Wise and Learned men of the World does not terrifie 'em and oblige 'em to quit their own Doctrine But they think so arrogantly of themselves that they look on those with pity not to say rage who dare contradict 'em or in the least doubt of their Infallibility Yet as a just punishment on 'em they are so blinded as to be ignorant of and suffer others to be so too what it has pleas'd God to reveal unto Babes Matth. 11. 25. to the confounding of the greatest part of the Mighty of the Noble and the Learned themselves 1 Cor. 1. 26. All sorts of Reason teaches us that he spake only to be understood that he caus'd his Word to be written that it might be read and hid it not but from those who are lost If he condemns a wilful and brutish Ignorance he disapproves of a haughty and vain Knowledge the Spring from whence arise so many Disputes which do infinitely more hurt than good and which maintain not so much the Truth as the first received Opinion He believes He follows Christ who persecutes him He believes himself of the number of the Faithful whose whole Faith consists but in an indiscreet Zeal in the strength of Errour and in being positive and obdurate The men of the Age acquaint not themselves with this Truth or if they do 't is from those of their own party who confirm 'em in their belief and neither the one or the other allow of any Religion which agrees not with their Conveniencies If any of 'em have a sense of their Disease it is agreeable to 'em they take such pleasure in it that they 'l not endeavour after any cure But to conclude all I will maintain that men have no surer sign of their Election than their love of the Word of God and that those shall not be saved who have not loved it more than Honour Riches and the most amiable things in the World A LETTER to an Officer of the Crown that often discours'd to him of Religion MY LORD WHEN Your Lordship does me the Honour to discourse to me of Religion my Respect will not give me leave to answer you but only to listen to you yet if I am longer silent I fear you may judge me insensible of what I have the most lively Sense 'T is this makes me take the Confidence of entertaining Your Lordship with a few Lines concerning my Belief and not without wonder that others are not of the same Opinion with me As soon as my Sense and Reason began to be serviceable to me I with great Care and Diligence search'd the Holy Scriptures and I have no other Religion but what I learn'd from thence I never believed that some dark and abstruse Passages were contrary to others that were clear and evident and I have found most of 'em sufficiently plain fully to inform me of what I ought to believe I never thought that God would speak to his Children only to deceive 'em or not to be understood by ' em Those who have good Inclinations never read the Scriptures but they profit by ' em If those whom Curiosity it may be has invited once to read 'em don't continually persevere in doing so 't is a shrewd Sign they have had no Operation on ' em 'T is not the meek or humble the plain men of the World or even the ignorant that promote Heresies those who do this and then maintain 'em must be both malicious and learned too 'T was no disheartening to me to see the true Professors of the Gospel bear a certain Character that made the World despise 'em and they the World They are dejected as if out of their Element and did but out of Complaisance participate of others Joys Above all in the Exercise of their Religion they abhor all manner of Superstition and believe that 't is an Abuse and a high Crime to mix the Inventions of men with the Ordinances of God If our good Intentions were capable of making our Vows and Offerings equally acceptable all Religions would be good ones But the Jealousie of the Eternal Exod. 20. 5. will not suffer us to profane holy Things or sanctifie profane ones or to speak yet more fully to consecrate Sacriledges Let the most rational men read and read again the Scriptures and let 'em frame a Religion according to the Rules they prescribe without presuming beyond what is written 1 Cor. 4 6. and I am confident they cannot make any other than that which I profess and by the Grace of God will do the same all my Life A LETTER to Monsieur de la Militiere who begged his Opinion in Writing upon the Books of Controversie he had made SIR I Don't pretend to answer in one Letter so many Books which your Revolt has occasion'd you to write in Opposition to that Religion you have forsaken and in the Defence of that you have closed with I must only say I could never with all the Sense and Reason Heaven has been pleas'd to bestow on me reconcile what I see in the Church of Rome to what I read in the Holy Scriptures I have ever consulted both Parties I have read the Writings both of the one and the other that I might the better know 'em by their Words and their Actions But I find that your Doctors serve themselves of too much Art and Cunning to be believ'd their Divinity is so refin'd that they undo themselves by their own Subtilty They mix with it I know not what Leaven of which our Saviour bids us beware and which indeed has not the taste of true Bread or the heavenly Manna Those of the Reform'd Religion on the contrary act with greater Sincerity adhere to the Rule of the Scriptures which do more enlighten our Understandings and give greater Tranquillity to our Minds Let who please imagine he has clearer Illuminations than I have such as I have I find in their Doctrine as full Satisfaction as a reasonable Soul can wish for in the Search of the Truth Why then all this Controversie If we have never so little Knowledge of the Will of God or how jealous he is of his Commandments we cannot see the Church of Rome without condemning it We are extreamly in the Wrong to call those Christians who have no sign of true Christianity who speak not in the style of Jesus Christ or the Gospel to whom the Words of Eternal Life are strange and uncouth If we mistake any one Word in their Hearing 't is enough to make us pronounc'd Hereticks they look a skew on us and 't is very likely we shall pass for Strangers even in our own Country Instead of this they discourse only of the Prayer-book of our Lady and the Office of the Blessed Virgin of their praying by Beads of their devoting themselves to St. Francis or St. Roch and those defective Instructions shew that those who instruct them thus must needs be very bad Masters What Sir would you have me
