into that sacred order that we stick at There we finde that none but Christ can make a Sacrament for none but he who can give Grace can ordain a Signe and Seal of Grace Now it is evident enough that these adscititious Sacraments were never of Christs institution So was not Confirmation as our Alexander of Hales and Holcot so was not Matrimony as Durand so was not Extreme Unction as Hugo Lombard Bonaventure Halensis Altissiodore by the confession of their Suarez These were ancient Rites but they are new Sacraments All of them have their allowed and profitable use in Gods Church though not in so high a nature except that of Extreme Unction which as it is an apish mis-imitation of that extraordinary course which the Apostolick times used in their cures of the sick so it is grosly mis-applied to other purposes then were intended in the first institution Then it was Ungebant sanabant the oyle miraculously conferring bodily recovery but now Non nisi in mortis articulo adhibetur it is not used but upon the very point of death as Cajetan and Cassander confesse and all experience manifests and by Felix the Fourth drawn to a necessity of addresse to eternall life Sect 2. Seven Sacraments beside Scripture NOT to scan particulars which all yield ample exceptions but to wind them all up in one bottome Whosoever shall look into the Scripture shall finde it apparent that as in the time of mans Innocency there were but Two Sacraments the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge so before and under the Law however they had infinite Rites yet in the proper sense they had but Two Sacraments the same in effect with those under the Gospel the one the Sacrament of Initiation which was their Circumcision parallel'd by that Baptisme which succeeded it the other the Sacrament of our holy Confirmation that spirituall meat and drink which was their Paschall Lambe and Manna and water from the rock prefiguring the true Lambe of God and bread of life and blood of our Redemption The great Apostle of the Gentiles that well knew the Analogy hath compared both Moreover brethren I would not have you ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud and all passed through the sea and all were baptized in the cloud and in the sea and all did eat the same spirituall meat and all did drink the same spirituall drink for they drank of that spirituall Rock that followed them and that Rock was Christ What is this in any just construction but that the same two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Lords Supper which we celebrate under the Gospel were the very same with those which were celebrated by Gods ancient people under the Law they two and no more Hoc facite Doe this is our warrant for the one and Ite baptizate c. Goe teach and Baptize for the other There is deep silence in the rest Sect. 3. Against Reason IN Reason it must be yielded that no man hath power to set to a seal but he whose the writing is Sacraments then being the seals of Gods gracious evidences whereby he hath conveyed to us eternall life can be instituted by no other then the same power that can assure and perform life to his creature In every Sacrament therefore must be a Divine institution and command of an Element that signifies of a Grace that is signified of a word adjoyned to that element of an holy act adjoyned to that word Where these concur not there can be no true Sacrament and they are palpably missing in these five Adjections of the Church of Rome Lastly The Sacraments of the new Law as Saint Austin often flowed out of the side of Christ None flowed thence but the Sacrament of water which is Baptisme and the Sacrament of blood in the Supper whereof the Author saith This cup is the new Testament in my blood which is shed for you The rest never flowing either from the side or from the lips of Christ are as new and mis-named Sacraments justly rejected by us and we thereupon as unjustly censured CHAP. XVI The Newnesse of the Doctrine of Tradition THE chief ground of these and all other Errours in the Church of Rome is the over-valuing of Traditions which the Tridentine Synod professes to receive and reverence with no lesse pious affection then the Books of the Old and New Testament and that not in matter of Rite and History onely but of Faith and Manners also wherein as they are not unwilling to cast a kinde of imputation of imperfection upon the written Word so they make up the defects of it by the supply of unwritten Traditions to which indeed they are more beholden for the warrant of the greater part of their superadded Articles then to the Scriptures of God Both which are Points so dangerously envious as that Antiquity would have abhorred their mention Neither is any thing more common with the holy Fathers of the Church then the magnifying the compleat perfection of Scripture in all things needfull either to be believed or done What can be more full and clear then that of Saint Austine In his quae apertè c. In these things which are openly laid forth in Scripture are found all matters that contain either Faith or Manners Cardinall Bellarmine's elusion is not a little prejudicial to his own Cause He tells us that Saint Austin speaks of those Points which are simply necessary to Salvation for all men all which he acknowledges to be written by the Apostles But besides these there are many other things