rule of Faith may be written If the Papists cannot see this plain Conclusion they had best desire more light to be added to the Sun. The Papists pretend their Church to be the infallible teacher of all Divine Truths and an infallible Interpreter of all obscurities in the Faith But the Papists will I hope give us leave to admire how they can pretend to Teach them in all places without writing them down that is certainly beyond the reach of their power to do as well as our belief that 't is to be done And for the Papists saying there must be a living authority beside the Scripture or else controversies cannot be ended Protestants answer Necessary controversies are and may be decided and if they be not 't is not the defect of the rule in Scripture but the default of men so that if necessary controversies be ended 't is no matter if the unnecessary be not for doubtless if God had required it he would also have provided some means to effect it but sure it does not stand with any reason it should be the Pope because he cannot be a Judge being a party indeed in civil controversies a Judge without being a party may end them but in controversies of Religion a Judge of necessity must be a concerned party and I am sure the Pope to us iâ— the chief and most concerned party being really concerned as much as his Popedom is worth Now we Protestants make the Papists this plain answer that the means of agreeing differences must necessarily be either by the appointment of God or men men sure it cannot be for then rational wise Protestants may do as well as Papists for let the Papists shew us if they can where God hath appointed that the Pope alone or any confirm'd by the Pope or that Society of Christians which adhere to him shall be the infallible Judge of Controversies we desire the Papists if they can to let us see any of those assertions plainly set down in Scripture as in all reason a thing of this nature ought to be or at least delivered with a full consent of Fathers nay let them so much as shew us where 't is in plain terms taught by any one Father in Four hundred years after our blessed Saviour Christ and if the Papists cannot do this as we believe they cannot where I pray is their either Scripture or Reason that the Pope or his Councils should obtrude themselves as Judges over us Protestants Next we would desire to know from the Papists whether they do certainly know or not the sense of those Scriptures by which they are led to the knowledge of their Church for if they do not how come they to know their Church is infallible but if they do then sure they ought to give us leave to have the same means and ability to know other plain places in Scripture which they have to know theirs for if all Scriptures be obscure how come they to know the sense of those places but if some place of it be plain why pray may not Protestants understand them as well as Papists The Papists say That the Scriptures are in themselves true and infallible yet without the direction of the Church we have no certain means to know which Translations be faithful and Canonical or what is the true meaning of Scriptures and this is the common Argument and general Belief of all Papists To which the Protestants answer That yet all these things must first be known before we can know the directions of their Church to be infallible for the Papists cannot pretend any other proof of it but only some Texts of Canonical Scripture truly interpreted therefore either they must be mistaken in thinking there is no other means to know these things but their Churches infallible direction or else we must be excluded from all means of knowing her directions to be infallible for the proof must be surer than the thing to be proved or 't is no proof And upon better consideration I am confident the Papists dare not deny but that 't is most certain Faith hath been given by other means than the Church for sure they will not say that Adam received Faith by the Church nor Abraham nor Job who received Faith by Revelation and also the Holy Apostles who received Faith by the Miracles and Preaching of our Blessed Saviour So that you see and they cannot deny but their general Doctrine is contradictory And to make it yet plainer I desire to know of the Papists if they should meet with a man that believed neither Scripture Church nor God but declares he is both ready and willing to believe them all if the Papist can shew him sufficient grounds to build his Faith upon will the Papist tell such a man there are no certain grounds how he may be converted to their Church or there are if the Papists say there are none they make Religion an uncertain thing but if they say there are then they must necessarily either argue woman-like that their Church is infallible because it is infallible or else shew there are other certain grounds besides saying the Church is infallible to prove its Infallibility The Papists demand of the Protestants