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A62310 Popery display'd in its proper colours wherein its nonentity and nullity is demonstrated by undeniable arguments : with several remarkable passages relating to the present times : humbly offered to the honourable House of Commons / by J.S. gent. J. S., gent. 1681 (1681) Wing S83; ESTC R9412 19,102 18

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thing is the Touchstone wherewith men●●try what other things can truly come within the Orb or Compass of the thing defined and what not lay down before you the Definition of Divine Faith as the Apostle left it upon Record to Posterity Heb. 11. Faith is the Substance of things to be hoped for the Argument of things not appearing This Definition sheweth that Faith is a supernatural Vertue and not a coactive Romish power and that the object thereof is that which through its own abstruseness and sublimity cannot be apprehended or conceived by Natural Reason To exemplifie this Faith teacheth that in Trinity there is one peculiar Nature in three different Persons no mans natural Understanding can apprehend how this Individuality of Nature can be in three Persons without Distraction or Multiplication of the Nature because every one of these Persons is identified really and formally with this nature in the strictest union In like sort touching the Incarnation mans Reason cannot lay any true level to conceive how one Hypostasis or Person can be in two Natures or how this Hypostasis or Person is identified for between Mans Capacity and the Nature of supernatural Faith the proportion lies certainly and only in disproportion in matters of Faith Reason dictates to us to believe things above reason but never against reason as the Papists affirm This Supernatural Faith hath a necessary reference to two things The First is Prima veritas Revelans which is God who revealeth all Truths and points of Faith The Second is the Authority of the Church to reveal all those things and nothing more which God hath revealed either by himself or his Apostles Now let us examine whether these two points so necessary to true Faith do accord to the Papal Faith or not As to the First Prima veritas revelans which is God I freely appeal to themselves whether their Principles of Faith be either revealed to each particular Pope by God or found in Scripture namely every Papal Decree to be as essential to True Divine Faith and as necessary to Salvation if Revealed by God Purgatory Adoring and Worshiping Images made of Gold Silver Stocks and Stones in the nature of a God praying to Saints and the Virgin Mary with more zeal and eagerne●s than either to their Maker or Saviour teaching Sedition Rebellion and Murder as meritorious Acts if neither who will believe or say but that Popery is a mere Non-Entity or a bare Intentionality As to the Second Point which is the Authority of the Church in propounding to her Children the things by God revealed we know and affirm that the Church of Rome dare not publickly own to have received either from God or Scripture though daily practised by Her and her Emissaries the aforesaid Principles the verity of this we have not only from Scripture but from the ingenious Confessions of their most Learned and Ancient Authors Mark withal how these false Prophers to serve as certain Veils or Curtains to hide their hellish and wicked Principles from the eyes of the Ignorant do forbid under pain of Excommunication the Reading of holy Scripture the infallible Guide to Salvation Thus far to demonstrate both from the definition of Faith set down by St. Paul and from the Points necessarily concurring for the causing not only of true Faith but of Salvation that Popery in regard of its wanting these two necessary Points is but an absolute Nullity of Faith and Religion For every thing that hath a real Existence or Being may have its Nature explicated by the Definition of it which consisteth of two parts that is Genus and Differentia The Genus doth comprehend the Essence of the Thing defined the Differentia doth more particularly Constitute the thing defined and distinguisheth it from all other things For Example A Man is defined to be Animal Rationale a Creature enjoying Reason the word Animal demonstrates the Essence of Man Rationale that is Rationality doth Constitute man in definition and maketh him to differ from all other sublunary Creatures A Definition extendeth it self not only to the Existence or want of Existence in things corporeal or material but also to the Being or not Being in things speculative and immaterial I mean in Do●●rines and other such Theories of the Understanding Now Popery which in it self truly