are of God neither can he for they are spiritually discerned And againe that it is God that worketh the wil the deed Phil. 2.13 And he plainly confesseth of himselfe of all others that we are not able of our selues so much as to thinke a good thought and that all our sufficiencie is of God 2. Cor. 3.5 Which premisses do shew that our vnderstanding is blind our will peruerse in any diuine matter or acceptable seruice vnto God till God do enlighten the one draw and moue the other vnto himself Thus hath God ordered matters to the end himselfe might haue all the glorie ascribed to him as good reason he should For what is a man since his fall in Adam but an abiect and runnaway from God of himself séeking by-paths crooked out-waies leading from God and from his worship except he bee assisted from aboue which is signified by Adams hiding himselfe from the presence of God after his fall And therefore Augustine saith well truly Hominem libero arbitrio male vsum se illud per didisse That man hauing ill vsed his free will that hee had hath now both lost himselfe and that And againe Liberum arbitrium captiuatum ne quid possit ad iustitiam that free wlâ— is taken captiue that it can do nothing towards righteousnes And again Hominis non libera sed a Deo liberata volunt as obsequitur Not the free will but the freed will of man which is set free by God doth obey yeeld obeisance again Liberum non fore quod Desâ—ratia non liberauerit that the wil is bound not free til God deliuer it and set it at liberty Cyprian which S. August so oft citeth saith De nullo glorianduÌ„ c many must glory of nothing bicause nothing is curs therfore euerie man annihilating his owne power must learne wholy to depend vpon God And Chrisostom saith that Omnis homo non modo naturaliter peccator sed totus peccatum est Euery man is not onely sinful naturally but is altogether sinne And therefore S. Paule sheweth that till a man be regenerate or born anew vntil he be renewed in the spirit of his mind he hath in him nothing else but concupiscentias erroris lustes and affections after errour Eph. 4.23.24 saying likewise that by nature wee are the sonnes of wrath Ephe. 2. â— Which also Christ himselfe testifieth to Nicodemus saying that that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the spirite is spirit and that except a man be born anew by that spirite hee can neuer so much as sée the kingdome of God Iohn 3.3 c. And therefore S. Paule telleth that there must bée a new creature whosoeuer wil be in Christ Iesus and a renewing and Metamorphosis of the minde he vseth the verie worde before men can finde out the good and acceptable will of God and what pleaseth him Rom. 12.2 I therefore conclude that the Papistes are farre wide and knowe not the miserie and thraldome of men whereinto they are fallen by that great sinne anâ— disobedience of Adam whilest they stande to defende frée will in naturall men indéede it appeareth to bée frée and too free vnto euill but it is so bound and fast tyed from desire of anie diuine duties that God must first drawe it out of that seruitude wherein it is and set it at libertie and mooue it to come before it will shewe any readines that way I trust therefore they sée that their Church not onely may erre but erreth most grossely in many points They holde that in the Sacrament of the Lordes Supper it is lawfull to debar the people of the Cup And so they vse which is contrarie to the institution of Christ Bibite ex hoc omnes Drinke ye all of this Math. 26.27 And as well and by as good authoritie may they take the bread from the people likewise And it is contrarie to the expresse doctrine of Saint Paul 1. Cor. 11.23.28 who as himselfe testifieth deliuered the Institution of Christ for he saith Let a man examine himselfe Et sic edat bibat And so let him eate of this Bread and drinke of this Cup. So that he must drinke as well as he must eate And that the people should bée pertakers and receiue in both kindes was obserued many hundred yeares in the Church after Christ. Insomuch as Pope Gelasius decréed that all they should be excommunicate which would receaue but in one kinde But Rome that now is is not Rome that then was but with her Councell of Constance is not ashamed to go against all Antiquitie and all Diuinitie But they holde which is a maruellous grosse errour also Transubstantion in the Sacrament namely that after the words of Consecration the Breade and Wine are changed into the very substance of the Body and Blood of Christ And this they woulde séeme to ground vppon these wordes Hoc est Corpus mâ—um This is my Bodie Math. 26.26 which they will haue to bée expounded literally But why then doo they not expound the other wordes of Christ literally also concerning the Cup For the Text saith in the 27. 