If they believe the Apostles wrote all the Scriptures for if they did not how come we to call and believe them Apostolical and not the Writings of those that writ them To which we answer Though all the Scriptures were not written by the Apostles themselves yet they were all confirm'd by them and tho a Clerk writes a Statute and the King Lords and Commons confirm it in Parliament I believe they would esteem it very improper to call it the Statute of such a Clerk tho writ by him but an Act of Parliament because it was confirm'd by all their censents and becomes their Act not the Clerks The Papists desire us to tell them in what Language the Scriptures remained incorrupted and we desire them to satisfie us whether it be necessary to know it or not necessary if it be not I hope we may do well without it but if it be necessary we desire first that they will please to tell us what became of their Church for One thousand five hundred Years together all which time they must confess they had no certainty of Scripture till the time that Pope Clement the 8th set forth their approved Edition of the vulgar Translation and none sure can have the confidence to deny but that there was great variety of Copies currant in divers parts of their Church and read so which Copies might be false in some things but more than one sort of them could not possibly be true in all things And Pope Sixtus Quintus his Bible differ'd from Pope Clement his Bible in a multitude of places which makes us desire to be satisfied of the Papists whether before Pope Sixtus Quintus his time their Church had any defined Canon of Scriptures or not for if they had not
then 't is most evident that their Church was a most excellent keeper of Scripture for Fifteen hundred years together that had not all that time defin'd what was Scripture and what was not but if the Papists say they had then we demand Was that set forth by Pope Sixtus Quintus or was it set forth by Pope Clement or if by a third different from them both why do they not name him if it were that set forth by Pope Sixtus then 't is now condemn'd by Pope Clement if that of Clement 't was condemned by that of Sixtus So that error must necessarily be betwixt them let them chuse which side they please And for the Book of Maccabees I hope they will allow it defin'd Canonical before St. Gregorie's time though he would not allow it Canonical but only for the Edification of the Church We further desire to be satisfied of the Papists if the Books of Ecclesiasticus and Wisdom and the Epistle to St. James were by the holy Apostles approved Canonical or not if they were approved by the Apostles Canonical sure the Papists cannot deny but they had a sufficient difinition and authority not to question them and therefore err'd in doing so And if they were not approved Canonical by the Apostles with what impudence dare the Roman Church now approve them as Canonical and yet pretend that all their Doctrine is Apostolical And if they say these Books were not questioned they should do well to tell which Books they mean which were not always known to be Canonical but have afterwards been receiveed by the Roman Church to be such so that this Argument reaches those as well as these And further we are to consider that there is not the same reasons for the Churches absolute Infallibility as for the Apostles and Scriptures for if the Church falls into an error it may be reformed by comparing it with the Rules of the Apostles Doctrine in Scripture but if the Apostles have err'd in delivering the Doctrine of Christianity in Scripture then the Roman Church cannot be infallible For Apostles Prophets and Canonical Writers and the foundation of the Church as St. Paul says 't is built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets And now to conclude this part of my discourse in very few words let the Papists answer if they can but these five words All Scripture is Divinely inspired Let them shew us so much for the Roman Church and shew us if they can where 't is written in Scripture that all the decrees of the Popish Church are Divinely inspired and all our Controversies will be at an end but I believe they can never do that without another Transubstantiation-Miracle of words The Papists desire us to shew them an exact Catalogue of our fundamentals to which we answer That God may be sufficiently known to one and not sufficiently declared to another and consequently that may be fundamental and necessary to one which is not to another which variety of circumstances renders it impossible to set down an exact Catalogue of Fundamentals for God requires more of them to whom he gives more and less of those to whom he gives less more of a commander of a Kingdom than a poor simple Turnspit 'T is a plain revelation of God to us Protestants that the Sacrament of the Eucharist should be administred in both kinds 1 Cor. 11. 