must we admit that they taught any thing contrary to what they writ they had the Holy Ghost that never-erring Spirit that did lead them into all truth and could not at one time write one thing and after teach another We allow that they did deliver traditions to the people but Saint Peter in his 1 Epist 1.25 tells us it was the word of the Lord that was preached amongst them for nothing contrary to that was preached and delivered and that the people were bound to observe all things they did teach by the commandment of God Mat. 28.20 and therefore Saint Paul enjoynes the Thessalonians 2 Thess 2.15 to hold fast the traditions they had learned whether by word or Epistle The old Testament was delivered by the Jews and confirmed by Christ and his Apostles and therefore the Church of Rome did embrace that and reject the other traditional books of the Jews which were not by Moses written or by Christ approved of Now we make bold in this to follow her example if the Church of Rome have any traditions which are not repugnant to the written word we shall not disallow of them but if they make against that with the Evangelists and the Apostles have delivered to us in writing which writing we approve in our Judgement as the infallible oracles of God we by her own eâ—ample as rejecting those traditions of the Jews which were not consonant to the written law of Moses or approved of by Christ and likewise by warrant of Christ not to leane to the traditions of men and to cast off the commandments of God desire to be excused for not embracing every tradition the Church of Rome would obtrude upon us and we perswade our selves that sith she hath rejected the traditions of the Jews because not warranted by the written word she cannot be so impartial to deny us the same liberty to reject her traditions upon the same score and that the rather because she hath not so good a ground for her traditions as the Jews had in respect Moses talked with God face to face Exod. 33. Besides the Jews traditions were certaine and reduced into writing by the late Rabbins and therefore the Church of Rome might better have embraced them then think that we shall follow hers which are daily of new invention After the destruction of Jerusalem and scattering of the Jews Papist traditions uncertaine one Rabbi Juda Hannasi got leave of Antoninus to assemble the people and because the books of their old traditions were utterly lost and perished they then being met writ all that they could remember The Jews Talmud calling it Mischna that is Deuteronomy or a Law reiterated which was a memorial of their Cabala or traditional law which collections of theirs were afterward Anno Christi 219. by Rabbi Jochanan enlarged and called the Talmud which Talmud was after Anno Christi 500. perfected and received as a Rule in all cases Ecclesiastical and civil So that the Jews having thus reduced their traditions into certainty it were more reasonable for the Church of Rome to embrace them then to think that we shall hand over head accept of her ever-growing traditional rules which are not held forth in any certainty to us but every day upon colour of Church-traditions she plays an Affrican trick and brings out new monsters so that I may say it is as easie to make a gown for the Moon as for any man to think he can keep and observe her traditional rules The variety of her strange production in this particular might serve to cloy the appetite of any that should desire to render himself obedient to her rules but the vanity of them and their contrariety to Gods word doth more especially and justly detaine every good Christian for being her superstitions proselyte to embrace them and eâ—pecially those Christians which are not within her jurisdictions nor belonging unto his charge Amongst whom I may rank our English Church which being of Apostolical foundation and in power and church-Church-authority equal with the Church of Rome and for that the Law of God was as well extended to other Churches and particularly to her as to Rome as I have proved in the second and fourth Chapters may in that respect as well prescribe traditional law to the Church of Rome as she should send forth her historical edicts to England Yet lest some may think that if uppon this score we cast off her traditions we do but thereby evade the question of validity and authority of her traditions in themselves as they are by her held forth unto the world I will therefore make it evident that neither those of her own Church and province nor the Romane Catholicks of other Kingdomes are bound or ought to receive and embrace whatsoever traditions the Church of Rome shall hold forth to them as being so imposed upon them to be received for matter of faith I have in some measure in the former Chapter treated upon the authoâ—ity and excellency of Scriptures wherein I have shewed that she is the ground and foundation of the Church and if so then it follows that whatsoever tradition the Church shall deliver as matter of Doctrine must either stand upon this ground-work or else â—t is a paper-building an airey peece a black cloud of humane condensing hurried to and fro by contrary winds â—ill the loosly-contracted vapour dash â—t self upon this rock of Christ and â—â—ke smoak vanish into nothing She â—s the touchstone must distinguish the gold from the drossy and courser peeces of Rom's treasure she is the Fan must winnow and purge the floor of the Churches granary from all chaff and light corn and from those Tares which being cast into her field by Satan sprung together with her better graine And hereupon the good Emperor Constantine as it is recorded in the Ecclesiastical History lib. 1. cap. 7. did say That seeing the Evangelical and Apostolical books and the Oracles of the Old Testament do plainly teach us any thing that we ought to know or learn concerning God whether concerning his Divine Nature as Saint Luke useth the words Acts 17.25 Or his attributes and qualities as Saint Peter applies it 2 Pet. 1.5 Or his Law and Religion as the penner of Maccabees takes it 2 Mac. 4.7 Away therefore with all strife and seek for the solution of these matters out of the Scriptures inspired by God himself And herewith agreeth Bellarmine Tom. 1. Col. 2. saying That the books of the Prophets and Apostles are the true word of God and the sure and true rule of our faith And as I said before in the precedent Chapter All things necessary to our salvation are contained in the Scriptures It is true indeed that in the Scriptures we do not finde any mention of Peter being Bishop of Rome or of the Assumption of Mary the mother of Jesus nor can we finde by Scriptures that Saint Luke was a Painter or that Nicodemus had so much
skill in Appelles Art that he drew that exquisite picture of Christ which Rome has representing unto us his posture whilst the Jews whipt him I must confess that for these matters of importance we must submit to the traditions of Rome But all things touching God and the means to attaine faith in him are plentifully therein to be found Chrysostome sayes in his 41 Hom. upon the 22 of Matth. Quicquid queritur ad salutem totum eam ademptum est in Scripturis and upon the 95 Psalm Si quid dicatus absque Scriptura c. If any thing be spoken without the Scripture the cogitation of the Auditors faile but so soon as the Testimony of Gods voice is heard out of the Scripture it confirmeth both the word of the speaker and the mind of the hearer Saint Hierom upon the 9 of Jeremy Nec parentum ne majorum error sequendus est sed author it as Scripturarum Dei docenti imperium Saint Cyprian who writ almost 1400 yeers ago would not yeeld to Stephanus Bishop of Rome but reproved him for leaning to tradition and demanded of him by what Scripture he could prove his tradition Cyprian Epist ad Pompeium 74. So then if in his time it was not enough to alleadge tradition for the proof of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome much less is it lawful to follow the Popes definitive sentence in matters of faith and doctrine When the Arrians would not admit the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it could not be found in Scripture Athanasius did not plead tradition for it but said Although the express words be not found in the Scripture yet have the Scriptures that meaning and sense in them as every one that readeth the Scriptures may plainly understand and therefore by warrant thâ—eof that word might be maintained Saint Austine de unitat Eccl. cap. 10. Nemo mihi dicat quid dixit Donatus quid dixit Parmenianus quid Paulus aut quillibet illorum quid nec catholicis episcopis consentiendum est sicubi forte falluntur ut contra canonicas Dei Scriptures aliquid sentiant Methinks the very word Canonical which the Church of Rome having approved Canonical Scripture disprove â—raditiods what Scriptures shall be Canonical what not is sufficient of it self to prove this point for signifies a rule and thereupon those books are called Canonical because they are the rules of our faith and consequently whatsoever is not consonant to the Scripture ought to be rejected as pernicious and swerving from the rules of our faith For as whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God therefore whatsoever is extra Scripturam cum ex fide non sit peccatum est This was the saying of Basil one of the Church of Rome's Saints in his Ethicks difinit ult prope finem And for my part I shall not be so harsh with her as this St. was I should be willing to allow of her traditions if they do not impugne the Scriptures and not to be so rigid against her traditional power as upon Basil's rule utterly to reject all if not expresly contained in Scripture I say for my part I should allow of such and approve of them as to be cerdited for the matter of fact but if she enjoyn them as doctrinal and to be rules of faith then â—ith Cyprian I desire to examine them by this Touchstone of truth the Scriptures For if once she propound traditions to be rules of faith then with Hierome Cyprian and Austin I must examine the truth of them by the rule of Scripture and with Saint Chrysostome in his 13 Hom. upon the 2 Cor. 7. do pray and beseech the Church of Rome to reject what this or that man says and search the truth out of the Scriptâ—re that learning true riches we may follow them and so attain life everlasting neither let any Church be wedded with her own traditions or give her self to believe the traditions of other Churches unless saith he she can bring authority from these truths to a warrant her doctrine and not to receive for doctrine the commandments of men and with Saint Cyprian examine from whence such tradition came whether it descended from authority of our Lord Jesus Christ or his Gospel or whether it came from the Mandates of the Apostles or their Epistles If so saith he let such divine and holy tradition be observed if no let it be rejected especially any tradition that shall contradict the written verities of God for such certainly proceed from spirits of error Here is a cloud of witnesses all agreeing in one that no traditions are to be embraced that have not warrant from the word of God so that for the Church of Rome to put her traditions upon the people for rules of faith upon that score that it is the power and authority of the Church that awarrants those traditions is vain and not binding to the conscience of men unless she can justifie and maintaine them warrantable by the word according to Saint Pauls saying to the Galat. 1.9 Though an Angel from heaven come and teach any other doctrine then what we have preached let him be accursed For the Testimony of no Church whatsoever is to be received if it be contrary to the Scripture Sâ—riptures above the Church Ante 73. Chapter 9. according to that of Saint Austin upon that text The Scriptures are not true because the Church sayes they are the word of God but the testimony of the Church is true because they are the word of God and should Rome or any other Church teach contrary to the holy Scripture it is to be rejected as that which hath nothing of verity in it Now sith the Scriptures are the onely rules of our faith The vanity and falseness of the traditions of the Church of Rome and do containe in themselves the necessary points of our faith what shall we think of the traditions of the Church of Rome which have no warrant from the holy Scriptures but many of them being repugnant and utterly contrary to those Scriptures which therefore by the rule of Christ himself in the 7 of Matthew and by the general consent of the fathers of the primitive Church are to be rejected yet notwithstanding are by her enjoyned upon her pretended authority of universality and infallibility to be rules of faith unto others And lest any should think me injurious to the Church of Rome in this particular I wiâ—l give you a smal taste for I delight not to lay open her infirmities thereby to draw a scandal upon her of such of her traditions as are not warranted by the holy word of God only maintained out of self interest and to warrant her claim of universal power Spiritual and Temporal by these ensuing examples and further refer you to the 7 Chapter The Church of Rome that she might perswade the world of Peters being Bishop of Rome by
