couenant of faith to be their God in the promise of Christ vpon this he requiring obedience in a godlie life doth insinuate that they which professe the faith that God is their God must declare their faith by obedience to his commaundements and therefore he saith in an other place e Deut. 6.11 Beware thou forget not the Lorde thy God not keeping his commandements c. which sheweth plainlie that where disobedience is there is no faith for how can he haue faith that forgetteth him in whom hee should beleeue Hereupon all their disobedience rebelling and prouoking of God in the wildernes is said to be this a Psal 78.22.32 Heb. 4.1 They beleeue not God And this doth Moises aime at when hee saith Thou hast set vp the Lord this day to be thy God and to walke in his waies and to keepe his ordinances c. whereby it appeareth that vnto faith in couenanting with GOD this is an inseperable consequent that if we embrase God by faith we ought to follow his commandements by our deeds and he that doth not this latter bewraieth that he hath not with a true hart and faith receiued the former Therefore the prophets which expound the law in the person of God say thus a Mat. 1.6 A sonne honoureth his father and a seruant his Master If then I bee a father where is my honour and if I be a master where is my feare c. Nowe we know that wee are sonnes no way but by faith Therefore this prophet intendeth that we are not ioined to the Lorde by faith either as his people children or seruants or that hee is our God father and Lorde except our deedes shew the vnfainednes of our faith in honor and feare Therefore saith an other prophet b Psal 116.10 I beleeued and therefore I spake making it a most assured thing that a liuely faith cannot bee secrete and idle but will shewe it selfe by the outwarde deedes and namely profession Therefore a iust and righteous man in the prophets is thus described a Psal 37.30 The mouth of the righteous will speake of wisedome and his tongue will talke of iudgement for the law of his God is in his heart c. Who is righteous but the beleeuer and how are we righteous but by faith this teacheth then that the beleeuer hauing the law of his God in his heart cannot but bring foorth good workes both in worde and in deed euen as the vnbeleeuer cannot bring forth any other but euill deeds therefore by the prophetes euill doers and beleeuers are made contraries as it is written b Verse 9. Euill doers shall be cut off but they which waite vpon the Lord shall inherite the lande And againe c Psal 32.10 Many sorrowes come to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercie shal compasse him But the Gospell doeth shewe this yet more brightly as namely where it is said d Gal. 5.6 In Iesus Christ neyther circumcision auaileth any thing neither vncircumcision but faith which worketh by loue that is to say faith doeth not onely take holde on Christ for righteousnes but also buddeth out before God and man the sweet blossoms of loue in the workes of pietie and honestie And therefore Christ challengeth them for no beleeuers in him which walke disobediently saying e Luk. 6.46 Why call ye mee master master and do not the things that I speake Whereupon the blessed Apostle is not afeard to say that he which is not a new man in holines righteousnesse but runneth greedily after his lusts in wickednesse hath not f Eph. 4.10.11 learned Christ as the truth is in Iesus And S. Iohn speaking of the hope of Gods children what they shal be at the ioyful appearance of Christ constantly affirmeth that i 1. Ioh. 3.3 euerie man who hath this hope purgeth himselfe euen as he is pure And againe k Vers 10. In this are the children of God knowen the children of the Deuil whosoeuer doth not righteousnes is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother So that as clearely as the sunne is seene to shine in the middest of the day it is most apparant both by Abraham Moses and the prophetes and also by Christ and his Apostles that our faith and doctrine taught in England touching workes is most sound and catholicke namely that works necessarily follow faith declare it to be a true and a liuely faith and he that liueth licentiously and wickedly hath not faith The ninth Article of the meanes of religion which is the word of God 9 The word of God is the onely perfect rule of religion teaching all things whatsoeuer is necessarie vnto saluation and the same is fully wholy and onely contained in the holy and canonicall scriptures of the old and new testament IN this Article it is first necessary to know distinctly what is this word of God For some men confound this with the second person in the trinitie because the sonne of God is called the word by the holy Euangelist a Ioh. 1.1 1. Ioh. 5.7 S. Iohn Where they are to know that we consider in God two things what hee is in himselfe and what outwardly he doth or commeth from him Now the worde which is the sonne of God which is the second person in the trinitie is alwaies in God verie God as we truely say The father the word or the sonne and the holy ghost are ouer the same God But the word of God which wee heere speake of is the knowledge and reuelation of Gods wil touching godlinesse therfore called Gods word because it commeth not nor can come by the will or vnderstanding of man or any creature but by God himselfe is deliuered to his saintes as it were spoken by Almightie God as wee see in our first parente b Gen. 3. Adam after his fall hee was deade in sinne he had no will wit nor vnderstanding touching saluation till God called him and taught him by his word and gaue him the promise of Christ saying The seed of the woman should breake the serpentes head For which cause it is called c Eph. 1.9 Colos 25.26 The mystery of Gods will Which God in diuers maners in diuers times hath reueiled to his church d Numb 12. c. 7.8 2. Pet. 1.21 In darke speeches by dreames and vision openly and plainly as vnto Moses and by inspiration of the holy Ghost Of which it is thus written e Heb. 1.1.2 At sundrie times in diuers manners God spake in the olde time to our fathers by the prophetes in these last dayes he hath spoken to vs by his son And therfore these phrases in the prophets are plentifull The f Esai 1. Hier. 1. Lord hath said The word of the Lord came c. And many such like as all men know â—hich are acquainted with the holy scripture Now this being vnderstood we are to obserue
statutes and iudgements Here you see that the prophets hauing the same spirite of truth to leade them and their pen which Moses had in his writings auouch the perfection of Gods word in Moses bookes so farre as they would be vnderstood to doe or speake nothing that should not agree vnto that worde so written and whosoeuer did otherwise had not the light in him Now because Moses and the prophets agreed in their writinges in declaring and making manifest the same truth and word of God which he would haue to be the knowen canon and rule of religion Our Sauiour Christ reiecteth all c Math. 15.3 new deuises writing traditions and customes of men sendeth vs to the d Luk. 16.29 cap. 24.44 law and the prophets bidding vs to e Ioh. 5.39 search the scriptures Which also to bee a most certaine rule Saint Peter saith We haue a most sure worde of the prophets And Saint Paul a 2. Tim. 3.16 The whole scripture is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable to teach vs that the man of God may be absolute being made perfect vnto all good workes What can be a more perfect rule or touchstone then that which is most sure inspired of God profitable euery way in righteousnes by which a man may be absolute perfect vnto all good workes And hereof it commeth that the writinges of the new testament are not a new Canon or additament of rule in religion but onely a more plaine reuelation fulfilling of that which was before taught by Moses and the prophetes and therefore you shal find that Christ and the Apostles euery where do approue their doctrine by the testimonies of the scriptures of the olde testament Wherefore Paul acknowledgeth that b Rom. 16.26 God commanded the preaching of the gospell to bee by the scriptures of the prophets and Peter c Act. 3.22.24 appealeth to Moses and to all the prophets from Samuel and thenceforth that they foretold of those daies that is of the time of the gospell and the things which should bee manifested therein And therefore Paul protested that he d Cap. 26.22 witnessed both to small and great no other things then those which the prophets and Moses did say should come Wherefore the whole scriptures of the olde and new testament is one and the same rule of religion Although peraduēture as is before declared there may be some difference in ceremony and maner of gouernment yet is the first euen in those thinges a witnesse of the last and the last a true and faithfull expounder and fulfiller of the first Hereof it is that Mathew and the other Euangelists do confirme all the doctrine and doings of Christ by seuerall scriptures Yea those thinges which in forme order differ are yet proued that so they ought to be by Moses and the prophetes as the ministerie of a Math. 3.3 Iohn Baptist b Act. 2.16 and of the Apostles c Heb. 7.1.12 the priesthood of Christ and his changing of the lawe d 1. Cor. 9.9.13 prouiding for the ministerie though not by tithes and many such like But as for the most substantiall parts of the doctrine of faith and saluation I hope it shal appeare to the godly Christian by reading this Chapter throughout that there is but one canon and rule of truth Therefore to conclude let the reader obserue that this writing of Gods word is done by the spirit of God to this vse and ende that we might bee sure to know and how to trie and finde out what is the worde of God by examining all things wee heare by the Canon of the scripture As did e Act. 17.11 the noble men of Berea Wherefore Saint f Cap. 1.3.4 Luke affirmeth that the ende of this writing was that wee might acknowledge the certaintie of those thinges whereof wee haue beene instructed And Saint Paule saith that for the Church g Philip. 3.1 it was a sure thing and this sure thing is expounded by the Euangelist who sayth h Ioh. 20.21 These thinges are written that yee might beleeue that Iesus is the Christ the sonne of God and that in beleeuing yee might haue life through his name Therefore as Moyses which first wrote shewed the absolutenesse of this Canon of Gods worde written by i Deut. 4.2 forbidding all adding to and taking from So the last booke of this Canon sealeth vp all the writinges of God with the like admonition saying e Reuelat. 22.18 I protest to euerie one that heareth the wordes of the prophesie of this booke If any man shall adde vnto these thinges God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke Now in both partes of this Article agreeing to all these testimonies of holy scripture is the iudgement and profession of the Church of England For we say b Artic. 20. of the authoritie of the church It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrarie to Gods worde written c Articl 6. the doctrine of holy scripture Holy scripture containeth all things necessarie to saluation so that whatsoeuer is not read therein nor may be proued thereby is not to be required of any man that it should be beleeued as an article of the faith or bee thought requisite and necessarie to saluation c. d Apolog. cap. 9. diuis 1. We receiue and embrace all the Canonicall scriptures both of the old and new testament c. they bee the verie sure and infallible rule whereby may be tried Whether the Church do swarue or erre and whereunto all ecclesiasticall doctrine ought to bee called to account and that against these scriptures neyther law nor ordinance nor any custome ought to be heard c. In all which wee doe acknowledge this most absolute canon of Gods word agreeing with Abraham Moses the Prophets Christ and his Apostles The tenth Article of the people who follow the right religion that is the Church of God 10 There is but one Church of God and the same is catholike and spread ouer all the world holding onely the true faith of Christ and it is made visible and knowne by the profession of the same faith which is in the preaching of the pure word of God and right administration of his holy sacraments IN this Article is a double description of Christes Church first in regard of the nature and second in regard of the visible markes The nature is in three things vnitie and vniuersalitie and faith The markes are declared by their profession which is preaching and administring the word sacraments By vnitie wee vnderstand that God hath not diuers Churches of diuers sectes in diuers places or times but howsoeuer times and places may haue some externall and temporal differences yet in all times and places the people whom God alloweth and accepteth to bee his church are but one misticall bodie wherof Christ is the head and as