28. verses That he tooke the Cup c. and said This is my blood I am sure they will not say that the cup was the blood of Christ as the words bée but they will graunt a figure in those wordes namely Contineus pro continentâ— that by the cup is meant the wine in it If then they wil admit a figure in this why may there not bee a figure in the other namely fignatum pro figno that these wordes This is my body should bee vnderstood thus This bread is a signe of my body which was broken for you If wée looke into the olde Sacramantes of the Iewes namely Circumcision and the Paschall lambe weâ— shall find the phrase of spéech obserued For Circumcision was called the Lords couenant when indéed it was not the couenant as all men doo knowe but a signe and seale of the couenant for the couenant was this to Abraham Ero Deus tuus seminis tui c. I will bee thy God and the God of thy seede c. Gen. 17. Rom. 4.11 So likewise the Paschall Lambe is called the Passeouer when indéed it was but a sign of their passe-ouer or passing ouer or through the red Sea which was a mightie and most wonderfull deliuerance Pharao and all his host béeing in the Sea when they passed through as on dry land Insomuch therefore as it is vsuall in Sacraments so to speake it is not against reason but standeth with verie good reason to thinke that Christ Iesus in instituting this Sacrament which to the Christians is the same that the Paschall Lambe was to the Iewes did likewise call the bread his bodie in such sort as the Paschall Lambe was the Passeouer that is to say figuratiuely that as the Paschall Lambe was called
the Passeouer and yet was but a signe and remembraunce of their Passeouer so the bread was called his bodie and yet it was but a signe and remembraunce of his bodie And that this is the right exposition may appéere by the wordes of Christ where hee sayth Doe this in remembrance of mee Luke 22.19 Tertullian likewise doth so expound them for hee saith Christ said Hoc est corpus meum id est figura corporis meâ— This is my body that is a figure of my bodie Augustine likewise saith Christi miranda patientia adhibuit Iudam ad conuinium in quo corporis sanguinis sui figuram discipulis tradiditâ— The admirable patience of Christ admitted Iudas to the banquet wherein he deliuered to his Disciples a figure of his body bloud And againe hee saith Non dubitauit Dominus dicere hoc est corpus meum eum daret fignum corporis sui The Lord doubted not to say this is my bodie when he gaue but the signe of his bodie And this exposition must néedes bée true for Saint Paule saith plainely and expressely 1. Cor. 11.26.28 That the Communicant doth eate breade Ergo it remaineth bread after the wordes of consecration For if it were transubstantiance into the body of Christ then were there no bread to eate but the bodie of Christ is the thing that should bée eaten But none doo eate the verie bodie of Christ for if euerie Communicant did eate the verie bodie of Christ naturally carnally and really as they grossely suppose Christ should haue a number of bodies which inpalpably absurd and monstrous and beside then euerie Communicant should bée saued yet euen Iudas himselfe which is knowne to bée the châ—â—â— of pâ—rdition for Christ saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my bloud hath eternall life Iohn 6.54 Indéede the elect and godly do eat Christ and drinke Christ but how not carnally but spiritually and by a true faith apprehending Christ and applying Christ with all his benefites as firmly vnto their soules as the bread and wine is applyed to their bodies Bâ—â—â—des if Christ gaue his body to bée eaten really by his Disciples at the time of the Institution of this Sacrament what was it that did hang on the crosse on the morrow Moreouer Saint Peter saith Act. 3.21 that as touching the bodie of Christ the Heauens must conteine him vnto the ende of the world If his bodie bée in heauen and that hée hath a true bodie as all men know he hath how can it be that hée should be both in heauen and in earth as touching his bodie at one time For though hée haue a glorified bodie yet hée reteineth the nature and propertie of a true bodie still which can bée but in one place at once And so saith Augustine saying Corpus Domini in quo resurrexit vno tantum loce esse potest The bodie of the Lorde wherein hee rose againe can bee but in one place onely But the Papists to helpe themselues are driuen to this to say that there is a miracle in the Sacrament and that Christ is there miraculouslie Whereto I answere that if the breade bée turned into the verie bodie of Christ by a miracle then should it appeare visibly so for the nature of euerie miracle is to be visible to the outward eie and senses as when Christ turned water into wine it was visibly wine When Moses rod was turned into a Serpent it was visibly a Serpent And so if the breade bée turned into the verie bodie of Christ it is visibly his bodie if you will hold a miracle to be wrought therein But Augustine answereth there is no miracle in the Sacrament saying thus Honorem tanquam Religiosa poscunt habere stuporem tanquam mira non poscunt The Sacraments may haue honour as thinges religious but they are not to be admired at as miracles Theodoret also is most expressed against Transubstantiation for thus he saith Neque enim signa â—istica post sanctificationem recedunt à natura sua manent enim in priore substantia figura forma videri tangi possunt sicut prius That is The mysticall signes after consecration doe not depart from their nature for they abide stil in their former substance figure and forme and may be both seene and felt as before Gelasius a Pope himselfe doth say most