saith he which we have only by Tradition Will it not therefore hence follow that the common sort of Christians need not look at his Traditions that commonly men may be saved without them that Heaven may be attained though there were no Traditions Who will not now say Let me come to Heaven by Scripture goe you whither you will by Traditions To which adde that agreat yea the greater part if we may believe some of their own of that which they call Religion is grounded upon onely Tradition If then Tradition be onely of such things as are not simply necessary to Salvation then the greater part of their mis-named Religion must needs be yielded for simply unnecessary to all men And if we may be saved without them and be made Citizens of Heaven how much more may we without them be members of the true Church on Earth As for this place S. Augustine's words are full and comprehensive expressing all those things which contain either Faith or Manners whether concerning Governours or people If now they can finde out any thing that belongs not either to belief or action we do willingly give it up to their Traditions but all things which pertain to either of those are openly comprized in Scripture What can be more direct then that of holy Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
〈◊〉 c. The Holy Scriptures inspired by God are in themselves all-sufficient to the instruction of truth and if Chemnitius construe it all truth This needs not raise a cavil the word signifies no lesse for if they be all-sufficient to instruction they must needs be sufficient to all instruction in the truth intended Tertullian professes openly Adoro Scripturae plenitudinem c. I adore the fulnesse of Scripture Let the skill of Hermogenes shew where it is written if it be not written let him fear that woe which is propounced against those that adde or detract Thus he Who can but fear that the Cardinal shifts this evidence against his own heart For saith he Tertull. speaks of that one point That God created all things of nothing and not of a pre-existent matter as Hermogenes dreamed now because this Truth is clearly expressed in Scripture therefore the fulness of Scripture as concerning this Point is adored by Tertullian and for that Hermogenes held an opinion contrary to Scripture he is said to adde unto Scripture and to incur that malediction Now let any Reader of common sense judge whether the words of Tertullian be not general without any limitation and if the first clause could be restrained the second cannot Scriptum esse doceat c. Whatsoever therefore is not written by this rule may not be obtruded to our belief Neither doth he say If it be written against but If it be not written and his challenge is nusquam legi that the words are no where read as if this were quarrell enough without a flat contradiction to what is read So as the Cardinals Glosse merely corrupts the Text. How easie were it for me to tire my Reader with the full suffrages of Origen Cyprian Chrysostome Basil Cyril Epiphanius Hierome Ambrose Theodoret Hilarie Vincentius Lirinensis and in a word with the whole stream of Antiquity which though they give a meet place to Traditions of Ceremony of History of Interpretation of some immaterial Verities yet reserve the due honour to the Sacred monuments of Divine Scriptures Our learned Chemnitius hath freely yielded seven sorts of Traditions such as have a correspondence with or an attestation from the written Word the rest we do justly together with him disclaim as unworthy to appear upon that awfull Bench amongst the inspired Pen-men of God Sect. 2. Traditions against Scripture IT is not to be imagined that the same word of God which speaks for all other Truths should not speak for it self how fully doth it display its own sufficiencie and perfection All Scripture saith the Chosen Vessel is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness Profitable saith the Cardinal but not sufficient Many things may avail to that end whereto they suffice not so meat is profitable to nourish but without natural heat it nourisheth not Thus he Hear yet what followeth That the man of God may be perfected and throughly furnished unto all good works Loe it is so profitable to all these services that thereby it perfects a Divine much more an ordinary Christian That which is so profitable as to cause perfection is abundantly sufficient and must needs have full perfection in it self That which can perfect the Teacher is sufficient for the Learner The Scriptures can perfect the man of God both for his calling in the instruction of others and for his own glory Thou hast known the Scriptures from a childe saith S. Paul to his Timothy which are able not profitable only to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus It is the charge therefore of the Apostle not to be wise above that which is written The same with wise Solomon's The whole word of God is pure Adde thou not unto his words lest he reprove thee and thou be found a lier Loe he saith not Oppose not his words but Adde not to them Even Addition detracts from the majestie of that Word For the Law of the Lord is perfect converting the Soul the Testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The Statutes of the Lord are right rejoicing the heart the Commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes As for those Traditions