time and with the preaching of Christ and his Prophets and Apostles is most comfortablie sealed vp and confirmed the Lords name be praised therefore The Lords name I say be praised who hath bin so mercifull and gratious vnto this little Ileland that passing ouer many greater richer and mightier nations hath set such an especial loue vpon vs as he hath vouchsafed to preferre and exalt our nation aboue many other to be of his holie and catholike church of the blessed communion of his saints and a true member of his visible people vpon whom his name is called That we may truely iustly and boldly say that the religion which we follow and the faith and doctrine which wee confesse is the faith of Gods elect the knowledge of the truth according to godlines vnder the hope of eternall life the verie true and onely way of saluation which God and not man teacheth Which he hath taught al the fathers before the law was giuen or any part of Gods woord written during the space of 2517. yeeres In the ende of that time Abraham our father euen the father of all beleeuers 430. yeeres before Moses when the world began to be corrupted receaued and professed for al nations which should be after him Which Moses and the Prophets proclaimed and maintained some 1445. yeeres vntill the blessed time of Christes holie incarnation And which the same Iesus Christ the glorious son of God euen the Lord of life preached in his owne person and his holie Apostles which heard him and saw al his great works did witnes and publish to all the gentils and was confirmed by gods holie testimonie from heauen with great signes and wonders and gifts of the holie ghost And which the same euerlasting God euen the father of our Lorde Iesus Christ commanded to be taught vnto all people out of the holie Scriptures of Moses the Prophets and Psalmes and hath opened and made manifest by the holie inspired writings of the Euangelistes and Apostles and left and commended vnto his Church for the saluation of his elect vnto the worlds end By which al gods people ar to be known by which God will be glorified in his saints and out of which no man hath been shall be or can be saued I say therefore againe the Lords name be praised for euer Amen CHAP. IIII. Where is declared First that antiquitie vniuersalitie and visible succession is no perfect marke of the church much lesse of the popish Synagogue which is but of yesterday 2. The measure order of the visible succession of the Church from Christs time forward is shewed by the Scripture 3. Therefore the papists do prooue themselues to be no church when they ground themselues on this false principle the church cannot erre 4. How the true religion hath shewed it selfe by manie witnesses from the Apostles time euen vnto our dayes THE Synagogue of Rome claimeth antiquitie vniuersality and succession visible from the time of Christs Apostles to be vndoubted markes of the church of God and so of the pure religion addinge thereunto as it were the sinewes and ioints to make them all holde together the faithfull and constant grace of the church visible vnder the ghospell namly this false principle that It cannot erre And therfore when they are convicted to haue fallen from the true christian religion and find themselues openly bewraied being tried by the perfect touchstone of Gods holie written woord to be lately vpstart and of a new deuised religion doctrine and faith brought forth into the world by the fanatical and superstitious humor of heretical prauitie and humaine follie and begotten by the cunning insinuations and coulorable suggestions of him which vseth all spirituall craftines and profoundnes of wisedom to bruse the heele of the womans seede and to darken the glorious light of the heauenlie faith of Gods chosen least happely they should not be found the very true Antechrist after the maner of him that trāsformeth him selfe into an angel of light they would beare downe the world with the vaine titles and goodly shew of antiquitie vniuersalitie visible succession of the vnerring and vnchangeable persistance of the visible church in the truth and leaue out altogether that which is indeede the very nature and foundation of the church the true religion faith and doctrine of Apostles and Prophets of God But alas these are but the figge leaues of Adam which cannot couer their shame for as all men knowe that the serpent cannot proue himselfe a man by his auncient continuance and remaining in the world vnlesse hee had those essential properties of bodie and soule whereof euery man doth naturally consist So for so much as all these things antiquitie vniuersalitie c. are such as heretikes Ethnikes did and could claime from Caine and Cham or Iaphet as wel as Christians from Seth and Shem and that the true nature of the church cōsisteth in the fellowship of the true religion doctrine and faith the sygnogoge of Rome vnlesse it hold the true faith and religion cannot for these things be the true visible church of God For no antiquitie vniuersalitie or succession can make the whore of Babel to be the true and chast spouse of Christ And who knoweth not that Caine was before Sheth and that their two posterities were the two churches one which is of Caine called the children of men because their religion came of a runnagate man the other was called the childrē of God because their religion was giuen and taught them of God Likewise in the Apostasie of the time of Abraham the nations were almost setled vpon the dregges of their filthie idolatry when Abraham was now but newly called Ismael and Esaue which fell out of the church and house of Abraham became goodly states and monarkes before Iacob was established and the people of Israell were gathered into a knowen and visible floorishing forme of a church which was 430. yeeres after the calling of Abraham Lastlie the gentils continued in that apostasie and idolatrie ouerspreading all the world from the time of Abraham vntil Christ eighteene hundred yeeres when the Church was but in a little corner of the world the land of Canaan and of that a great space in the territories of Iuda and Hierusalem onely Because Caine Ismael and Esaie calling antiquitie and visible succession before Sheth and Isaack and Iacob is their religion the true religion or were they the true church or shall the Gentils iustifie thē selues to be the true worshippers of God or to haue the true God because they can brag ouer the Iewes christiās with al these termes of antiquity vniuersality succession visible c. therfore he that readeth the stories shall find how they scoffe at the Iewes christians euen as the papist do at vs because that although they haue no truth on their side yet they thinke these painted paper walles and leaden weapons of long continuance and open appearance and flowrishing in
new testament thus h Rom. 3.23.24 There is no difference for all haue sinned and are depriued of the glorie of God and are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Iesus 25. whom God hath set forth to bee a reconciliation through faith in his bloud c. In the seuenth Article there are three contradictories of the lying erring multitude of Rome vnto the true religion For they i Concil Trident sessi 5. sess 6. canon 18. 25. say that Concupiscence in the regenerate after baptisme is no sinne although they confesse Saint Paule calleth it sinne 2. That there is nothing in him displeasing God but he is pure innocent and immaculate 3. A iustified man can keepe all Gods commaundements If these men had learned and beleeued the true religion they would not dare to speake so directly contrarie to truth seeing God teacheth far otherwise First in the old testament where the church is directed to say k Esai 64.6 Wee haue bin all as an vncleane thing all our righteousnes as filthy clouts And in the new testament l 1. Ioh. 1.8 If we say we haue no sin wee deceiue our selues and truth is not in vs. Which two places being spoken of the people being by the sacrament of initiation or Baptisme entred into the Church do shew plainely that original corruption is a sinfull matter in the flesh of the regenerate by which they are made vnable to doe any one worke perfect much lesse to doe all Gods commandements at all times in thought word and deede a thing which euerie man 's owne conscience doth testifie if he bee not too much besotted with the looking vpon his fruitlesse peacockes taile In the eight Article they make additaments namely that a Concil Trid. sess 6. canon 24. 33. 20. good workes are also causes of the encreasing of iustification and truely deserue eternall life and encrease of glorie and that the obseruing of the commandements of God and the Church are the condition of the promise of eternall life to which the iustified man is bound if he will be saued By which while they robbe Christ of his merits and giue more honour to the corrupt life of man and lesse to the redeemer and lay an other burthen vpon Christians then that which God layeth and such as no man can beare they leade themselues so farre from religion that either by a vaine hope of that which is not they forsake their owne saluation or els by a greeuous desperate downe-fall finding themselues as the truth is vnable to fulfill the condition they lay themselues open to euerlasting perdition But God alloweth no such additamentes where he teacheth vs in the old testament to say vnto him b Psal 16.2 Thou art my Lord my well doing extendeth not to thee And in the new c Luc. 17.10 When ye haue done all those things which are commanded you say wee are vnprofitable seruants c. And the condition of fulfilling the commandements is called d Act. 15.10 a yoke which neither we nor our fathers were able to beare and if it were possible to doe the commandements yet the holie Ghost teâ—â—eth vs that e Gal. 2.21 if righteousnesse bee by the lawe then Christ died without a cause Against the ninth Article the Romists do diuersly oppose themselues shewing themselues to bee of no religion For first they adde the commandement of the church making it equall vnto Gods written worde saying f Gret decreâ— pars 1. dist 20. cap. de libellis They which receiue not indifferently their Canons they profitablie effectually and to purpose holde or beleeue neither the catholike faith nor the foure holy Euangelistes They adde moreouer that g Distinct 19. all the decretals constitutions of that sea yea though it decree things scarce to bee borne yet must they bee borne with a godly deuotion though there bee as h Decret abbreuiat in versibus they say in one booke of decrees aboue 3000. Againe they say that i Concil Trident sess 4. decret 1. pari pietatis affectu reuerentia Traditions pertaine to faith and maners and that they doe receiue and embrace them with equall godly deuotion and reuerence as they doe the holy scriptures Lastly they set the Church before the scriptures as that by k Test Rhem. note vpon Gal. 2. vers 2. 