laid before the holy Fathers Est firmamentum columna Ecclesiae Evangelium It onely is infallible in it self all other Councils and Traditions may erre saith Tom. lib. 2. contra Donatistos cap. 3. And though an Angel from heaven teach another doctrine no faith is to be given thereunto Tertullian contra Hermogen pag. 373. I reverence saith he the fulness plenitude and perfection of Scriptures as that which shews to me both the Maker and the things which are made Austin confesseth the authority of Scripture to be above the authority of the Church in his Epistles contra Manich. tom 6. cap. 4. The consent of people and nations the authority of the Church begun by miracles nourished with hope increased with charity established with antiquity succession of Priests and the name of Catholike saith he are great motives to keep me in the unity of the Church but above these he prefers the truth of Scripture in regard whereof he promiseth Manicheus to give more credit to his doctrine then to the Church if he be able to prove it out of Scripture These and many more authorities in this point might be produced to manifest what credit and reverence the Fathers of the Primitive Church did attribute to the sacred Oracles of God Now what may we think of those that count them a bare letter Inkie Divinity a matter of strife and ground of Heresies And by the Doctor fol. 255 the light of the Gospel is termed Ignis fatuus because not borrowed from Rome's dark lanthorn Others affirming that if any contemn the authority of the Romane Church that he shall not be able to assure himself of Scripture any more then of a Robinhood-tale To which I answer The Council of Laodicea can 59. which Council was held long before ever Rome's Bishop claimed a Supremacie over other Churches hath declared which shall be taken and accepted for Canonical Scripture and hath decreed that none else should be read in the Churches besides them we according to that Canon accept and embrace them and according to the ancient copies doth our Clergie retain them in the Church nor are we altogether beholding to Rome for the Translations 'T is true she hath a glorious Library as many witness the onely ornament of her Vatican Hill And in some competent measure is our Oxford replenished with the ancient Manuscripts of the Primitive Fathers and of old approved Translations of the Scriptures both after the Hebrew Syriack Rome not the onely dispenser of the Scripture Chaldee Greek and Latine Translations which the Fathers and the Reverend Governours of the Primitive Churches have permitted to be transmitted to other parts and in these later days we have been beholding to Rome for some Translations But she was not the first that sent the Gospel hither as may appear by Eleutherius his Epistle to Lucius You have heretofore saith he received the law and faith of Christ ye have within your Realm both the parts of Scripture out of which by the counsel of your Realm take a law and by that law rule your kingdom for you be Gods Vicar within your own kingdom c. And in this particular I think Rome as well as we is beholding to other Churches why then should she boast that we know not what is Scripture but that which she has delivered Had not the Apostles equal authority to teach all nations Doth not Peter direct his Epistle to the Saints which are dwelling about Cappadocia Galatia Asia and Bithynia and S. James to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad and S. Jude to all which are sanctified and called of God And S. Paul writes as well to the Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians and Thessalonians as to the Romans wherefore how comes it that the Church of Rome should be the onely Monopolizer of Scripture Was not the holy Ghost given to them which Philip Paul and Barnabas did ordain as well as those Peter did ordain And admit that Peter was Bishop of Rome had not the rest of the Apostles received the holy Ghost as well as Peter did it not sit upon each of them like cloven tongues of fire And why should the Church of Rome boast her self to be onely and alone endowed with an onely spirit of interpretation Let none understand more then is meet to understand was S. Paul's instructions to the Romanes But such is the uncharitableness and presumption of the present Church of Rome that she accounts her self the onely wise interpreter and no other Church to have the spirit of discerning the Truth unless she have received that spirit mediately from her I must needs tell her that she has no warrant to arrogate this transcendency and super-excellencie in this point of wisdom from any divine precept it is but her own humane institution no other Church approving of it and so it is but the wisdom of this world which as S. Paul says 1 Cor. 1.20 is found foolishness before God and according to that saying of Solomon Prov. 12.15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes The treasure of the holy Writ is no common or ordinary bank That the Scripture contains things necessary to salvation but a precious store of eternal happiness in them is laid up life everlasting according to that of S. Paul Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek and 2 Tim. 3.14 Timothy had known the Scriptures from a childe which were able to make him wise unto salvation It is profitable to teach to improve to correct to instruct in righteousness that a man of God may be absolute being made perfect to all good works Therefore are we bidden Joh. 4.39 to search the Scriptures for in them is eternal life and they are they which testifie of Christ It is true All things that Jesus did are not written saith S. John but saith he these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and believing ye might have life through his Name Joh. 20.31 Cyril lib. 2. upon that place of S. John saith Non omnia quae Dominus facit transcripta sunt sed quae Scriptores tam ad mores quam ad dogmata sufficere putarunt ut recta fide operibus ad regnum coelorum perveniamus And Saint Austin likewise says that all things were not written but onely so much was written as was thought to be sufficient to the salvation of the faithful And whereas in the 20 of the Acts ver 27. it is said I have not spared to shew unto you the whole counsel of God Lyranus and Carthusianus expound it onely to be understood of things pertaining to our salvation which S. Austin lib. de doctr Christian 2. cap. 6. plainly affirms that all things necessary to our salvation are plainly contained in the written Word And Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. We know saith he
if it be hid it is hid unto them that are lost whom the God of this world hath blinded â—hat the light of the Gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ should not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. For it is plain by the Scripture that Jesus was the Christ Acts 18.28 And Joh. 5. The Father hath sent the Son and his works bear witness of him and the Scriptures testifie of him God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the Comforter his Passion Resurrection Ascension and the coming of the holy Ghost being so plainly preached and set down that a man may read them running and this Word endureth for ever and this Word is preached unto us 1 Pet. 1.25 And Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life and what need we any more This is eternal life to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 He is the Way the Truth and the Life We believe that thou art Christ the Son of the ever-living God and thou hast the words of eeternal life Joh. 5.68 Hence S. Austin lib. de doctr Christianae cap. 9. did affirm that all things pertaining to mans salvation are plain and easie to be understood And Chrysostome upon 2 Thessal 2. Hom. 3. Omnia plana sunt sunt eÌ„x divinis Scripturis quaecunque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt It is not therefore an idle and presumptuous doctrine in the Church of England to maintain this since we have both authority of Scripture and the Fathers for the same Nor do we hereby rob the Church of her authority to judge of and determine controversies and those things that are doubtful in the Scriptures There are some things of Discipline and pertaining to Manners in which the Scriptures may be doubtful or not easie for every capacity to understand and for those it is fit the Church should determine them and having determined them to impose them by the Princes authority as Rules of faith upon the people and so teaches the Church of England in the twentieth Article Lay-men to read Scripture But the main things necessary to our salvation concerning our faith to be grounded upon Jesus the Son of the ever-living God the author and finisher of our faith those as I said before are clear and manifest and though Angels from heaven should teach any other doctrine they are to be accursed Gal. 1. Wherefore sith this is plain and manifest in Scripture that Jesus gave himself for our sins and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life and for that this faith is given by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. Phil. 1.29 2 Pet. 1.3 and Matth. 16.17 and is the gift of God and no man hath it of himself for flesh and blood doth not reveal it and for that Christ has prescribed the way how and by what means we shall obtain this gift even by searching the Scriptures Rom. 10 It must needs be a grievous and intolerable sin in the Church of Rome to debar the people of this means to attain this precious jewel the salvation of their souls Upon these grounds do we allow the Laytie to read the Scripture but we do not hereby give them liberty to interpret it according to their will and humour They may in them finde Jesus to be the life everlasting the Spirit giving them faith and therefore must not be debarred the means But they are not allowed in points of difficulties to be their own interpreter but to repair to the Fathers of the Church to declare the meaning of those Oracles of God to whom it is given by the power of the holy Ghost to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Matth. 13.11 For which end Christ has commended the Scriptures to the Church that she may discern keep and publish them Christ opened the Scriptures to his disciples Luke 24. and they preached it to all nations The Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 3. calls the Truth the fountain of the Church and the Church the pillar of Truth as Solomon made his Chariots to have a golden axletree and pillars of silver understanding by the axletree says one sound doctrine by the pillars the faithful teachers of the same The Scripture is the truth of God and the Church the house of God the Scripture the foundation the Church the pillar and the foundation is not sustained by the pillar but the pillar supported of the foundation Truth makes the Church not the Church the Truth We are to observe the Scripture as it were the Candle the Church as the Candlestick according as S. Austin upon Gal. 1. says Church how to interpret The Scriptures are not true because the Church says they are the Word of God but the testimony of the Church is true because they are the Word of God Now as we ascribe to our Church this priviledge of interpretation of difficult and obscure places Scriptures above Councels â—nte Chap. 9. we do not either deprive Rome of her right or too much extol our own Church Nor do we hereby make void the Laytie's reading of Scripture The Laytie may read it because the main points are easie and it is the means to obtain faith as well as by hearing the Church in those points that are easie and it is the way enjoyned by God to attain faith as well as by preaching and he has promised his Spirit to those that seek him earnestly and with unfeigned lips And when it shall please God by their reading to give them of his holy Spirit that Spirit will guide them to come to the Church to be informed in those things they understand not or shall the Church understand that through weakness they misunderstand any point in those Scriptures and she shall reprove them the same Spirit guiding them into the way of Truth will lead them to hearken to the dispensers of the sacred Oracles And if the Church shall deliver any thing which to other Churches may seem strange and not satisfactory she as I said before in the precedent Chapter will call a Synod and if there the business receive not an absolute and satisfactory resolution to submit the business to a General Council rightly constituted and free in it self And in the mean time if our Church offend the Church of Rome for that she differs from her in any particular let her make her self capable to reform by a General Councel by taking off the slavery that lies upon it by the Popes Canonical Law and we shall submit our Church to the free debate in a perfect Council to decide the points wherein we differ otherwise the Church of Rome might seem to have just cause to accuse us for that we cast off the discipline of the Primitive Churches as to that particular but in the mean time upon the former recited texts of Scripture upon the authority of
in that service as it is made manifest in the ensuing Chapter The humble confession of all penitent hearts their acknowledging of Christs benefits their thanksgiving for the same their faith and consolation in Christ their humble submission to his will is a sacrifice of laud and prayse acceptable unto God no less then the sacrifice of the Priest Christ did not ordain this Sacrament that any one might receive it for another but that every one for himself is to be made partaker of this mystery of his salvation For as one may not be baptized for another for the Godfathers answering for the child say he hath faith because he hath the Sacrament of faith by the outward element of water which as it self cleanseth so the childe thereby is born again of water and of the Spirit to newness of life Baptism the infant spiritually receiving regeneration by the outward element of the water according to the effectual working of the holy Spirit unto newness of life the infant being thereby made a member of Christ by faith in Jesus given unto him in that Sacrament of Baptism So may not one receive this holy Sacrament for another Let every man be baptized Act. 2. here is spiritual regeneration to every man by himself And Mat. 26. Christ said to the multitude Take and eat and drink ye all of this and here is spiritual growth and living in Christ every man by himself and by this means we that are many branches become one Vine being baptized into one Spirit and all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.13 Whereas the Doctor urges that those words Drink ye all of this were spoken to the Apostles and that therefore the cup is not to be given to the people He might as well conclude they shall not have the bread because Christ gave that to his Apostles whereas all Divines agree that what was spoken to them was thereby meant of the whole Church upon earth which are all the Saints of God upon earth of particular Churches whensoever assembled into a Society which is manifest by S. Paul who delivered to the Corinthians that which he had received formerly of the Lord Jesus to wit both the bread and the cup enjoyning every one to examine himself and so let him eat and so let him drink By which it is plain that it was to be delivered to the people in both kindes And if one kinde had been sufficiently significant of Christs flesh and blood offered by himself upon the Cross for our redemption sure Christ would never have added the cup as part of that Sacrament thereby to signifie his blood if already it had been sufficiently signified in the bread Wherefore unless the Papists will charge Christ to be superfluous in his institution of this Sacrament they must allow the cup unto the people as well as bread and both as well as one Lastly the Doctor would justifie the change of the Church of Rome in this particular upon the authority of the Church given by Christ to his Apostles so to do And for this he urges S. Austin who was dead five hundred and fifty yeers before ever this doctrine of Rome was heard of S. Austin stood much for the significancie of the bread and wine that this Sacrifice was but a representation of Christs Sacrifice and that which you see on the Altar or Table is the bread and the cup which your eyes shew you is the wine but saith he faith sheweth that that bread is the body and that cup is the blood of Jesus Christ It was the practice of the Church in his time to administer in both kindes he when he lived taught the necessity of wine against those that mingled water and so did Cyprian