which they do thus lift up to an unjust competition with the written Word our Saviour hath beforehand humbled them into the dust In vain do they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men making this a sufficient cause of abhorring both the persons and the services of those Jews that they thrust humane Traditions into Gods chair and respected them equally with the institutions of God Cardinal Bellarmine would shift it off with a distinction of Traditions These were such saith he quas acceperunt à recentioribus c. as they had received from some later hands whereof some were vain some other pernicious not such as they received from Moses and the Prophets And the Authors of these rejected Traditions he cites from Epiphanius to be R. Akiba R. Juda and the Asamoneans from Hierome to be Sammai Hillel Akiba But this is to cast a mist before the eyes of the simple For who sees not that our Saviours challenge is generall to Traditions thus advanced not to these or those Traditions And where he speaks of some later hands he had forgotten that our Saviour upon the Mount tells him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that these faulted Traditions were of old And that he may not cast these upon his Sammai and Hillel let him remember that our Saviour cites this out of Esay though with some more clearness of expression who far overlooked the time of those pretended Fathers of mis-mis-traditions That I may not say how much it would trouble him to shew any dogmatical Traditions that were derived from Moses and the Prophets in parallel whereof let them be able to deduce any Evangelical tradition from the Apostles and we are ready to imbrace it with all observance Shortly it is clear that our Saviour never meant to compare one Tradition with another as approving some rejecting others but with indignation complains that Traditions were obtruded to God's people in a corrivalty with the written Word which is the very Point now questioned Sect. 3. Traditions against Reason EVen the very light of Reason shews us that as there is a God so that he is a most wise and most just God needs therefore must it follow that if this most just and wise God will give a Word whereby to reveal himself and his will to mankinde it must be a perfect Word for as his Wisdome knows what is fit for his creature to know of himself so his Justice will require nothing of the creature but what he hath enabled him to know and doe Now then since he requires us to know him to obey him it must needs follow that he hath left us so exquisite a Rule of
is but either private or unnecessary and uncertain Oh that whiles we sweat and bleed for the maintenance of these oracular Truths we could be perswaded to remit of our Heat in the pursuit of Opinions These these are they that distract the Church violate our peace scandalize the weak advantage our enemies Fire upon the Hearth warms the Body but if it be misplaced burns the House My brethren let us be Zealous for our God every hearty Christian will pour Oyle and not Water upon this holy flame But let us take heed lest a blind self-love stiffe prejudice and factious partiality impose upon us in stead of the causes of God Let us be suspicious of all New Verities and careless of all unprofitable and let us hate to think our selves either wiser then the Church or better then our Superiours And if any man think that he sees further then his fellows in these Theological prospects let his tongue keep the counsel of his eyes left whiles he affects the fame of deeper learning he embroile the Church and raise his glory upon the publick ruines And ye worthy Christans whose Souls God hath entrusted with our spiritual Guardianship be ye alike minded with your Teachers The motion of their tongues lies much in your eares your modest desires of receiving needful and wholesome Truths shall avoid their labour after frivolous and quarrelsome Curiosities God hath blessed you with the reputation of a wise and knowing people In these Divine matters let a meek Sobriety set bounds to your inquiries Take up your time and hearts with Christ and Him crucified with those essential Truths which are necessary to Salvation leave all curious disquisitions to the Schools and say of those Problems as the Philosopher did of the Athenian shops How many things are here that we have no need of Take the nearest cut you can ye shall find it a side-way to Heaven ye need not lengthen it with undue circuitions I am deceived if as the times are ye shall not find work enough to bear up against the oppositions of professed hostility It is not for us to squander our thoughts and hours upon useless janglings wherewith if we suffer our selves to be still taken up Satan shall deal with us like some crafty Cheater who whiles he holds us at gaze with tricks of jugling picks our pockets Dear Brethren whatever become of these worthless driblets be sure to look well to the free-hold of your Salvation Errour is not more busie then subtile Superstition never wanted sweet insinuations make sure work against these plausible dangers Suffer not your selves to be drawn into the net by the common stale of the Church Know that outward Visibility may too well stand with an utter exclusion from Salvation Salvation consists not in a formalitie of Profession but in a Soundness of Belief A true body may be full of