6. D. Smith briefe treatise cap 2. 3. it the scriptures are so farre made knowen to all Christians as they are not bound so to take them vnlesse by the authoritie of the Church they knew them And that the authoritie of holy scripture dependeth and hangeth vpon the iudgement of the vniuersall or catholike church and that there are many vnwritten verities left by Christ and his Apostles to be beleeued and obeyed vnder paine of damnation Here is the mouth of blasphemie if wee may beleeue the vndoubted word of God how hee teacheth vs to esteeme of the holy scriptures and of the Church for in the olde Testament hee saith l Esai 8.20 To the law and to the testimonie if they speake not according to this word it is because there is no light in them And in the new a 2. Tim. 3.13 The holy scriptures are able to make thee wise vnto saluation c. Let then euery wise man iudge that if the scriptures bee able to make a man wise vnto saluation and that there is no light that is to say knowledge of truth and godlinesse in them which agree not to the holy scriptures what canons decrees decretals traditions or vnwritten verities can haue any authoritie vnlesse they agree to the written word of God or that they can containe in them any thing not written in the scripture which is of necessitie to saluation or which not to doe or beleeue is damnation Againe how can the scriptures take their authoritie from the church seeing that the church is of no light vnlesse it bee found agreeable to the scriptures and therefore no church except it bee approued by the scriptures and so the scripture is iudge ouer the church and not contrarie And if I say the scriptures can make a man wise vnto saluation it is the greatest follie in the world to clogge the people of God with so many thousand of needles canons decrees decretals traditions and vnwritten falsely called verities and so make the light and easie yoke of Iesus Christ most heauie and burdenous If these diuilish blasphemies were true alas who could be saued For who was euer found that did or could doe all the foresaid Canons and traditions Therefore in them is fulfilled which is said by the Lord of Hypocrites b Math. 23.4 They bind heauie greeuous burthens not to be borne and lay them on mens sholders but they themselues will not moue them with one of their fingers Let vs abandon therefore these painted sepulchers and enemies of all true
the title of Christ hanging on the crosse was written in Hebrew Greeke and Latine Where you may see three strange thinges to bee done of these holy fathers first to celebrate that in an vnknowne tongue which containeth great instruction to the faithfull people as if it were meete in their eies that the meate which was good and appointed for them ought to bee kept out of their sight Secondly that this order must be learned of Pontius Pilate who put Christ to death a verie good an Apostle for an Apostaticall Church Thirdly this is expressely repugnant to holy scripture which saith c 1. Cor. 14.26.28 Let all things be done to edification and that hee which speaketh in a strange tongue should keepe silence in the Church In the foureteenth Article they bee also contradictorie to the truth And first touching matrimony they haue three degrees of contradiction d Concil trid sess 8. canon 9. First absolutely forbidding all preestes and ecclesiasticall persons to marie e Canon 11. Secondly they forbidde mariage certaine times in the yeare as in Lent c. And f Canon 3. thirdly take vpon thē to dispence with the order of God g Cap. 18. in Leuiticus touching the degrees of kindred prohibited also to adde and ordaine moe degrees to be prohibited which God hath not forbidden And whosoeuer doth maintain the Christian libertie herein they pronounce him Anathema accursed Forgetting what h Act. 10.15 Reuelat. 3.7 God said to Peter That God hath purified pollute thou not and that Christ the head of his Church hath the keye of Dauid that openeth and no man shutteth c. Wherefore seeing that Christ hath made i Heb. 13.4 Tit. 1.15 mariage honourable for all men and that by his ordinance To the cleane all things are cleane doe they not herein bewray their apostatical presumption to challenge authoritie more then euer Peter durst euen aboue Christ when they make mariage dishonourable in certayne times and persons and dispence by giuing libertie where Christ forbiddeth and making restraint where hee giueth libertie Now in the authoritie of the magistrate how vnlike the Pope is vnto Peter euerie man seeth For cleane contrarie to all religion and honestie hee taketh vppon him not onely to bee vniuersall Bishoppe aboue all Bishoppes but also vniuersall ministeriall head in earth aboue all power and potentates kinges and Emperours that is aboue all that is called k Psal 82.1 The Pope aboue all called God God Therefore we need not vse many wordes in this place seeing the Pope vsurpeth that which Christ himselfe neuer did in his owne person neyther gaue to any other after him For he meekely submitted himselfe to the ciuill power saying directly a Ioh. 18.36 Mark 10.43 My kingdome is not of this world and forbidding others he saith It shall not be so among you In the fifteenth Article the disagreement by addition that where the true religion by holie scripture haue this hope of the bodies rising at the last day The sea of Rome teach another arising namely of the soule out of Limbus Patrum out of purgatorie and out of Hell before that great day of iudgement come As first that b Test Rhem. annot Luc. 16.22.26 Dorbel distinct 2 sent 4. In miss quotid pro defund offert Christ descended into Hell deliuered the fathers some out of Limbus some out of purgatorie which had lien there till that time And that in hell a man may suffer part of his temporall penance which being ended hee is free from thence and therefore they pray in their Masse Domine Iesu c. O Lord Iesu Christ deliuer the soules departed c. Which dreaming additament of hope concerning the dead bewrayeth it selfe to disagree from the Christian religion in as much as God doth teach men that after death the faithfull doe onely rest till the last day First in the olde testament thus c Esa 57.2 Dan 12.13 He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds Thou shalt rest and stand vp in thy lot at the end of the daies And in the new Testament d Reuelat. 14.13 Blessed are the dead which hereafter die in the Lord euen so saith the spirit for they rest from their labours If they rest and that till they stand vp then no translation out of Limbus Purgatorie or Hell And if they rest then no penance in hell or purgatorie for the faithfull Therefore I may conclude in this place that the popish superstition hath verie little or no affinitie with the true ancient and catholike religion but it hath verie many great intollerable disagreements from the same CAP. II. Of the disagreement that popish superstition now taught in Rome hath with the religion which Saint Paul taught the Romans and with the doctrine Saint Peter taught the Iewes IT will also appeare how new the superstition of poperie is if we find they keep not the doctrine of the blessed Apostles and founders of Christs Church Saint Paule and Saint Peter vpon which two they father all their authoritie and doings and call them founders and protectors and patrons of the church of Rome If then they be fallē from the faith which these two holy Apostles taught by the spirit of truth they must needs be accounted vpstarts of an apostatical new borne generation Marke therefore good Reader and consider Saint Paul taught the Romanes that it was an hethenish wickednes a Rom. 1.23 to turne the glorie of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man The sea of Rome that now is cleane contrarie to that doctrine doth make images to represent the Trinitie and to represent God the father by the likenesse of an olde corruptible man The doctrine which Saint Peter taught the Iews saith that b Act. 2.23 Christ was deliuered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God to bee crucified and slaine by the handes of wicked men The sea of Rome that now is doth say that God did onely foresee but not determine or ordaine any thing which he commandeth not and it is certaine he commanded not the Iewes to crucifie Christ therefore in these two points they agree not with Paul Peters doctrine S. Paul taught the ancient Romanes that a Rom. 8.7 The wisedome of the flesh that is to say the knowledge and will of man as it is infected by original corruption before we be regenerate is enmitie against God and that it is not subiect to the law of God neither in deed can bee And the doctrine of Peter to the Iewes is that wee b 1. Pet. 1.22.23 cap. 2. 1. 2. 2. Cor. 3.5 are borne againe as new borne babes shewing that without the spirit of God we haue not one good thought But these new Romistes say that mans will onely stirred vp by the grace of God can prepare it selfe to the grace of iustification and doeth workes of congruitie pleasing God and