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE PROTESTANT RELIGION Asserted By REASON As well as SCRIPTVRE Written in French by the Famous MONSIEVR de GOMBAVD Made English by SIDNEY LODGE To which is added his Letters to MONSIEVR de MILITIERE And other Personages of the French-Court upon the same Subject LONDON Printed for W. C. M. G. and W. H. and sold by W. Davis in Amen-Corner MDCLXXXII To the Right Honourable BRIDGET COUNTESS OF PLYMOUTH Madam DEdications are usually made to Persons of your Ladiship 's high Character as marks of Gratitude or Respect due to 'em This of mine is of that nature there being no one to whom I owe more Acknowledgments or a greater Honour than to your Ladiship Romances and Playes are generally such Books whose Fronts are honour'd with Names of your Ladiship 's Sex but I have made choice of this Serious and Weighty Subject as believing it most suitable to your Inclinations The Matter of it is Grave and Solid but withal Delightful it being writ in an Eloquent and yet unaffected Style I have endeavour'd to make it not less so in our own Tongue If your Honour finds any Satisfaction in the reading of it I shall believe the Pains I have taken in it sufficiently requited and nothing will more encourage me to Attempts of the like nature than your Ladiship 's Approbation of this Because such Applications as these if tedious are presumptive I 'll only beg leave humbly to assure Your Ladiship that I am Madam Your Honour 's most Obliged and most Humble Servant SIDNEY LODGE TO THE READER THE Preface translated out of French gives you a short account of the LIFE of the celebrated Author I intend by this only to let you know that the ensuing Discourse is so Rational Pithy and full of Sense that it will sufficiently recommend it self and withall to beg you to read it with a due Attention and Candour For my own part I dare confidently say I have been very faithful to the Original having taken no more liberty than what a Translator may justly claim and yet I hope I may without being thought Arrogant affirm that I have given it so much the proper Idiom of the English that you 'll find it easie smooth and Natural and as pleasing as 't is useful for such a Mixture being most grateful ought to be aimed at by those who write The Follies the Superstition the Idolatry the Tyrannical Usurpation of the Church of Rome are here represented in such lively and yet deform'd Colours that no man who pretends to be reasonable but will endeavour to avoid ' em Can any one imagine himself safe under that Religion where the Name of God is onely made use of as a Pretext and instead of that Interest set up and really worshipped Religion is both reveal'd and Natural to instruct us fully In the former God has been graciously pleas'd to give us his Word but the Romanists have inhumanely forbid the reading it To attain to a perfect knowledge of the latter he has endu'd us with Reason but that is enslav'd by their positive Determinations nay they rob us of our Senses too by their establish'd Principle of Transubstantiation so that indeed the Peoples Religion does wholly consist in a blind obedience to a Pretended-Infallible-Priest How happy then are we who are under a Government where the reading of the Scriptures the Rule of Faith is not only allowed but commanded by the Church A Church free from the Extremities on one hand of Idolatry and on the other of Enthusiasm so that here we have the Opportunities of improving both our Religion and our Reason not being forbid the free Exercise of the one or oblig'd to do violence to the other of being both good Christians and Philosophers for the one may be consistent with the other which is clearly demonstrated by this short Treatise which I hope will meet with a kind Entertainment in the World THE PREFACE FROM THE FRENCH THOSE who are acquainted with Monsieur de Gombaud know that he set a greater value on his Discourses concerning Religion than on any of his other Works He was invited to write of that Subject upon a pure charitable design of making the Truth known to such who were yet under the darkness of Error and to confirm those in the true Faith who were either born in or had embraced it He frequently complain'd of two things the one was that those who writ concerning Religion were too Voluminous urging Proof upon Proof and Authority upon Authority without being careful to observe a due Order and clearness in their Discourses The other was that many perswaded themselves the true Doctrine was not consistent with an Elegant Style To shew how they were deceived in this particular he compos'd his Considerations on the Christian Religion when he was yet young and in the Vigour of his Age and in this has really demonstrated that an Author may be both strong and perspicuous short and full solid and elegant Having communicated this Piece to many of his Friends and even to some of the Roman Communion it was so well esteem'd by all of 'em that he was encouraged after that to make a Treatise on the Eucharist and then another which he presented to one of his Friends under the Name of Aristander Most of his Letters were writ in a much fuller Age. Throughout his Works the strength and admirable ingenuity of his Mind his extraordinary faculty of thinking of and expressing things will be discover'd I will say nothing of the Reasons that oblig'd him to keep these excellent Writings private I am sure he passionately desir'd to have publish'd 'em believing they would be of great use and it may be there has not yet been any Secular Man known in the World who was more zealous for the Glory of God or had a greater or a more sincere Love for his Neighbour than he had But when the heat and earnestness with which he writes shall be observ'd and withal it shall be consider'd that all he had to subsist on did absolutely depend on Court it will not be thought strange that he did not make 'em Publick in his Life-time That the World might not be depriv'd of 'em after his Death which it might if they had fallen into the hands of any who were not of his Religion he put 'em in his latter days into those of a good Friend whose Fidelity and Kindness he had experienc'd whom he oblig'd to promise him to keep 'em safe till a convenient Opportunity offer'd it self to publish ' em This Friend always design'd to perform these Desires and his own Promise but besides the difficulty of Printing things of this Nature in the Kingdom he met with many other Impediments At length after divers Attempts and Delays he resolved to make the dear Children of his Friend change their Climate in hopes that when they return'd home tho' in a strange Garb they would be own'd as truly French I leave the