plainely that there is no transubstantiation in the Sacrament his words be these Non desinit substantia vel natura panis viui certe Imago similitude corporis sanguinis Christiin actione miseriorum corporis Christi celebratur The substance or nature of bread and wine doth not cease and verily there is the image and similitude of the bodie and blood of Christ celebrated in the action of the misteries of the bodie of Christ. And therefore I conclude that the Church of Rome which now is is not the same which it was in former times but it is become degenerate and reuolted from that former puriâ—â—â— which once was in it And conseqâ—â—ntly it is expressely manifest that that Church both may and doth erre The Church of Rome doth further holde that their Pope hath authoritie to depose kinges and Princes But by what Title It is cleare that in his either so dooing or attempting to doo hée is both a notable Traitour vnto God whose authoritie hée doth claime and arrogateâ— and vnto Princes to whome hée should bée subiect For the raising and pulling downe of Princes God hath reserued to himselfe alone and in his power For it is hee not the Pope that deposeth the mightie from their seates and exalteth them that are of lowe degree Luke 1. It is hee not the Pope that putteth downe Kings and giueth Kingdomes to whomsoeuer hee will And it is hee that testifieth of himselfe saying Per me Reges regnant principes dominantur By mee Kinges raigne and Princes beare dominion Dan. 2.20 cap. 4.14 22. Séeing therefore It is God that hath this high authoritie proper to himselfe which way can the Pope claime it without iniurie and treason vnto God Will hée claime it by reason of his keyes and in his Apostolicall right That hée cannot doo For hée must remember that the keies giuen were the keies of the kingdome of heauen Math. 16.19 And therefore by authoritie of the keies hâ—â— cannot meddle with terrestriall kingdomes to open an entrance for any into them or to shut out or exclude any that bée in them And beside Saint Paul the Apostle doth say expressely both of himselfe and of the rest of the Apostles that how great authoritie soeuer they haue for the ouerthrowing of â—â—â—ang holds that is of rebellious thoughts and proude cenceâ—â—â—â— and stiffenecked opinions seated in mens harts against God as himselfe expoundeth in the same place that all their power and meanes to conuert men is onely by the sword of the spirit which is the word of God and by the power of
one Againe if the Papistes doo not worshippe the Idoll or Image why doe they bowe downe vnto it God commaundeth saying Thou shalt not make to thy selfe any grauen Image so that the verie making of Images to represent God withall who is a spirit eternall and invisible is Idollatry Againe hée saith Thou shalt not bowe downe to them nor worship them c. So that to bowe downe vnto them though they bée supposed to represent God 〈◊〉 Idollatrie for God must be worshipped in such sort as himselfe hath prescribed and not otherwise and that it is flat Idollatrie to worshippe God in any Image is expresse and manifest by the Children of Israell when they made the golden Calfe to bee a representation of God for the Tert sheweth that it was Idollatrie for which many of them were plagued punished and yet their meaning was to worship the true God in the Calfe for they were not so simple as to thinke or beléeue that that dead Idoll or Image was God and therefore the Idollatrie of the church of Rome is as grosse and wicked as theirs was Neyther can the Papists helpe themselues in their wonted distinction of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 affirming that they giue to Images but Duliam that is seruice and to God Latriam that is worship shewing thereby that both they worship God and serue Images But how agreeth the temple of God with Images saith Paull or what warrant haue they to serue Images beside God When Christ him selfe saith it is written Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him onely shalt thou serue And Paull the Apostle doth likewise perswade expressly that men shuld turne from Idolls or Images to serue the liuing God where the word Dulia is vsed whereby the Apostle doth shew that there is such an opposition betwéene Images and the seruice of God that he that serueth the one cannot serue the other God himselfe disliketh Idolles and Images vtterly saying by his Prophet that they are so farre from being Lay-mens Bookes as the Papistes tearme them that they are no better than teachers of lies And Saint Iohn himselfe commaundeth all Christians to kéepe themselues from Idols Besides it is Idollatry to praye vnto any but God For Christ hiddeth when men pray not to call vppon the Uirgin Mary nor any other Saint departed this life but vpon God onely When yée pray saith hée say thus Our Father whinh art in heauen c. Againe Saint Paull saith howe shall they call vppon him on whom they haue not beleeued declaring therby that faith and prayer goe together Wee can call vpon none but we must consequently also beleeue on him But we are to beléeue none but God therefore wee may pray to none but God and therefore the Church of Rome calling vpon Saints departed committeth grosse Idollatry for