and others and now that they are dead the Doctor will have them teach another doctrine S. Austin might say that Christ left authority to his Apostles to make such appointments in what order this Sacrament should be received as whether sitting kneeling how often or the like but not that they should institute a new Sacrament Christ gave both Elements Saint Paul delivered both according as he had received and it was to be done in remembrance of Christ and they were commanded to be imitators of him Ephes 5.1 Christ left this as a Legacy to his Church and he made the Apostles Executors of this his last Will and Testament which they were to discharge by dispensing that Legacy to Christs faithful Saints and People Wherefore for them to withhold part of the thing bequeathed to wit the participation of the cup which is by S. Paul called The Communion of his blood is to forfeit that trust Christ has reposed in them and to forget his precept he enjoyned them commanding to teach all Nations whatsoever he had commanded them We are bound to hold fast the traditions we have learned If then the Scripture tell us that Christ with his Apostles did communicate in both kinds and Saint Paul administring to the Corinthians said Traditi vobis quod accepi a Domini how comes the Church of Rome to forsake this tradition which Christ himself taught and practised and the Primitive Church for a thousand yeers held for faith if it ought to be reduced to one kind how came it to pass to be let alone so long and by what Authority doth Rome claim this power sith the ancient Fathers and the Primitive Church did not onely use to administer to the people in both kinds but maintained and defended the necessity of Bread and Wine the outward elements of this Sacrament as may appear by the Testimony of the afore-cited Fathers and particularly it was the profession of the Church of Rome as Gelasius Bishop thereof witnesseth Shall but the Church of Rome prescribe any new rule of faith or manmers and shall any disobey he is straightwaies anathematized for casting off the Tradition of the Church and the Catholick Church upon earth communicated in both k nds and shall the late Popes of Rome alter this and escape the censures Were there nothing for it but the bare usage of the Primitive Churches it were enough to convince the Church of Rome but whenas there is Christs precept and institution for it how doth the Church of Rome justly incur the condemnation of the Pharisees teaching for doctrines the commandments of men and laying aside the commandments of God follow their own traditions Mark 7. But such was the transcendent wickedness of the Church of Rome in these dayes that scarce any Apostolick Rule but has suffered some alteration by his Holiness and his Legislative conclave of Cardinals who being soared to a height above Councels Princes and all other Powers on earth stick not to wrestle against these commandments of the God of Heaven witness their additions to the Baptisme as if the Baptisme wherewith Christ was Baptized were not sufficient without the Romish spittle and salt and as if this Sacrament of Bread and Wine were
that of S. Paul Galat. 2.8 He that was mighty by Peter in the Apostleship over the Circumcision was also mighty by me towards the Gentiles but do and hope still to hold out the truth they have received against any innovation of the Romish See whatsoever and particularly the Church of England When the first Councell of Nice was called England not subject to Rome we had a Church planted here and publike profession of the Faith of Christ 120. years before that Councell and had Bishops and Metropolitans of London and York and although it might tacitly be inferred from the sixth Canon of that Councell that we were within the Jurisdiction of Rome as being within the West yet in the second Canon thereof is mention made of many Provinces and power of Jurisdiction reserved to every Metropolitan which by the next generall Councell 2. Can. is further enlarged Ecclesias in longinquis Gentibus constiâ—utas gubernari convenijtuxta consuetudinem quae est à patribus observata By which Canon we may justly claim provincial Jurisdiction to the Church of England having at that time a Metropolitan of our own however it is confirmed to us in the Chalcedon Councell 19. Can. Episcopos in unaquaque Provincia bis in anno Metrapolitano istius provinciae provinciales Episcopos admonente convenire licet which was afterwards confirmed and declared in a Councell at Antioch 20. Can. Provincial Councels that it was lawfull for Metropolitans of Provinces to call Counsells propter utilitates ecclesiasticas absolutiones earum rerum quae dubitationem controversiamque recipiunt and by the said Councell of Antioch the nineth Can. and the Councell of Carthage the seventeenth Can. it is decreed that in every Province there be a Metropolitan so that had we had none before we might by these two Canons claime one but having one it is confirmed to us to be distinct of our selves and for one Metropolitan to govern and call Councells without any appeal to Rome having the authority of Councells to confirm this unto us nor is this to arrogate to our selves any more then what of right belongs to us and what other Provincials may justly challenge to themselves and what has beeh practised of old both by the French Germans Spaniards c. as shall be shewed more at large in the chapter of Councells If I should argue like the Doctor Possession infra chap. 4. I must plead possession of this priviledge as he doth for Universality and say it were jus Gentis but I dare not in cases of this nature stand to that humane Plea possession for hold and prescription for time is no good Plea in cases of Religion though in civill matters for peace sake and avoiding contentions it be admitted in bar of after too busie Inquisitors for the first may be a claim by intrusion which is the point in question and the other antiquity of error malus usus est abolendus let custome yeeld to truth is a sound axiom of Divinity I will not therefore stand so much upon possession of this immunity as upon the right of that possession though whilest I prove a possession from these Councells I destroy Romes prescription to Universality in that these records are above her Donor Phocas and so annihilate her puisne title It was the Decree of the Councell of Carthage 28. Can. that Priests if they thought themselves agrieved at the censures of their Diocesans to appeal to the primate of their own Province and not to Rome or any other See over Sees and if they did they stood excommunicate from the rest of the Churches in Africa and shall we being as free and having as good right to this priviledge subject our selves to a forraign See at Rome sith we may call a Councell of our own which may upon serious debate judge of things maintained and done by other Churches and resolve whether to admit of them into their own provinciall Churches without being branded for Heretikes and Schismatikes upon which score the Church of England did in her full and lawfull assembles heretofore cast off some usurpations of the See of Rome and did retain what she conceived Apostolical what she cast off we offer to the world to maintain the action by authority of Scripture Fathers and Councells and what we retain Rome cannot blame for we being provinciall and having a Metropolitan of our own and a lawfull Succession of Bishops as I shall shew anon even from Apostolicall Ordination to this day we might well reform propter utilitates ecclesiasticas absolu iones controversiae infra provinciam without either appealing to Rome or she questioning what we do herein yet in those things we differ we would willingly submit them to the sentence of a generall Councell might it be free and rightly constituted of which in the chapter of Councells In the mean time we may with confidence affirm that Rome is not the only Catholique Church and for the better satisfaction of the Reader of the justnesse of this our claim and to acquit us of all presumption in this point I will crave pardon though it do not much conduce to the subject matter of this chapter any further then what is already spoke to give him a brief relation of the planting of the Christian Faith in this Island of Britain It is recorded by the ancient Writers and preservers of antiquity in this Isle England converted to the Faith that the Gospell was planted here by Joseph of Arimathea who was sent hither out of France by Philip who was sent thither by Paul some affirm it was Philip the Apostle upon dispersion of the Jews to have come to France but for my part I rather encline to think it was Philip the Deacon who was ordained by Paul Acts 6. and that Paul sent him into France and that he planted the Gospell here and it is agreed by all that Joseph of Arimathea was here and did preach the Gospell to the Britains about the year of our Lord 63. and here remained in this land all this time and died here and was buried at Glassenbury and was the first that preached to the Britains but whether he was sent of Paul from Rome or came from Philip out of France who came thither directly from the East and not from Rome as some suopose the histories do not plainly declare nor is it much materiall for whether Philip came from the East or from Rome and sent Joseph hither it is certain Joseph had his Mission from Apostolicall order besides presently after Simon Zelotes was sent out of France hither as Nicephorus lib. 2. cap. 40. reporteth and here the Gospell was received and nourished though not publikely professed before Lucius time which was Anno 169. after Christ for as a City upon a hill cannot be hid so the Gospell having been preached here though but in some obscure corners of the Isle did so spread by Gods blessing upon the labours of them that
them and to flie away from them in their sight to fetch down vengeance from Heaven upon them and the day being appointed he began to take his flight in mount Capitolinus into the air and that Peter by the power of the Lord Jesus brought him down and broke his bones which act of Peters occasioned his persecution for that Simon Magus was beloved of Cesar this Story is in the Roman Legends I could wish the Pope to make this moral use of this story to wit to beware how he exalts Rome above the heavenly Hierusalem for if he continue to cuff the Heavens with his towring waxen pinions he must expect the divine majestick rayes of the heavenly Sun to melt his proud supporters into nothing he must not think to exalt himself against God and prosper Is it not enough for him to be primus Episcoporum ordine but he will contrary to Gods Word be Supremus Potestate c. God gives wings to the Ant. that she may destroy her self the sooner let Romes Bishop be content with his own Province for it is a rule that that State that goes beyond the lists of mediocrity passes the bounds of safety all Churches of Europe would honour her as a sister but 't is unnaturall to love a stepmother we are all fellow members of Christ let not Rome therefore despise her sister England Let us strive together in love and let the Church that is at Rome salute the Church that is in England and let us greet each other with an holy kisse she must not rob England of her name of a Church if she think not to bastard her self for we are all ingrafted in the same stock and baptized into one faith by the spirit of Jesus it is not for her to be busy in anothers diocess to judge of our matters of discipline or doctrin in that wherein we differ from her any further then that if she conceive we erre to give admonishment to those of her own Province they fall not into the like cōdemnation she must not upon this score deny the society of Christian believers the name of a church Admit the unfriendly appellations of Schismaticks and hereticks which they bestow upon us were deserved Haereticus est pars ecclesiae because we do not in all points agree and communicate w th Rome yet we must not therefore be denyed to be a church for this assertion I have the authority of the Councell of Trent I say which was wholly gathered of men against the reformed churches and men totally for the Popes supremacy yet they did not deny but that Schismatichs and Hereticks were in the Catholike Church and might confer orders administer and baptize and the councel of Florens agrees herewith sum Sacrament Rom. Ecclesiae Sect. 136.28 and therefore it is very harsh dealing in the Doctor to deny us this which their own Councels allow so that Saint Pauls saying is verified in him Heb. 12.15 when one falls away from the faith a root of bitternesse springs up in him and that 's the reason the Doctor is so harsh against the English Church The name Protestant The name Protestant and English Protestant which the Dr. so much spurns at doth not at all speak us members cut off from the old stock the Catholick Church for as the Doctor maintains that the name Romane Catholick is proper and significant language and sense so may we as well say English Protestant and with more reason for we will note by the Doctors distinction thereby the difference between our discipline doctrine only for our particular selv s assert the Catholick faith thereby to manifest the readinesse of us a particular member of the Catholick Church to give the head thereof our Master Christ for the word Protestant is comprehensive of Catholick and is no more but to assert the faith which faith is Catholick so that an English Protestant may be said truly to be he that will hold stick to and to his power maintain the Catholick faith taught and maintained in the English Church For the word Protestant though of a new addition proves not the Religion new or profession not agreeable to the Old Faith and profession of the Primitive Churches but being added with reference to their profession is an evidence of their zeal and affection to maintain and professe that ancient and Catholike truth For we do not professe our selves to have left the Catholike faith once preached and professed at Rome but that Rome has left of to be a Catholick Church bringing in strange delusions and perswading people to believe lies which especially since her pretence to universality has been much studied to make her new claims good whereas we desire only to impugne her late errors and to protest against them to maintain the ancient faith and though in this we may to some seem to set our selves against the Church of Rome to forfeit our interest in the Catholike Church because as they suppose we claimed our Religion from her yet there is nothing lesse for we are a Province and had a Metropolitane of our own and might call a Councell and reform things amisse by the authority Ecclesiasticall without appealing to Rome nor do we hereby forfeit the title of a Church But rather justifie the same in respect we differ in nothing but we would submit it to a free Generall Councel and though we were hereticall in some points yet having a society of believers in Jesus and having Apostolicall orders amongst us we still may without offence to any retain the name and appellation of a Church CHAP. IV. Of the right of Collation to Bishopricks and of the Ordination of Bishops of succession of Pastors and particularly of the Succession in England that the Pope ought not to intermedle in the appointing of Bishops in England THe Doctor has a great spleen towards our succession of Bishops in our Church and would fain perswade the world we are not of the Catholick Church for our defect therein It rests therefore that I clear our Church from that new devised scandall Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione potestatis vel dignitatis Ecclesiasticae vel secularis quia multi Principes summi Pontifices inventi sunt qui à fide apostatasse propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera confessio fidei veritatis Could we not prove one line of succession it much matters not for we may notwithstanding lay claim to be of the Catholick Church and having a society of believers in Christ do notwithstanding make a Church If we agree with the Apostles and Fathers of the Primitive Church it is sufficient saith Tertullian to give us the name of Catholike Church Ecclesia quae licet nullum ex Apostolis authorem suum praeferant tamen in eadem fide conspirantes non minus Apostolicae reputantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae Though our first planter