Reader to judge of their Merits and of those of their Father His Works have long since made him so well known in France and in other Nations too where they understood and lov'd the Tongue that 't will be needless to say any thing of 'em to those who have but seen his Eudymion his Letters in Prose his Pastoral of Amarante his Tragedy of the Danaides his Collection of Miscellaneous Poems in which are his incomparable Sonnets especially those called the Christian and his Epigrams of which there are Three Books And this is to give notice to such who may not possibly have met with 'em that there are such Books that they may have the opportunity of having the same knowledge and opinion of 'em that others had Besides he left a Tragicomidy of Cydippe and loose Papers enough to have made a new Collection of Poems especially Sonnets and Epigrams but having fallen into the hands of such who did not well understand those things have not yet seen the Light I could very much enlarge my self upon what concerns the Person and Life of this famous Man but by both the one and the other he had procur'd so large a Reputation in the World that I should inform those who are living of little of him but for the sake of Posterity I will add That John-Oger de Gombaud was a Gentleman of Xaintonge and younger Brother by a fourth Marriage which he would frequently say in Raillery as an excuse that he was not Rich. He was tall well-made of a good Meen and look'd like a Man of Quality His Piety was undissembled his Honesty thoroughly experienc'd his Manners grave and well-regulated He had a Heart as Noble as his Aspect promis'd it a Mind upright and naturally vertuous of an exalted Spirit less fertile than judicious of a violent hot Humour presently provok'd to Anger and yet had a serious and compos'd Look After having finish'd all his Studies under the most celebrated Masters of his time at Bourdeaux he came to Paris at the latter end of the Reign of Henry the Great where he suddenly made himself known and valued too This mighty Monarch being unhappily Assassmated was bewailed by all the French as the Father of his Country and the Poets did adorn his Tomb with mournful Flowers they had gather'd from Parnassus Monsieur de Gombaud tho' young was not the last or least Considerable amongst ' em In the Minority of Louis the Just and in the Regency of the Queen Mary de Medias his Mother he was one that was highly esteem'd by this Great Princess there being no one of his Quality who had so free an access to her or was received with greater kindness She being of a generous and free temper and which she loved to show to deserving Men allow'd considerable Pensions to several Persons of Learning and Ingenuity That of Monsieur de Gombaud was Twelve hundred Crowns which made him always appear in very good Equipage at Court whether at Paris or in Progresses which were in those times frequent And being one who hated all superfluous Expences tho' no one more gentile in making such which were necessary had rais'd a pretty good Stock from what he spar'd out of his large Allowance which was very serviceable to him when that came to be lessen'd when both Civil and Forreign Wars had almost dryed up that Fountain from whence he had had such Plenty He was at first reduc'd from Twelve hundred Crowns to Eight and then from Eight hundred to Four which were continued to him to his Death yet without being paid since the War of Paris but from the friendship of some Great and Generous Persons by whom he had the honour to be known and favour'd amongst which the Duke and Dutchess of Montausier were the principal For some years also he had a Pension under the Great Seal from Monsieur de Seguier Chancellor of France He was always very healthful to which his Frugality and Regular manner of Life did much contribute But walking one day in his Chamber which was usual with him and his foot slipping he fell down and hurt so very much one of his Hips that he was after this unhappy Accident to the end of his Life almost always confin'd to his Bed He liv'd even an whole Age if the time of his Birth writ with his own Hand in one of his Books were true as he had assur'd a Friend of his it was who never spake of it 'till after Monsieur de Gombaud's Death He had been honour'd with the Friendship of the most considerable Persons of both Sexes of three Courts which he had seen viz. That of Henry the Fourth of Louis the Thirteenth and Louis the Fourteenth And in the Regency of two great Queens Mary de Medicis and Anne of Austria no One was more constantly at Court but especially in the time of the former But he did yet with greater diligence and pleasure frequent that infinitely agreeable Company of Quality and Worth who met at the House of Rambouillet which was a lesser Court made up of choice Persons fewer in number but if I durst say it more refin'd than that of the Louvre because not One was admitted to approach this Temple of Honour where Vertue was rever'd under the Name of the Incomparable Artenice who was not worthy of her Approbation and Esteem To conclude Monsieur de Gombaud was both loved and admir'd by all those who as he had offer'd Sacrifices to the Muses and the Graces and I doubt not but succeeding Ages will be juster to him than that in which he lived and that his Excellent Works will procure him an Immortal Name which is the Reward of all Learned Men when they can reach that height to which this Gentleman had arrived The Principal Matters contain'd in this Treatise 1. COnsiderations upon the Christian Religion 2. A Treatise concerning the Eucharist 3. A Discourse in which the Author gives his Reasons why he prefers the Reformed Religion before the Roman Catholick 4. A Letter to a Lord at Court who endeavour'd to perswade him to turn Catholick 5. A Letter to an Officer of the Crown who often discours'd to him of Religion 6. A Letter to Monsieur de la Militiere who desir'd his Opinion in writing on the Books if Controversie he had made 7 A Letter to a Lady who press'd him to go hear the Sermons of some of the Famous Preachers of the Roman Church CONSIDERATIONS UPON THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION CHAP. I. WHEN I first began to have the Use of my Senses and my Reason I could not but frequently meditate on the Beauty of this Great World the admirable Disposition of it's parts those mutual Offices they each render to other as well as those just Laws by which they are eternally conserv'd On these extraordinary Effects I often employ'd my Consideration and yet the constant Custom of doing so did not at all lessen my Wonder of 'em I could not then but