28. that the publick Hymns and Prayers of the Church should be in such a Language as is most for Edification 1 Cor. 14. 15 16. yet the Church of Rome not seeing this by reason of the vail would be very angry if we told them 't would prejudice their supposed Infallibility We read in St. Matthew that the Gospel was to be Preacht to all Nations and this was a truth revealed before our Saviours Ascention yet if the Church had been asked before the conversion of Cornelius they would have certainly told you it had not been necessary to teach all Nations for 't is most apparent out of Acts 11. they all believed so until St. Peter was better informed by a vision from Heaven and the conversion of Cornelius and then they turn'd quite of a differing belief and esteemed it necessary to teach all Nations and yet were still a Church The Papists are pleased to say the Protestants differ in Fundamentals which indeed appears to us very irrational For if they say We Protestants differ in Fundamentals how then can they say We are members of the same Church one with another more than they are with ours or ours with theirs and why do they object our difference more with one another than with themselves and if we do not differ in Fundamentals why do they upbraid us with Fundamental differences amongst our selves We believe the Catholick Church cannot perish yet we believe she may and did err as I prov'd just before but thus much we Protestants declare in general That we esteem it sufficient for any mans salvation to believe God's Word the Scripture and that it contains all things necessary to our salvation and that we do our utmost endeavours to find believe and follow the true sense of it and being we are sure that all that is any way necessary is there believing all that is there we are sure we believe all that is necessary And therefore 't is but reasonable to say that any private person who truly believes the Scriptures and heartily endeavours to know the Will of God and to do it is as secure nay securer from the danger of erring in Fundamentals than the Roman Church for 't is impossible any man so qualified should fall into an error that can prove damnable to him for God requires no more of any man to his salvation but only his true and best endeavours to be saved And for the Papists Sacrament of Confession which they hold is so absolute and nenessary and so much upbraid us for the want of it we answer We know no such absolute necessity of it but yet we hold we must not only confess our sins but forsake them or we shall not find mercy And we Protestants farther believe that they that confess their sins shall find mercy though they only confess them to God and not to Man And more that they who confess them both to God and Man and do not in time forsake them shall not find mercy And so for the Papists Sacrament of Repentance for Remission of sins tho we Protestants know no such yet we allow observe the same Duty but publick before the Church which was the constant practice of the primitive Church and Rhenanus himself though so great a Champion for the Papists writes That the confession then used was before the Church and that Auricular confession was not then in the World. The Papists will tell you that our Bishops have not the true power of Ordination but that has been so clearly answered and so truly proved at large by so many already as I
any one of them Nor is it reasonable to believe that St. Peter having authority over all the Apostles for above 25 years together should never shew the least power over any of them all that time nor so much as receive the lest subjection from them sure any one must think this as strange unreasonable as if a King of England for 25 years together should not do one act of Regality among his Subjects nor receive any one acknowledgment from them Nor sure is it less strange unreasonable that the Papists should so many Ages after know this so certainly as they pretend they do and yet that the Apostles themselves after that these words were spoak in their hearing by vertue whereof St. Peter is pretended to be made their head should still be so ignorant of it as to question our Saviour which of them should be the greatest By which sure we may rationally conclude they did not then know for if they did their question had been needless and superfluous in desiring to be taught what they already knew And what yet appears more strange than all is that our Saviour should not have helped them out of their error by telling them St. Peter was the man but rather confirmed them in the contrary by saying The Kings of the Gentiles exercise Authority over them but it should not be so among them And again it is as strange and unreasonable that St. Paul should so far forget both St. Peter and himself as in mentioning so often St. Peter he should still do it without ascribing him any title of Honour Nor does it stand with reason that St. Paul speaking of the several degrees of men in the Church should