from my familie Haue not I ordained Sacraments for your speciall comfort A Sacrifice c. The Lord Christ HEre you lay vpon your friends a threefold accusation in my name but I haue not accused them of Deniall Contempt and Resistance of God in yeelding to the Profession of a Protestant Your service is not my seruice your Coate my liuerie your Synagogue my familie your pitcht field my Campe and Colours or the Protestants pavilions mine Aduersaries Tents yee are my Adversaries and your Tents are the tents of vngodlines your Campe and Colours are opposite vnto mine To enter your familie to weare your liverie to doe service in your assemblies is to forsake and denie mine But they doe well that doe the contrarie Againe I haue Commanded all my professors to loue mee aboue all to confesse my Name my faith and Church and to striue for the truth even vnto bloud But your Religion is not the Truth your Faith and Church are none of mine so that they cannot despise and disobaye mee that depart froÌ„ you For your 5. 5. SacrameÌ„ts thrust in by papists which Christ never ordained see Sect. 13. Sacraments added vnto my Baptisme and holie Supper I never ordained as necessarie to Salvation or significant symboles of my death Passion Your infernall Sacrifice of the Masse He. 10.10 c. as not onlie an jdle and odious repeticion of my pretious death But a most jmpious and blasphemous derogation from the All-sufficient and eternall merite thereof I hate and abhorr as an Antichristian Idoll They haue doon well that haue with-drawen themselues from it and entred into the Congregations of my faithfull Protestants despizing and refraining your tedious Multiplicitie of Ceremonies altogether ridiculouslie both Superstitious and Profane obseruances for herein they haue honoured and obayed me Lastlie then let other Romanized English bee discomforted let their courage faile and the number decrease on your part let the false-Catholicke cause be weakened and the enemie thereof be fortified they doe well who are a meanes of this and please mee best of all that come from among you so farr it is that they oppugne and assault me The false Embassador Schismatickes wilfully deceaue them selues YOu flatter your selues notwithstanding all these iniuries soothing your consciences c. The Lord Christ NAy never perswade them vnto that For having builded vpon a false foundation how can you choose but inferr a false and presumptuous conclusion Your foundation was that they are * Sect. 1. erring Soules departing from my Church joyning with Heretickes * Sect. 4. denying despizing and oppugning mee which they will never graunt you which I will never yeeld you yet thereof you would haue them to be perswaded And to that end forsooth would rouze vp their Consciences and sound the bottome of their hearts to search and see their dissimulation That they are Romanists in heart and dissemble their faith I cannot approue it that they vnite themselues vnto the Protestants I will not blame it that they doe so onlie in a colour to saue their Lands and goods I doe not justifie it that they therfore must be concluded for deniers despizers oppugners of me The Popish Priest t keth vpon him to judge his brethren contrary to the commandement of Christ Mat 7.1 and my faith of truth in conversing with the Protestants and comming to their Seruice and Churches how should I jnferr it yet you take vppon you to prooue it The false Embassador DOe yee not as Peter denie your selues to bee of my Company c. By Peters denyall is prooued that Schismaticks deny Christ Not contented with eschewing the exercise of the Catholicke faith and participation with the faithfull in profession of conscience yee make no Scruple to frequent the rites of a false beleefe c. The Lord Christ NO sir they doe not Doubtfull Catholicks may come to Protestant Churches to 〈◊〉 theÌ„selues Recusant Papists perseuere in erroneous Contumacie For yee Recusant Papists are none of my companie my followers my inheritance my â—ooke the household of faith my Children and the like as you stile your selues To denie your companie your Religion and false Catholicke Church is not to renounce mee their God Redeemer and Saviour and to denie my holie Name and Maiestie Therefore let this whole comparison betwixt Peters deniall of me and theirs as yee suppose goe for naught and cancelled Onlie I would haue you remember The Pope is onlie the presumed successor of Peter that your holie Father the presumed Successor of this Apostle and all his followers haue learned well his Apostasie but cannot find the waie to returne repent goe out with him weepe bitterlie My blessed * Mat. 16.17 Apostle had hee not slipped from mee in the high Priests Hall * Mat. 26.58 his continuance in the profession of my name had beene true Christian constancie But your perseverance in your erroneous hereticall and jdolatrous course can be no lesse theÌ„ profane contumacie and wicked desperation Happie then are they who eschew the exercise of your Catholicke