implyeth an absolute Contradiction cannot be thus defined and is undenyably compounded of several Contradictories and opposite Doctrines and Tenets can have no being but intentionally for whatsoever implyeth a Contradiction supposeth a Being and a not Being of a thing and all at one and the same time From whence this Absurdity must needs follow that is if such a thing could be then could a thing be whose Being should consist in a not Being consequently a Nullity This is Popery But to Contract this Point I will particularly insist as most conducing to the Subject in hand and the time that Protestants can now afford or set apart to read there being so many Pamphlets abroad that the Reader may easily discern what mutual Recrimination and what irreconciliable Repugnancy there is between the Papists themselves and this even in matters of the greatest and highest consequence witness the many Books they have written and the acerbity of Style one against another even intimating thereby that the different Doctrines differently maintained by them were truly Contradictories containing and defending different Tenets so repugnant and contradictory one to another that even by the Law and Nature of Contradictories the one side must ever want a real and subsisting Being Several Books written and allowed of in Rome wherein many Principles of Faith and the civil Power of Magistrates were controverted with many Heretical Decrees were by order of the Bishops and Councils of France burned by the Hangmans hand they also decreed that the Church of Rome do vary from the sincere Doctrine of the Scriptures and yet now adays all are good Christians and Papists that oppose Protestancy or cut Protestants Throats Now I close up this point referring to the judgment of the learned Reader how deadly Popery is wounded not only by the Pen of Popery but also by its Hellish and daily Practice For the nature of true Faith and true Christianity exacteth that it should be complete entire and perfect in it self like unto an Action morally vertuous which is accomplished by the access of all due conducing Circumstances but vitiated through the absence but of any one Many other contradictory Points by them maintained as Evangelical and true Popery I here pretermit till better opportunity and assure the Reader that Popery is no true Faith but in respect thereof an absolute Irreality or an intentional Name or Word Thus much for the Nullity of Popery and we say with the Prophet David Thou hast saved us from our Enemies and hast put them to shame that hated us In God we boast all the day long and will praise thy Name for ever Psal 44.7 8. We are not
POPERY DISPLAY'D In its Proper Colours WHEREIN ITS Nonentity and Nullity Is Demonstrated by UNDENIABLE ARGUMENTS WITH SEVERAL Remarkable Passages Relating to the PRESENT TIMES Humbly offered to the Honourable House of Commons By J. S. Gent. LONDON Printed by G. Larkin for Benjamin Harris at the Stationers Arms in the Piazza under the Royal Exchange 1681. To the Honourable House of Commons ASSEMBLED IN PARLIAMENT THis Kingdom whereof God your King and Countrey have made you Keepers as well as Preservers cannot but see that nothing is wanting on Your Part. I do here but publish Crier-like the Unanimous Sence of all well-affected Protestants all over the World Worthies you are now engaged in a way of such Heroick Designs as Posterity cannot but set the Stamp of Never-dying Honour upon You. Go on and manifest your Zeal for your Religion and the Name of Christ and he will not fail to manifest Love to your Souls Your Acts are National and Just Execute Judgment and defend the Truth Fear not the cruel Papists nor all their barbarous Adherents And let happen what will say Malo cum Christo ruere quam cum Caesare stare I had rather fall with Christ then stand with Caesar God and your King hath called You for such Your Call is high your Work is hard your Difficulties many yet Faith will carry You through all You know why you have been born not for your selves but for the Benefit of many Non sibi se sed multorum utilitati esse natum You are our Deliverers not only from Popish Idolatry and Superstitious Foppery but also from several other heavy insufferable Burthens Believe it most Noble and Renowned Worthies all the Treasure of this World is no way comparable to your Pious and Just Designs Yet I hold it not onely fit but necessary that your Liberties Laws and Goods should still be precious in your sight but be sure in point of Care to exalt the Name of Christ not the Pope above your Liberties his Gospel above all Humane Laws and Devices and your Religion above your Lives and Fortunes Otherwise the Son will be