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A08201 Abrahams faith: that is, The olde religion VVherein is taught, that the religion now publikely taught and defended by order in the Church of England, is the onely true Catholicke, auncient, and vnchangeable faith of Gods elect. And the pretensed religion of the Sea of Rome is a false, bastard, new, vpstart, hereticall and variable superstitious deuise of man. Published by Iosias Nicholls, an humble seruant and minister of the gospell in the Church. Nichols, Josias, 1555?-1639. 1602 (1602) STC 18538; ESTC S113254 207,023 348

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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.
but by the holy ghost as Christ plainly a Ioh. 3.5 expoundeth saying No man can enter into the kingdome of God except he be borne againe by the holie ghost Abraham doubtles being taught the true meaning of these words who spake and of whom and what maner of promise this was and how it shoulde be performed could not but behold therin learne the most excellent misterie and doctrine of the trinitie And in this sence and meaning doth the church of England hold this article of religion with Abraham as may appeare not onely by the vniuersall and notorious knowledge of our profession but also by fower Creedes set downe in the booke of Common praier to be heard learned and confessed of all men The Apostles creed Te Deum Athanasius creed and the Nicen creed and in the first article of religion agreed vpon by our church and established by lawe Ann̄ 1562. Moses consent in this article is to bee seene in these words b Deut. 6.4 Here O Israel the Lord our God is Lord only Where this word Lord being in Hebrew Iehouah noteth out the true God being all sufficient of him selfe and therfore Moses was c Exod. 3.14 taught to call him Eheie that is I am or shal be meaning a continuance without beginning or ending Secondly this clause our God in hebrew is * Elohenu a word of the plurall number noteth out the pluralitie of persons then adding in the singuler number that he is Lord or Iehouah onely signifieth that although there is pluralitie that is three persons yet there is but one God And therefore that which is spoken Psal 95. of the tempting of God out of Deut. 9. ver 8. where is said by Moses they prouoked Iehouah to anger the prophet d Esai 36.10 Esay the epistle e Heb. 3.7 to the Hebrewes expound it to be the tempting of the holy ghost f 1. Cor. 10.5 and S. Paul to bee tempting of Christ so that Moses by these places is to bee vnderstood to haue taught the same doctrin of the Trinitie namely one all sufficient Iehouah the same three persōs God the father God the son God the holy ghost The prophets who are the true and perfect interpreters of Moses doe vtter this doctrin yet more plainly speaking in the person of God g Esai 44.6 I am the first and I am the last and beside me there is no God h Cap. 4.3.13 Before the day was I am there is none that can deliuer out of mine hand i 45.21 a iust God and a Sauiour and there is none beside me k Malach. 3.6 I the Lord change not l Nahum 1.5 The mountains tremble for him and the hils melt c. And as touching the Trinitie in plaine termes thus m Hag. 2.5.6 I am with you saith the Lord of hostes with the word wherewith I couenanted with you when you came out of Egypt and with my spirit remaining among you where you see the father by excellencie called the Lord of hosts the son being the mediator of the couenant is called the word by whom and for whom God couenanteth and the holy ghost his spirit placed in his church by his manifold gifts and mightie works Heb. 2.4 the like place is in a Esai 63.7.8.9.10 Esay where in the person of the father is shewed Gods mercie loue and kinde prouidence ouer his people and he pointeth out the second person by the name of the angel of his presence who saued them and the holy ghost he calleth his holy spirit whom they vexed But the new Testament is plainest of al. First Math. 3. where the father witnesseth of the son and the holy ghost in the shape of a doue commeth vpon him and Christ commandeth to b Math 28.19 Baptise in the name of the father and of the son and of the holy ghost And c 1. Ioh. 5.7.9 S. Iohn calleth this the witnes of God that there are three which beare record in heauen the father the word and the holie ghost and these three are one In which article wee must vnderstād the three persons not as we do three persons of men who though they be but of one nature which is the nature of man yet are they in such sort 3. persons in one nature as they are also 3. diuers men But in God is a more neere vnion namely that they being 3. persōs distinguished in property the father begetting the son begotten the holy ghost proceeding yet these three so distinct in person are not onely of one kind of nature which is to be God for so they might be vnderstood to be three gods as Peter Iames and Iohn though of one nature are yet three men but also of one and the same essence in vnitie of number namely