City has little reason to thank him for that Complement Printed for Langley Curtis 1681-2 The Weekly Pacquet OF Advice from Rome OR The History of POPERY The Fourth Volume FRIDAY Feb. 10. 1681-2 Quem mihi dabis de numero Praelatorum qui non magis invigilet subditorum evacuandis Marsupiis quam extirpandis vitiis Bernard ad Eugen. The calling of the Council of Constance The horrible villainies there prov'd against Pope John he is Deposed A Council is above the Pope The two other Popes likewise casheir'd c. VVE are Remarking on the life of Pope John the 23 d. or 24 th as others call him for the business of Pope Joan has made such a confusion amongst the Johns that the best Historians disagree in their reckoning how he wheadled himself into the Popedom you have heard
to restore them Tolletus the Jesuit in his Instructions for Priests on the Title Excommunication Non tenentur reddere rem verbis contractam They are not bound to make good Contracts with Hereticks Nay the Gloss of their Canon Law in Gratian Caus 15. q. 6. not only justifies the thing but also assigns the reason of it Si Juravi me soluturum alicui pecuniam c. If I have sworn to pay a man Money and he happen to be Excommunicated I am not bound to pay it because we ought by all the means we can to vex ill men that they may repent of their Evil. Very pretty Popish Divinity Cardinal Allen resolves Pater qui filium habet Haereticum c. A Father that has a Son that is an Heretick is bound to disinherit him and Parents sin mortally that bestow their Daughters in marriage to Hereticks And of this too the Gloss of Gratian Decret l. 5. Caus 23. q. 8. gives the reason Because Hereticks are not to be esteem'd our Brothers or Kindred but tho he be the Son of thy Mother or thine own only Child yet according to the Law of old Thy hand must be upon him that thou mayest put him to death According to these Maxims 't is notorious that the Apostate Church of Rome and Papists have acted how often have Popes put Princes upon the breaking of their Treaties Alliances and Covenants How remarkable is that Story of Vladislaus the fifth King of Hungary about the year 1440. who having concluded a Peace with Amurath Emperour of the Turks for ten years space and sworn to keep and observe the same inviolably Eugenius the Fourth who at that time was Pope of Rome hearing thereof writes to Cardinal Julian then resident in Hungary to persuade the King to break that Peace alledging and declaring That no Peace made with the Enemies of Religion and in their esteem Protestants are worse than Turks without first consulting the Pope and having his leave was good or valid And therefore commanded the King to fall into Hostility assuring him That as for his Oath given at the Treaty he had dissolv'd the same Hereupon the King partly by Intreaties and partly by Threats is prevail'd upon to become a most perfidious wretch and to the dishonour of the Christian name treacherously to fall upon the Turk at unawares which Amurath observing and seeing his Forces like to be discomfited he draws forth the Original Articles of their League and looking up to Heaven cries out Haec sunt Jesu Christe Foedera quae Christiani tui mecum percussêre per nomen tuum Sanctè Jurantes Nunc si Deus es tuas measque Injurias te quaeso ulciscere Bonfin l. 3. Aenaeas Sylvius afterwards Pope â—p 81. Spondanus ad Ann. 1444. Behold O Jesus these are the Covenants which thy Christians solemnly swearing by thy name made with me now therefore if thou art a God revenge these Injuries to me and thy self upon their perfidious heads And no sooner had he pronounc'd these words but the success of the Battel was chang'd the Christians put to flight and the perjured King together with the wretched Cardinal that put him upon 't being both slain Pope Innocent the Third in the year 1213. in a Letter to Peter King of Arragon charges him in the name of the Holy-Ghost and as he expected ever to obtain Divine and Apostolical Grace to abandon the people of Tholose certain honest Waldensian Christians of whom in our Third Volume we have given an account nor to afford them any Aid or Countenance as long as they continued in their Heresie Non obstante promissione vel obligation quacúnque praestitâ Notwithstanding any promise or obligation whatsoever before pass'd to the contrary In the Year 1538. Paul the Third sends abroad a Roaring Bull against our King Henry the 8 th wherein he admonishes and requires all Christian Princes That they shall not under pretence of any Leagues or Obligations although corroborated by frequently repeated Oathes yield the said King directly or indirectly any Aid Favour or Assistance and to take them off from any apprehensions of their Duty pretends to Absolve them all from all Oathes or Obligations by them made or to be made and pronounces them to be void and of none effect So likewise Pope Pius Quintus Absolv'd not only all the Subjects of Queen Elizabeth but also Caeteros omnes qui Illi quomodocunque Juraverunt All others who in any manner had sworn unto her After Henry the Third of France was Barbarously Murder'd by Frier Clement all the World knew the Right of the Crown by Lineal Succession and Proximity of Blood belong'd to Henry of Burbon but the Popish Doctors of the Sorbon being intreated by the People of Paris to give their Judgment whether it were Lawful to submit to him They answered That Catholicks by the Divine Law were forbidden to admit to the Kingdom a Sectary and manifest Enemy to the Church That all that should Assist him were guilty of mortal Sin and would infallibly be Damn'd And all that did Resist him unto Blood would dye Martyrs and enjoy an Everlasting Reward in Heaven But to prove That Popish Princes who have made never so fair Promises did notwithstanding Persecute their Protestant Subjects with the greatest Rigour and act quite contrary to those Solemn Engagements our Native Island affords a sad and never to be forgotten Precedent for when the Men of Suffolk upon the pious King Edwards Death requested that bloody bigotted and treacherous Queen Mary to know Whether she would alter the Religion Establish'd in her Brothers days She assur'd them with all Asseverations That she would never make any Innovation or Change but be contented with the private Exercise of her own Religion And on April the 12 th she made a Publick Declaration in Council That although her own Conscience were fixed in matters of Religion yet she would never Inforce her Subjects otherwise than God should put into their Hearts a persuasion of the Truth she was in But no sooner was she settled in her Throne but slighting all these Engagements she no less perfidiously than cruelly fell to Burning her Protestant Subjects purely for their Religion Nay do we not at this Instant see the like Proceedings in our next Neighbouring Country where notwithstanding many Edicts and Solemn Promises Ratified with all the formalities of Perpetual Laws yet the poor Protestants directly contrary to all these Priviledges without any colour or shadow of Crime save only their Religion wherein their Persecutors deal much more Generously than if with fained Accusations and damnable Subornations they should falsly represent them as Rebellious and Disloyal are daily harass'd Ruinated and undone Therefore the General Inference from these Premises is That knowing so well the Principles and Practises of the Romish Church no Protestants or men of sense should ever trust to any though never so plausible Promises of any person of that Communion For with such all the
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
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
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
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