mortall diseases So is the Roman Church of this day whom we have long pitied and labored to cure in vain If she will not be healed by us let us not be infected by her Let us be no less jealous of her contagion then she is of our remedies Hold fast that precious Truth which hath been long taught you by faithful Pastors confirmed by clear evidences of Scriptures evinced by sound Reasons sealed up by the blood of our blessed Martyrs So whiles no man takes away the crown of your constancie ye shall be our Crown and rejoycing in the day of our Lord Jesus to whose all-sufficient Grace I commend you all and vow my self Your common Servant in him whom we all rejoice to serve JOS. EXON The Contents CHAP. I. THE extent of the Differences betwixt the Churches Pag. 375 CHAP. II. The Original of the Differences 376 CHAP. III. The Reformed unjustly charged with Noveltie Heresie Schisme 378 CHAP. IV. The Romane Church guilty of this Schisme 380 CHAP. V. The Newness of the Article of Justification by inherent Righteousness 381 Sect. 2. This Doctrine proved to be against Scripture 383 Sect. 3. Against Reason 384 CHAP. VI. The Newness of the Doctrine of Merit 385 Sect. 2. Against Scripture 386 Sect. 3. Against Reason ibid. CHAP. VII The Newness of the Doctine of Transubstantiation 387 Sect. 2. Against Scripture 389 Sect. 3. Against Reason 390 CHAP. VIII The Newness of the Half-Communion 391 Sect. 2. Against Scripture 392 Sect. 3. Against Reason ibid. CHAP. IX The Newness of Missal Sacrifice 393 Sect. 2. Against Scripture ibid. Sect. 3. Against Reason 394 CHAP. X. The Newness of Image-Worship ibid. Sect. 2. Against Scripture 396 Sect. 3. Against Reason 397 CHAP. XI The Newness of Indulgences and Purgatory ibid. Sect. 2. Against Scripture 399 Sect. 3. Against Reason 400 CHAP. XII The Newness of Divine Service in an unknown tongue ibid. Sect. 2. Against Scripture 402 Sect. 3. Against Reason ibid. CHAP. XIII The Newness of a full forced Sacramental Confession 403 Sect. 2. Not warranted by Scripture 404 Sect. 3. Against Reason ibid. Sect. 4. The Novelty of Absolution before Satisfaction 405 CHAP. XIV The Newness of the Romish Invocation of Saints ibid. Sect. 2. Against Scripture 406 Sect. 3. Against Reason 407 CHAP. XV. The Newness of Seven Sacraments 408 Sect. 2. Besides Scripture 409 Sect. 3. Against Reason ibid. CHAP. XVI The Newness of the Romish Doctrine of Traditions ibid. Sect. 2. Against Scripture 411 Sect. 3. Against Reason 412 CHAP. XVII The Newness of the universal Headship of the Bishop of Rome ibid. Sect. 2. The Newness of challenged Infallibility 414 Sect. 3. The Newness of the Popes Superiorities to Councils 415 Sect. 4. The new presumption of Papal Dispensation ibid. Sect. 5. The new challenge of popes domineering over Kings and Emperours 416 CHAP. XVIII The Epilogue both of Exhortation and Apologie 417 THE OLD RELIGION CHAP. I. The extent of the Differences betwixt the Churches THE first blessing that I daily beg of my God for his Church is our Saviours Legacy Peace that sweet Peace which in the very name of it comprehends all happiness both of estate and disposition As that Mountain whereon Christ ascended though it abounded with Palms and Pines and Myrtles yet it carried onely the name of Olives which have been an ancient Embleme of Peace Other Graces are for the Beauty of the Church this for the Health and Life of it For howsoever even Wasps have their Combes and Hereticks their Assemblies as Tertullian so as all are not of the Church that have Peace yet so essential is it to the Church in S. Chrysostome's opinion that the very name of the Church implies a consent and concord No marvel then if the Church labouring here below make it her daily suit to her glorious Bridegroom in Heaven Da pacem Give Peace in our time O Lord. The means of which happiness are soon seen not so soon attained even that which Hierome hath to his Ruffinus Una fides Let our Belief-be but one and our hearts will be but
this knowledge and obedience as cannot admit of any defect or any supplement This Rule can be no other then his written Word therefore written that it might be preserved entire for this purpose to the last date of time As for orall Traditions what certainty can there be in them what foundation of truth can be lai'd upon the breath of man How do we see the reports vary of those things which our eyes have seen done How do they multiply in their passage and either grow or die upon hazards Lastly we think him not an honest man whose tongue goes against his owne hand How hainous an imputation then do they cast upon the God of Truth which plead Traditions derived from him contrary to his written Word Such apparently are the worship of Images the mutilation of the Sacrament Purgatory Indulgences and the rest which have passed our agitation Since therefore the authority of Romish Traditions is besides Novelty Erroneous against Scripture and Reason we have justly abandoned it and are thereupon unjustly condemned As for those other dangerous and important Innovations concerning Scriptures their Canon inlarged their faulty Version made authentical their fountains pretended to be corrupted their mis-pleaded Obscurity their restraint from the Laity we have already largely displai'd them in another place CHAP. XVII The Newnesse of the universall Headship of the Bishop of Rome THose transcendent Titles