the Scripture sheweth that God onely is to be prayed vnto Besides They that in their Idolatrous Masse or Sacrament of the altar as they tearme them after a certaine mumbling of wordes by the Priest there is no bread nor wine remaining but the very bodie blood of Christ and that péece of bread which is showed for bread it still appeareth to be for al their magicall mourning they commanded to bée adored and worshipped To adore or worship any creature such as bread is is Idolatrie the Papisticall Church doth the same Ergo it is Idolatrous I haue proued it before that it remaineth bread after consecration and that Christ cannot possiblie bee there as touching the bodilie substance because in that respecte he is ascended vp into heauen and there sitteth on the right hand of God his Father vntill he come to iudge the quicke and the dead if they will not beléeue Diuine testimonies therein Yet the authority of Cicero a heathen man might somewhat moue them for in one place he saith Quē tam Amentemesse putas qui illum quo vescator Deum credat esse That is Whome doe you thinke so mad as to beleeue that which he eateth to be God Insomuch therefore as the Church of Rome doth worship bread as if it were God It is manifest they be grosse Idollaters And consequently their Church cannot be the true Church of God on earth 3 The Papistes doe not denie Christ in wordes but if we examine them by perticulars we shall finde that in déede they doe as for example we know that the right faith beléeueth Christ Iesus to be both God and man which the Church of Rome in wordes will so affirme But vrge them in this point of the Sacrament and then they bewray themselues that they beléeue not Christ to haue a true bodie for when they are preassed with this that the bodie of Christ cannot be both in heauen and in earth at once and the selfe same time because it is against the nature of a true bodie so to bée then they become vbiquitaries and say that because the Godhead of Christ is euerie where therefore his humanitie is euerie where But this is no good consequent for the Godhead and humanitie are of seuerall nature And if his bodie and flesh were euerie where as his Godhead is howe is that true which the Angell spake saying surrexit non est hic He is risen he is not here For these wordes sheweth that his bodie and flesh is not euery where Againe if he were euery where in respecte of his humanitie how is it true that he ascended into heauen For that word ascention doth shew that his bodilie presence did remoue from one place to another and then was it not in that place from whence it did remoue Lastly it is the propertie of a Diuine nature to be euerie where and therefore whilest they defend this vbiquitie of the flesh of Christ It is as much as if they should say that the flesh of Christ is turned into God which is a groosse Herisie And thus it appeareth that the Papists doe with the Eutichians deny that Christ hath a true bodie when they holde that contrarie to the nature of a true bodie it may be in diuers places at once yea euerie where and therefore denying Christ to haue a true bodie they are not the true Church and somuch for their error concerning the person of Christ. 4 Now for the office of Christ for his person his office bee two chiefe thinges which we are all to regard The Papists will yéeld with vs that it consisteth in these thrée points namely that he is both a Prophet a Priest and a king This I say in words they will acknowledge but in déedes and veritie they doe not for in respect that Christ is our Prophet which should and did reueale his Fathers will vnto the world wee ought to bee content with his voice and search no further then hée hath reuealed in his Scriptures But the Papists are not so contented but they holde that their
haue erred or may erre then they yéeld their cause in this behalfe I wish they would for their owne sakes for false Iesuits Seminaries doo but deceaue themselues others to their owne confusion in this world and except they repent in the world to come That generall Counsels may erre is manifest by Augustine who plainly teacheth that only the Scriptures cannot erre al other writers may erre Prouinciall Counsels may erre lastly hée saith Concilia quae fiunt ex vniuerso orbe Christiano priora posterioribus sape emendari cum aliquo experimento rerum aperitur quod clausum erat cognoscitur quod latebat That generall Councels which are gathered of all the Christian worlde are often corrected the former by the latter when by any triall of things that is opened which was shut and that is knowen which was hidden A generall Councell may be corrected saith Augustine Ergo it may erre And therfore Augustine speaketh plainly to Maximinian the Bishop of the Arrians Neither ought I to alledge the Councel of Nice nor thou the Councel of Arrimine to take aduantage thereby for neither am I bound nor held by the authoritie of this nor thou of that Set matter with matter cause with cause or reason with reason trie the matter by the authoritie of Scriptures not proper witnesses to any of vs but indifferent witnesses to vs both In the time of Constantine that Christian Emperour was the first and last Counsell of Nice wherin according to our Créede