worketh together with the grace of God vnto merit and deseruing of saluation S. Paul taught the Romanes that c Rom. 8.8 they which are in the flesh that is the vnregenerate can not please God And again d Cap. 3.12 They haue all gone out of the way they haue beene made altogether vnprofitable there is none that doth good no not one And he openeth himselfe els where saying e Eph. 4.17.18 The Gentils walke in the vanitie of their mind hauing their cogitation darkened being straungers from the life of God through the ignoraunce that is in them c. that is to say their ignoraunce is so great that they cannot doe any thing but sinne which he confirmeth by this maxime to the same Romans f Rom. 14.23 Whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Therefore his doctrine to them is this that by their exceeding ignoraunce the vnregenerate did nothing but such as was sinne in Gods eye-sight These late Romistes doe g Concil trident Ses 6. canon 7. accurse this doctrine of Saint Paule and all them that say that all the workes of the vnregenerate to bee truely sinne Saint Peter taught the Iewes h Act. 4.12 That there is saluation in none other meaning none other but Christ for that there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued These degenerate pretenders of Peter place saluation in others as in merites satisfaction and workes of supererogation and say there bee other names by which wee must bee saued as diriges religious orders and vowes pilgrimage pardons relickes and many other names by them deuised Saint Paule taught the auncient Romanes that i Rom. 4.25 8.33.34 Christ dyed for our sinnes and rose to make vs righteous and being hereby iustified of God nothing can bee layed to our charge nor condemne vs. By which it appeareth that the obedience and suffering of Chryst was the perfect working of our saluation These bastarde Romanes doe saye that wee yet neede the sacrifice of the Masse for quicke and deade and that the doing and fulfilling of Gods commaundementes and the Church is the condition on our part S. Peters doctrine saith that all the faithful k 1. Pet. 2.5.9 are an holy priesthood To offer vp spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Iesus Christ These counterfet successors of Peter adde a new deuise saying that their priests haue an especial office to offer vp sacrifice namely their Hoste S. Paul taught the old Romanes that l Rom. 8.34 Christ sitteth at the right hand of God to make intercession for vs. These declined Romistes say that the virgin Marie Peter and Paul and the Saints are intercessors for vs. Saint Peter taught the Iewes that he the said a 1. Pet. 5.1.2 Peter was an elder as other elders ministers of Christ and that such elders should not be Lordes ouer Gods heritage but that Christ was the chiefe shepheard These stately prelates make themselues Lords of sea and land disdaining at the low estate of the Apostles and elders of the primitiue church Saint Paule taught the Christian Romanes that b Rom. 3.28 A man is iustified by faith without workes These Antechristian Romanes say that by doing good workes a man is iust and iustified and not by faith alone Saint Paul taught the Christian Romans that c Rom. 7.7 Concupiscence in the regenerate was sinne and though he did will that which was good yet hee could not performe it These Antechristian Romanes do say that concupiscence is not sinne in the regenerate after Baptisme but onely left for the spirituall battell to bee resisted Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith That we must doe good workes d 1. Pet. 2.12.15 to shew forth the vertues of God and to glorifie him and to put to silence the ignoraunce of foolish men The new learning of these men is that we must do good workes that we might winne heauen thereby Saint Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith e 1. Pet. 1.23 2.1 epist 2. cap. 3.1.15 That the Gospell is the word of God by which we are borne again that it is sincere milke and commendeth vnto them his owne and also S. Paules epistles And S. Paule taught the faithfull Romanes f Rom. 1.2 16.26 That God promised the gospell before by his prophetes in the holy scriptures and that God commaunded that it should bee taught all nations by the scriptures of the prophets These Romanes of the new learning do say that the g Reade Martin Peresius Aila de traditionibus scripture can not teach all the gospell but we must learne somewhat touching faith and saluation by tradition canons and the magisteriall power of the Church and equall these with holy scripture to teach that which cannot be found and learned in the written word of God Saint Paul taught the Romans the vniuersalitie of the Church when he said a Rom. 10.12 there is no difference betweene the Iew and the Grecian for hee that is Lord ouer all is right vnto all that call vpon him S. Peters doctrine agreeth thereunto where he saith b Act. 10.34.35 God is no accepter of persons but in euery nation hee that feareth him and worketh righteousnes is accepted with him These late builders place the Church in the citie of Rome and call it the Catholike Church of Rome S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith c 1. Pet. 1.3 2 5.17 that he prayed and blessed God and that the Christians should feare God and offer spirituall sacrifices vnto God And S. Paul d Rom. 1. 10 15. 16. taught the beleeuing Romanes by his own ensample in diuers prayers and by a generall example of the Church in these words whosoeuer calleth on the name of the Lord c. that they should worship and pray to God onely These new deuisers giue this honour of God to Saints relickes and images and teach men to serue worship and pray to them S. Paul taught the Romanes of the Primatiue Church that after e Rom. 4.11 iustification by faith the sacraments are signes to seale the righteousnes of faith and S. Peters doctrine to the Iewes saith that f 1. Pet. 3. Baptisme saueth vs but not by the outward washing away of the filth of the flesh but by the spirit working in our hearts a good conscience to God 21. These new forgers of doctrine and sacraments make the sacraments in the worke wrought to containe to conferre grace and to iustifie together with faith and that without baptisme there happeneth no iustification Saint Paul and S. Peter wrote both in the Greeke tongue which was fittest for all nations to learne Gods word and wheresoeuer they gaue instructions a This appeareth Act. 2. all the whole storie following they did it in that language which might best be vnderstood of the people but these new religion makers deliuer instructions teach men
as they confesse not found in holy scriptures cannot bee good if the first part of their rule be true Secondly if it be of the nature of the scripture as we haue proued to containe all things necessarie to saluation and some of these as their dreadfull sacrifice of the masse rites in baptisme confirmation purgatorie prayers for the dead c. are by popish doctrine necessarie to saluation and yet are not to be found in holy scriptures then it followeth that they are contrarie to the law of God when they stand vp to shew themselues auaileable to saluation because they falsely accuse the scripture not to containe all thinges necssarie to saluation yea they accuse the scripture of a lie when it saith c 2. Tim. 3.15.16.17 They are able to make thee wise vnto saluation and that the man of God may bee perfect and absolute vnto euerie good worke But what can bee more contrarie to the law of God then to make his inspired word written to tell a lie Here then by their owne rule fall downe their traditions forged vpon Christ and his Apostles and presumed by their Church and if the scripture bee true there can and ought to bee no such thing and therefore of necessitie by their owne doctrine these are but deuises of men traditions not good Now for the second part of this first braunch of their rule where they say that the naughtie traditions are verie neere occasions of sinne These traditions breake that rule also For beside that they are all sinne in that God neuer commaunded them and come vnder that checke d Math. 15.2 In vaine they worship mee teaching for doctrines mans precepts they can neuer denie by any good reason but that by these traditions they giue occasions of sinne many waies As in Baptisme men cannot discerne the true worke of Baptisme for the multitude of ceremonies vnto which are giuen the verie power and operation of Baptisme by the sacrifice of the masse relickes images and praying to Saintes they are ledde vnto sinne being directly against that commandement which saith a Math. 4.10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And their vowes of chastitie and single life giue occasion of all filthinesse buggery and murder and sodomitrie But if in these traditions there be a direct and particular contradiction to holy scripture then where is their foundation as for example the holy scripture saith b Heb. 18. There remayneth no more sacrifice for sinne they say the sacrifice of the masse is for the quicke and the dead the holy scripture saith it is c 1. Tim. 4.1 a doctrine of deuils to forbidde meates and mariage These traditions make priesthoode vowes and holding the childe at Baptisme to hinder marrige and that Lent and ember daies must not see any flesh and that for conscience sake The scripture saith thou d Precep 2. Exod. 20. shalt make no image nor worshippe them and they say thou mayest and oughtest to worship them And there are a great many more as is before apparant to bee seene whereof I thought good to giue the reader a taste that hee might the better remember what hath beene before written For the second part of the rule to knowe a naughtie tradition to be of men and not of God they say it is naught if it bee derogatorie to the glorie of Christ I pray you looke vpon all and euerie of these traditions and you shall find that they are set forth for merite and remission of sinnes for satisfaction and iustification All which as is before proued are the glorie of Christ because there is e Act. 4.12 no other name giuen vnder heauen whereby a man may bee saued These being newe names challenging that which belongeth to him cause men to giue his glorie vnto others And therefore by this rule seeing they derogate from the glorie of Christ they are no good traditions but meere inuentions of men not sufferable in the Church of God Lastly they are friuolous and burdenous c. which is the third part of their rule to know traditions to be of man do but looke vpon the number If f Gratians decrees one booke can shew vs 3090. decrees whereof most of them be of these traditions and that there be besides these in decretall and extrauagants I cannot tell how many thousand more then how can they auoid the name of burden And as for their profite if wee may iudge by holy scriptures which teacheth that g Heb. 1.3 Christ by himselfe purgeth our sins What profit can there be in any or all of these except we may say that Christ hath not purged our sinnes But their owne conscience telleth them there is no need of them As for example when they can h Manipul curat cap. 8. de annex bapt say of all the rites of tradition in Baptisme that they are not of the essence of Baptisme because that without them Baptisme may bee well giuen in case of necessitie which hauing as great a warrant as any of the rest wee may verily conclude that they are all but friuolous and superfluous ouerspreading outslippes of mens deuises What shall we then determine of this goodly popish trash but that they cannot be ancient autentical after Gods word seeing they cannot agree to their owne rules whereby they would proue them to be of God Therefore that is most blasphemous that they call the worde of God as it is in the holy bookes dead incke in comparison of their tradition vnlesse it be warranted by tradition and vnderstood in the sence of the mastership of their church Wee are then come thus farre that poperie is a tradition not written with dead incke in Gods holy bookes but some other kinde of doctrine which by their owne rules cannot bee found worthy the name of a good tradition and therefore a meere deuise of mans foolishnesse that is to say verie fables much displeasing and abhominable in the holy eyes of almightie God 4 Now let vs looke into the particulers Heere come the a Antididagma printed at Louan 1544. reuerend Canons of Colen who in the generall ioyning with this great clearke Peresius in many things crie with him Traditum est or traditum tenemus that is it is a tradition or wee hold it a tradition And this they doe where they are to shewe their originall and in deede it is an easie matter to maintayne any foolish or wicked thing by such a deuise yet are these learned men of Colon content to tell vs one or two originalles First b Pag. 70. they say It is true that Christ gaue the Sacrament to his Apostles vnder both kindes of breade and wine and that the church obserued that order a long time after therefore they teach vs that to keep the cup from the common people is but new learning So also they c Pag. 143. say their holy daies reckning by name 22.