omit giving St. Peter the highest if it had been his due but place him in the same rank and equipage with the rest of the Apostles for St. Paul says God hath appointed not first St. Peter then the rest of the Apostles but first Apostles secondly Prophets now certainly if Apostles were all first that is all equal how could one be in greater power than the other But besides all this though we should grant against all these probabilities and many more that Optatus Bishop of Rome meant that St. Peter was Head of the Apostles yet sure the Papists are still very far from proving the Bishop of Rome was to be so at all much less by Divine right Successor to St. Peter in his Headship and Authority For what incongruity is there if we say that Optatus might succeed St. Peter as his Heir and Successor in that part of his Government of that particular Church of Rome as sure he did even whilst St. Peter was living and yet that neither he nor any man was to succeed him in his Apostleship nor in the Government of the Church Vniversal as tho a Bishop should leave his Son Heir to all he died possessed of I hope you will not conclude therefore he must necessarily succeed him in the Bishoprick he died seized of The Apostles were men all called and Divinely inspired by the Holy Ghost which was the immediate gift of God and therefore could not be left as a Legary by man for though it be in any mans power to leave his Estate yet 't is in no mans power to leave to his Son his acquir'd parts at his death 'T is further worth your observing and special notice that St. Peter himself and the rest of the Apostles by laying the Foundation of the Church were to be themselves the Foundation of it and are accordingly so called in Scripture And therefore as in a building 't is incongruous that foundations should succeed foundations so it may be in the Church that Apostles should succeed Apostles the Church being built upon Apostles and Prophets Nor indeed does the grand argument of the Papists for their Pope extend any further in reallity then the particular See of Rome for thus goes their main argument St. Peter was first Bishop of Rome and the Apostles did not then attribute to themselves each one his particular Chair understand in that City of Rome for in other places others had Chairs besides St. Peter and therefore says the Papists he is a Schismatick who against that one single Chair erects another understand still in the same place and this this the Ground and the Authority the Papists say the Pope has to be Successor to St. Peter and to exercise Authority over the Universal Church But sure the Protestants urge more rationally in arguing thus That St. Peter wrote Two Catholick Epistles in which he mentions his own departure and writes to preserve the Christians in the Faith but yet in neither of these Two Epistles does he commend the Christians to the guidance authority to his pretended Successor the Bishop of Rome which sure if St. Peter had intended he would never have forgot to have named it And since the Papists so reverence and adore the Popes power let us Protestants also admire his way and means of attaining this power For though the Papists say that as soon as he is made Pope he has his authority immediately from Christ yet at the very same time the Papists all know that he cannot be made Pope but by authority and Election of the Cardinals so that I am sure by the very same reason any man that is chosen a Magistrate in any Town under the Pope's Territories may claim his Authority as immediately received from Christ as well as the Pope And further that the proving his being made Pope does not render him infallible I could give a hundred instances out of the History of Popes but that will not suit well with my designed brevity but let 's ask the Papists if Liberius Bishop of Rome after Two years Banishment did not by the sollicitation of Fortunatianus Bishop of Aquileia subscribe to Heresie and consequently could not be infallible And though the Papists rely so much on the Authority of the Fathers to support and justifie the Infallibility of their Church yet upon true Examination we shall find they make no more for their Universal Bishop than St. Peter's Two Catholick Epistles do And for their arguing out of St. Cyprian's 55 Epistles that sure makes rather against than for them for there St. Cyprian writes to Cornelius Bishop of Rome but writes not so much to him as of himself who was Bishop of Carthage against whom a Faction of Schismaticks had set up another Bishop Now though the Papists say reasonably that 't is a mark of the Vniversal Bishop that other Bishops should make their Addresses unto the Bishop of Rome yet sure 't were better Reasoning to conclude thus If the Bishop of Rome had been acknowledged Universal Bishop and his Authority and Supremacy had been believ'd and own'd sure St. Cyprian had not been satisfied with only barely writing him his sad story for he did no more but doubtless would have made his complaint to him and desired and expected redress from