was decréed that Christ was God as well as man In the time of Constantius Constantinus sonne fauouring the errour of the Arrians it was decréed in the Counsell of Arimine that Christ was not God but onely man This Counsell of Arimine did erre and that grosely in a matter of faith Ergo it is palpable that a generall Counsel may erre euen in matters of faith Againe generall Counsels haue béene contrary one to the other and that in matters of faith as the Counsell of Constantinople condemned the setting vp of Images in the Church and the Counsell of Nice afterward allowed Images One of their being contrary must néeds be errours Ergo A generall Counsell may erre The generall Counsell confesseth of it selfe that it may erre For the whole Counsell prayeth in the end of a generall Counsell in a set forme of praier that iâ— appointed to bée saide after euery Counsell namely that God would Ignorantiae ipsorum parcere errori indulgere Spare their ignorance and pardon their errour Ergo a generall Counsell may erre The Pope of Rome whom the Papists holde for head of their Church may erre Ergo their whole Church may erre Augustine proueth it erres Beatae memoria Innocentius Papa sine baptismo Christi sine participatione corporis sanguinis Christi vitam non babere paruulos docet Behold Pope Innocentius of blessed memory doth teach that yong childreÌ„ cannot be saued except they receiue the baptisme of Christ and also the communion of the body and blood of Christ. But this is taxed for an errour Ergo the Pope of Rome can erre and consequently the whole Church vnder him except perchaunce members haue a priuiledge aboue the head But what shall I néed to stand hereupon their owne Cannon law as is euident in the decrées doth say expressely that if the Pope bee found negligent of his owne and his brethrens saluation yea thogh he lead innumerable people by heaps to the deuill of hell no mortall man may presume to reproue him because he himselfe béeing to iudge all is to bée iudged of none nisi deprehendatur a fide deuius except he be found erring from the faith wherby it appeareth that they thought hee might erre in matters of faith or else that exception was put in in vaine But the Pope is no other than a man as also all the members of his Church bée and humanum est errare all men are subiect to errour Let euery man take héed how he trusteth the Pope or any man mortall for it is written Iere. 17. Maledictus homo qui in homine confidit Cursed is that man that putteth his trust in man And why because as the kingly Prophet Dauid saith Psa. 116. All men are liers in their wordes and sinners in their works But when the doctrine of that man of Rome and of his Church is in diuers things clâ—ane contrary to the expresse word of God who can denie but it is an apparant erring Church As when it stablished ignorance to bée the mother of deuotion which Christ calleth the mother of errour saying Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures Math. 22. â—9 Who can chuse but think that it hath no good meaning in it but purposed onely to build vy the pride of the Pope of his Cardinals Bishoppes Priests Monkes and other their ecclesiasticall men Christ biddeth the people to search the Scriptures Iohn 5 39. â—â—is Antichrist forbiddeth them saying it is perâ—lous it causeth schismes sectes and heresies as though they were wiser than Christ. Againe the Apostle Paule commandeth That the word of God should dwell plenteously in the people whereby they might teach themselues Collos. 3.16 But the Pope of Rome and his Church alloweth not plentifâ—l knowledge of the word in them yea ignorance is the knowledge that hee would desire them to haue Who would not iustly suspect such a Church such a Religion yea condemne it when to maintaine and continue their Church in errours they would haue none of the people to search any scriptures whereby they might bée discouered Thus the sillie Papistes whom I pittie are lead like blind men they knowe not whither and with their implicita fides which is to beléeue for their part they know not what are lamentably seduced It is good themselues should sée know what they beléeue and that their faith and beléefe be right least at last they be through euer much trust of their teachers extremely deceiued The people of Berca were highly commended and it is noted to their praise that they searched the scriptures to sée whether those thinges were true or no which Paule himselfe teached Acts 17. For whosoeuer he bee yea though it were an Angell from heauen if hée teach matters contrary to the doctrine of the holy canonical scriptures we are to held him accursed yea and accursed againe as the Apostle of Christ Iesus S. Paule commandeth Gal. 1.8.9 Againe the Church of Rome when it taught and holdeth that the Scriptures were to bee made vnto the people or congregation in an vnknowne tongue what were the people the wiser Saint Paule would haue all thinges owne to ediffyng in the Church For sayth Saint Paeule Is qui supplet locum indoctiquomodo dicturus est Amen ad tuam gratiarum actionem quaâ— do quidem quid dicas nescit How shall hee that supplyeth the place of an vnlearned man saye Amen to thy thankes giuing when hee vnderstandeth not what thou