faith and participation in profession of Conscience with such mis-beleeuers as yee are Happie who frequent the Rites of my true friends the Protestants and partake with them in the sacred profession of their Religion Be it known vnto you Protestants onlie are true Catholicks and to all men They onlie are accepted of me for true Catholicks and remaine firmelie vnited to the Church my Spouse and all the rest whatsoever they professe commit the Acts of heresie Nay are absolutelie either mis-beleevers or vnbeleevers Hereticks of Christendome or Panim Infidels The false Embassador DAre yee then saye that Catholicke Recusants are not my proper flocke c. Schismaticks are not of the Catholike Church The Lord Christ. NAy dare yee saie they are I say they are the heard of Antichrist Recusant Papists Foxes Wolues the wilie * Canti 2.15 Foxes the wild Bores that destroye my vine yea the * Matt 7.15 ravening Wolues that prey vpon the soules of men If your conceaved Schismaticks be not of their band nor members of their Church and brother-hoode it is the better for them For no companie is or can be mine which imbraceth their erroneous and false Catholicke Faith which pursueth their traiterous murderous and vnnaturall course of life The false Embassador The assured ground where-vpoÌ„ Recusants stand REcusants to stand vppon an assured ground none can iustly denie or with reason call their saluation in question who cleaue stedfastlie to their fore-fathers Faith c. First christened Auncestors c. The Lord Christ NO can indeed Ah yee spirits of presumption stand they vpon the assured ground of my Apostles doctrine in my word Popish foundations traditions and shew of Antiquitie No they are weakelie builded vppon the sand of humane traditions Therefore I even I doe call their saluation in question They cleaue not stedfastlie but
stubbornlie to the superstitious Novelties of their late fore-fathers faith who haue departed from the rule of my Religion whereinto their first christened Ancestors were converted by mine Apostles and their Coadjutors And wherein all their godly Predecessors both vertuously liued and happilie died before the patcheries of your Poperie came in They haue a shadow and shew of some late praecedent generations but the soundnes of Antiquitie from the purer times and truly Apostolicall who so ever sifteth their Moderne faith shal find they haue not for all their great cracks and brags Tertullianâ— de praescript aduersus haereses See Iude. Vers 3. And so Tertullian the ancieÌ„t spake well in that Dominicum verum quod prius traditum extraneum falsum quod posterius immissum The truth of the Lord was first deliuered to the Saints but forraine falshood crept in afterwards The false Embassador THese are they which nourish the sparkes of that fire which I came downe to kindle on earth c. Recusants highly to be commeÌ„ded for their zeale The Lord Christ THey are not praise worthie that praise themselues 2. Cor. 10.18 but they whome I the Lord doe praise Now I doe not allow your proude vaunting of your selues I know your workes and your waies that they are full of wickednes and hypocrisie Are you the men that nourish the fire which I came downe to cause to burne on Earth Luc. 12.49 No no yee know not of what spirit you are Luc. 9.55 For with the furious fire of a blind zeale which burneth in your breasts haue ye not inveÌ„ted kindled a subterraneal sulphureous fire to quench the light of Israell in this Realme and all the goodlie shining lampes thereof to the everlasting memorie of your perpetuall all shame Then at that time did you shew how you doe maintaine and vphold that my Law Exod. 20.13 Thou shalt doe no murder How so ever you presume of the rest when you intended attempted the most barbarous The Gunpowder treason tyranicall vnheard-of and Satanicall destruction of King Queene Prince and all the States the beautie and honour of this Kingdome in an hower Oh yee sonnes of Balaam and of Balack yee bastard generation and yee monsters of Moab Let my people sing Faux of Moab is destroyed and brought to silence in a night Piercie Catesbie and the rest of Moab are destroyed Ier. 48.10 and brought to silence in an jnstant And cursed shall hee bee that doth the worke of the Lord negligentlie or vnfaithfullie and with-holdeth his sword from the bloud of all the brood of Moab when her time and judgement shall be come For doe you glorifie my name that glorie in such workes being sorie for nothing more Papists sorie that the Gunpowder treason tooke no better effect Luk. 5. â—2 Ioh. 2.25 then that it hath not taken your wished and prayed for effect Dissemble it no longer for I know you hearts Therefore shall you be dishonoured for ever and the jndeleble blot of your noted infamie shall never be put out you shall be known for a spotted and pestilent generation so long as the world endureth Goe to now yee stars in the night yee greene Bayes in the winter yee fresh fountaines in the Deserts No no yee know your titles in mine Apostle