afterwards worship the Sun the Moon the whole Host of Heaven or of Hell There is no Religion so extravagant which he does not favour nor is there any one displeasing to him but the true He hath first added Gods to Gods carry'd their Idols to the Holy place and then hath found out wayes of opposing the Scripture by Scripture and by untrue Interpretations on it created false Beliefs He hath served himself of the Light only to dazle and of Truth to disguise falshood the better to put off his Impostures He has his Learned men to teach and dispute his Professors of Religion to give Examples of living well his Priests his Prophets Martyrs and Confessors And yet men are not sensible by what Spirit they are led so obdurate are they and given up to Satan they are so fully possess'd with and infatuated by him that they scarce think that he is They are so profane and presumptuous have so mighty an Opinion of their own Natural Reason that they pretend to reform the Works of their Maker and to judge of the Word of God as if barely Humane They content not themselves with what they learn from Divinity without the aid of Philosophy and confound both the one and the other and thus insensibly forsaking the Profession of Christians become as Heathens They employ themselves in the search of nice and curious Questions and not regarding what is clear and evident take a pride in raising Doubts and Scruples and in a collection of Contradictions and affected Difficulties pervert themselves and others from the knowledge of the Truth They take when they please figurative Expressions literally they make the worst Interpretations on those things that are obscure and doubtful and when they meet with Words of a double Sense they be sure take that which suits best with their Interest and Designs They puzzle each other with specious Reasons and their Judgment is so weak as to allow that two Contradictories may be maintain'd by equal Proofs One would believe they learn that they may be more ignorant and that they study to be Scepticks and by these means they make Knowledge of less Value than Ignorance it self In Effect if Humane Knowledge was grounded on any Certainty those who pretend so perfectly to understand the Art of reasoning well would be all of the same Belief but if their Opinions are so very different and divided and yet that there is but one Truth in what can they be so understanding in a certain crabbed knotty artificial Divinity only full of Metaphysical Terms which neither the Prophets or Apostles judg'd necessary to Salvation or rather have not at all known and of which according to their Example 't is much better to be ignorant than knowing In Humane Inventions in Chimaera's and odd Pictures and indeed in all things capable of producing Errors and of destroying Reason by its own subtilty you meet with some who are always vainly prating eternal Disputants that employ their whole study in contradicting others and who are concern'd more for a false Syllogism than for the Peace of the Church or the Happiness of the World They never engage in any Conference but with a resolution not to yield in the least for the love of the Truth but only to endeavour either to seduce their Adversaries by all manner of perswasions and promises or at least to supplant 'em by Artificial Stratagems They fear nothing so much as granting one Point lest then they should be obliged to allow all If any of 'em does in the least yield he loses all his Credit with his Party and if sincere but in one act 't will be look'd on by 'em as an unpardonable fault They are alwayes armed with the fallacious Arguments of the Schools and Proofs grounded on certain Maxims which they lay down and oblige them to maintain as Principles of unquestionable Truth which must admit of no Doubt or endure any Examination and on these depend the infallible consequence of what they believe or what they endeavour to perswade us to For though their Impostures are apparent yet they so disguise 'em as to make 'em plausible that they may keep the People by their pious Cheats in their impious Devotions They know how to take the advantage of the Enemy they are well skill'd in shifting the most formal Assertions they subtilly refine the very substance of the Matter and the state of the Question they have their Sophistical Distinctions their set Comments their Evasions and Defeats and thus every one in their Disputes as in War aims only at Conquest Execrable Souls who regard more the defence of their Honour and Interest than their Religion it self and who look after what they are to object or answer rather than what they ought to believe who value not their want of Faith provided they appear not to be void of Reason Why should we hope from these men for a candid and faithful Interpretation of the most hidden things who only endeavour to render more obscure those which are clear and evident and who so change the Ordinances of God that 't is easie to discover it for with the assistance even of common sence our Eyes alone may be just Judges of it But we are not to expect other fruits from their Animosity or Obdurateness who are only free and sociable with those who suffer themselves to be instructed or wholly govern'd by 'em For they are not capable of knowing more having as they presume learn't all they can and proposing to themselves only the teaching of others are pleas'd to be rather esteem'd the Masters of Error than the Disciples of Truth But 't will be asked me if in a Consideration of so great weight as this I can pretend without Presumption that my Opinion herein is infallible or at least more enlighten'd than that of the Learned themselves I answer that I profess to embrace no other than what is establish'd on the clear Evidence of Scripture intelligible by the meanest of men and which it has pleas'd God to reveal to the humble and hide from the proud No other than that by which I am taught that no one ought to presume beyond what is written 1 Cor. 4. 6. That 't is absolutely forbid either to add or take from it that those who promote God's Honour and Service barely by humane Doctrines do it in vain and by their Traditions make the Law of no effect No other than that which presses me to avoid profane Questions vain and impertinent Disputes and unreasonable Contradictions of a Knowledge falsly so called which 't is difficult to pursue without erring from the Faith and becoming even impious Besides I answer that these Demands cannot be justly propos'd to those who serve themselves only of their Sense and Reason to know the Voice of their Lord and Father to receive his Commands and obey him who presume not boldly to intermine their own idle Conceits with his Ordinances and who expound the