it was superfluous for expressio eorum quae tacite insunt nihil operatur It doth but argue he is covetous and ambitious covetous in that he hereby makes himself master of anothers Interest and ambitious in that he would be thought the Author of Princes dignities As for King Hen. 8. his adding that stile to his other distinguishments of Dignity it did not proceed from any conceit that he could not have stiled himself so had not the Pope saluted him with that courteous appellation But only in respect it was grown into fashion to adde to their temporall Styles some denotement of their ecclesiasticall power as the Emperour of Ethiopia stiles himself the Pillar of Faith without deriving that dignity from Rome It is true the French embrace the stile of Christian and the Spaniard of Catholick King from Rome yet I suppose they might without that be so dignified As for England it is plain that her King may without any donation thereof from Rome for that it is warranted by her antient Lawes and Eleutherius called Lucius Gods Vicar the King was stiled Persona mixta cum sacerdote which was many hundred years known before Hen. 8. Ante 37. Cap. 4. and therefore sith by the antient Lawes of the Land the King is Vicarius sūmus infra Regnas He must nominate or ought to Authorise some by vertue of his power all forrain provinciall Jurisdiction being lockt up by consent of Councels within its proper provinciall precincts to appoint Bishops this antient right being grounded upon Gods Word in that I have proved that the Temporall Magistrate did elect such as should be ordained and therefore for the Doctor to deny us to be a Church because we want succession of Bishops the new ones being appointed by the Temporall Magistrate when as they wanted nothing to compleat their Order seemes to me strange and unreasonall If the Doctor when he denies our succession of Bishops No discontinuance of Succession of Bishops in England when Queen Elizabeth turned out the old ones could prove that the new ones had no Imposition of Hands by Bishops then his Argument touched us something though it be not absolute necessary that Bishops ordain Bishops Ante 33.4 chap. For what if all the Bishops should die so neer at one time that none were left ordained by them shall not the Presbytery make Bishops they have right to the Keyes which are called Claves ecclesiae non episcoporum and they are the remaining Pillars of the Church and certainly may confer the Order of Bishop upon others and that the rather because the Councells forbid Bishops of another Province to ordain in a forrain Province and though it may seeme strange to some that Ministers which are subordinate should ordain Bishops and so confer Superiour Orders it is not if rightly examined contradictory to reason For in this first ordination of Priests and Deacons they are infra ordines majores which orders are called Holy and Sacramentall and are the Highest Orders witness Pope Vrban decret dist 60. sum Sacr. Ro. Eccl. 226. as for the Order of Bishops it is no more then a Priest as to the Holy and Sacramentall Order onely more excellent in respect of the Order of Governing which is rather of Humane then Divine right Priests ordain Bishops for as it is Divine it is no more then what every Priest hath by the Sacramentall order but as it is Humane it is transcendent in relation to Discipline Ante 33.4 chap. and therefore the Presbytery may agree to ordain one over them to govern them in ecclesiasticall Rites as the people may choose a Prince to Govern in civill affairs Hence it was that the Apostles sent John to Ephesus Peter to Antioch and appointed James over the Churches at Hierusalem which before such their Consignations were but equal with the other Apostles in every respect but after that if any other of the Apostles came where they had the over-sight they were observant of them Hence was it that James was prolocutor of the Councel at Hierusalem and not Peter because James was Bishop there I may from thence infer that if Peter came to Rome for the same reason he was observant of Paul and therefore it is conceived that in case of necessity Priests may ordain Bishops for that Bishops in relation to their Jurisdiction are not a Sacramentall Order but onely as they are Priests But if this opinion be by the learned condemned I shall submit and yet with confidence affirme that we may in England claim a Church notwithstanding For when Queen Elizabeth turned out some Popish Bishops those that were put into their roomes were ordained by the remaining part of the old Bishops For all the old Bishops were not turned out then nor in Hen. 8. his time For first in Hen 8. time the controversie was about Supremacy which question the Insolencies of the Pope occasioned though I doe not justifie that Prince for all he did and being once started it gave occasion of further scrutiny into the primitive Fathers and Councels Reformation of England Infra 55.5 chap. which did so far perswade the Consciences of the then Clergy that many of them did adhere to the Prince against the Pope and by that and other after inquisitions they found they had primitive right of calling Councels and reforming things amisse in their Church without appealing to Rome and thereupon having the authority of Scriptures Councells and Fathers they restored to themselves their just rights and shook off their servile obedience to the See of Rome which the Popes continued over them by keeping them up in ignorance not allowing them their own judgements and illumination ecclesiasticall to understand the plain letter of any thing be it never so far demonstrated to the easiest capacity without his Holinesse interpretation and having thus shaken off that slavish yoke of Rome the scales of blind obedience fell from their eyes and they clearly perceived the Popes false cunning and damnable abusings of Scriptures Fathers Councels and what not thorow his unjust usurpations of universality and infallibility whereby he became a new Legislator of Divine rules of Faith which had in them too much of grosse and fleshly compositions tending meerly to enslave Christendome and to set up the Popes triple Crown for all the people to worship thereby making them forsake Christ and his Truth for the fables and traditions of that abominable Idoll And as In Hen. 8. time all the Bishops were not turned out so neither at the coming of Queen Elizabeth to the Crown but continued in their Bishopricks excercising their function ordaining others as formerly onely the Archbishop of York the Bishops of Elie Lincoln Bath Worcester and Excester were outed and the Bishops of Saint Asaph Bangor London and Chester fled the rest continued and ordained others The Queen her self being Enaugurated by Bishop Oglethorp one of Queen Maries Bishops and Bishop of Carlisle and Parker the Arch-bishop
it was then the time when such a brutish Leo who was the head and reputed Oracle of the Church should belch forth such bold blasphemies thereby to bring in the doctrine of Divels and to obtrude upon the Consciences of men a new profession of a Stygian Creed Nor was this Leo the onely Blasphemour of the God of Heaven Wicked Popes of those that possessed the Romane Chair but to manifest to the world that these anti-christian aberrations from the Divine rules of Truth are common I much fear they are incident to the Popes of that See He hath both before him and after him Popes after his own heart Sixtus the 4th and Alexander the 6th his Predecessours the one denying there was a God Riserat ut vivens caelestia numina Sixtus sic Morceus nullos credidit esse Deos and the other saith Sanazer dissolved both Gods Lawes and mans Lawes and believed not that there was a God And Clement the seventh and Julius the third his Successours the one in heart doubting whether there was a Heaven though outwardly he taught both that Hell and Purgatory insomuch that when he drew towards his end he said to those that stood about him that he hoped shortly to be resolved of that he had so long doubted to wit whether there was a Heaven or Hell or no of whom this was said Contemptor divum scaelerum vir publicus hostis The other not inferiour to him in this height of wickednesse insomuch that the Papists themselves report divers speeches proceeding from him which savoured of Atheisme I might if I would have been very inquisitive have made a large muster-Role of these wicked Prelates but I rather weep then rejoyce that I should meet with any Records of this nature to refute the Doctour in this point of their pretended Sanctity nor is this their case onely I suspect that in most Churches have been many Ministers bad men according as our Saviour saith There must Tares grow up in the Corn till the end of the World According to the Proverb Christ cannot have his Church but the Devill will have his Chappell Satan is busie to cast his evill seed into the field and scarce any field so well manured and tilled having their stony hearts melted and their clods of flesh mollified with the beams of the Heavenly light that in some corner thereof hath not this Zizania growing and sprung up as high as the tops of the Corn thereby to teach us that in our best estate and condition we have not whereof to boast The Angels which are the Reapers and the labourers to be sent into the Harvest will find both Tares and Corn growing in the field they are called Labourers to gather the Elect and Reapers to throw the Tares into the fire but both must grow together till the end of the world but I hast to an end of this point The Doctor nor any other must not boast of the Truth of the Church of Rome in this respect for if they make this an absolute Signe then in respect their Popes the Head of that Church and declared it to be above Councels have been wicked it followes that she is not the true Church I must confesse that where this Mark is to be found it is demonstrative of a true Church it is a perswasive argument but no positive signe of a true Church In the twelve Apostles one was a Devil yet God made him the Instrument to bring to passe our Salvation the Devill confessed Christ we must not therefore deny him So then as the wicked practices of Pastors is no absolute condemnation of the truths they shall deliver to others so their uprightnesse of morall conversation is no positive rule to demonstrate the purity of their Faith For upon this Rule Christians Turks Jewes and Pagans may be all of a true Church which is absurd to hold therefore we must not absolutely conclude Rome the true Church upon the score of sanctity of life CHAP. VII That the Church of Rome cannot be reputed and taken for a true Church in respect of Miracles and of her abuse in maintaining Images in the Church THe Doctor is pleased to argue the truth of Romes Church from her miracles and he shewes that he has not travelled beyond Seas for nothing est natura hominum novitatis avida he has been peeping into her Legendary-stories that he might be furnished upon the authority of a traveller to send news to England For my own part I dare not give up my self to such delusions as it is wel known the Church of Rome uses towards the people to gaine their faith to believe in his Holiness the Pope as to credite the most scarce any of her miracles and that the rather for that it has been by experience found out especially in England that most of them were feigned and invented only to cheat the people into a blind obedience and I perswade my self if the Doctor had known as much as I do by the reading of histories in this point which histories may as well chalenge belief as the humane tradions of Rome he would never have insisted upon this mark but as it fares with men that are groping in the dark sometimes to run their heads against posts so the Doctor having forsook the light he was in and as yet being not well acquainted with the windings and stranges mazes that are in the dark cloisters to which he has betaken himself at unawares he dashes his head against the door of miracles which makes him recule with affront but I 'll so much be his friend that I 'll help him to revenge his quarrel I 'll pick the lock and furnish him out of her stores with miraculous knick-knacks It were to make this book swell with impossible trumperies Miracles to report the thousand part of her legendary stories as that Saint Dennis carryed his head in his hand after it was strucken off and of Saint Clement the first who being cast into the Sea with a milstone about his neck the sea forsook the shore three miles and there was found a Chappel ready built where his body was bestowed and many such like stories are to be found in Bozius de Saguius These fictious wonders fill the ears not the hearts of many therefore the Doctor might have done well to have followed Bozius example who finding his grand inventions meet with smal belief in these coasts he runs adrift till he came to Congo Colachina and Japonia and in his return tels of wonders done there and so gaines of some an opinion of belief who will rather seem for satisfaction to the reporter to lead credulous ears to history then upon an unknown score to censure him of falsity wherefore he goes on with their patience to tell them that in these forrain Indies he did but lay the Gospel upon a womans breast and the devil flew from her as if he had been shot out of a gun he but set up