Iude ve 12.13 in the Gospell well enough Cloudes without water carried about with euery wind whiff of vaine jmaginations Wells and pits dryed in the deserts barraine fig-trees if yee be greene in the midst of Sommer when the Winter cometh corrupt trees twice dead and plucked vp by the rootes wandring Starres fallen out of the jnferior heaven for whome is reserued the blacknes of darknes for euer For to be short ye walke in darknes and know not whither yee goe flatter not your selues your own sectaries doe not beleeue much lesse do they confesse that ye do well and your vowed enemies my true and faithfull servants and friends the English Protestants long agoe haue learned of me to repute and range you in the rancke of those who stand assuredlie in the state of condemnation The false Embassador Schismaticks haue no part with Recusants neither are of the same Church WIth these you may wish to consort in conscience To partake in profession of faith Yee may in bare tearmes auouch as much but shall neuer with reason be able to make it good c. The Lord Christ IF they haue no part with you how happie are they If they consort in conscience and partake in profession of a false beleefe with you they haue no part in me no part in Heaven but they most justly and aboundantlie deserue vnto themselues the vengeance of eternall fire â—ome out froÌ„ Recusants yee staggering Papists If they will come from among you wholie both in conversation and in Religion and follow mee faithfullie with my true professors serving me nor in the oldnes of the Letter with a servile feare Rom. 7.6 but in the newnes of the Spirit out of thankefulnes in loue from a pure heart a good conscience 1. Tim. 1 5. and Faith vnfained comming out from the Babel of your Superstitions Atheisines and Apostasies let them never care for your defectiue and infected merites For the kingdome of Heaven belongeth vnto mee by a double right Enheritance and Purchase In the one Bernard I was borne vnto it in the other I haue perfectlie deserved it through obedience and sprinckling of my precious and meritorious bloud 1. Pet. 1.2 and I will giue it them if they can apprehend it by a true and liuelie faith Rom. 4.4 c Ephe. 2.8.9 2. Cor. 7.1 without regard of any other merite provided alwaies if they doe their best without hypocrisie to walke before mee in righteousnes and true holines all the daies of their life Ephe. 4. â—4 Luk. 1.75 But ye perverted Runnagates because ye are become perverse Recusants and the shameles Apostates of my Church of England returne I advise you returne into my fold els I must saie vnto you as I spake vnto the Pharisees of old how can yee escape the damnation of Hell Mat. 23. â—â— The false Embassador Schismaticks are not Catholicks ANd are you indeed aske the Recusant and he reiecteth you aske the Persecutor and hee imbraceth you not Aske the Saints and Angels and they abhorr you I neuer yet tooke you for seruant of mine c. The Lord Christ. YOur meaning is your miscalled Schismaticks are not Romane Catholicks What if that be granted are they aught the worse But let me heare the proofe Aske the Recusants aske the persecutors you meane the Protestants aske the Saints and Angels and you adde of me I neuer yet tooke them for seruants of mine What opinion Recusants carrie of them neither doe they greatlie neither will I that they should at all regard The Protestants finding theÌ„ in their pauilions yet not acquainted
the Nations who are baptized and professe Christianity therein are no offenders but being true as it is reported of many of them that they still are judaicall in opinion and that the vayle of Moyses is layd ouer their hearts in that I disclame and detest them as forlorne mis-beleeuers and my sworne Enemies So let euery one of yours either be as they professe vnfayned Christians Perfect schismaticks Schisma facere ab vnitate Christi aut in Schismate esse profecto malū est magnū malū nec omninò fieri potest vt Christus det Schismatico non fidem sed sacrilegum errorem aut in Christo radicem Schismaticus fixerit aut Schismatico Christus sit origo caput Aug. lib. 4. contra Crescon Gramm or professe as they are false-hearted and false opinionated Catholicks Schismaticks they cannot be that professe the truth in the Church They only are such who being runnagates and hereticks maintaine falshoods with personall separation from the Church Neither yet doe I allow them for good and faithfull Christians who would be so reputed and are not for they only are such whose opinion and profession agree togither in the truth that is who professe the truth in syncerity The false Embassador I Know Protestants cannot be of the Catholicke church neither in their faith can be salvation I know what it is that lyeth at your heart c. Yee are not perswaded forsooth that the Protestants Religion is so abhominable c. To take your selues for a particular Church is vnpossible for a headlesse multitude who haue neither Temple Altar Priest nor Sacrifice neither