the external Profession which taking up either from their Birth or Custom they easily forsake what their perverse Humours forbid 'em to love or know and if they have been initiated in good Principles they end in bad ones Thus the Purity of the Gospel in whatever Town or Province it has been received has scarce proceeded to the third Generation and the Apostles themselves lived only in those Churches they founded Errour insensibly creeping into the place of Truth God already threatned them to extinguish their-Light or to transfer it letting 'em see that Faith was not a particular Priviledge to one Place Family or People and that the Church being Catholick could not be subjected to the Power of one King or the Government of one Priest It is in vain Men pretend to settle a durable State or find a lasting Sovereign good in this Life they cannot long endure even Prosperity it self and the alone way to ruine 'em is to grant 'em even their own Desires If our first Parents placed in Innocence amidst the Fruit and Flowers of a delightful Garden could not withstand the Persuasions of the Evil Spirit though he took on him only the form of a Serpent and offer'd 'em but an Apple to tempt 'em how then shall they who are Sinners by Nature resist him when he appears as an Angel of Light and offers them all the Advantages they can possibly desire 'T is certain that the Devil for the most part does seduce men by a Paradise of Pleasures to cast 'em into the bottomless Abyss of Hell and 't is by a Hell of Pains and Afflictions that God does usually try men to exalt 'em to the Glory of Paradise Riches are of so great Disadvantage to their Possessors that they keep 'em as a weighty Burthen from ascending to Heaven They are so incoherent with the Profession of the Gospel that he who had the Command of all and could have employ'd 'em without Abuse voluntarily makes himself poor to procure us eternal Salvation and to make us rich by his Poverty In effect what History asserts is acknowledg'd by all good men that the great Presents of Emperours and the vast Gifts of Lords and Ladies have been the most dangerous and fatal Poyson that could have been spread in the Church for from hence Piety began to grow cold and to yield to the Business of the Age and all Christian Vertues were soon stifled by Luxury and Abundance These Benefactors who are so highly magnifyed do sufficiently prove that they were unacquainted with the Will of Jesus Christ and with the Calling of his Ministers since they bestow on 'em such mighty temporal Riches as to make 'em Sharers of the Kingdom of this World Wealth on a sudden encreasing so much made those who were true Believers plainly foresee that none but the ambitious and covetous none but ill men would be advanc'd to Preferment in the Church and that it would be brought to the unhappy Extremity of being govern'd only by it's Enemies Since then I know not by what Permission of Heaven Corruption has been so rife that the Ecclesiasticks are become worse than Seculars They have receiv'd their Authority from men which they ought to have had alone from God in so religious a Profession and if they have been concern'd in spiritual Affairs it has been rather to command than serve to raise themselves to great Honours and to make themselves Bishops over the rest of Bishops They have imitated him who not satisfy'd with the Joys of his Fellow-Angels boldly aspired to the utmost height of Pride saying in his Heart I will raise my Throne above the Stars and shall be made like to the Almighty Instead of a due Observation of that Worship and Service God himself has appointed they have despis'd it's Simplicity affecting Pomp and Bravery in their Devotions and as they say themselves sanctifying the Ceremonies of Paganism by introducing of 'em into the Church Not being able to endure the Purity of Doctrine without altering and disguising of it into a thousand Shapes they have to this purpose made choice of Preachers after their own fashion who raising nice and scrupulous Questions have understood 'em as little as their Hearers and whatever Colour of Sense they may bear being pronounc'd in elegant and florid Words they both seem equally satisfy'd We have seen that poor Worms just risen from the Dust and ready to return thither again have insolently taken upon them the Title of Gods and commanded the very Angels as their Guards and have dispos'd of Heaven and Hell at their Pleasure as of their Estates But what likelyhood is there that those who are rais'd only by Corruptions by Bribery by Threats Promises or private Bargains should be the infallible Dispensers of God's Will and Judges of Men's Faith What Patience would not be tyred to see those who are alone guided by the Spirit of Interest who make the Church an House of Trade and Den of Thieves transported to such heights of Impiety as to make the Holy Ghost an Accomplice of all their Crimes Their Pretences of having Power in Heaven makes 'em seem to affect less the Good of the Earth that we may believe that the Divine Authority and theirs are equal But as they are Lyons in Cruelty so are they Horse-leeches for Covetousness being always finding out new Methods of laying numberless Impositions on the People For to pass by their several Excommunications Injunctions transferring of Causes and Exactions under pretence of War against the Enemies of Christianity there is no end of their first Fruits Bulls Indulgences Canons Cases of Conscience Pardons for Faults and Penances and superabundant Satisfactions All these Inventions make Sins venial so far as they are vendible for they set to sale their Prayers Sacrifices and prostitute even Heaven and God himself so that he that offers most has the Bargain Horrid Inventions that transform Simon Peter into Simon Magus who make as much as in their Power Jesus Christ a Tyrant and his Apostles Mercenary Hucksters What Divinity That those who are but able to pay for it shall in a Moment be deliver'd from the Torments of Hell at least from those of Purgatory tho' the Sins they have committed are never so enormous whilst others remain there thousands of Years unless perchance Poverty either voluntary or forc'd or Fastings even to the murdering of themselves or some other sort of Severities of Nakedness or whipping do redeem ' em But besides this spiritual Merchandize and exposing things sacred to Sale by what divine Inspiration do they absolve Subjects of their Oaths of Fidelity and dispense with their Allegiance to their lawful Princes whom they endeavour rather to terrifie than reform and that dreadful Inquisition which renders 'em deaf to the just Remonstrances of those who breath after Reformation only is it an Imitation of the Meekness and Clemency of Jesus Christ or of the barbarous Cruelty of Herod who put to Death so many Innocents