that the father son and holie ghost are all in one God and do make and be all but one and the same God of the same inseperable power eternitie wil wisdom and goodnes as is very excellently expounded in the creed of Athanasius The second article is of the Cause of Causes 2 By the decree of God all thinges were fore ordained how they should be and concerning man who should be saued by faith in Christ and who should be damned for their sinnes THis doctrine GOD teacheth Abraham two waies first in the promise d Gen. 12.3 how al the families of the earth should be blessed in which there is the reuelation of Gods decree what should become of all nations in the world namely that they of al nations which attaine blessednes shoulde haue it by Christ and all other should be damned then e Cap. 17. when he seperateth the Iewes by circumcision kept out the gentils till the fulnes of times it argueth that according to his decree he dispenseth the times and seperateth the nations and that in the matter of the saluation and damnation of men euen as saint Paul expoundeth it saying f Eph. 1.9.10 And hath opened to vs the mistery of his will according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in him selfe that in the dispensation of the fulnes of times he might gather together in one all things both which are in heauen which are in earth euen in Christ The other way is in trying of Abraham whē he was so olde before he had his son Isaac for hauing made the promise to Abraham generally First a Gen. 12.3 cap. 15.5 In thy seed and secondly So shall thy seed be Sarah finding her selfe barren b Gen. 16. gaue her maide to Abraham thinking to haue the seed that way and he went into her and she brought him foorth a sonne when he was fower score and six yere olde and he called his name Ismaell But after this God c Cap. 17.15 commanded Abraham to change his wiue Sarahs name from Sarai to Sarah because he would giue her a son and blesse and
dignitie as they doo properly and naturally require Namely that it is a 1. Thess 4.3.4.5 Gods pleasure that they whom hee freely iustifyeth by his grace and clenseth by faith should not wallow in the puddle and filth of sin like the gentils who know not God but shew thēselues to be the redeemed of the Lord his saints and children by their godly life and honest conuersation And for this cause sanctifying those whom he iustifieth he would haue them approue their faith by their good works as it is written b Eph. 2.10 We are his workemanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath ordained that wee should walke in them c 1. Ioh. 3.9 whosoeuer is borne of God sinneth not for his seede remaineth in him c. In which two places first you may obserue our sanctification in the words creation and seed For by the one is signified our new birth and renewing of the holie ghost and by the other the spirit sanctifying which as seed beginneth a godly life in vs. Secondly our faith in being in Christ and gods children for we are no otherwise in Christ and gods children but by faith The doctrin of these places agreeth with the article that they which are made Gods children by faith are so farre sanctified and renued by Gods spirit that they walking a more vpright course of life then infidels do make manifest their faith by their workes and they which be otherwise haue no faith Heere me thinketh I see Abraham approouing himselfe to haue a liuely faith by a most constant change of life in following of God and attending vpon his worde First he frankely left d Gen. 12.1.3.8 Heb. 11.8.9 his countrie and kindred and forsooke all strange religions and idolatrie to follow God Secondly he contentedly abode in the land of Canaan as in a strange land and walking from place to place remained in tentes and in euerie place shewed his godly deuotion in making an altar and calling vpon the name of the Lord a Cap. 13.8 he kindly yeelded to his nephew Lot 14.19 for auoiding of contention 24.1 18.23 20.17 charitablie rescued him when hee was taken prisoner carefully prouided a wife for his sonne Isaack feruently intreated for the Citie of Sodom meekly praied for him that had taken away his wife 23. 25. decently prouided for his wiues buriall and wisely before his death set an order betweene his children concerning his substance according to Gods word And is b Cap. 18.19 honourably commended by God himselfe for his good instruction to his houshold children posteritie that they might walke in the waies of the Lord. But aboue all other he approued his fayth in this that vpon Gods commandement he so readily offered vp his sonne Isaack being after Ismaels expulsion his onely sonne his beloued sonne and concerning whom hee had receiued the promise of life and saluation and the establishment of the couenaunt by this worke hee made knowen to men and Angels that hee had a true and a liuely faith whereupon Saint Iames interpreting this fact of Abraham to be wrought by faith bringeth this example to proue that faith without workes is dead And thus hee