all writings of Bishops prouinces and generall counsels as vncertain and vnperfect and such as may be amended but lifteth vp the scriptures and writings of the new and olde testament as the onely sure and sufficient truth b De baptism contra Donat. lib. 2. cap. 3. saying Who knoweth not that the holy scripture as well of the olde as of the new testament is contained within certaine boundes and the same to be preferred before all the letters of the bishops comming after as that there can be no doubt dispute of or about it But the letters of Bishops which haue bin written after the confirming of the Canon or are now written may be reprehended both by the speech perauenture more wise of any man more wise in the same thing and by the grauer authoritie of other Bishops prudencie of learned men and by counsels if perauenture any thing in them do erre frō the truth Also counsels which are holden in seuerall regions or prouinces are to giue place without any staggering to the authoritie of fuller counsels which are holden of all the Christian world and those verie fuller councels often the former may be amended by the latter when as by any experience of things that is made knowne which was hidden Cyrillus in that verie age sheweth himselfe in this matter a verie true protestant c Vpon Ioh. 20. cap. 68. saying All things which the Lord hath done are not written but those things which the writers haue thought sufficient as well for maners as doctrine that shining in a right faith and workes and vertue we may come to the kingdome of heauen through our Lord Iesus Christ And Theophilact one of the later writers of the Greekes condescendeth to this doctrine b Vpon 2. Tim. 3. and saith Nihil est quod nequeat scripturis dissolut There is nothing which cannot bee assoiled by the scriptures Here the Christian reader may see that the auncient Christian religion was the same of protestants holding the scripture for the onely Canon of faith the rule of righteousnesse containing all thinges necessarie to saluation most certaine and sure to discerne all truth and able to assoile all dobts and questions and that wee ought to follow no man because Bishops letters the most generall and fullest councels may be amended and that it is onely the holy scripture whereof there can bee no doubt or dispute so that it followeth that it is a new doctrine to say that the Churches authoritie is aboue the scripture or that the Church iudgeth the scripture and not the scripture the Church or that wee neede and must accept with equall reuerence traditions or vnwritten verities and canons of the church without disputing and such like blasphemies Gratian also the compiler of the decrees who c About Ann. 1160. liued in the chiefest growth of corruption did publish to all the world as an ecclesiasticall decree the soueraigntie of holy scripture For speaking of deuine lawes he sheweth the determination of ancient fathers to set the holy scriptures aboue all other lawes whatsoeuer And first aboue all customes in d Distinct 8. ca. Si solus Christus these wordes If Christ onely bee to bee hearde wee are not to regarde what any man before vs thought meete to bee done but what Christ who is before all hath first done For wee must not follow the custome of men but the truth of God seeing God speaketh by Esai the prophet and saith in vaine doe they worshippe mee teaching the commandements and doctrines of men Secondly that it is proper and peculier to the Canonicall scriptures e For so the glosse interpreteth the Canons of the distinction following of the olde and new Testament onely not to erre f Distinct 9. cap. Ego solit saying I haue learned to giue vnto those writinges onely which now are called Canonicall this reuerence and honour that I beleeue that none of them haue erred And againe g Cap. Noli frater Doe not desire brother to gather out of the writings of Bishoppes cauils against so many so excellent and vndoubted testimonies deuine c. Whether they bee ours or Hillarius or Cyprian and Agrippinus before the part of Donatus was seperated And first this kind of letters is to bee distinguished from the authoritie of the Canons for they are not so reade as though a testimonie were so brought out of them that it is not lawfull to thinke contrarie if in any place they vnderstood otherwise then the truth doeth require And againe Neither ought wee to account the disputations of any men whatsoeuer although Catholicke and reuerende men like vnto the Canonicall Scriptures that it shoulde not bee lawfull for vs sauing the reuerence due vnto these men to improoue some thing in their wrytinges and to reiecte it if happely wee shall finde that they thinke or imagine otherwise then the truth hath In the next age after Gratian I finde Bonauentura a Franciscan a man of great account in h De profect◠religiosorū cap. 6. He liued about Ann. 1280. his time with cleare tearmes to teach the doctrine of protestantes in these wordes Nam quod ratio nostra lippa facta est c. Whereas our reason is become as bleare eied our vnderstanding darkened through sinne that wee cannot finde the truth of our selues God came downe vnto vs least we should bee in error and gaue vs the knowledge of the truth in the scriptures which he would haue vs beleeue where we might find sufficiently and truely all thinges necessarie for vs vnto saluation that in them we should not follow our sence but humblie submit our sence vnto the rule of faith if we will not erre Nicholas Lyra in the a 1315. next age protesteth for the scripture in like maner b Vpon the Prouerb ca. 31. saying Sacra scriptura continet firmam c. The holy scripture containeth the firme and inuiolable truth as in a merchants shippe are caried diuers thinges necessarie for mans life so in scripture are contained all things necessarie to saluation But that I ouercloy not the reader with many testimonies for the authority of holy scriptures I wil now turne to the other side to trace the footsteps of the popish doctrine how it came vp that the scriptures hath lost their first authority and honour Surely by the witnesse of the papistes themselues not in 400. or 600. yeares after Christ For then saith the glosse vpon c Vpon distinct 9. cap. noli me 15. Gratian that about the times of Augustine Augustina scripta aliorū sanctorū patrum non erant autentica c. The writings of Augustine and of other holy fathers were not autenticall but d that is about Anno 1200. now they are commanded to be holdē to the vtmost Iod. And this Gratian e Distinct 15. cap. sancta Romana sendeth vs to Gelasius for the first founder of the authoritie of councels
differing religion and faith concerning God from all people vnder heauen whatsoeuer b Rom. 1.1.2.3.4 The third sort in regard of the persons are the gentils that is all nations and languages after the comming of Christ and in regard of the things they had the gospel which Iesus Christ the sonne of GOD being made man of the virgin Marie did preach ordaine and commit to writing to be preserued for the euerlasting benefit of the church which being preached by the Apostles of Christ as well to the Iewes as to the Gentils at his commaundement and by his commission the Iewes for their vnbelefe fel away and being left to the hardnes of their hart were reiected and ceased to be the visible church of God remaine scattered ouer the face of the whole earth vntill this day and the gentils hearing and receiuing the gospell and submitting them selues by faith vnto the doctrin of Christ became Gods people againe and his visible church and so the true religion hath remained among the gentils in one place or other vntil this day and of this number are we of the church of Englande one happie part The Lord our God and merciful father in Iesus Christ be praised therefore 3. Now in all these times notwithstanding that the outward face of the church by the ceremonies and maner of gouernment did verie much differ yet in all these was but one substance of religion consisting in the knowledg of one true and liuing God and in the worship of his diuine maiestie by faith in the holy promise of Iesus Christ which promise was made vnto Adam Abraham and Dauid declared by the prophets preached to the gentils in the gospel For so Adam a Gen. 4.1.2.3 trained vp his sons by sacrifice to worship God arguing their expectation of the Messias or seed of the woman to come And therfore b Heb. 11.2.3.4 Abel Enoch Noe Abraham are wel reported of for their faith and to haue pleased God Vnto c 1. Pe. 3.10.11 Noe the ark vnto Abraham circumcision being types and figures of Christ were helpes in this faith religion so in the law all the priestes their sacrifices and seruice yea al the law d Rom. 10.4 Gal. 3.22 ponited out Christ as thend therof and concluded all vnder sin that the promise by the faith of Iesus Christ might be giuen to them that beleeue And the prophets which best vnderstood the law shew the maine substance of their religion to be in faith when they say e Esai 26.16 He that beleeueth in him meaning Christ shal not make hast f Aaback 2.4 The iust shal liue by faith g Psal 34.8 Tast and see how gracious the Lord is blessed is the mā that trusteth in him Which thing witnesseth the Apostle saying h Rom. 15.4 Whatsoeuer things are written afore time are written for our learning that we thorow patience and comfort of the scripture might haue hope and that the i 2. Tim. 3.15 scriptures speaking of the law and prophets are able to make one wise vnto saluation thorow faith in Iesus Christ And lastly touching the gospell it is most cleare that by k Gal. 3.26 Act. 24.14 beleefe in Christ wee are made Gods people in this beleef we worship and serue God as in one true pure religion Therefore they which are taught l Math 28.19 Act. 2.38 cap. 16.31 Iacob 1.6 Heb. 11.6 are baptized when they beleeue and so receaued into the church such are said to be saued such are said to pray aright and generally such are said to please God 4. Now to conclude this place we may obserue the wonderful administration of God in vpholding of this one true religion faith of Christ in all ages of the world and that in two things First in his iudgments and secondly in the diuers manifestation of his spirit as concerning the first the ould world falling into a most horrible apostasie m Gen. 6. by prophane and vnequal yoking of the children of God with the children of men God stirred vp Noe the preacher of righteousnes in his family preserued the true faith when all the whole world was fallen away therefore drowned by waters Then after the floud som 400. yeres when idolatry had ouercrept the world in the posterity of Noe namely after the confounding of the languages and that they were become many nations God a Gen. 12. Ioshuah 24.2 called Abraham and taught him the faith and pure religion of Christ when hee gaue him the promise That in his seede all the families of the earth should be blessed and in his posteritie namly of his son b Gen. 17.19 Act. 14.16 Isaak when all the nations of the world were left to their own waies the same was preserued and althogh the Israelits c Ps 78. 