vers 18. I said in my Heart concerning the Estate of the Sons of Men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are Beasts A DISCOURSE In which the Author gives his Reasons why he Prefers the Reformed Religion before the Roman YOU have been so kind Generous Aristander not only to suffer but command me to give you a short Account of the Reasons that invite me to separate from the Church of Rome to close with that of the Reform'd 'T is with all my heart I desire to obey you yet not without an Apprehension that my Obedience may not suit with that Respect I owe you I fear my Belief may in some sort appear injurious to yours and that when I confess with the greatest sincerity imaginable my nearest Thoughts to you they may be so displeasing as not to be suffer'd by you You shall have no reason to accuse me of wresting the Sense of the Scripture or interpreting it according to my own Fancy for I will not quote many Passages out of it You shall have no reason to mistrust my Arguments as being nice or subtil not designing to meddle with any Controversie for I 'll leave that to the Schools and Books believing nothing can be said more concerning it I will serve my self of no Rhetorical Colours or Artificial Eloquence intending to make my Discourse as plain and ingenious as my Thoughts are I will entertain you only with those things your Eyes see and your Ears hear every day but Custom hinders you from having a due consideration of ' em First I must needs say that nothing is so amazing to me as to observe the Name of God every day in the mouthes of those who know him not nor indeed will they at all make it their business to do it They discourse of him according to their own Imaginations and invest him with Qualities barely Humane and so become guilty of the same fault with Pagans and Idolaters who made to themselves Gods according to the vain Suggestions of their own Thoughts Some take their Religion by chance and stand up in defence only of what was first imprinted on 'em Others susceptible of all sorts of Opinions follow that only which is the most convenient for ' em Whosoever to this purpose will act only as his Natural Reason dictates to him or believe but what Men like himself perswade him to will be capable of pursuing all Religions one after the other and by consequence will really have none at all If men were to receive no instructions but only from Men they would find it extremely difficult to make a true choice of what might yield solid Quiet and Ease to their Minds Each Sect has its Doctors and Logicians who all believe their own reasonings grounded on Reason it self They neither want Natural or Artificial Logick which they pervert and so raise from it numbers of odd Chimaera's called by them un-erring invincible Arguments which swell 'em with Pride and Vanity and make 'em love rather to appear reasonable than really to be so Truth in their mouths seems to put on all manner of shapes or to speak more properly Bare Probability passes with them for Truth and in this multitude of Opinions he who does not closely adhere to some Principles knows not which to embrace Every one is not able to discern false Teachers by their Doctrine For it being now both subtile and obscure too we may call it a Learned Ignorance that raises more Difficulties than it can resolve and does rather multiply Doubts than clear ' em But however since the great Point in Question is the Service of God to live well and to attain to Salvation it is necessary that those who furnish us with Precepts give us Examples too 'T is necessary that such who are our Guides lead the way 'T is thus they may procure the name of true Pastors and 't is the most certain means by which we are taught by Jesus Christ himself to distinguish and know ' em 'T is true that if Men were to be judged only by their Works there would be found but very few who were not extremely guilty But without doubt Religion is much corrupted since those of the Church are become worse than Lay-men since their vitious and debauch'd lives render 'em intolerable to honest men make 'em abus'd by their own People and deserve to be hated by all the World I have not much wonder'd at the different Opinions of Pagans and their Philosophy but I must confess the Division amongst Jews Christians and Turks has seem'd very strange to me who ought all to be united who had nothing more to wish for when once they had learn'd there was a Divine Word Above all I could not observe without horror and pity so many different Parties amongst Christians themselves and amongst those I am oblig'd to say I found that the Worst which would peremptorily force us to believe is the Best 'T is that Party which seems to have made a collection of all the Errors in the World and from hence only has merited the name of Vniversal 'T is that which is rich only by borrowing not being able to bear with the pure simplicity not to say the Poverty of the Gospel 'T is that which has not been contented to have the name of a Church common to others but would for it self alone set up a Title of Sovereignty pretending no Spiritual things can be dispos'd of but by its Order and thus by a Presumption as ridiculous as insolent calls it self the Absolute Judge of the whole World But 't is that also which is easily known however we observe it either by its Leaders or Followers its Stateliness or Poverty We need no great Learning or Subtilty on this Account so many Controversies are useless since it sufficiently makes it self apparent it at first sight shews it self to any one who will take the least notice of it its Works do plainly enough manifest its Doctrine But if we will yet make a farther discovery of it we need but read the Scriptures and compare the matter of 'em with the Practices of this Spiritual Head and its Party It may be you 'l ask me what I find so strange in it I answer that I meet with what does really astonish me and what in my Opinion should others too as well as my self I observe in it I know not what that does both grieve and fright me that fills me with compassion and strikes a terrour upon me which I ordinarily express by Sighs and Groans I observe I know not what Political Order that subsists by Traffick and the Sale of Spiritual things that uses the Name of God to make the Laws of Men more regarded and to oblige the People willingly to pay such Impositions as are laid on ' em Doubtless there is no Monarch has fairer Pretences to make himself obey'd and his Monarchy Universal But this Scarlet this Purple these Crowns do