and that the Church composed partly of the Holy Apostles themselves who were blessed with and inspired by the Holy Ghost could mistake and that there is no man free from sin and yet that the Body of men that make up the Popish Church should be infallible is I confess beside my faith to believe or reason to comprehend For sure if the Roman Church had been esteem'd by the Apostles infallible what needed the Apostles any other â—…reed than this short Creed I believe the Roman Church â—…fallible and that would have been more effectual to â—…eep the Believers of it from Heresie and in the true Faith â—…an this Apostolical Creed we now have And sure the Papists cannot but believe with us that â—…ose Holy Men that wrote the New Testament were not â—…nly Good Men but also Men that were desirous to direct â—…s in the plainest and surest way to Heaven And the Paâ—…ists cannot also but believe with us that they were likewise â—…en very sufficiently instructed by the Spirit of God in all â—…e necessary points of the Christian Faith Therefore cerâ—…inly 't is most rational to believe they could not be igâ—…orant of this unum necessarium that all Faith is no Faith â—…cept we believe the Church of Rome was design'd by God 〈…〉 be the Guide of Faith as the Church of Rome believes â—…d would have us believe so too We also further believe and that with great reason too â—…at the Writers of the New Testament were Wise Men espeâ—…ally being they were assisted by the Spirit of Wisdom and â—…ch that must know that an uncertain Guide was as bad as â—…ne at all and yet after all this is it possible for a Philosoâ—…ical or Contemplative man nay for any man that has reaâ—…n or common sense after all these suppositions to believe â—…at none among these holy Writers of the New Testament â—…ould remember ad rei memoriam to set down plainly â—…is most necessary Doctrine not so much as once That â—…e were to believe the Roman Church infallible Again that none of the Evangelists should so much as â—…ce name this Popish necessary point of Faith if they had â—…teem'd it necessary for us to believe it when St. Paul says â—…e kept not back any thing that was profitable for us and sure â—…e Papists cannot deny but was is necessary to salvation â—…ust be very profitable And St. Luke also plainly tells â—…hristians his intent was to write all things necessary And â—…re it stands also with reason that when St. Paul wrote to â—…e Romans he would have congratulated this their exâ—…aordinary priviledge if he had believ'd it belong'd to â—…em And though the Romans bring it as a great Argument â—…or them that St. Paul tells them Their Faith is spoken all the world over Yet pray let them moderate those thoughtâ—… with this consideration that St. Paul said the very same thing to the Thessalonians And let them further consider this that if the Roman Faith had been the Rule oâ—… Faith for all the World for ever as the Papists hold surâ—… St. Paul would have forborn to put the Romans in fear oâ—… a possibility for though Raillery is much in fashion now 〈…〉 sure 't was not then that they also nay the whole Churcâ—… of the Gentiles if they did not look to their standing might fall into Infidelity as the Jews had done 1 Ephesians 11. And methinks it also stands with great reason that the Apostles writing so often of Hereticks and Antichristâ—… should have given the Christian World this as Papists pretend only sure Preservative from them To be guided bâ—… the infallible Church of Rome and not to separate from it upon the pain of damnation Methinks also St. Peter St. James and St. Jude in their Catholick Epistles would not have forgot giving Christianâ—… this Catholick Direction of following the Roman Church and St. John instead of saying He that believes that Jesus 〈…〉 the Christ is born of God might have said He that adheres to the Doctrine of the Roman Church and lives according to it is a good Christian and by this mark you shall know him In a word can there be any thing more irrational than to believe that none of these holy Men who were so desirous of mens salvation should so much as once remember to write that we were to obey the Roman Church but leave it to be collected from uncertain Principles and by more uncertain Consequences So that upon the whole I cannot without much wonder look on the Pope's Confidence and the Papists Credulity in esteeming the Pope or his Councils to be an infallible Guide sure either they never read what they ought to believe or else they will not believe what they read though it be never so known a Truth and worthy of belief for if they did they could never believe the Infallibility of the Popish Church For indeed if they would read the Popish Story or as I may well call it the Civil Wars of the Popes you shall find as I said before Popes against Popes Councils against