106 many times departed from the true God to follow the maners fashions of the gentils yet he reduced thē home again by his plagues punishments somtimes by his d 1. Kin. 18 3◠Esai 6.13 prophets and somtimes destroying the multitude reserued a smal remnant as a seed plot among whom he preserued the true faith and religion And last of all when they had many times prouoked God by their vnbeleefe and rebellion he cast them vtterly off and ingrafted the gentils although among these there hath bin great * The first 300. yeres after Christ persecution a most horrible apostasy both by ₠Mahomet and the Pope east and west yet hath he alwaies had his witnesses who keeping the faith haue professed the true religion of Christ and nowe according to his e word the same is renewed and taketh hold againe in the open eyes of all the world amonge the elect of God his chosen people whō he calleth by his gospel A thing verily fore prophesied by f Gen. 9.27 Gen. 12.3 Deut. 32.21 Esai 49.6 Rom. 15.18 Noe taught and promised to Abraham threatned by Moses plainely foretold by the prophets and fully accomplished by Christ and of these things we haue now had 1602. yeres triall experience the Lords most holy name be praised But as touching the manifestation of the spirit marke with me that the same promise which to Adam was generall g Gen. 3. cap. 12. cap. 49.10 Esai 9.6.7 Matth. 1. in the seede of the woman was more speciall to Abraham to be in his seede and in his posteritie more certaine in Iuda and yet in Iuda more particuler in the house and linage of Dauid and yet more plainly and neerly by the prophets that he should be borne of h Esai 7.14 a virgin yea hee is also so thoroughly described in the prophets that there is scarse any action of Christ or accident befalling him which Matthew the euangelist in his historie doth not confirme by some prophet or other Yet is Iohn Baptist more cleere then they all
will lay in Sion a stone a tried stone a precious corner stone a sure foundation He that beleeueth shall not make hast b Malack 4.2 Vnto you that feare my name shall the sonne of righteousnesse arise and health shall bee vnder his winges c. The gospell more plainely sheweth that where Christ is not knowen c Math. 4.16 the people sit in darkenesse and in the shadow of death and that hee d Luc. 1.78.79 is the day spring from on high giuing light to them that sitte in darkenesse and in the shadow of death e 2. Tim. 1.10 And that hee bringeth life and immortalitie to light by the gospell And that God is so farre from allowing that any man should bee able in any other meane to attaine vnto righteousnes or saluation thus he speaketh expressely that there is no f Act. 4.11 Saluation in any other for among men is giuen no name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued Now what confesseth the Church of England in this regarde Namely that g Artic. 18. they are to bee had accursed abhorred that presume to say that euery man shall be saued by law or sect that he professeth c. For holy Scripture doth set out vnto vs onely the name of Iesus Christ whereby men must be saued So that heere you see the faith of Abraham Moses the prophets Apostles determine one way of mans restoring vnto righteousnes and saluation and the verie same is the faith of the church of England The fift article of Iesus Christ the onely author ef our saluation What we ought to know and beleeue of him 5. Iesus Christ in regarde of his person is perfect God and perfect man in one person and in regarde of his office mediator betweene God and man of the couenant of mercie IN this article we embrace two things First what Christ is in himselfe where wee vnderstand not that God alone or man alone is Christ but God and man is one Christ By God we vnderstand the onely and euerlasting begotten son of God the second person in the trinitie by man we vnderstande that hee came of the seed of Abraham and Dauid and a very naturall man borne of the virgin Marie hauing bodie and soule and all faculties and qualities of mind and bodie as we haue onely sin excepted and that the two natures in Christ are not confounded nor seperated but vnited distinct as the body soul of a man hauing their seueral natures properties make but one thing which is a mā So the godhead of Christ assuming the manhood chāgeth not it selfe nor the nature of man assumed but God man vnited in one person make one Iesus Christ and Sauior who by his incarnation and obedience suffering death resurrection assention sitting at the right hand of God and lastly by his iudgement hath and will saue all the elect of God declare make manifest the iust condemnation of the wicked reprobate And these are the works of his office of mediatorship which office of mediator we thus vnderstand that where all mankind being dead in sin there whole nature corrupted vnder the wrath of God and damnation of bodie and soule had in himselfe as is before declared nothing sound being vnable to doe any thing that could please God for his restoring vnto righteousnes and saluation Christ by the will of his father and of his free loue came into the world and became a man that where man had sinned by man might come deliuerance from sinne But because we men were wicked void of strēgth he was also God that he might be able perfectly to saue vs And so being God and man he was a fit mediator to make peace that where by sinnes we were enemies to God he being righteous suffering for vs payd the ransome for our sins and as God being the son of God was apt to reconcile vs vnto his father being beloued of his father his doing and suffering set vs free from the curse of the law the wrath of God and brought vs so far into Gods fauor that by him we are made righteous adopted children to his father and heires vnder hope of his euerlasting kingdom in al things in and through faith in him our harts being purified God is wel pleased with vs. In which office he is a priest and a king In his priestly office first as a prophet he bringeth vnto vs the oracles and word of God and secondly performing perfect obedience he offereth himselfe an immaculate lambe a pure and vndefiled sacrifice for our sins and continually maketh intercession for vs As he is King he hath all power in his hands he is Lord and head of his church and ruleth it by his word and spirit and sitteth and raigneth at the right hand of the glorie of God til all his enemies which are the enemies of his church be destroied and al things being restored hee will deliuer vp his kingdome into the hands of his father that God may be all in all This person and office of Christ being thus briefely but faithfully described See we now whether it be not that ancient faith which was taught Abraham First for the godhead of Christ a Gen. 18. he appeared vnto Abraham in the plaine of Mamre where one of the three angels is called Iehouah which is proper vnto God onely And againe b Cap. 22. when he offered vp his son Isaack an angel called to him from heauen saying Now I know thou fearest God seeing for my sake thou hast not spared thine onley sonne this must needs bee vnderstood of the son of God for the father is no where entituled by the name of an angel but the son is c Esai 63.9 els where called The angel of Gods presence and by special name d Dan. 10.21 Michael our prince which is by interpretation who like God which fitly declareth his godhead for so is it said in the Psalmes e Psal 89.8 O Lord God of hosts who is like vnto thee a mighty God and thy truth is about thee Secondly the manhood of Christ to bee assumed by Christ in the fulnes of times was taught Abraham when God preached the Gospel to him saying In thy seed which argueth the incarnation of the sonne of God that he should be made man of the seed of Abraham as it is expounded by the holie ghost saying f Heb. 2.16.17 He in no sort tooke the angels but he tooke the seede of Abraham Wherefore in all thinges it became him to be like his brethren c. that is to say seeing he came to saue man whom he would make his brethren by adoption it became him to take the seed of Abraham that he might be a verie true and naturall man his office is directly taught in that All the families of the earth by him should bee made blessed that is deliuered out of that cursed estate of original