of Headship and Universality which are challenged to the Bishop and See of Rome are known to be the upstart brood of noted ambition Simple and holy Antiquity was too modest either to require or tolerate them Who knows not the profession of that holy Martyr in the Councill of Carthage Neque enim c. There is none of us that makes himself a Bishop of Bishops or by a tyrannous fear compels his underlings to a necessitie of obedience but perhaps at Rome it was otherwise Heare then with what zeal their own Pope Gregory the Great inveighs against the arrogance of John Bishop of Constantinople for giving way to this proud style His Epistles are extant in all hands so clear and convictive as no art of Sophistry can elude them wherein he calls this Title affected by the said John and Cyriacus after him a new name a wicked profane insolent name the generall plague of the Church a corruption of the Faith against Canons against the Apostle Peter against God himself as if he could never have branded it enough And lest any man should cavil that this style is onely cried down in the Bishops of Constantinople which yet might be justly claimed by the Bishops of Rome Gregorie himself meets with this thought and answers beforehand Nunquam pium virum c. That never any godly man never any of his Predecessors used those Titles and more then so That whosoever shall use this proud style he is the very fore-runner of Antichrist If in a foresight of this Usurpation Gregory should have been hired to have spoken for us against the Pride of his following Successors he could not have set a keener edge upon his style Consonant whereto it is yet extant in the very Canon Law as quoted by Gratian out of the Epistle of Pope Pelagius the second Universalis autem nec etiam Romanus Pontifex appelletur Not the Bishop of Rome himself may be called Universall Yet how famously is it known to all the World that the same Gregorie's next Successor save one Boniface the third obtained this title of Universall Bishop from the Emperour Phocas which the said Emperour gave him in a spleen against Cyriacus Patriarch of Constantinople for delivering Constantina the Wife of Mauritius and her Children or as some others relate it upon a worse occasion And accordingly was this haughty Title communicated by the same power to the See of Rome and by strong hand ever since maintained This qualification their Register Platina confesses was procured not without great contention And Otho Frisingensis fully and ingenuously writeth thus Gregory departed hence to the Lord after whom the next save one Boniface obtained of Phocas that by his authority the Romane Church might be called the head of all Churches for at that time the See of Constantinople I suppose because of the seat of the Empire translated thither wrote her self the first Thus their Bishop Otho Now if any man shall think that hence it will yet follow that the See of Rome had formerly enjoyed this Honour however the Constantinopolitan for the present shouldred with her for it let him know the ground of both their challenges which as it was supposed by Otho so is fully for the satisfaction of any indifferent judgement laid forth in the Generall Council of Chalcedon The same say those Fathers we determine of the priviledges of the most holy Church of Constantinople called new Rome For the Fathers have justly heretofore given priviledge to the Throne of old Rome because that City was then the Governesse of the world and upon the same consideration were the hundred and fifty Bishops men beloved of God moved to yield equall priviledges to the Throne of new Rome rightly judging that this City which is honoured with the Empire and Senate and is equally priviledged with old Rome the then Queen of the world should also in Ecclesiasticall matters be no lesse extolled and magnified Thus they And this act is subscribed Bonifacius Presbyter Ecclesiae Romanae statui subscripsi I Boniface Presbyter of the Church of Rome have so determined and subscribed Et coeteri c. And the rest of the Bishops of divers Provinces and Cities subscribed What can be more plain This Headship of the Bishop was in regard of the See and this headship of the See was in regard of the preeminence of the City which was variable according to the changes of times or choice of Emperours But Binius wrangleth here Can we blame him when the free-hold of their Great Mistresse is so nearly touched This Act saith he was not Synodicall as that which was closely and cunningly done in the absence of the Popes Legates and other Orthodox Bishops at the instance of Anatolius Patriarch of Constantinople an ambitious man by the Eastern Bishops onely How can this plea stand with his own confessed subscription Besides that their Caranza in his Abridgement shews that this Point was long and vehemently canvassed in that Council between Lucentius and Boniface Legates of the Romane Church and the rest of the Bishops and at last so concluded as we have related not indeed without the protestation of the said Legates Nobis proesentibus c. The Apostolick See must not in our presence be abased Notwithstanding this act then carried and after this Pope Simplicius succeeding to Hilarius made a Decree to the same purpose not without allusion to this contention for precedency that Rome should take place of Constantinople Yea so utterly unthought of