Councils some Fathers against others nay some against themselves new Traditions brought in and old ones turn'd out one Church against another nay the Church of one Age against the Church of another In a word the Papists say their Church is infallible and all other Christians besides themselves tho more in number than they absolutely deny it and yet we must for all that believe the Popish Church infallible And to speak the plain Truth and in a word to unravel the real cause of the Grandure of the Church of Rome above all other Churches is only this Rome was the Imperial Town of the Empire and its greatness was given by Men and not God and when afterwards Constantinople was the Imperial City they Decreed that the Church of Constantinople should have equal Priviledges and Dignities with that of Rome And now to end this Discourse I desire you will please to consider this Conclusion which is that after all that the Papists have said be it never so much and mighty to shew the Infallibility of their Church I am verily perswaded they cannot shew more if so much out of the Scriptures for their Church as the smallest Society of Christians met together in prayer can for themselves that when two or three are met together in my name I will be amongst them says the Lord And now I have just done this small Discourse and the Sun is just upon finishing this days visit I can very readily follow that holy advice of not letting it go down in my anger which I thank God I have to none living and therefore am in so much Charity with the Papists as to wish that neither they nor Protestants might waist their precious time in meer speculative controversies about words and ceremonies which of themselves will never carry us to Heaven but that we may spend our time like wise Christians in the ways and fear of God which
for Children and the like that 's only for such as live at distance from God and Christ only enjoying Communion with God and Christ by Faith having not received the promise But saith he Heb. 11. 39. I have passed all this I am acquainted with a condition beyond all this I live in the enjoyment of that which you only live in hope of c. And thus he spends his Portion in rioting and wantonness which great swelling words of his 2 Pet. 2. 18. make him greatly applauded and admired by men By this time you may perceive he 's on his journey well the first City he enters into is spiritual Sodom and Egypt Rev. 11. 8. where is a people fit for his Company where is a people who neither speak act nor do any thing either spiritual or temporal but as the spirit moves them as they say not that I would have any mistake me and think I am one who mock at the spirit and at man for following its motions no I own praying with the spirit and with understanding as the Apostle exhorts But finding 1 Cor. 14. 15 by sad experience that many nay the most of those that pretend so much for the spirit have no rule meaning such as lay aside the Scripture as a dead letter c. either for themselves or others whereby they be able to distinguish betwixt the motions of the spirit and the motions of the flesh but without questioning rather thinking they have no other life and so consequently no other motions in them but the spirit of God what moves them to go on indeed following only the motions of the flesh and the lusts thereof Ro. 1. 24. Amongst which people presently he is as forward as the best getting him immediately having a portion by him to purchase it a garment made of that fashion trimmed with the richest trimming that in that City is to be got That is he hath such a large capacity as that he hears no high flown opinion from the most knowing amongst them which he only looks after but immediately it is â—…is own he not minding any thing else â—…ut wholly making that his work And now being got into the fashion and arrayed with the richest and if possible excelling them He begins to keep company with the best and being a young man scorns to be base spends freely and by his good will will pay all the reckoning call for what you will That is would have all the talk being willing to appear a man able to dispute for or against all opinions answer all objections and that to the purpose too But it may be by this time Conscience may a little prick he may look back towards his Fathers house In detestation of such a thought as if he were angry with himself he replyes What have I ascended almost into Heaven and shall I now come down again Luk. 9. 62 to Walk on the Earth Have I set my hand to the plough and shall I now look back you need not wonder that he useth the Scripture or rather abuseth it for you may find it was of old the Devils wonted course when he thought he should meet with his match to come with Scripture in his mouth as when he tempted Christ As an antidote or poyson against such a thought he musters up all the failings and imperfections of thâ—… Saints and it may be he hath been aâ—… eye-witness to some and they not smalâ—… ones neither As perhaps he had formerly been a member of some Church and notwithstanding he a long time walked apart from them yet so cold and careless were they the which is an evil too common among the Saints in this our last Age with shame do I speak it in that their great duty which by God is required of them to wit to watch in love over their Bretheren and Luk 15. 