it is not of the willer nor of the runner but that we be saued it is of God which hath mercie Tenthly to confesse that pardon is geuen to them that aske according to the grace and mercie of God not according to their merites seeing the Apostle sayth that repentance it selfe is the gift of God where he saith of certaine men least God should giue them repentance which catholike faith is contrary to the new religion of Rome in those things First for the preparation vnto grace and workes of condignitie for they say then grace were no grace Secondly for the concurrence of free will to worke with the grace of God so to merite for they giue all to Gods grace and all pardon and saluation to Gods free mercie Loe here christian reader thou seest that the papists can tell vs of the particuler originall of the most part of their trumperie that the old christian churches in their counsels determinations were protestants touching the authoritie of Bishops and prouinces touching mariage eating of flesh priuate masse and receiuing the communion touching the holie scriptures and the reading of them touching weomens Baptisme and appeales to Rome and touching the grace of God freewill and merite therefore the heresie of the church of Rome being gathered since those primatiue times must needs be of a new generation lately sprong vp and come abroad into the worlde 5 And that thou maist yet further see Poperie hath lost the life breath of christianitie how they haue lost the verie life and breath of all religion and so are cleane fallen away from being any member in Christs church and to haue no part in the communion of Saints as in any sort to be called Gods visible people I wil shew thee fiue other points which are fundamentall and so farre of the foundation of christian religion that without them no man can be a mēber visible nor inuisible of the catholike church wherein thou shalt see that the protestant was the ancient true primatiue christian church of God Fiue fundamental points of christianity rased by poperie the papist a verie apostata comming in deed of a contrarie race euen of the very stocke of antechrist The first is of adoring God only the second of the condition of the couenant with God on our behalfe the third of the seales of the couenant the fourth of the writings of the couenant the fift of the soueraigntie and headship of Christ ouer his church And that these are foundamental consider with me that in the * 2. Idolatrie first they breake the spiritual wedlocke with God which giue his worship and honor to idols and images as thou mayst see God in a Cap. 16. Ezechiel complaining and saying Thou hast taken thy faire Iewels of my gold and of my siluer which I had giuen thee and madest to thy self images of men and diddest commit whooredom with thē c. * Merits of workes 2. In the second when they ioine workes and the fulfilling of the commandements with faith for they shut themselues from the righteousnes in the couenant whereby they should reioice with God as the Apostle saith b Rom. 4.2 If Abraham were iustified by workes he hath wherein to reioice but not with God yea they abrogate the grace of God and make Christ die in vaine as the same Apostle teacheth saying c Gal. 2.21 I doo not abrogate the grace of God for if righteousnes be by the law then Christ died without a cause * 3. Sacramēts In the third they annihilate and ouerthrow Christs institution in the seales of the couenant by their transubstantiation and vnbloudie sacrifice adored and make but a fanatical body of Christ and an imaginatie manhood where as Christ saith d 1. Cor. 11.24.25.26 Doe this in remembrance of me and Saint Paul expoundeth it saying As often as yee eate this bread and drinke this cup ye shewe the Lords death till he come For if he bee contained in heauen as Saint Peter e Act. 3. 21. saith till the restoring of al things and that this sacrament is to remember and shewe his death till hee come what is it but a newe institution when they say it is turned into his person and adore him as present and what can that bodie or manhood which is in heauen bee in the sacrament really and corporally any otherwise but in fansie and imagination seeing in the same till he come to iudgement he is in heauen In the * 4. Scriptures fourth they blot out the writinges of the couenant when as Christ a Mat. 15. sayth They make the lawe of God of none effect by their traditions while they equall their own deuises with the written word of God make it in sufficient to saluation and set the church which shoulde bee ruled by it and obedient to it to be aboue it the people aboue the lawe and the ladie vnder the handmaide * 5. Supremacy Lastlie they commit treason against the person of Christ when they set the pope in his place without his assignement that a mortall man shoulde bee head of the vniuersall Church and bodie of Christ For Christ onely is called b Eph. 1.22.28 1. Cor. 3.11 The head in all thinges ouer his Church and the foundation thereof excluding all other Nowe then seeing that there can bee no foundation of Christianitie nor Church of God where the couenant is broken by spirituall whooredome and where there is no reioicing with God and the grace of God and Christ death is made vaine and where the seales of Gods letters patentes and his glorious image which is Christ is defaced and his holie writinges blotted and abased and man aduanced in the chaire of the son of God and office of Christ it must needes followe that they being guiltie in these thinges there cannot bee any part of the visible Church of Christ amongest them I thinke it therefore good to take some more paines in these fiue points that thou maist see howe that in the first primatiue ages the Catholike truth was to be founde amonge the Christian protestants and that the popishe heresie in these pointes came vppe afterwardes to bee openlie seene and closelie grewe vnder them Consider therefore good Christian reader what I say and the Lord giue thee the spirit of true discretion and wisedome in all that thou readest First in the question of adoring God the papist thinke they doo not commit fornication because they haue a fine shift to say they doe not adore the image as to account it their God to put their trust in it but onely reuerence it as a representation of God by bowing before it kissing it praying before it c. they adore him which the image representeth And they thinke themselues verie wel discharged from idolatry seeing their images are not dedicated vnto diuels and false Gods but vnto the true God Christ and his Saints
a protestant in diuers places about this matter denying transubstantiation with all the holie martyrs which suffered in Queene Maries time saying a Vpon Ps 98. Non hoc corpus quod videtis c. yee shall not eate this bodie which you see and drinke that bloud which they shall shead which shall crucifie mee I haue commended vnto you a certaine mysterie which beeing spiritually vnderstoode shall quicken you and againe b De ciuitate dei lib. 21. cap. 20. Non solo sacramento sed re ipsa manducauerunt corpus Christi in ipso eius corpore cōstituti They eate not in the Sacrament alone but in verie deede the bodie of Christ beeing set in his verie bodie shewing thereby that there is no way of eatinge Christ but spirituallie and that the wicked eate the Sacrament of Christs bodie but not Christs bodie indeede hauing no faith to bee set in him and as hee knewe no reall presence in the sacrament so he knew no adoration nor sacrifice but a memoriall of thanksgiuing as where he c Ad. P. diaconum saith In this sacrifice there is thanksgiuing and a remembrance of the flesh of Christ which he offered for vs and againe d Contra Faustum Manicheum per victimas similitudinum the flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by the sacrifices of resemblances in the sacrifice of Christ by the truth of the same after the ascention of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance what a merueilous protestant was hee whose sacrifice was a remembrance his adoring was thankesgiuing and transubstantiation in a mysterie and not in deed But me thinketh father Barnard wil be a protestant also for he e De diligend Deo saith that these woords qui manducat carnem meam c. hee which eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath life eternal is as much as to say who so doth meditate vpon my death and by my example mortifie his members which are vpon the earth hath eternall life that is if you suffer together you shall raigne together Transubstantiation came vp as yesterday But here I need not so much to trouble thee with fathers seeing this deuise of transubstantiation was hatched lesse then 400. yeres a goe and that f Anno 1215. Read the acts of the counsel and decreet all lib. 3. tit 41. cap. 5. in a counsell of Lateran vnder pope Innocent the 3. there you shall finde Francis and Dominicke the head springs of two religions to be great helpe to the pope there shalt thou find auriculer cōfession and mysterium fidei thrust into the institution in the masse Hereupon Honorius the 3. espying in looking vpon this new glasse of transubstantion that Christ was made to come out of heauen into the sacrament thought it reason to giue him reuerence therefore he a 16. cap. 10. deuised and ordained the Eucharist should be lifted vp and adored and reserued in reuerent maner But it is to be merueiled that Honorius was so hastie before it was perfectly resolued whether the water were transubstantiated with the wine For the forsaid Innocent the third b 16. cap. 6. illa probabilior iudicatur quae asserit aquam cum vino in sanguinem transmutari doth but probablie coniecture that it is so and he saith the schoolemen agree not whether it be so or no. But howsoeuer it is apparant by these testimonies that this filthie and abominable idoll of transubstantiation with his adoration is a new borne monster adored by them which turne the glorie of God into things corruptible Therefore God