angry as well as the Father and so great is the wrath of the Lamb that the greatest of men cannot withstand it Rev. 6.15 16. The Great Councel of Jerusalem when they sat exercised most part of their time in Regulating matters of Religion and in securing of it such hath been your Endeavours such hath been your Desires in all your Sitting It is Ingratitude therefore in any Degrees of Men not to serve You. We acknowledge the Infinite Mercy of God in calling You together at this time when no less then our Laws Liberties and Religion lies at stake Your Work I confess is Hard and Great but yet 't is Honourable Whoever would not endeavour to save his Countrey and Religion is no more worthy to live in it than the man that seeks the destruction thereof The Papists have dare and will venture our utter Ruine and Destruction and shall not we venture as far to save our Selves and Religion Had men but Publick Spirits they would do it The very Heathens have so minded the Publick Interest as that they forgot Themselves Publius Decius the Roman Army being brought low rush'd into the midst of the Enemies demanding Safety for his Countrey Death for Himself and so occasioned an unexpected Victory There is no reason therefore that your Spirits should faint or your former Intentions slacken in fear of the issue You are on the Right and on the Rising Side and in a Work that will Improve it self In the Work of Preserving our Lives Liberties and Religion in the Work of Uniting all His Majesties Protestant Subjects though the Endeavours of many are so mighty to oppose and their Tongues so malignant to disgrace it But while You are faithful to God Loyal to your King and True to your Countrey resolve to go on in Gods Name knowing You must pass through Evil Reports as well as Good Reports The Lord make all Great Mountains that lie in your way as Plains before You Which is and ever shall be the Prayers of Your most Obedient Servant J. S. THE NON-ENTITY or NULLITY of Popery Demonstrated by UNDENIABLE ARGUMENTS c. SInce a Shadow cannot produce a Shadow and that by reason of Inherency there is a necessary Reference in every Accident to its Subject so that if the Subject be wanting it necessarily followeth that the Accident is also wanting as losing its Inherency becometh nothing This Assertion being as undeniable as two and two makes four I proceed with reference to the more ignorant Protestants not in a School dialect being Extra sphaeram activitatis but in that method whereby the most Illiterate may easily comprehend what Popery is whose high Flight and infallible Power is maintained with the outward appearance of Sanctity and the dread of the Inquisition with the power and greatness of some Temporal Princes which violently carries where Popery Reigns all things before it with the impetuous stream of its own Torrent teaching Sedition Rebellion and Murder for Apostolical Doctrine having no other reality of Being to support their Profession not Religion composed of meer imagination and humane Invention endeavouring to enamel and guild over their wicked Principles with many distorted and misapplyed Texts of Scripture Nevertheless certain it is that whosoever will ballance and weigh Popery with and by the Authority of Scripture will soon perceive not only the fading splendor of Popery to resemble the light of a Glow-worm which the nearer one comes to it the lesser it appears till in the end it wholly vanisheth away but a Profession most blasphemously presuming to Create and Annihilate two Acts proper to God alone Some Popish Authors say that the Priest by the power of Consecration draws I will not say with a Rope or invites the Body and Blood of Christ from Heaven which is as ridiculous and as impossible as it is to affirm the Priest to have power to Create a Corporeal Body at his pleasure I mean Christs Body contrary to the express words of St. Paul who saith The Heavens must contain and receive him until the time of Restitution of all things Acts 3.20 And he himself saith I leave the World and go to the Father John 16. The poor ye have always with you but me ye have not in another place Matth. 29.11 What a horrible and prodigious Monster is this pretended Religion that affirms Christs most glorious Body to be at the beck of the most licencious Priest to be given and eaten by the most wicked in a hundred thousand places at once The same Apostle tells us In the last days false Prophets will come that shall say Christ is here or there and that he is in secret Chambers Matth. 24. Believe it not Now that I may the better shew this the Romish Faith and Divine Faith to be as incompatible as God and Nothing I must since the Definition of every