4. Mat. 18. 11. with the good Shepherd missing but one sheep only leaves the ninety and nine seeking that which is lost if possible to find it telling him his faults between them two c. As that they do not so much as come once at him much less express towards him that love in performing their duty as of them in that case was required with it may be many more failings which he of late only took notice of whereby he for ever afterwards stops his Conscience from speaking any more looking either not at all on or towards them except it be as they be represented through their imperfections to his eye whereby he never afterwards speaks of them except in upbraiding of them saying they be a people who have the form of Godliness but want the power Ro. 2. 20. 2 Tim. 3. 5. and the like But to proceed Being now in his own conceit attain'd to such a height of perfection though in truth fill'd with nothing but spiritual pride he thinks he 's ready to meet the son of man at his second coming like those Malachi speaks of who say where is the God of Judgment When comes he and the like Not minding what is in the next Chapter where God answers them saying I 'le Mat. 2. last Mal. 3. 1. send the Messenger of my Covenant c. even he whom ye delight in at or lest profess so but see what follows But who shall abide his coming and who shall stand when he appears Why as if they should reply what 's the matter It s greater then you are aware of For he is like a ver 2 Refiners fire and like Fullers sope You are exceedingly mistaken about his coming not but that he will come but in the manner and end of his coming for if you did with the Apostle rightly understand the manner and end of his coming â—â—u would say what manner of persons 〈…〉 we to be we ought to be all 1 Pet. 3. 11 silver for he in his coming is like a Refiners fire not only fire but the searching of fire a fire wherein nothing will remain unconsumed but pure silver Buâ—… to return As Satan never is wanting in meanâ—… whereby to accomplish what he hatâ—… begun nor never kindled a fire but likewise will provide fuel to continue 〈…〉 with so at last this Prodigal comes tâ—… hear of one or other who are on a sudden filled with strange raptures and revelations as that the last day is at hanâ—… and they be commanded to triumph 〈…〉 forth c. After which man immediately he run crying out none but he oâ—… whom it may be he hears a thousanâ—… strange notions and novelties more which like a fresh gale of wind blowâ—… on his Sails which he hath alwayâ—… hoistered and that as he thinks for nâ—… other Haven but Heaven it self Upon which waves indeed beinâ— only his own fancy and imagination hâ—… having a long time been tossed to anâ—… fro even till his portion begins to groâ—… small his great confidence begins to faâ—… him he is put to his
Pope and a good Man Now this must needs be infallibly true because Infallibility it self maintains it to be so Thus you see what it is to be a Pope and may rest satisfied with this as a Corollary for all if horrid Blasphemies Oathes and Execrations if filthy Whoredom Adultery Incest Sodomy and Buggery if intolerable Pride Ambition Tyranny and Oppression if bloody Cruelty Butcheries Murthers and Massacres if sordid Avarice Simony and Sacriledge if Hellish Sorcery Witchcraft and Necromancy if blockish Ignorance Stupidity Gaming and all manner of Debaucheries if these or any of these are commendable and sufficient Qualifications for the Papacy then no Persons in the World were ever more fit to govern the See of Rome than those Popes that we have given you an Account of but it is now high time to take our leave and bid them all Adieu Sic explicit Actus primus Exit Pope Enter Cardinal Of Cardinals Abbots Bishops and Jesuits promiscuously ANd first of the Cardinals being next to the Pope and Superior to others in Dignity let us observe whether the Cardinals Cap shrowds as many Vices as the Triple Crown but here I must tell you for your Comfort before hand that you 'l find ne're a Barrel better Herring but like Master like Man like Head like Members and those as bad as bad can be nay which is worst of all 't is a stark shame that there is no shame among them The Popes have been Fathers to some but Silvester the first was Godfather to all of them for by him they were called Cardinals qd Cardines because they are the Persons about whom like Hinges the Church Militant ought to move repose upon and be supported to intimate unto us that those who attain to the Dignity of the Cardinalate ought to be so Exemplary