speaketh c Iacob 2.20.21 But wilt thou vnderstande O vaine man that fayth without workes is deade Was not Abraham our father iustified through workes when hee offered Isaacke his sonne vppon the Altar Seest thou not that fayth wrought with his woorkes and through the workes the faith was made perfect and the scripture was fulfilled which saith Abraham beleeued God and it was imputed to him for righteousnes c. Heere I am enforced because of S. Iames maner of speaking to clere a doubt before I can conclude this point For in as much as Saint Paul d Rom. 4. contendeth that Abraham was not iustified at all by workes but by faith without workes and heere saint Iames seemeth to auoutch the contrarie saying was not Abraham our father iustified through workes it is to be considered how these two may be reconciled For the clearing of which difference I aunswere that in deed they both vse one worde but not in one meaning nor to one and the same ende For Saint Paul by this woord iustified meaneth that God freely imputeth righteousnes vnto him as namlie Read Rom. 4.1.4.5.6.15.16 and cap. 3.24.25.28 iustified by faith in saint Pauls mind is as much as to say righteousnes is imputed vnto him for his beleefes sake and for nothing else And his end was to prooue that no man can be iustified by workes in the sight of God but that this blessednes to bee iuste before God commeth by faith without workes But Saint Iames hauing to doo with such as boasted of faith and tooke to them selues licence to sin had this end namely to proue that faith without workes was in deed no faith properly and in the sight of God but a dead faith and therfore by this word iustified meaneth onely this that by workes a man is declared and made knowen tn be iustified by faith that is that he hath not a vaine dead and fruitles faith And therefore seeing that Abraham was so iustified that is declared and made knowen to be a iust man of a true and liuely faith testified by such a notable woorke he being our father we must be found to haue such a woorking faith or els we cannot be knowen to bee any other but hypocrites of a dead and counterfait faith And that this is the true and proper meaning of Saint Iames First consider that this word iustified is diuersly vsed and to be taken in the holy scriptures as all other wordes be according to the scope and purpose of euerie place For Rom. 6. where he sayth a Rom. 6.7 He that is dead is iustified from sinne there it signifieth to be free as it is by som translated And in b Cap. 7.29 Luke it is said that the Publicans iustified God being baptized with the Baptisme of Iohn where it signifieth to praise God for his mercy goodnes and righteousnes In c Math. 11.19 Mathew it is said Wisedome is iustified of her children where it signifieth acknowledged or professed or declared iust In which places this worde of necessitie hath such sence and meaning as the scope of the seueral places aforde So here Saint Iames intention being to teach the vanitie of him that boasteth of faith and yet liueth wickedly by all reason must be vnderstood to meane by the word iustified the declaring of the righteousnes of his faith by his workes And this wil easilie appeare if you marke his propounding of this question the order of his reasoning and his conclusion First his proposition vers 14. What auaileth it my brethren though a man saith he hath faith when he hath no workes can the faith saue him where you may perceiue he speaketh against pratlers and hypocrites which say they haue
cleros telleth vs out of Isidorus that among the auncient fathers a priest and a Bishop were all one And the same thing he d Distinct 93. cap. legimus affirmeth out of Hierome with many reasons drawne from holy scripture and he sheweth that the first rising of one Bishop ouer another was deuised for a remedie against schisme And as concerning the preheminenc of the citie of Rome he addeth Si authoritas quaereretur c. if authoritie be sought for the authoritie of the world is greater then that of one citie wheresoeuer there is a Bishop at Rome or at Engubium or at Constantinople or at Rhegium or Alexandria or at Thebes or at Guarmatia it is of the same merit it is of the same priesthood which the glosse there doth interpret that discreete learned and wisemen esteeme all alike but ideots and the comon people despise a Bishop of a smale or litle citie And a litle after e Distinct 95. cap. olim he saith As the elders or priestes knowe that they by the custome of the church are subiect to him which is set ouer them So let the Bishops know that they are greater then the prists rather by custome then by the truth of Gods ordinance and that they ought to rule in comon Cesar Baronius by the cōmandement of pope Gregory the 13. making a new legend called Martyrologiums after the order of their new callender in his notes vpon that booke f Ian. 20. pag. 22. at the letter c. teacheth vs that this word Papa pope was first accounted to come of the greeke word Pappas signifying a father and in the same sence came to be a name of dignitie that the reuerend clerkes or clergie men were called by that name Afterward the same name began to be peculiar vnto Bishops that they were called Papae that is popes or fathers vntil An. 850. then it began to grow to fasten only vpon the head of the pope of Rome at the length pope Grerory the 7. An. 1071. in a synod ordained that there should be but one name of Pope in all the Christian world This man also a Quint. ad April pag. 160. 