distinct members nor anyband of Vnion aswell you may thinke of going at the latter day neyther to Heauen nor to Hell as to thinke in this life a Newtrality c. Will you diuide my Church c. To say that Protestants may by their profession be saued c. The Lord Christ. OH ye wretched and wicked Priests of Antichrist I know well I know that my Church my Spouse my body mysticall my chast Turtle my Citie my Kingdome my Familie 1 Cor. 11.19 Mat. 18.7 the piller of Truth is but one For albeit in my visible Church there must bee Haeresies 2. Tim. 2.20 Mat. 13 24. c. Mat. 3.12 and Scandals for the triall of my chosen for that in my house there are vessels of honour dishonour in my field there is Corne Tares in my garner there is Wheat Chaff Mat. 13.47 Gen. 7.8 in my Net there is good and bad Fish in my Arke there are cleane and vncleane beasts Phil. 3.2 Rom. 6.17 and there will be alwaies some of whome it may be sayd Beware of Dogs Mat. 7.15 Act. 20.29 Marke them that make diuisions among you and auoyde them Beware of false Prophets Grieuous Wolues shall enter in among you Yet as vnto my chosen there is but one way Ioh. 14.1 One truth one life so they are all baptized by one spirit into one body 1. Cor. 12.13 Ephesi 4.4 c. For there is one bodie and one spirit euen as they are called in one hope of their vocation one Lord one faith one Baptizme one God and father of all which is aboue all and through all and in them all One sheepheard and one fold My Doue is alone Ioh. 10. Cantic 6. The company of my chosen is but one Communion of Saints partly triumphant in Heauen and partly militant on Earth But must ye therefore be that one Do ye take it for graunted that I will not yeeld you Nothing but begging of the Question How dare ye say in my name that they are blind and impious who imagine holines in the Protestants prayers or saluation to bee found in their Faith For I euen I pronounce vnto you their prayers are holie A true sauing faith and their faith is a sauing faith which ascribeth and acknowledgeth the sole and whole worke and merite of redēption and the purchase of Heauen vnto me alone And to say that by any other profession a man may be saued is indeed to make an other God and Summum bonum besides me and to make me none or euil or jnsufficient at the least which in truth ye prowde Papists doe Papists ioyne their own merits with the Death of Christ in the purchase of saluation in vaunting the merits of your owne defectiue and jnfected works as coadjutors to the purchase of Eternall glory with the obedience and sprinckling of my precious bloud as though I had not made a full and perfect satisfaction without your ayde or helpe But thus ye boldly and presumptuously diminish dishonour me and my all-sufficiently meritorious Sacrifice and yet ye malapertlie charge my true beleeuers of that fault whereof your selues are guilty Shall I not punnish you for this thing The false Embassador The perfect opposition and contrariety of Catholicks Protestāts IF on the other side you ioyne Caluinists with Catholicks in one Church then set together the Woolfe with the Lambe c. For asmuch as my dreadfull Eucharist is irrefragably beleeued by the one to be my true body c. Of other maine differences consider c. The Lord Christ THis generall opposition betwixt you Papists and my true professors the Protestants I doe allow prouided alwaies that yee are the Wolues the Lyons the Goshawkes and they the Lambes the Harts the Partridges and that your Religion is the surmized their 's the sure yours vnpossible their 's infallible yours newly reared by mans imaginations cherished for pollicie c Theirs founded by my selfe from the beginning vppon my selfe the Rocke What other Haereticks doe or how they injuriously reuile vpbraide as an Idoll teare spit at and treade vnder foote my dreadfull Eucharist What is that to these true Christians whome opprobriously yee call Hugonots Sure it is they for their parts most constantly and deuoutly beleeue my true body jmpute no jdle Manichean phantasie vnto them and the personall presence of my Deity in the Eucharist I know their faith Popish adoration of bread me they adore with due veneration though not the Element that representeth my true body Neither doe they commit such a mysticall and spirituall kind of murder and mangling of my body asye do who professe Papists feed corporallie they say vpon Christ when they feed on him in the Sacrament See Ferus in Iohn cap. 6. The number of Popish Sacraments howsoeuer in termes ye disclame it not only a spiritual but a corporall feeding thervpon brutish Cannibals as yee are As touching the other maine differences between them and you in the particulars Know yee that I neuer ordained the number of 7. Sacraments but onely Baptisme and my holy Supper your vse of Images I scorne and abhorr Images being directly contrary to the second Commaundement of my morall Law Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image c. Act. monū