incorporeal and infinite Isai 40.18 To whom shall we liken God or what similitude shall we set up unto him It is true that God of old represented himself in mans shape but we must not therefore think to make semblances of him it is lawful for him to do as he pleases but not for us to make such representations of him as are not commanded Besides those visible shapes by which he vouchsafed to appear had God after a special manner with them and in them present to command and hear them to whom he so manifested himself which cannot be ascribed to mens representations of him which are against Gods order he forbidding us to turn the glory of the incorruptible God into the similitude of a corruptible man Rom. 1.13 And though some urge that such semblances serve as Lay-mens books to teach them to know Christ yet that is no excuse for the use of such sith God hath ordained his Church to be taught by his Word and Sacraments and not by these And whereas the Doctor urges that they serve to stir up men to give honour to the thing signified by the signe that must be understood of a true signe ordained by him who hath authority to ordain it and the will of him that is honoured prescribing the honour to be given to the signe which neither he nor any else can prove that Christ should be honoured by such signes And as it is not lawful to make such representations of Him so neither of any creature to the end to give worship to the signes as significations of what they represent And yet I allow that the curious Draughts and Paintings of Ecclesiastical Stories and of other Portraictures set forth with art and skill may be used to adorn our Churches so that no adoration be given to any such signes Wisely therefore did the Council of Constantinople called by Constantinus Images are dangerous to the people in forbidding the use of Images in the Church and pernicious was the Decree of the second Council of Nice declaring the contrary which hereby gives occasion of idolatry to the weak And there being no ground for them in the Scriptures but rather against them it were more safe although to the more learned they be no occasion of offence to abolish them then to retain the use of them in the Church But I doubt his Holiness will not easily be induced hereunto in respect they are much instrumental by Oblations made to them to increase his book for he with the people of Zachan in China feeds the Idols onely with the smoak of the Offering himself faring deliciously by such libations And although these golden pieces which those wooden gods procure him be the offerings of sins and sacrificed to Idols yet by vertue of his holiness he can easily wash that iniquity from them and teach it for a truth that when once they are laid up in his Holiness Chests the squallid nature of their inquination is changed and by a wonderful metamorphosis they become pure Peter-pence and therefore he will not willingly part with such gainful and profitable instruments They are of double use to him for they do not onely serve for the ends of gain but likewise to win the people to obedience by the seeming-miraculous apparitions of them and therefore by no means must the use of them be laid aside Though of themselves they are but manimate blocks yet as Toys and Rattles please Babies these delude the ignorant vulgar striking them into admiration of them which is none of the least occasions of the Papists being trained up in ignorance And whilst his Holiness can by their means be enriched who can blame him for retaining them in the Church of Rome But I return to the other Point concerning Miracles and will shut up this Chapter touching both with this advertisement to those that believe the Miracles of Romes Church as done by the power of God Not to give themselves to such delusion The Doctor confesses fol. 253. that by the power of Antichrist wonders may be done and most of Romes Miracles are known to be Mountebank-juglings and the Doctor confesses some may not be true and yet she proclaims all for true Miracles as proceeding from the Spirit of God She doth not declare out of her Legends which are true and which are false But her Legends being filled with several bundles of them she delivers all for true miracles and therefore is credit to be given to none of them as done by the power of the Spirit of God for did they work by that Spirit they would not lye in any one of them CHAP. VIII That the Church of Rome is not the true Church because of her pretended marks of conversion of Kingdomes and Monarchs or because of her not having been separate from any Societies of Christians more ancient then her self IF the church of Rome have converted any Church since her declining the Apostles doctrine it is no more then what the Arrians did unto the Goths and so by the Doctors own rule fol. 256. she hath not whereof to boast and if other Nations have the Apostles doctrine the pure and primitive faith they now differing in material points from Rome it serves rather to condemn her Apostacie then to record her charity towards them in that if she gave them faith it was but such an one as she her self condemnes or if they have the pure faith the present Church of Rome having faln away from the the faith of those first plants may not properly be called their mother-Church But however I will argue de facto that this mark is not only proper to Rome Conversion of kingdoms may as well be applyed to the Church of England which hath planted the Gospel in several Northern parts of the late discovered world and although not in so large a measure as the Spaniards Westward and the Portugals Eastward yet it manifests that other Churches have a title to that mark and that Rome must not soley monopolize that to her self Besides I do not think that many of the Plantations in the West were by immediate Mission from Rome but that the Bishops of Spaine and Portugal sent Priests thither to Preach Christ unto them and they and not the Bishops which his holiness sent to rule and govern the Churches so planted are to be called the converters of the Nations and People and â—bough the Priests so sent by the Spaniards and Portugals be of the same faith with the Church of Rome yet they coming from distinct provinces and not from the peculiar See of Rome and those Bishops having power to ordaine those Ministers and they by the command of their Prince being recommended to his new Plantations I wonder why Rome should for this bragg and vainely arrogate to her self that she is the sole converter of these Nations and Monarchs The Spaniard and Portugal had the faith of Christ first preached to them by Saint Paul who was himself amonst
Basil which was raised against his crown and dignity and dismounting those Canons to proclaim in a loud volley of their own artillery his holiness the Pope not only above Councels which was the former dispute but above Scripture too and that from henceforth none shall have voices in the General Councel An Oath to be enjoyned those that sit in Council but such as shall first swear obedience to the Pope and promise to defend his Canon Law which oath put Bellarmine to hunt about for an evasion and lib. 1. de concil cap. ult he would have it understood that this oath is only intended of obedience to the Pope whilst he is Pope but not against the deposing of an heretical Pope which is a mist the Cardinal would throw before the eyes of the people that a man should not see the gross violation of priviledges and grand abuse offered and henceforth to be exercised upon the liberty freedome and preheminence of so sacred and reverend a Lady as a General Councel is and of right ought to be whenas whosoever knows the Popes Canons Popes Canons which teach that the Pope cannot err in his judicial decrees of faith and mannors that no Councels are of force without the Popes confirmation that all Councels confirmed by him are approved by the holy Ghost That he can excommunicate and depose all Emperors and princet and many such like strange and horrible positions plainly understands that he is bound by this oath to maintaine those Cannons of the Popes which are in themselves another powder plot to blow up the General Councels For if they were but to obey him whilst he taught and ruled according to God and the holy Canons none would be averse from it for by that rule every one might have liberty to examine him which I believe Bellarmine would not grant wherefore it was but a meer evasion of the oath for that time whenas he knew well enough the oath was positive enjoyning obedience to the then known Canons of the Pope which in themselves are destructive to Councels had not the late Laterane and Trent Councels decreed already his holiness to be above any Councel so that since these decrees of those two Councels since this oath to be enjoyned to them that shall come to sit in Councels and since these Canons made and forced upon the consciences of them that shall be members of that Councel it may no longer be properly called a Councel but rather a conventicle of Pope Parasites who came thither forestalled in Judgement and pre-obliged by oath to maintaine the Pope in his present Canonical power whenas by this means nothing that shall reflect upon his unjust usurpations can or may there receive a free debate or if it should and be there decreed against the Pope yet he being above that decree may alter it in his closet at Rome at pleasure and till this be rectified we may all bid farewell to General Councels nay such is their impudence and vaine glory now that they have attained to this pitch of height that they may teach what they please no power being to question them that they stick not boldly to affirme that the first Councels of Nice Constant c. had not been of force had not the Pope been there and had he not been there they had erred For he is the onely head and infallible legislator of rules pertaining to faith he is the onely interpreter of the Scriptures the Sphynx that can lay one all former decrees and the holy Writ it self be it never so plaine to be a riddle to expound it according to his own sense and best a vaile He may call all Bishops of the Christian world to decide and determine controversies in Religion Abuse of General Councils but yet salvo jure they must decree nothing against what he please to decree in his chaire at Rome For as for himself he never comes at a General Councel for if he should the Emperor must sit above him and that stands not with his princely highness and magnificence besides the Easterne Churches do not acknowledge his primacy and should he come there it might give an occasion to have that questioned which the old Fox would not have brought into dispute because that thereby the unjustness of his claim to others as much transcendent prerogatives would be laid open to the world The Bishops as I said may meet at his beck fast long pray long consult gravely deliberate maturely decree soberly command strictly and accurse severely But neither they nor any other shall tell what shall be of force for all shall be as please his holiness sitting in state in his only-infallible chaire at Rome wherefore a Romane Bishop Melchior Canus lib. de locis 5. cap. 5. non itaque quod in humanis concessionibus fit plurimum apud nos sententia prevalet c. It is not saith he with us as it is with other humane assemblies where plurality of voices prevaile for lo here matters are not to be judged by number but by weight and the Councels saith he receive their weight from the gravity and sole authority of the Pope and the Papists of Rhemes upon the 15. of the Acts alledge that the determination of Councels is needless because his holiness the Pope alone is infallible and therefore say they they are but called for the contentation of the weak not for necessity sake which if this was the Religion of the primitive Church let their own Councels the fathers of the primitive times and their own consciences in the presence of God witness First Councils abused they deeree Canons in Councels under paine of Anathema and yet the Pope may withstand them salva conscientia whereupon their Angelical Doctor Thomas Aquinas 4. con pag. 422. touching that Canon of the Ephesine Councel that none under pain of damnation should frame any other Symbole or adde any other thing to that of the Nicene Council answers to excuse the new Symbole set forth in the Millain Council that that Anathema is onely to private men and doth not binde the Pope Is not this a strange exposition of a learned Doctor As if the Councils of Nice and Ephesus prefumed that private men should make new Articles of Faith and enjoyn them as canons of the Church or as if they had allowed the Bishop of Rome any Legislative power to frame new Rules without a Council I blush to see how the Popes parasites to help a lame dog over the stile will bolster up his Holiness in whatsoever he propounds and shall either receive a cloak to blinde its contradictions from former principles and practices or if they cannot easily dissemble the grosness of the Tenent will enforce it upon his Holiness score of infallibility or else by vertue of an Index expurgatorius alter the Rules and Canons of the first Councils and make them speak new doctrines sutable to the humour and present tenents of the Church of Rome