Neighbour Exod. 24. 16. by this is meant those are to be called Hereticks who embrace no other Religion but what is prescrib'd by the Word of God Then when 't is said speaking of the Communion As often as you shall eat of this Bread 1 Cor. 11. 26. The Sence of this is That you shall eat no Bread And when 't is said Tarry one for another 1 Cor. 11. 33. The meaning of this is That Masses shall be said without Communicants And thus of the rest They render the Scripture intricate and difficult only that they may be consulted as Oracles and their Authority absolutely depended on If Philosophy was so necessary for men to discharge their Duty to God the mean and ordinary people of the World could never know any thing of it against that place of Scripture which says That he hath hid these things from the Wise and Prudent and has revealed 'em unto Babes Matth. 11. 25. It is not to be hoped that a well establish'd Couference can either clear or dissipate this Darkness since most men design only the maintaining the first Opinion they have receiv'd or setting a Value and Reputation on their Profession Disputes indeed are dangerous for those who manage 'em ordinarily grow passionate and sharp or ambitious of Conquest at least of not being overcome I have never observ'd those of the Church of Rome to deal with Sincerity their Religion has so little of Religion in it that it scarce ever suffers 'em to act in any thing without consulting their Humane Interest or without having studied all manner of Tricks and Cunning As the Children of this World are in their Generation wiser than the Children of light Luke 16. 8. They are assured of the Victory before the Combat They are certain they shall be countenan'd by those who preside and be applauded by the Voice of the Multitude They are assur'd of him on whose Account the Dispute is made and to have the better by any way whatever unless that of Reason Otherwise they amuse the Standers by and lose the time in repeating long Quotations and will always speak thrice as much at least as their Adversaries They will not dispute with equal Strength or Arms they will be both Party and Judges and pretending a Sovereign Jurisdiction over all things that belong to Religion will not be determined but by themselves they will admit of no Advice or allow any Councils but what are made up of men all obliged to the same Interest They will resolve nothing but after their own Way their own Policy their own Customs or Prejudices which confirm their Errors instead of removing of ' em But if they were well assur'd that Truth was of their side it being certainly the strongest tho' the least known yet ought they to be so charitable to us as to say Assemble the learned'st of your Men together and we on our parts will do the same We 'll receive your Reasons in Writing signed with your hands and we 'll return you ours with the same Freedom But these Hypocrites these self-interessed Men of seared Consciences will not run the Risque of ruining at once both their Religion and their Fortunes 'T is not their design to draw men to their Party by the Power of Truth they know no way to do it but by Corruption by Liberty and fair Promises They make it their business to find out amongst those of the Reform'd Religion and especially the Pastors a Judas who may be prevailed on to sell himself to betray their Master and Brethren But to what purpose these Perswasions or these Compulsions To what end this Dispute or rather this insufferable Wrangling Is it not only to prove to us that those who prostrate themselves before Images are not Idolaters Is it not to perswade us to go every day before the Altar to observe the going forward and backward the Gestures the mysterious Ornaments of a Priest that turns his Back upon us and to oblige the People to say Amen to several repeated Words and murmuring Noise of a Tongue which for the most part they understand not 'T is for this they make so much Disorder in the World 't is for this they promise they threaten and persecute the Saints even to over-come 'em as far as 't is possible for 'em and make the very Stars fall from Heaven 'T is this which does afflict us and this which does often amaze us 'T is this would make us sink under our Fear and Sorrows but on this account the Holy Trinity comes to our Assistance the Holy Ghost does comfort and withal assure us That the Son shall not lose one of those whom the Father has given him Joh. 17. 12. and 18. 9. Moreover Providence and Truth are so gloriously triumphant over their Enemies that they find themselves caught in those Snares they laid for others Whoever shall attentively read the Books of Controversie so refin'd as they are at this Time will perceive that those of the Reform'd Religion do apparently surpass all others and that there are only such who are contentious stupid or harden'd and given up even to a reprobate Sense that receive not from 'em as full Satisfaction as Reason it self can offer To conclude Aristander I am forc'd to tell you that I find not so much as one remaining Spark of the pure Gospel any shadow of true Christianity in all this Roman Hierarchy 'T is a Body labouring under an irrecoverable Leprosie an Hydropick Body puffed up with it's ill Humours 'T is sick of a Lethargy that sleeps the Sleep of Death from which no Voice is strong or loud enough to awaken it On the contrary I am fully satisfy'd with the Profession of the Reformed Churches which instruct me in the Divine Commands without any Mixture of Humane Inventions I find there preached the pure and plain Truth of a Jesus Christ crucified 1 Cor. 2. 2. who brings healing under his Wings Mal. 4. 2. who makes the Deaf to hear and the Blind to see and in a Word even the Dead to rise again Matt. 11. 5. to enjoy the for-ever-blessed Life of the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost who lives and reigns eternally Amen A LETTER to a Lord at Court who would have perswaded him to turn Catholick MY LORD SInce the Care you are pleas'd to have of me in all my Concerns extends it self even to the Salvation of my Soul I humbly beg your Lordships leave to give you my Opinion on this Subject and 't would be an extreme Pleasure to me was it not contrary to yours 'T is not without Astonishment that I have observ'd in the World so many different Religions which are all maintain'd by their Patrons with an equal Positiveness one believing he has as much Reason on his side as the other But 't was yet greater Amazement to me to see that God does so manifestly make himself known to men that will not listen to him and who are so obdurate not