confesse to Saluation But they giue not my glory to another that goe to Protestant Churches yee doo that adore and worship jmages Crosses and crucifixes The rites of Protestants are not heathnish but few and easie and significāt yours of the Romane Synagogue are borrowed both from Iewes and Heathens as I haue told you before and a mightie multitude both Idle and cumbersome for nomber and for nature Their Conuersation that haue society with English Protestants js with faithfull Christians yours that are Romaine Catholicks is with Antichrist and his adhaerents Now then I commaund and Charge you all the sort of you Christ Iesus calleth not the wauering Romaine catholicks from the Protestāt Churches Companies to speake no more to your fellow Catholicks after this fashion in my name For I the Lord the omnipotent Creator haue not thus called them from among the protestants But I exhort and warne them rather to follow their faith because it is the faith of truth that faith also to beleeue in heart that they may be justified and that Faith to Confesse with mouth that they may be saued As for you you proud flesh and bloud neuer cast vpp an jdle and presumptuous accompt of merit added vnto merits yours or theirs or any mans to mine which will neuer verely I say vnto you amount to any sume of Felicitie mine owne beeing onely and altogether al-sufficient to that purpose The false Embassador Schismaticks violate the law of nature by going to the Protestant Churches And what if I had not in such expresse wise prescribed your duty doth not the light of reason the Law af nature c. Which faileth or falleth in one point of faith be fully guilty of Infidelitie c. The Lord Christ NO it doth not teach your Catholicks who are with Protestants any such thing viz. to cleaue firmly to their Popish faith and Religion for that is stubbernly to persist in error and to embrace in deed a strange and false faith and irreligious proceedings But what one argument bring you to proue that the lawe of Nature herein is violated Are you so jmpudent to alleage Propositions in my name and bring no proofe at all or do you goe about to prooue it thus He which breaketh one Commaundement is guiltye of all and a violater of Charitie ergo hee which faileth or faulteth in one point of Faith is fully guilty of Infidelitie and so by consequent violateth the lawe of nature The first assersion I graunt is mine owne in myne Apostle Iam. 2.10 if you vnderstand it aright But this latter thus inferred is your paradox For if he which faileth or faulteth in one point of faith be fullie guilty of jnfidelity that is must needs be charged and taken for a meer jnfidel then not onely all haereticks and you Papists who faile in many poynts of Faith but euen all true Christians and good Catholicks must be condemned so to Cor. 13 9. seeing they all know but in part and prophesie in part and so must needs faile in one point of Faith at least euen that which is hidden from their knowledge whereto they cannot for that cause yeld any manner of assent no man consenting vnto that which in his knowledge he doth not apprehend at all And thus ye Condemne by this Paradox all the world and namely all Christendome and your owne Romane Church for jnfidels nay fully guiltye of jnfidelitie and so there are no beleeuers at all by your doctrine There is no Church no Faith No Truth no Gospell no Christ no God among men Heere I must tell you also Though in some sence hee that is fully guiltye of jnfidelitie that is that beleeueth no one poynt at all of god or godlines as he ought Tit. 1.15 his very minde and Conscience is defiled and so the light of reason and the law of nature is violated in him Yet those famous and Renowned Paragons among the heathens Trismegistus Pythagoras Socrates c. Cato Aristides Scipio and many others of that ranck for their great and Admirable learning profound politick wisedome and worthy morall vertues were neuer-thelesse verie great lights and had the light of Naturall reason shining in them gloriously concerning many secular and ciuill affaires and liued in many things agreeable to the lawe of Nature How be it concerning Spirituall and heauenly things yea the true knowledge of God they became vaine in their Imaginations Rom. 1.21 and their foolish hearts where full of Darknes and in that might they be sayd to be fully guilty of jnfidelity because they knew not God the Father in me his only begotten Sonne Iesus Christ So that Iohn 3.18 26.8.9.10 17.3 some may be fully guilty of jnfidelitye and yet not violate the law of Nature Wherfore be not so rash hereafter I aduise you to proiect your Paradoxes in my name do not challenge them for partaking with haereticks that goe to protestants neither say any more that your Church your Faith your Sacraments are myne as ye doe For I will not acknowledge them yee doe me jniurie The false Embassador Heresie persecution purposely permitted of God for tryall of mēs hearts I Foretold while I conuersed on earth that heresies of necessitie must be for the triall c. The