or if the Popes genius cannot see far enough to advance the Papal Throne they will in his name and by his authority make Scriptures Infra 12 Chap. Councils and Fathers noses of wax make the dead Fathers speak things they never thought or uttered and put new faces upon the old Fathers and Councils As for example S. Fathers Councils a bused by the Popes Parasites Austin de civitate Dei lib. 15. cap. 23. speaking of Canonical Scripture says Those Scriptures are to be taken for Canonical which the most part of the Christian churches so take amongst which those Churches be that deserve to have Apostolike Sees and to receive Epistles from the Apostles the word Sees is turned into See as I have already alleadged Ante Ch. 2 The sixth canon of the first Council of Nice which made Rome equal with Alexandria is corrupted and fifty false canons are added to the twenty canons of the same Council and the Jesuites would hereby perswade the world that his Holiness supremacie which was shortened by the Fathers of the Nicene Council being alive is enlarged by his Holiness they being dead and contrary that Council his Holiness gives leave to Abbots to consecrate Bishops which Abbots are not quatenus Abbots infra sacros ordines and contrary to the fifth canon he absolveth those that are excommunicated by other Bishops Contrary to the sixth canon he invades the Diocesses of other Patriarchs which Eutiches condemned in the Council of Chalcedon He believeth that Christ hath a body neither solid nor palpable nor like to ours for such is that transubstantiated body he maintains to be in the Sacrament He has further abused the Fathers of the Chalcedon Council who being alive said Let the See of Constantinople be as well advanced as the See of Rome being the next unto it which words are filthily corrupted by a negative added to the last words Let her not be advanced in matters Ecclesiastical as she let her be the next unto it So in like manner he hath abused the eight and twentieth canon of the Council of Carthage speaking how the Churches of Africa should not appeal beyond seas he has added this clause Vnless it be to the See of Rome I might instance a thousand more of the like nature but these particulars may serve to give a light unto their dark proceedings Hercules is known by his foot and by this brief epitome of the Church of Rome's tricks and juglings for note Reader where thorowout the Book I name the Pope I thereby generally understand the Church of Rome with Fathers and Councils you may ghess what multitudes of errours and wrongs she daily commits not making conscience to abuse the dead Fathers which were they alive could not think much at it because the dictates of the holy Ghost the Scripture it self is not free from his abuses in points that contradict his new profitable tenents and to make the Rules of Councels stand upon new pantables which his Holiness has shod them with to make them tread Papal measures in To this pass are general Councels come those of old speak new language those of later times teach things contrary to the old nor are these modern Councels free in their Constitutions every member thereof must be engaged by Oath to maintain the Pope in his new-usurped priviledges and should they freely debate and decree any thing yet it is to no purpose being subject to alteration controlment or denial of his Holiness and therefore since they are brought to this pass who will give ear to their Edicts or honour them as a Representative of several Churches united in that body sith thus by the practice of the Church of Rome general Councels are brought into this servile condition and made subordito the Pope it behoves Provincials to reform themselves and to call Provincial councils to that purpose and no longer to expect the decision of Controversies from a General Council which is thus made servile to the Pope to decree to please the people but in no ways to displease the Pope Sith then General Councils are brought to this pass I say it behoves Provincials as they tender the purity of doctrine delivered by Christ and the dictates of the holy Ghost by the mouth of the Apostles to be preserved in the several Churches of Christ without being perverted to please the humours of men To cast off these wicked designers of the Churches slavery and introducers of errour and innovation and to desire the assistance of the holy Spirit of God to direct them in their own respective Provincial Councils which they may by the example of the Primitive Churches and by authority of the first Councils lawfully convene without any Rule or Order from the See of Rome for their so doing and no longer unless those things may be amended and that they have sufficient assurance thereof from the See of Rome to appeal to any General Councels called by the Pope CHAP. XI That there may be Provincial Councils called without the Popes approbation which councils have power to reform Schisms and Heresies and may enjoyn Rules of Faith which the people by the consent of the civil Magistrate are bound to obey and especially that the church of England hath this power THat the Metropolitanes of distinct Provinces have power to call Councils for reformation of any Schisms or decision of any Questions or Doubts in Religion it was the practice of the Primitive Churches and if the Pope of Rome have any preeminence of Jurisdiction in order to Councils it was but derived from the power of Councels as I have proved before and therefore the same power giving authority to other Provincials to call Councils they are not debarred of this priviledge by any Order or Decree of the Church of Rome they not being under her jurisdiction or power especially those Provincials which were not by Suffragans represented in the late Laterane and Trent-Councils which gave this supremacy over Councils to the Pope And that this was granted to all Metropolitanes of distinct Provinces may appear by these ensuing presidents and warrants so to do By the General Councils of Chalcedon the 19 Canon it is decreed Quod oporteat per Provinciales bis in anno Concilia celebrare and this is likewise agreed by the Council of Antioch can 20. and by the first Council of Nice and by the the 18 Canon of the Council of Antioch that one Bishop should not meddle in the Diocess of another and herewith agrees the first Council of Constantinople Can. 2. Provincial Councils and several Provincials to meet in one with out the Popes approbation By the Council of Carthage Can. 19. if any difference arose it was to be referred to the Metropolitan of the Province who should call the Bishops of his Province together and if they could not resolve the doubt it was to be transmitted to a General Council and if any party thought himself agrieved at
the Decrees of the Provincial he was to appeal to the General Council within a yeer And by the Council of Antioch can 13. if any thing of controversie did arise in any Province and the Metropolitane could not in his Provincial Synod decide the matter the Metropolitane might call upon his neighbour-Provinces for assistance in Council a shame therefore for the Church of Rome to affirm that no Council is of validity without the Pope which canon of the Popes to that purpose is contrary to the practice and doctrine of the Primitive Church Ante Chap. 10. and therefore to be rejected By the ninth canon of the Councel of Antioch the Metropolitane of every Province has the Government of that Province assigned to him By all and every of which canons it is plain that one Bishop should not intermeddle in the Diocess of another Ante Ch. 2 nor one Metropolitane in the Province of another for that every Metropolitane has the government of his own distinct Province committed to him that he may call a council within his own Province and if there the matter in question cannot be determined may desire the assistance of his neighbour-Provincials which makes by that means a general Council by calling in the neighbour-Provincials as the cause shall require and this is declared by these Councils for to be lawful so to do without any reservation to the See of Rome as if without her Provincial this might not be done who by the sixth canon of the first Council of Nice is but equal with Alexandria and Alexandria Antioch Rome and other Provinces have like priviledges reserved to them by the express words of that canon This was the practice of the primitive Churches England equal with Rome and when those constitutions were made and long before was England a province and had her Metropolitane who after King Lucius conversion did publikely exercise the Jurisdiction of a Metropolitane which was 120 yeers before that Council of Nice and by the words of that canon the several Provincials then in being having equal Jurisdiction reserved to them England may by vertue hereof claim equality with the Church of Rome the same Authority making them equal in power and jurisdiction nor had she so much as primacie of Order till the ensuing Council of Constantinople can 2. gave it her onely for honour to the city of Rome and no other respect Nor doth it appear that England had any Suffragan in that Council so that had it not in after-times been confirmed by other Councils England had not been hereunto bound Which council of Constantinople was not called till 26 yeers after the council of Nice So that for the Doctor to alleadge against us as he doth positively in his book fol. 221. that we cannot call a Council seems something strange to me to proceed from a Doctor for it is an argument that he is ignorant of those canons or else if he have read them those copies he has perused are of Rhemish print and much vary from the Originals However I must needs wonder at his harsh censure against his native country and his quondam-mother-quondam-mother-Church that he should deny her that priviledge and jurisdiction which is not due to her alone but common to all Provincials which by the authority of Councels and by the practice of the Primitive and by the ensamples of later ages have and do call Provincial Councils within their respective territories and precincts and do there decree Rules of faith to be observed of all within the Province as may appear by these ensuing presidents There was a Provincial Council called at Ancyra in Galitia of eighteen Bishops Provincials called of old and that other of Neocaesaria of fourteen Bishops before any General Council and after the General Council of Nice were held several Provincial Councils in the East as that Council of Grangene of sixteen Bishops that of Antioch of thirty Bishops of several Provinces in the East in which respect it rather deserves the name of a General Council then a Provincial Synod Likewise the Council of Laodicea of several Provinces of Asia Councils held without the Bishop of Rome and this without the Bishop of Rome for he was not to govern the Asian churches but the Bishops of Asia and Alexandria the Churches in Egypt and the Bishop of Pontus them in Pontus according to the Council of Constant can 2. Hereupon likewise the African Province held several Councils under Theodosius the third without any dependencie upon Rome which upon the authority of the Primitive Churches and Councils hath been continued down to these days not onely in those of the Eastern Asian and African Provinces but in other of the Western European Provinces it being a Right equally due to every Province and therefore I need not travel so far for Presidents I might have saved labour and answered the Doctor with presidents neerer home and have instanced in France those of Arles Tours Tholouse c. which Genebrard in his Chronicle lib. 4. anno 814. calls Concilia reformatoria and in Germany those of Worms Mentz Brixia Frankfort Noremberg and Ratisbone And in Spain those of Toledo and one of Sardis called by Osius Bishop of Corduba a little afore the Council of Nice And in England the Councils of London Winchester Gloucester and many and several even to this day the Pope never intermedling in any of them but in most of the afore-mentioned Provincial Councils was opposed and declared upon several questions started that he ought not to intermeddle Provincial Councels not to appeal to the Bishop of Rome nor any Appeals ought from those Provincials to be made unto him it being against the priviledges of the several Provincials to allow of Appeals to him And as it was their ancient Right Ante Ch. 2. so was it maintained by the Princes of later times who like careful nursing fathers would not suffer their Provincial Rights to be invaded by the ambitious and covetous incroaching Popes of Rome Hereupon Ludovicus Pius the Emperour did by publike Edict prohibit all exactions of the Popes which Ludovicus perceiving they began to grow proud upon the freedom and donation his predecessor Charles the Great had bestowed upon them did hereby shew unto the world that the clemencie and indulgencie of the Imperial Crown should not be an occasion to make other Princes suffer in their Ecclesiastical Rights by the Popes of Rome under colour of shelter from the Emperour to invade them in their said Ecclesiastical priviledges belonging to any Provinces within their proper dominions and therefore by publike Edict did the said Emperour prohibit all exactions of the Popes Court within his Realm The like was done in France by Philip the fair prohibiting all Appeals to Rome 1246. and that was confirmed by Charles the 5 and 6. punishing some as traitors for appealing And in the Reign of Charles the 7. was set forth a Decree against the annates reservations
the Fathers and the example of former ages we shall persist to affirm That the Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation That those points necessary are plain and easie and That the Laytie may read the Scriptures And for any blemishes which the Doctor would in this particular have thrown upon our Church I hope it is but dust thrown against the winde and is flown back into his own eyes I wish the Scriptures received no more injury by the Church of Rome then it doth from our Church but that is manifest to the contrary as may appear by that which here next follows The Doctor in his Book fol. 229. Scriptures abused by the Church of Rome reckons up a great number of corruptions and errours crept into our Translations but named not any onely cites one Broughton for his author I must confess it was wisely put off for should he have named them they would have appeared to have been different from the Rhemish Translation but not dissonant from the ancient Copies and so he would in stead of faulting ours have censured their own Translations Yet he craftily imagining that those 848 corrupted places should be believed to be so if he could instance any he names four in his 22 Chapter 1. Answer to the mistranslations we are taxwith He brings in Beza and Luthers Translations adding the word onely in Rom. 3.28 And this he would have to be an errour of our Church He might as well tax Rome as England for this fault for the Church of England doth not adde that word in her Bibles which are printed by authority and by direction of the Church enjoyned to be read nor is the word to be found in Fulk and Rhemes those two quarrellers each with other Wherefore I must needs wonder that the Doctor should be so injurious to us to bring false accusations against us 2. The second place which the Doctor alleadges to be a mis-translation in our Bibles is 2 Pet. 1.10 Giving diligence by good works to make your calling and election sure He charges us with corruption for leaving out these words by good works This I must confess is different from the Rhemish Translation but I rather suspect that that Translation is to be faulted not ours for Rome to maintain her doctrine of Merits by which she cozens poor silly souls and to enrich her Clergie cheats them of what they have has added these words And I am the rather induced hereunto for that I have seen an ancienter Bible then the days of Luther and it has them not in and Erasmus his Translation has them not in So that as the Negro's blame all that 's white in others because nothing to them is more comely then their own tawny black so the Doctor quarrels against our Translation because of its innocency it is not besmeared with Romes new adulterate alterations and therefore not in fashion or to be approved and upon this score I may say the Doctor was modest that taxed us with no more then four For he might as well have named the 848. if all must be censured for corruptions wherein we differ from the Rhemish translations But let the Church of Rome remember Saint Pauls rule to the Corinthians 2 Epist 13.5 Prove your selves whether ye be in the faith Saint Paul 1 Cor. 9.27 beat down his body and put it subjection lest while he preached to others he himself might be