giueth them ouer into a reprobate sense to beleeue lies because they receiued not the loue of the truth to trust in those things which if they could see they would be a feard of their very table is made a snare and their prosperity their ruine The fourth foundamentall point is of the writings of the couenant 4. Of the scriptures namely the Holie scriptures inspired by Gods spirit Let vs heere what the auncient protestantes professed in the primatiue flower of the christian Churches among the Gentils Irenaeus Bishop of Lyons in France a verie auncient protestant c Aduers heres lib. 2. ca. 47 protesteth that the Scriptures are perfect for they are spoken by the woord of God and by his spirit and againe d lib. 3. cap. 12. The thinges which the Scriptures shewe or teach cannot bee shewed but by the Scriptures And hee teacheth that e lib. 5. No small punishment belongeth to them which adde or take away from the Scriptures And lastlie hee f lib. 3. cap. 2. sheweth that it is a shift of the heretikes when they are conuinced by the Scriptures to accuse the Scriptures and to say that by the Scriptures the truth cannot bee found of them which know not the tradition Heere you see that Irenaeus maketh these boasting papistes heretikes who vnder colour of the insufficiencie of Scripture do foist in their traditions affirming that they ought not to interpret the scriptures by their sence or magisteriall power but by the declaration of scripture it selfe and lastlie that they are to bee punished for adding vnwritten verities traditions canons and decrees and such like tumperie to the perfect Scriptures In the next age of protestants commeth vp that great scholer Origen and he a In Ezech. homil 7. protesteth against the popish doctrin thus They which teare the Scriptures sowing those things doe rent the words from the words and make feined points of doctrine doo serue idols c. and a little after Let vs follow no man and if we wil follow anie Iesus Christ is set before vs to be followed the acts of the Apostles are described and we know the doings of the prophets by the holy volums or writings that patterne is sure that example is sound which who so desireth to follow doth walke without danger In the next age of protestants standeth vp Basilius Magnus and with open mouth denounceth b De vera ac pia fide against the arrogant pride of Rome If the Lord be faithful in all his words and all his cōmandements faithful established for euer euer done in equitie and truth without doubt this wil be a most manifest argumēt of infidelity a most certain sign of prid if any man wil reiect any of those things which are writtē or bring in any of those things which are not written Seing our Lord Iesus Christ hath said my sheep here my voice a little before the same said they wil not follow a strāger but wil flie from him because they know not the voice of strangers In the next age Chrysostome steppeth forth protesteth for the sufficiēcy of the holy scriptures a Vpon Ioh. cap. 8. saying If we would diligētly search the scriptures wee might be able to attaine saluation But Saint Augustine a little before him beateth down
fathers and decretals epistles so that by the papistes owne account and confession the holy scriptures raigned alone many ages together after Christs ascention as Lady Queene to bee the onely law to rule iudge and know the Church and whatsoeuer necessarie to saluation And the Church presumed not ouer the scriptures but was squared ordered by them This Gratian sheweth vs f Distinct 16. Cap. Canons that the Canons of the Apostles were pronounced by g He liued Anno 530. Isidorus not to haue bene receiued of the Church nor of the holy fathers because they were knowne to be made of heretikes vnder the name of the Apostles After he h Distinct 19. cap. Si Romanor Ann. 865. telleth vs that Pope Nicholas giueth autenticall authoritie to the decretall Epistles of his predecessors And that i Distinct 19. cap. sic omnes Anno. 680. Pope Agatha first breathed out this blasphemie that all sanctions of the Apostolicall sea are to be receiued as confirmed by the deuine voice of Peter And k Distinct 20. cap. de libellis Anno 850. Leo the 4. followed him in the same rebellion of Gods word pronouncing that they who do not receiue al their canons indifferently do not beleeue the Apostolicall faith and the foure Euangelists effectually as they should And here the maker of the glosse is touched in conscience for the East churches that did not receiue these decretalles all this while whether they were not heretikes Much about this time came in the Legenda aurea which is l Bernard de Girard hist Franc. lib. 4. Albert. Krant Saxonia lib. 2. fathered vpon Carolus Magnus And after this others in these things kept on this new deuotion and presumption But the battell was not full and strong till Gratian himselfe m Anno. 1160. came vp and set them in aray by compiling the booke of decrees containing more then halfe a legion the Ciuilians and Canonistes muster themselues to make the first squadrant then Lombardus his brother bringeth forth a second in foure bookes of sentences and in the reare warde march n Anno 1270 Thomas Aquinas and o Ann. 1295. Scotus Duns with many Franciscans and Dominicans and make a strong battell of distinctions questions philosophie Aristotelians and all the forces of reason a Anno 1230. Gregorie the 9. bringeth forth his barbed horsemen of decretall as flanckers to make incursions in fiue troopes or bookes well armed with Apostaticall ordinaunce and Boniface the eight added a sixth Then come in the light horsemen of Clementines and extrauagantes readie for many seruices amongst whome there commeth in a monstrous huge b Seruice in a strange tonge came in after the adoring of Eucharist Anno 1220. read Lyra vpō 1. Cor. 14. beast to make way for the rest called Lingua Latina seu peregrina that is seruice and scriptures in an vnknowen tongue which casteth such a mist into the eyes of Gods people that they are brought vnder the antechristian bondage and from the glorious lawe of libertie which is the gospell of Christ Iesus before they be aware By all these there came vp such great and vniuersall studie of the Canon and Ciuill lawes and such honour of schoole learning amongst all the learned and wise men on the one side and such palpable ignorance in the common people that it was impossible that the worde of God could haue his primatiue dignitie witnesse the councell of Trent c Reade Caesar Baron vpon the Martyrolog Non Martij who often clapped handes and gaue great applause to Thomas Aquinas And that when Luther beganne to preach the gospell his greatest aduersaries fought against him eyther by Canons decrees of some scholasticall conclusion and witnesse the conscience and knowledge of all men that haue looked into the estate of religion Thus is it easie to see what a strong force the deuill had by this meanes to bring the holie scriptures of God into a base and low remembraunce and how in tracte of time hee hath made his owne lawes traditions decrees and counsels not onely equall but far aboue them And as iustly complaineth Anthonius de Rampegolis a man of their owne side who as Tritte then d De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis writeth flourished personally in the counsel of Constance e Figurae bibliae cap. de sacra scriptura Sacram scripturam in honorantes trahunt in obsequium philosophiae faciunt ancillā dominam de domina ancillam many dishonoured the holy scripture and made it obedient to philosophie causing the handmaid to be mistresse and the mistresse to be handmaid and thus was fulfilled that which Hilarius wisely obseruing did f Aduersus Arianos Et facta est fides temporum potius quā Euangeliorum say in his time When the vse of writing innouating of faith beganne to bee in vre after it did rather beginne to make new thinges then keepe that which it had receiued it neither maintained the old nor confirmed the newe and so faith became to bee of the times rather then of the gospels That is to say men leauing that which they receiued and learned by the scriptures and writing themselues opinions and decrees of their owne it came to passe in time that the faith of the Church was not that which the Gospell of Christ teacheth but such as liked men of the seuerall ages and times such as counselles decreed and Bishoppes ordained Which thing Erasmus being a great Scholler did see to be happened vnto the Church of Rome and thereof giueth admonition to a great Bishoppe and amongst other thinges touching humane constitutions g ad Christoph Episcop Basil de interdicto esu carmum c. he saith Haec primum obrepant honesti specie c. These thinges first creepe in by a colour of honestie after they ouerflow more aboundantly then after a while being confirmed by vse they raigne as tyrants c. 5. Of the supremacie Now let vs come to the last foundation of popery and banishing of Christ and his lawes Namely the royal primacie of the Pope clyming into the seat of Christ and aduancing himselfe aboue all that is called God And let vs examine whether it be Euangelicall and of the Christian religion and ancient profession of the primatiue Church First it is manifest and cleare that the first sixe hundred yeare neuer knew him but they were all protestants allowing no vniuersall Bishop but Christ onely and honouring the Emperors and kinges where they liued as Lordes and supreame gouernors ouer all persons ecclesiasticall ciuill euen as they had learned of Saint Paule who did commaund a Rom. 13.1 euerie soule to bee subiect to the higher power and of Saint Peter b 1. Pet. 2.13 who would haue them submit themselues to the king as the superior And herein I will call for the papistes themselues to be my witnesses First Gratian c Distinct 21. cap.