Lord Christ. True it is I foretold of Haeresies for the tryall of my Saints But are ye Romanists therefore the vniuersall Church No. yee know and allow my seruant Austen answering the Donatists of his time Augustine Africa non est orbis Therefore I say also vnto you The Synagogue of Rome is not the vniuersall Church And do Protestants and their followers preferre their owne Imaginations before it I tell you nay but yee Papists doe and run a madding after your owne jnuentions and Apostaticall Traditions closed and clasped vp in the bosome of your Pope Luc. 12.51 What though I forwarned that I came not to send peace but separation meaning not that I doe loue or bring diuision and strife among men but that many whose hearts my selfe haue not reformed are and wil be euer so bad and obstinate in their euill opinions and wicked wayes wilfully disobeying my Ghospell that they will gaine say and oppose their owne parents Children Princes Subiects Maisters Seruants wiues Husbands Brethren Kinsfolks and Friends that professe my name yea and will raise vp bitter persecution against them But I had no meaning to teach Children or seruants or Wiues or Brethren or friends disobedience and disloyalty against their Parents theyr Maisters their Husbands their Brethren their frinds much lesse to foster treasons in a state to raise vp mutinies and rebellions to arme naturall subiects against their naturall Princes and to practise the ouerthrowe of their Coūtries for the pretended catholick cause These are diabolicall suggestions and actions of Sathan my sworne Enemie wherewith yee Romanists are too too much acquainted The false Embassador ARe yee Christians and think your selues excused
ye backe-byte and bable to the contrary I say they they the Protestants are my only faithfull seruants and the lot of mine enheritance and I am the lot of theirs The false Embassador NO man can serue two Maisters Indifferency in Religion in effect Apostasie c. You say you loue my Tēple but you enter into Bethel and Galgala c. Haue accesse to my Priests frequent my Sacraments clense your selues c. The Lord Christ. YOur Generall is true Mat. 6.24 No man can serue two cōtrary Masters No subiect two aduersarie Princes but your applicatiō most vnjust vngodly For how can this be iust which I will neuer justifie nay which I must condemne for the greatest and most intolerable blasphemy that can be vttered not onely that you compare my seruāts the Protestants to Idolaters Deuils and their most holy and Christian seruices to Idolatrous and Heathnish sacrifices but my selfe also their God and Sauiour to the Idolls of Bethel and Gilgal and the mountaine of Samaria to Ieroboams Calues to Malcham and Baal nay to Beelzebub himselfe Oh desperate and hellish blasphemy what are ye now jnferiour yee Serpents yee Vipers ye wicked Generation Mat. 23.33 vnto those Cast-awaies of mine own Natiō who so reuiled me in the daies of my flesh while I liued with them nay how are ye not superiour vnto them in wickednes most dānable praesumptiō for they spake of me in the time of my humility when I appeared vnto them onely as a man but ye in this my day of Glorie now I am sitting at the right hand of my Fathers Maiesty Ephes 1.21 farr aboue all principalities and powers and euery name that is named in this world and in the next Therefore ye are cursed with a curse and looke ye well vnto it that this be not the vnpardonable sinne Blasphemy against the holy Ghost Marc. 3.29 Luc. 12.10 Heb. 6.4 c. so that it be vnpossible for you to be renewed vnto Repentance As for those your Catholicks at whome ye rayle vnder the names of Schismaticall Israelites of Samaritans of libertine Corinthians of Laodiceans of swearers by God and Malcham and of wicked Ahab if they loue my Temple that is none of yours because they are comming on vnto it and haue ioyned with my seruants in profession then are they no dissemblers But if they are still enamored with your Temple which ye say is mine but falsely by my selfe but not by your Embassage ye shall not speake for me I aduize them better minds Yf they be my seruants and my Children let them loue me with all their hearts syncerely not in words and colour onely but in workes truth also and serue me as they doe among the Protestants in the faith of truth That they cannot doe if they haue accesse to your Priests frequent your Sacraments haue in reuerence your rites and Ceremonies honour your seruice prostrate themselues before your defiled Altar adore at the houre of your direfull sacrifice All which you call mine but I disclame them all as I doe also your Confession and penance For will you neuer learne Popish priests none of Christs ordination that your charactered sacrifizing Priests neuer sprāg from my diuine ordinatiō neither can be numbred among any of those whom I Ephe. 4.8 when I ascended vp to Heauen and led captiuitie Captiue gaue as gifts to men some Apostles some c. for the perfecting of the Saints for the worke of the Ministerie c. Two Sacramēts