161. witnesseth that it was in times past the old custome of the church that the Bishops were not onelie called Pontifices prelates but also summi pontifices chiefe or hiest prelates because that the office of a Bishop was called the chiefe priesthood this hee proueth by expresse examples vntill the 6. counsel b About An. 645. of Toletane and he bringeth in Saint Augustin saying those wordes what is a Bishop but the first elder that is the hyest priest briefely hee calleth them no otherwise then fellowe Elders and his fellow priestes But after Baronius addeth that the latter custome obtained that the Bishop of Rome should bee called summus maximus pontifex the hiest and greatest prelate or Bishop Polydor vergill c De inuentorrer lib. 4. ca. 10. telleth vs that the first honour that was giuen to the Bishop of Rome was this that he might change his name when he is created Pope if his name be not handsome and the author of this deuise was Sergius whose name was called os porci that is the mouth of an hogge But more neere to our matter Platina d In vita pelagij deinceps sheweth that the commandement of the Emperour did sway all the matter in the choise of the pope vntill the time of * Pelagius the second About Anno 600. So that when by the extreame fall of waters they could not go to the Emperor the pope was faine to send Gregorious to make his excuse because the election was nothing woorth without the Emperors approbatiō And after him in the election of Gregorious the clergie people desired the Emperor that it would please him to cōfirme the election which was made concerning Gregorius And where as Iohn Patriarch of Constantinople obtained by a Synod the title Ecromenicus that is of vniuersall Bishop Gregorie resisted him not because as Platina saith it belongeth to Peters sea as they falsly call Rome but because it was a new and blasphemous name and such as none before them did euer allow of or take vnto him selfe As Gregorious himselfe in diuers letters both to the Emperor the Empresse to diuers Bishops to Iohn himselfe doth write whereof you shal heare some part First to the Emperour he among other things a Epist lib. 4. cap. 29. Mauritio August Epist 32. saith Quis est iste c who is this that against the statutes of the gospel against the decrees of the canons presumeth to vsurpe to himselfe a new name Would to God that without the diminishing of others there were one which desireth to be called vniuersall and a little after But be it far from the harts of Christians this blasphemus name wherein the honour of all priests is taken away while it is madly arrogated of one vnto himselfe And b Constantie August Epist 34. to the Empresse It is a verie heauie thing that it should be patiently born that al being despised my foresaid brother fellow-bishop goeth about to be called Bishop alone but in this his pride what other thing is shewed but onely that the times of antechrist be at hand And vnto c Epist 36. Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria and Anastasius Bishop of Antioch None of my predecessors haue euer consented to vse this so prophane a terme or word Because forsooth if one be called vniuersal patriarch the name of patriarch is taken from others vnto which if you ioine that of the sixt counsell of Carthage That all matters should be ended in the prouince where they began And that of the Milenitane counsell that no appeale should be made out of the prouince ouer the sea you may easilie plainly perceiue that vnto this 600. yeres after Christ it doth so far appeare that the Pope had no supremacy ouer kings or Emperors that his authoritie was not so much as ouer any minister or priuate man out of his owne diocesse or prouince and that to claime any such title as to be vniuersall Bishop was new blasphemous the ouerthrow of priesthood not sufferable and a fore-running of Antechrist How the pope brought vnder the ciuill power by growing ouer the ecclesiasticall And here thou maist obserue that in all this time there was not yet any question of superioritie ouer the superior ciuil magistrate but ouer the Bishops them selues But how they came to crow ouer the ciuill magistrate the storie of the time following doth declare wherin I might spend much time of the seed of these things as the aduancing of the honor of Peter cunningly pretended to draw on the primacy vpon the pope of Rome his counterfeit successor Constantine forged donation but I shal not need to rip vp euery circumstance For if neither these nor any other were able to cōpasse this infernal primacy in