reproved Wherefore let Rome examine the ancient Copies and try if she find those words there and till then let her forbear to tax us of error who in this follow antiquity and so upon the old rule Id verum est quod prius id adulterum quod posterius Tertul. adversus prax in prim part 3. The third errour he taxes us with is In putting and for or in the 1 Cor. 11.27 which he himself to excuse Rome of perverting the Scripture she being taxed in this very particular in another place she putting or for and and thereby to prove communion in one kind affirms that et is often rendred or and if so it may as well be taken so out of the English as out of any other tongue But I referr the reader to a fuller answer of this objection in the sixteenth Chapter 4. His fourth objection is the 15 verse of the 2 of Saint Peter 1. I will do my diligence you to have often in remembrance after my decease The English translation reads it thus I will endeavor that you may be able after my decease to have these things in remembrance For this we likewise appeal to any translation which was before the second councel of Nice and many of their own translators long after that councel did render it post exitum non post obitum Peter being to go to his See at Antioch in Syria writes to the Saints that dwell in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bithynia that after his departure they should strive to have in memory to make their calling and Election sure of which in the 12 verse he says He would not be negligent to put them in remembrance Now how can this be interpreted that after his decease he should put them in remembrance unless he should come againe unto them it must therefore be interpreted of his departing from amongst them to Antioch and that he would send to them to put them in mind knowing that his end drew neer when he could not and therfore says the text he would use all diligence to put them in mind Now how he should put them in mind after his decease is to expect that Peter shall not rest from his labors as if he were not dead in the Lord which is unchristian to think wherefore I submit this to the learned in the Hebrew tongue to illustrate this further to weaker capacities if there be any occasion of scruple in our translation which for my part I conceive that taking that verse with the sense of the former our translation is more genuine and carries more of integrity then that of Rhemes The Bishops of Rome having by the politick practices of their predecessors and by the unworthy complottings of the Cardinals who being in hopes to ascend the Papal Throne themselves care not what dominion and Lordship they ascribe unto the Pontifical seat gained a superiority over Kings and Councels controlling the one and ordering the other as they please did daily consult not only how to preserve what they have though their possession be utterly unjust but likewise continually study to enlarge if possible this their pomp and dignity For their ambitious minds not satisfied with these large acquisitions thinking them but an earthly soveraignty too narrow for their large souls to strut in they would perswade the world that the Pope is an angel or more and hath Commission from heaven and is sent from thence to possess the chaire and tanquam à Tripode to deliver new oracles upon earth Thus wisely casting with themselves
he is bearded and confronted by his neighbouring petty Princes and puisne States and it is an observation that his thundering excommunions are forceless where they meet with resistance so that this his greatness is caused through the debased Spirits of other Princes that suffer him to tyrannize over them not that he has any right or due so to do whether in relation to any temporal title or in reference to any Spiritual claim It remains therefore to examine how he can derive any right of title to make other Crowns as it were Homagers and holden of his holiness and that he has an Universal power to dispose of them Baronius and others affirm this power to be inherent in the Pope The Popepower to depose Kings is in ordine ad spiritualia and absolutely in him as he is Pope But Card. Bellarmin sayes it is in ordine ad spiritualia for saith he although he be not the Lord of all temporalties directly and as Pope hath absolute power to dethorne Kings yet saith he it is in him indirectly that is in order to the Spiritualties he being universal head of the Catholick Church Bellarmine by this distinction has quite overthrowne the Popes direct Authority for the Pope is no otherwise spiritual Vicar but as he is Pope and if he cannot as Pope dethrone Kings he cannot do it as Universal Vicar That this power is not in ordine ad spiritualia of right belonging to the Priest I have already proved in the fourth Chapter and by what follows Ante ch 4. where I have proved that Kings are vicarii summum infra regna And I may further add these examples out of the Scripture Infra ch 14 The Israelites obeyed Nebuchadonosor Pharaoh and Cyrus in matters of Spiritual services Moses and Aaron did offer Sacrifice unto the Lord by the Kings appointment Moses was their spiritual Governour yet in the fifth of Exodus he desired of Pharaoh that he as well as the people might have leave to go and offer Sacrifice It was the duty of the Priest so to do it was their Office and yet they asked the King leave that they might at such a time do it Kings have spiritual power The commandment of Cyrus was in a cause meerly Ecclesiastical to wit the building of the Lords House and the transporting thither the Consecrate Vessels and the Priests and Levites at his appointment went and without that refused it Ezra 1. I might produce many examples more to prove that the power of spiritual things belongs to the King as to govern and command the Priests But sith the Papists differ among themselves and cannot agree how the power over Kings should be in the Pope whether directly or indirectly others affirming that he hath it not at all as Pope I will try whether he can claim it as Prince Franciscus a Victoria de potest Eccl. relect 1. sect 6. saith that many absurd things have been affirmed by the Popes Parasites to please him Dederunt dominium papae cum ipsi essent pauperes amongst which of his flattered attributes this is the chief to depose Kings and translate Kingdomes I will now for better satisfaction to the Reader that this is an unjust practice both in the Popes exercising the power and in his Jesuites which bolster him up in so doing describe their several risings and steps of advancement towards that present Lordly state they now stand in whereby it may plainly appear that as it is already made manifest that by any divine rule he cannot claim this priviledge no more may he by vertue of any civil title arising either out of lawfulness of Custom or property by Donation And being a Spiritual man it is improper in him to plead Usage if at first not lawful as I have already said in the fourth Chapter The first means which gave an advantage to the Popes to lay hold of any Temporal dominion or rule The History of the Pope was the removing of Constantine from Rome to Constantinople which gave an occasion to the Popes to lord it over the people of Rome in the absence of the Emperour for that then there was none appointed above them and they in the absence of the Prince drew the eyes of the people upon them and that the rather because Constantine and his successors gave great respect and honor to the Bishop of Rome in honour to that City which formerly was the seat of the Empire And even as the Moon gives no shine as long as the Sun is visible in the same Horizon but he being removed thence she becomes a glorious Lamp and soveraign Lady over the lesser Stars so the Popes borrowing their light from the Emperour were nothing illustrious before his face but he having withdrawn the rays of his presence from the Italian clime the Pope became the onely admired Lord and Governour over the common people during the residence of the Emperours at Constantinople and did still steal by degrees into an opinion of greatness amongst the people of Rome And although Theodosius anno 399. divided the Empire to his two sons Arcadius and Honorius yet the Western Empire stood not long but like a branch slipt off the main bulk began presently to wither wanting that sap and nutriment it formerly received from its old root whilst it continued entire and unseparate from the same so that in less then fourscore yeers the Western Empire proved Occidental and setting in Augustulus for above three hundred yeers bade goodnight to the world This obscurity and privation of the lustre of the Imperial Diademe gave again opportunity to the Bishops of Rome to grope about in the dark for Rome's forsaken Sword and Scepter and making strict and diligent search at last they found out some splinters of the late Emperours Staff of Majestie which Staff was shattered into many pieces and having none to own it they became a prey to any that could lay hold first In this scattering of the Eagles Princely plumes all people strove to gather up those noble Ensignes that they might be the honorable ornaments of their own stock and families And in this general striving to share those imperial portions it happened so that the busie and stirring Visigoths laid hold of part of the Empire in Spain The Abtenes in Guien and Gascoigne The French in the rest 〈◊〉 France And in this general happacappa the Vandals in Africk the Saxons in Britain and the Herule◠in Italy shared the rest amongst them A bundle of Arrows is not easily broken but take one by one and any childe may snap it in pieces Even so whilst the Empire stood united the Pope was afraid to attempt any thing against it but now that such divisions were run upon it first making the Eagle Monster-like with two heads after that her left side being pluckt bare whilst her left eye was shut and her feathers scattered thorow all the Western parts his Holiness in these divisions assumes the
practice of the Church That the Sacrifice upon the Altar is superstitious and The authority of the Church no excuse to change the administration of the Lords Supper into one kinde THe Church of Rome having thus gained a general consent though at first forced upon many by the power and domineering of the Popes to her doctrine of Transubstantiation she stuck not long in this station but partly to make good what she had introduced into the Church and partly to shew to the world the divine Legislative power of her Head she soared a pitch higher whereas before this she but maintained an opinion which but to some weak capacities did convince all not being satisfied with the sincerity of her doctrine concerning the nature and quality of this Sacrament of the Lords Supper which Christ himself instituted and by his last Will and Testament left it as a Legacie to his faithful servants her Popes now take upon them after their former opinion was confirmed by Councel and generally received and believed as an Article of Faith to dispense with that Sacrament of Christ Jesus and have in stead thereof instituted one of their own making administring in one kinde and denying the Cup to the Lay-people which is a novel trick of Papal invention and never practised in the Churches upon earth till they forced it upon some over which the Popes did without controul rule at will and pleasure Christ Jesus did institute this Sacrament in both kindes Paul enjoyns both the whole Church did administer in both and the Fathers teach that as well the wine as the bread is to be received and did think wine so necessary that it could not be administred in water much less in the cake alone in which there is no liquid element to represent the shedding of Christs blood for which end it was ordained Cyprian who wrote 260 yeers after Christ in his 3 Epist ad Cecilium lib. 2. Forasmuch saith he as Christ said I am the true vine and the Cup is his blood it cannot be thought that his blood is in the cup if wine be not in the cup whereby the blood is signified unto us Chrysost in Matth. cap. 26. Hom. 83. Christ used wine as well before his Resurrection as after S. Hierome in Sophon cap. 3. doth witness that in his time the Priest did administer the Eucharist and divide the blood unto the people In the Canon of Pope Gelasius and in the Popes Decrees de Consecrat a strict Injunction is laid that all receive in both kindes for that the dividing of that Sacrament is sacriledge I need not instance in this any more particulars in respect that none can deny but that anciently it was in both kindes administred I will therefore examine the reasons the Church of Rome gives for her alteration from this antient way and for administring in one kind and in so doing I shall plainly lay open her errors in this point The Councel of Constance held 1414. Councel of Constance Ses 13. decreed Quod nullus Presbyter sub conditione excommunicationis communicet populo sub utroque specie Panis Vini Which notwithstanding the Councel of Basil did after restore to the people again Anno 1431. So that in this new doctrine of hers Rome has met with much controversie even in her self Gelasius the Pope decreeing it to be sacrilegious to omit either kind by which it is evident that the Church of Rome has erred de fide For Gelasius taught that judicially as Pope and the Council of Constance was approved by Pope John 23. and this Councel of Basil by Eugenius the 4. Which proceedings wound the infallibility of the Church of Rome and spoiles her unity one Pope being against another and one Council against another To decide which strivings the late Prerogative Royal of the Popes being above Councels was therefore decreed which notwithstanding by that means the Church of Rome is made infallible yet it spoiles her of her marks of antiquity and constant visibility and therefore absolutely spoiles her for being taken to be the onely Catholick Church for if so then the Catholick Church was once utterly extinguished from off the earth which is against Gods promise and impious to imagine The Pope being thus grown above Councels he now as he pleases declares this Councel void the other to be of force and by vertue of this his Prerogative he has approved the Councel of Constance and yet but in part for he onely takes as much out of that Councel as makes for his turn he onely confirmes their Decree prohibiting the Cup to the Laity but their other Decree of the power of Councels to be above the Pope that 's abominable and his Holiness commands that Decree to be believed to be Heretical By this is to be noted that the Popish Religion is a nose of wax as pleaseth his Holiness to set it forth it must be received upon the score of his infallibility though it be never so destructive to former Christian principles to the ruine of Councels and overthrowing of the true antient Catholick Faith yet such is the condition of the Pope that his will can guide him into no tenent though never so contrary to truth but his faithful Papal servants the Jesuites will dawb over his rotten Doctrine with the smooth plaisters of humane reason and think with subtile Sophistry to beguile the simple the deluding of whom doth not in their uneven hands counterpoise the pleasing of their Master the Pope and therefore did they strive to varnish over this new point of Communion in one kind with some counterfeit Paint Will you please to take a view thereof and I hope I shall so far convince their reasons that the case will meerly stand upon the Popes will and if so I presume none will be so irreverent to their Master Christ to forsake his institution and to adhere to the Popes institution lest they may be said with the Jewes to reject Christ and chuse Barabbas The Doctor would perswade that it was no precept to receive in both kindes but onely being of institution and not precept the Church has power to alter it as occasion may serve To which I answer 2. It was christs precept to receive in both kinds It was injoyned us by way of command to receive in both kinds for Christ in the 6 of John v. 53 sayes Except ye eat the flesh 〈◊〉 â—rink the blood of the Son of man ye have no life in you Christ took the Bread and said Take eat And also he took the Cup and said Drink ye all of it Matth. 26. This is an absolute precept as well for the Cup as the Bread and Saint Paul delivered it so to the Corinthians according as he had received of the Lord he likewise enjoyning it to them as a precept probet seipsum let a man examine himself let him eat let him drink the Commandment extending to the one as well as to the other which