Scripture but by it self 'T is from the unbounded Curiosity and sublime Visions of these Angelical Seraphick enlighten'd Doctors arise so many extravagant Opinions and not from the innocent reading of ordinary men who in the Words of eternal Life seek after nothing but such Light as may direct 'em in the ways of Repentance and Salvation There are none esteem'd the Authors of Heresies but those who presume they are able to defend 'em who by the same Spirit of Pride and Confidence they propos'd 'em maintain them These are Errors then which the Learned can only pretend to and Follies which the Wise can only commit the Vanity of knowing what others know not the Reputation of having first discover'd some new Invention the giving a Name to some Sect and being it's Head the Terrors of Poverty a thirst after Honour and Riches a desire to please the Great men of the World to merit their Favours to flatter their Passions to carry on their Interest for the Advancement of their own are those Considerations which contain the secret Articles and chief Mysteries of their Faith They willingly abandon whatever concerns the Interest of their Souls for the advantage of their Bodies they desire that Religion should submit to Fortune and Conscience to Necessity Error is no sooner broach'd than there are those found who receive and promote it not out of Devotion but from a Design of making some new Party in a Quiet Government and thence to create trouble and confusion Europe is so divided into Sects and torn in pieces by the violence of so many Factions that hereupon the Atheists increase the Mahometans are confirmed in their Errours the Jews scandalized and all equally harden'd This does not happen from Questions sometimes concerning the Elect and at others of the Reprobate but from the inconsiderateness of those who enquire after Reasons thereof when so great an Apostle as St. Paul found none but the good Will and Pleasure of God I confess I cannot sufficiently wonder at those who ingratefully slight those things which God is pleas'd to make known to us so rashly to search after such which for some time he thinks fit to hide from us without being too indiscreetly presumptuous without not only an impertinent but dangerous Curiosity I will not disturb the Publick Quiet by raising fresh Doubts concerning the two Natures the two Wills or the Substance of Jesus Christ without too great a love of my self I will not pretend to be the Comforter with Montanus nor the Saviour of Men with Menander I will live as a Believer with the Faithful not scandalizing my Brethren either by a too particular Opinion of my own sufficiency or by a contempt of that of others So long as the Weakness of Men shall introduce in the Church no other Scruples but what are made concerning Meats or such like so long as no other Ornaments are used but flat Pictures that they provoke not the Jealousie of God by emboss'd Images so long as they use only some superfluous Ceremonies which in the judgment of many are sometimes indifferent and at others necessary although that Errour which seems at first sight but small is for the most part a degree to a greater so long as the state of the Church though not so pure as might be wish'd for yet is at least tolerable I will not forsake its Communion but I will withdraw my self from all those Assemblies where I shall be forc'd to conform to the External Acts of Superstition or Idolatry and to yield a Religious Worship not only to Saints and to Angels who are fellow-servants with us but Wood and Stone where the Sacraments are but partially administred and where the Commandments of God are destroy'd by those of men And I shall not believe that there can be any Schism where there is so just an occasion to separate and indeed where 't is impossible to do otherwise For what Sense can those words bear which oblige the Faithful to forsake the Camp Heb. 13. 13. or Babylon Rev. 18. 4. and not only by their Minds but their Bodies too since as well the one as the other are consecrated to the Glory of their Creator And when we see the Abomination of Desolation set up in the Holy place Dan. 9. 27. ought we not to flye to the Mountains Mat. 24. 15 16. And if Antichrist be once plac'd in the Church of God shall we obey him and call his Commands those of the Church I will go out then from this Confusion and conform my self to the Order and Discipline of the true Spouse of Jesus Christ though in secret in the midst of her Enemies retired tho' I follow her to the Wilderness and search her in the clefts of the Rocks and Caverns tho' she appears not glorious but by Persecution and amidst her sufferings she shines with no Scarlet but that of the Blood of Martyrs whether the Storm be over or her Tears wiped off that her Voice may be heard and her Face seen CHAP. VII OBserving the universal Division of so many Sects each of which had it's Teacher and Head and some their Prophets I believed it highly necessary to make our Applications to God by Prayer to humble our selves and seriously consult not the uncertain Imaginations of men but the infallible Rules which God himself hath taught us I was the more sollicitous for the Performance of these things because God by his Word has fore-warned us that not only many Antichrists shall arise in the Church and some one above the rest but also that from the time of the Apostles the Mystery of Iniquity was set up and was consequently to be advanc'd notwithstanding the Blindness of those who would not see it and who search for Pretences for their voluntary Ignorance I look'd therefore on those Religions as erroneous which were not purely Evangelical and Divine which are mix'd with the Inventions of men and lay all their stress on Questions too sublime and not to be resolved the Controversie whereof is too nice and subtil I had a very ill Opinion of those which are introduc'd by Tyranny or the Sword which are so ill-grounded that their Professors dare not communicate 'em to others and to that end keep the People under a sottish and brutal Ignorance I had no kindness for those whose Interest is secular and whose Kingdom is of this World whatever name of a Church they may take to themselves because they invert the Order of Jesus Christ and presumptuously transform that into a time of Glory which he hath ordained for the Patience of Saints Moreover if we are to credit Universal Experience whatever is subject to the government of men does decay and become as changeable and inconstant earlier or later as they themselves Children continue not willingly in the Belief of their Fathers at least of their Grand-fathers Faith is not hereditary as the Title of an House or an Estate They have only remaining for the most part