I haue ordained in my Church to confirme and seale vp the faith of my Chosen which they haue in me Baptisme and my Holy Supper as few as may be most significāt of my death passion price of my redēption The other 5. Cōfirmation Confessiō Penance Matrimonie Extreme Vnction and holy Ordination Let the most of them be sacred actions but as symbolicall signes and seales of this great mystery of my Redēption that is properly as Sacraments I neuer did appoint thē They are added so of humane 1. Confirmation of your own jnuētion and jnstitution Confirmation after Baptisme as it was in vse in the Primitiue Church and in the Apostolical times is good profitable 2. Confession and Penance Confession and penance are by you abused as a snare to entangle the reputation and to slay the soules of my people For yee enforce the same as a necessary Sacrament ye call for a particular enumeratiō of sinnes if it be possible the Act with all the circūstances thereof Vincent Bruno tract de Paenit when where in what manner and how often it hath been committed not only wicked vngodly but euen foolish jdle and vnfruitfull words yea the very secret thoughts and intents of the hart must be remēbred and layd open to the Priest And ye appoynt a most ridiculous Penance as a satisfaction for sinne 3. Matrimony Heb. 13.4 Ephe. 5.32 for which no man can satisfie but my selfe alone Mariage is honourable in all and it signifieth the mysticall vniō betwixt me and my Church yea to be solemnized in the open view of a congregation it is an ancient and most wholsome Custome Gen. 29.21 Iudic. 14.10 Tertull. lib. de pudicitia penes noc occultae coniunctiones c. Conc. Carth. 4. Ecclesiasticall Constitution for the avoyding of Plagiaries of Clandestine adulteries fornications jncests and such like jmpieties But I neuer required it to be held for a Sacrament of the Church it being also lawfull and commendable among the very Infidels who are not within the Church 4. Extreme Vnction Vnction of the sicke with oyle was a Ceremonie both * Marc. 6.13 in and immediatly after the daies of my habitation here on Earth which I allowed to mine Apostles Primitiue Elders of the Church because by the meanes of that and prayer I was pleased to giue vnto thē a gift of healing for the recouery of the sicke weake Iam. 5.14 But now since the gift hath been withdrawn with many other of like qualitie Marc. 16.17.18 granted for tokens euidences of beleeuers on me in those dayes therfore it shall be but humane idlenes vanity presūption to continue the Ceremony without a grace Much more is it audacious if not extreme impiety to deuize a new Ceremony a new name of Extreme Vnctiō and therunto to forge a grace As for any other smeering or anoyling vsed in your Synagogue at Baptisme or other where I disclame 5. Orders and renounce it as the scumme and filth of your owne braines Ordination of bishops Priests and Deacons as it is in vse amongst my English Protestants is both ancient and Authentick beeing euen from the prime and purer Churches Socr. li. 1. c. 11 Sozom. lib 1. cap. 22. reputed Apostolicall but by you it is Mudded and polluted with a sacrifizing Priest-hood to the most shamefull and slaunderous derogation and
Foxe pag 130. though your Pope Adrian commaunded thē to be taken for Laymens Kalenders Inuocation of Saints your Invocation of Saints is a derogation from my glory which I will not giue to any other Esay 42.8 I neuer commanded you by any praecept I neuer invited you by any godly example I neuer incouraged you by any promise in my holy word to any such deuotion Your forgiuenes of sinnes by your Popes indulgences Indulgences and your selling of pardons is paltry trifling and prophane Marchandizing in my holy Temple Heavenly glorie What heauenly glorie do you dreame of that my faithfull Protestants beleeue not much better then yee are able Popish difference of jnfernall paines your difference of infernall paines I am not acquainted withall I know none but eternall fire prepared for the diuell and his adhaerents your temporall purgatorie flames are but poëticall fables Purgatorie a poëtical fable Iustification your Iustification of the liuing by faith and works together is partly coyned in your owne forge and partly raked vp out of the Pharisaicall pride Praier for the dead Your praying for the dead is bootles they hauing now their Iudgemēt passed on them as the day of death hath left them so the day of finall Iudgement shall finde them either blessed or cursed for euer No prayers now shall preuaile or hurt them any whit at all Popish faith hope charitie Moreouer your faith is a confused Confidence nay rather an jmplicite and vnknowne assent you know not vnto what full of distrust and diffidence your hope builded thereuppon must needs be hopeles and voyd of sound and heauenly comfort your Charitie to me is very slender and luke-warme like theirs once of Laodicea Apoc. 3.15 for yee loue your selues as well as me your owne merits you joyne with mine vngratefully diminishing