in their Lives and Conversations that all Christians may be regulated by their Actions and the very Infidels perswaded to return into the bosom of the Roman Catholick and Apostolick Church Who when he is created by the Pope's Breve 't is in these Words Creamus te Socium Regibus superiorem Ducibus Fratrem nostrum We do make thee equal to Kings Superior to Dukes and our own Brother Innocent the fourth gave them the red Hat Boniface the ninth their Vestment anâ—… Paul the second the Scarlet Cap to signifie unto us how ready they are to venture their Lives and shed their Blood for the Honour of God and Service of their holy Mother the Church or which is more probable to spill the Blood of those good Christians who oppose their superstitious and idolatrous Worship Now how they deserve either Name or Habit bestow'd on them by his Holiness whose Infallibility is as much to be question'd in this as in any other Matter these ensuing Relations will soon convince you And first for their blasphemous and prophane Expressions and abuses of Scripture for we will be more plain with them than their Universal Bishop and not cloak Vice with the name of Virtue Cardinal Bembo was so much affected with and tied up to Cicero that he would use none but his Words therefore the Senate of Venice must be stil'd Patres conscripti Dukes and Dukedoms Reges Regna the grand Turk and the Sophi Reges Armeniae Thracum Excommuâ—…ication Interdictio Igni Aquae Faith Persuasio Nuns Vestals and the Pope Pontifex Maximus and he was so puffed up with this Conceit that he altogether slighted St. Paul's Epistles abusing them with the Name of Epistolacciae little idle Epistles disswading his Friends from perusal of them lest thereby they should corrupt their Eloquence 'T was done like a true Christian Cardinal to prefer Cicero the Pagan before St Paul the learned and great Apostle of the Gentiles And another Popish Prelate had so great a stock of Impudence as to say that St. Paul penn'd many unnecessary things which might have been better omitted and farther that if he had seriously considered the offence that might afterwards have been given thereby he would have been better advis'd before he had ventured upon the Publication of them Cardinal Baronius in his Discourse against the Seignory Baron in his admonition against the Venetians p. 47. of Venice blames the Venetians in these proud and profane words The Venetians doing the contrary are as Monsters and Prodigies of the Devil adding this reason to corroboratâ—… and strengthen his Argument and settinâ—… himself above the Angels to prove hiâ—… authority over them Know ye not thaâ—… we shall judge the Angels Abusing thaâ—… Scripture and wresting it for his own ends whereas it speaks of all the Faithful not Clergy-men solely who shall sit as Assistants to our Saviour at the last day when he shall pronounce Goe ye cursed c. against the wicked Sinners Bellarmine is so bold as to affirm that the Pope is Head of the Church Etiam Christo secluso Bellar. l. 1. de Pon. c. q. though contrary to the Holy Gospel I am with you alway unto the end of the World and in opposition to their own Canons which says expressly Christ is always the Governour and Head of his Body viz the Gl. v. non consonam Clem. Ne Romam l. 1. de Elect. tit 3. Church and although the Vicar fail yet he doth never fail it It is reported by an Italian Writer that a Cardinal lying upon his death-bed desired to be shriven and when his Confessor came to do that Office he told him that he must worship one God only who replied so I do and that God is the Pope for since his Holiness is God on Earth and two Gods are not to be worshipped I had rather adore the visible than the invisible Deity the Confessor rejoyn'd the Pope is neither God nor Christ but the Cardinal clos'd the discourse with this Blasphemy I would have thee to understand that if Christ were alive again and should take a Journey to Rome the Pope would give him a very cold or no reception unless he would humble himself so far as to kiss his Pantofle It was the devout saying of a profound Doctor of the Roman Church who did declare openly that if he were satisfied no Person had St. Paul's Epistles but himself he would commit them to the flames and burn them rather than they should be publikly Read. Next of their Riches Lasciviousness and Incontinency Baptista Fulgosius though a great stickler for Popery reports oâ—… Peter Riarius one of Pope Fulgos l. 9. c. 1. Sixtus the fourth's Cardinals that his Gownes the Tieks and Coverings of his Bed were all of Cloth of Gold and his other Furniture of Silk and that he feasted Elianor of Arragon as she was on her Journey to Hercules d'Este Duke of Ferrara with whom she was to be married very sumptuously I had almost said Royally where there was such variety and different sorts of Luxurious Viands and Delicious Quelqueschoses that the Banquet continued seven hours and that his Guests might