and praise ought to be in faith Whatsoever ye ask if ye believe ye shall receive it Matth. 21.22 We must come unto the Father in the Sons Name and he will hear us ask and he will do it John 14.14 By faith in Jesus we have boldness and entrance with confidence Eph. 3.12 So that Whatsoever we desire when we pray believe that we shall have it and it shall be done unto us Mark 11.24 But without faith it is impossible to please God For He that cometh to God must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of them that seek him Heb. 11. And without faith our prayer turns into sin for Whatsoever is not of faith is sinne Rom. 14.23 So then for any society to come to Divine service in a Tonge they do not understand their prayer and praise cannot be of faith in respect they know not what they ask their Priest is their mouth and they cannot in heart go along with him because they understand not what he sayes and their saying Amen to they know not what cannot be acceptable unto God according as S. Paul writes to the Romanes Rom. 10.14 How shall we call on him in whom we have not believed and how shall we believe in him of whom we have not heard We must believe in him and by him and by him offer the sacrifice of praise to God we must draw neer unto him with a pure heart in the assurance of faith Heh 10.22 This was the Doctrine of the Apostles and this was the practice of the Primitive Churches Theodoret lib. 5. de Graec. affect curat pag. 521. telleth us that in his time which was about 440 years after Christ the Scriptures were translated into all manner of languages and that they were not onely understood of Doctors and Masters of the Church but of Lay-people and common Artificers Hebraici libri non modo in Graecum Idioma conversi sunt sed in Romanam Aegyptam Persicam Judicam Armenicam Scyithicam linguam semelque ut dicam in omnes linguas quibus ad hunc diem nationes utuntur It was then the practice that every Nation should have the Scriptures in their own Tongue which Bellarmine unawares confessed Bellarm. Chap. 106. Tom. 1. col 191. lib. 4. de verb. Dei Script cap 11. But such is the pride and vain-glory of the Popes of Rome that they will not admit this in these latter dayes for since the Bishop of Rome grew up to be the Universal head all Churches must receive anew the Scriptures in their own Tongue and not onely so but their Lyturgies too burning such Scriptures as the people understand in their own vulgar Tongue and excommunicating all persons of the Laity be they neveâ— so well learned that shall reason of matters of faith or dispute of his power commanding Latine Service and Latine Homilies to the vulgar and though they cannot understand it yet he has Decreed it shall be so 6 Decret lib. 5. cap. quicunque By which means he thinks to gain an opinion of being the onely Planter of those Churches whenas indeed he is but a busie intruder upon the Apostolical foundations of others and in this his Holiness has a further reach for by this means he pleads Authority to rule over them producing this in evidence against them should they oppose him that Conqueror-like he has given them a Law in the proper language of Rome And if any questions should arise concerning any points taught in those Translations he likewise did by this means obtain the priviledge to be the Interpreter it being more proper to Rome to unfold the sense of that language than to any other place And thus and for those ends did the Popes of Rome obtrude the Latine Lyturgies upon several Churches which how it agrees with the Law Divine for the work of the Ministry for the gathering of the Saints and for the edification of the body of Christ till we all meet together in the unity of the faith and knowledge of the Son of God let the holy Spirit of that God and the Angels of the several Churches witness CHAP. XVIII The Conclusion Wherein the Reformation of England is justified notwithstanding the Objections of Rome against it and that the Pope was the cause of the Protestant Churches their separations from the Church of Rome I Have briefly touched most of those points which the Doctor hath urged against the Protestants wherein I conceive the Church of England doth differ from the Church of Rome and for that it is not my desire to make the breaches wider but if possible to reconcile them into one and to make up the gap of separation betwixt them I now hasten to a conclusion Yet let not any one censure me as if I were weary of my enterprize because to some particular Chapters I have not given particular answers for I conceive that the scope of their matter is sufficiently refuted in this discourse and those Chapters not concerning any points of controversie betwixt us any further than I have already answered I did therefore forbear to multiply words against the Doctor but hastned to the conclusion The Doctor in his 22. and 23. Chapters doth flutter with the Lapwing and makes most bussle when he is furthest off the Nest He had formerly cast his sting and there in conclusion ends with buzzing and noise onely he rolls up himself in Rhetorick and with the Seriphian Froggs of which Pliny writes lib. 8. cap. 85. he is clamorous in invectives he like an untamed Colt having leaped the Pale which kept him in a safe and fitting Pasture ranges up and down the miry paths throwing up dirt behind him till at length having run himself out of breath he becomes tame and is content to take scraps at the Jesuites hands he feeds upon the Orts of Parsons Saunders and such like Renegadoes he has turned away his face from England's Sion in whose true mirror of divinity he might have seen the image of Christ himself and his own face beauteous as a Son of that Church but now having turned aside he has forgot what manner of man he was or what before he had beheld by the help of the reflections and now he altogether contemplates upon a false gloss which doth present unto him deceiving objects on the one hand is the Church of England presented to him black and ugly being transformed by the false Vail they and such like have put upon her for which they are with all indulgence cherished and encouraged by his Holiness according to the saying of Salomon Prov. 26.22 The words of a Tale-bearer are as flatterings and they go down into his belly But on the other hand the Church of Rome is set out with all the Art imaginable so that any who will give up himself unto the speculative Religion of Popery is cheated into an opinion of Romes beauty and comliness and into a â—aâ—â—en and deâ—â—â—tation of the Protestâ—nt Religion because
as a matter of faith and that upon pain of damnation as witness this novel point and some others which are of later times crept into that Church And when any thing of Papal will and interest must be held forth to the other Churches then is the Lateran at Rome pitched upon Ante chap. 14. as I have formerly said as the onely convenient place to have the matter debated it being there likely to receive the least opposition by reason his Holiness is at hand to take notice of his enemies and to punish them and to flatter and promote such as stand for his Papal pleasure In this Councel of Laterane The Councel of Laterane chap. 17. likewise was hatched that other Cockatrice that strange brazen-fac'd and staring opinion of deposing Kings from which root of bitterness springs many tart branches of dangerous and poysonful Errours the nauseating juyce of whose sowre grapes being given to some other Churches to drink it hath intoxicated them making their Vertigious heads turn after the Laterane Weather-cock and in their brain-sick fit conceit that her high-reared Spire is the onely supporter of the heavenly Pole whilst the sober and discreet Christian knows that her proud top being exalted to that height is but so much the neereâ— the pattern of Babels Tower And whilst they think she is dignified before others her head being lifted above them others know she hath not whereof to boast unless in this That shee has the upper room in Satan 's airy principality which how much the higher she is lifted she is but thereby rendered more subject to be muffled with the black contractions of the Devil's Cimerian clouds of Errours And though the top thereof be forged out of that material Sword as is by the Romish Legends maintained which cut off Saint John Baptist's head it should not therefore arrogate to be the onely decolling instrument of Principality and Temporal power But I return to the subject matter of this Chapter That I may the further lay open the errours of the Church of Rome in this particular Miracles the cause of Transubstantiation and that the Papists shall not have whereof to boast in that I said they were induced by Miracles to maintain this doctrine should I pass those Miracles by in silence I will let the Reader know what they were It is reported that a Bishop of Canterbury about the time of this change did shew unto some for their conversion the Host turned into flesh and blood in outward appearance dropping into the Chalice and that thereupon they believed Transubstantiation Another is reported by Paschasius of one Plegildus a Priest of Almain who did see and handle visibly the shape of a childe upon the Altar and after it turned into bread and he was to receive it Another is reported of a Jew-boy who coming into the Church with another boy which was a Christian he saw upon the Altar a little childe torn in pieces and afterwards by portions distributed which he reporting was condemned to be burned but was after rescued from the flame by the Christians These Miracles were the onely arguments used against Berengarius and the convincing perswasions of the facile consciences of those days which how it stands with the doctrine of Christ Joh. 6.63 the practice of the Apostles the profession of the Primitive times and the faith and doctrine of the ancient Fathers let any judge S. Paul says 1 Cor. 11. That which he had received of the Lord Jesus that he delivered That as often as they did eat the bread and drink the cup they shewed the Lords death till he came Saint Paul calls it bread and the Evangelist wine and that after consecration and the Fathers of the Church taught that doctrine with them and Christ himself calls them bread and fruit of the vine and S. Paul The communion of the body And this being the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles though an Angel from heaven should come and teach any other doctrine let him be accursed Gal. 1. Wherefore these miraculous apparitions were no ground for Rome to change her faith in this point If these stories be true they ought to be considered as extraordinary apparitions like the light from heaven which shone about S. Paul These external miraculous apparitions were but to perswade the consciences of Infidels and Heathens to turn to the faith of Christ and to be perswaded of the truth of that Sacrament and not to make the true and already-grounded Christians to change the nature of their faith which is the ground of things hoped for and the evidence of things which are not seen Heb. 11.1 This was to perswade the mis-believing Jew of Christ and of the truth of this blessed Sacrament whereby he was to be made partaker of the benefits of his precious death and passion not to teach the Christian any new doctrine concerning the same These miracles should rather confirm him in his faith received that it was a spiritual banquet in respect that after the apparition as the story runs at the receiving that which was received was become bread again and not to ensnare him into this novel errour which was contrary to Christs doctrine the Apostles preaching and the practice of the Primitive Church But I will no longer insist upon this point I submit to any good Christian whether it be safer to follow Christs explanation of this mystery to be spiritual with which S. Paul and the ancient Fathers do concur then to humour the times and to be observant to the late Popes which about the time of this change were grown great and since have by cunning practices enlarged that power insomuch that now they are declared above Councels and whatsoever they propound must de fide be received upon the score of their infallibility be it never so contrary to the truth of Gods Word And they by this doctrine receiving advantage by their Altar-Sacrifices will not easily be induced to renounce the errour thereof and though never so palpably against the Truth of God yet the Jesuites will maintain it for their Masters advantage this doctrine tending more to his avail then any good to the souls of his flock Wherefore the Church of England having a right to reform errours in her own Province has chosen to cast off this blinde tenent of the Pope and his Parasites and she having the warrant of Christ the rules of the Apostles the practice of the Primitive Church and the consent of the ancient Fathers for her doctrine in this point hath therefore made choice with them in unity of Spirit firmly to hold and maintain that Christ in his humanity is not really and corporally in the Sacrament but figuratively in the outward elements being thereby signified and is spiritually eaten and drunken of the worthy receiver CHAP. XVI Against Communion in one kinde That the Church of Rome's withholding the Cup from the Layty is a novelty against Christs precept and the ancient