my meritorious sacrifice and the price of my bloud Oh sinfull Nation supply yee my pure and perfect obedience with your owne foule and filthie righteousnes Is this your loue to me to pretend the purchase of heauen together with me thus to be ouer-enamoured of your selues Fie Fie I cannot endure a Co-partner with me in this great worke of Redemption and saluation Therefore your jmagined freewill to good your merits of congruence and of worthines where are they your fastings and prayers conceited and practised not onely as means but as meritorious workes of eternall life I hate and will surely punish as the fumes and fomes of the pride of your old Adam As for sinnc yee knowe not the power thereof that suppose any one to be veniall in it selfe being committed against so eternall and jnfinit a Maiestie as I am And what haue you to doe with my counsell and decree of predestination Predestinatiō Will you or can you infringe the infallible Certainty therof that ye teach men to doubt of my loue why doe yee not tell them rather that though they cannot choose but doubt by reason of their many 1. Cor. 15.58 and mighty sinnes which is humane jnfirmitie yet they ought to be stedfast and vnmoouable in their faith being builded on me Mal. 3.6 Pro. 19.21 Heb. 13.5 who am God and am not changed whose Counsell is immutable who will not faile neither yet forsake them that put their trust in me yea though they beleeue not without great weaknes 2. Tim 2.13 yet I am God faithfull and true and cannot deny myselfe Finally what meane you to adde vnto my canonicall scriptures the Apocryphall writings of Iudith Tobias Maccabees and others which I neuer yet allowed to be put into the canon Nay to thrust in your owne vnwritten Traditions and Papall constitutions to make them of equall authoritie with the same Nesanda secreta These your nefarious hidden doctrines I will haue cancelled and abolished I cannot abide that yee should goe a whoring after your owne imaginations Goe and learne what that meaneth In vaine they worship me Mat. 15.9 reaching for doctrines mens precepts And that vers 13. Euery plant which mine heauenly Father hath not planted shal be rooted vp Thus haue you in deed almost in the whole summe of Religion tossed ouer euerie stone reuersed the whole frame of faith and turned all vpside downe And therefore take you heed yee obstinate Recusants least your departure and diuision from my true Church be a more then sufficient warrant of your heauy Iudgement with Arrius Nestorius Eutyches I adde with Manichees Marcionits Pelagians and other old Haereticks in the bottomles pit for that you haue not in one point but in many varied from the christian faith The false Embassador How abhominable the Scriptures Prayers and Churches of Haereticks are CAluinisme then being doctrine so diabolicall c. Oh how illusion bewitcheth you c. Their profane bread c. Their Rites and Ceremonies c. As Fasts Holy daies c. Yea their Churches and Temples c. Bethel was my house c. The Lord Christ. SVrely the Scriptures praiers and Churches of Haereticks are not well pleasing vnto me They are abhominable Papisme therefore being the verie doctrine of deuils your popish Scripture as being none of my word Popish Scripture The Latine vulgar edition authēticke among the Papists very erroneous but the word of the deuill so false and adulterated so poysoned and full of corruptions as it is in your latine vulgar edition authorized by your Trent Councell oppugning vndermyning and overthwarting my true faith and Catholike Church I disclame as a counterfait coppie and renounce altogether as no writ of myne Popish prayers Your praiers also are no better in mine eares then the howling of Wolues that prey vppon the soules of men the lowing of Oxen and the roaring of Bulls screeching of Owles and Night-Rauens yelling and bellowing Infernall blasphemies against my sacred Maiestie in vnknowne and vnconceiued in loud bawling in discording from my heart both tongues and tunes Popish Priests Your priests are perfect Chemarims and Priests of Baal officers of the very Antichrist his heralds and proctors his Apostles and Angels of his Kingdome of darknes Popish Communion Goe yee and suck the adders Eggs lesse poysonable out of doubt then your Communion bread and cup. Popish Ceremonies Your Ceremonies are not few but most fantasticall offensiue both in their nomber and in their nature apish and plainly ridiculous jmitations partly of the Heathnish superstitions and partlie of those Rites which my heauenly Father sometimes ordayned to his people Israell Your fastes are fish delicates wine Popish fasts and other dainty fare farr more jncentiue of filthie Lust in pampering of the body then any other foode and your abstinence sometimes a feasting sometimes a most Pharisaicall and Hypocriticall sowring of your faces and other ostentation of will-worship in neglecting the body Coloss 2.22.23 not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh as myne Apostle paints it out