that They will never take and interpret the Holy Scriptures but according to the unaniomous consent of the Fathers When as 1. The Fathers do not unanimously consent among themselves concerning the sence of the greatest part of Scripture and so they are sworn to take it in no sence because the fathers are not unanimous 2. He that knows not the unanimous sence of the Fathers where they are unanimous is sworn hereby to take and interpret the Scripture in No sence 3. If by The Church whose sence they also swear to admit be meant the present Romane Church then that Church and the Fathers do differ in the Interpretation of many Scriptures so that in one Article they must needs be forsworn 4. Nay there are divers particulars of the Popish faith yea which in this oath they swear to which are against much more without the unanimous consent of the Fathers The Fathers never consented to this very Article that we must take and interpret the Scripture onely in the unanimous sence of the Fathers They never consented that the Bread and Wine are truely really and substantially the whole Body and Blood of Christ by Transubstantiation Nay the consent of the Fathers is against these And yet these wretches swear not to take and interpret Scripture but in the unanimous sence of the Fathers and withal swear the contrary in particulars even that they believe that which the Fathers never consented to but against Never did the Fathers consent that There are seven truely and properly Sacraments Instituted by Christ Never did the Fathers consent who lived a thousand or fourteen hundred years before that the Council of Trent did not erre or could not erre Nor That in the Mass is offered a true proper propitiatory Sacrifice for the living and dead Nor that the Eucharist may be taken under one kind and the Cup withheld nor That there is a Purgatory or the souls there holpen by the suffrages of the faithful nor that the Saints with Christ are to be prayed to Nor that Images were to be worshiped nor the power of Popish indulgencies left by Christ in the Church and the use of them wholsome Never did the Fathers consent that the Romane Church is the Mistris of all Churches or that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ over them nor that all Christians or Bishops or Pastors should swear true obedience to the Pope as Christs Vicar Let these proud deceivers shew us if they can when the Fathers or any one of the Ancients did ever take any such oath himself or perswade others to it Yea or that they have consented to any one of these Articles of the Romish faith and Trent oath What more evident to any man that hath any acquaintance with the Fathers then that these wretches do here most palpably forswear themselves Even as if they should swear to believe nothing but according to the Ancient Creed and withal swear to believe that Christ never dyed rose or ascended or that there is no resurrection or everlasting life Certainly if the very faith of Papists be contradiction and the profession of it plain perjury then Popery is not a safe way to Salvation I would here have added as the fourteenth Argument That Popery is a mixture of old condemned errors formerly called Heresies which the ancient Church hath testified against and therefore it is no safe way to Salvation And here I should have tryed their particular errors not yet mentioned or insisted on as their Doctrine of Merits and Justification thereby Satisfactions and many Semipelagian errors Image-worship with many the like But that this is beyond my present intended scope and purposed brevity and is so fully performed already by so many unanswerable Treatises of our Divines Let us next here what is said of most moment to prove Popery to be a safe way to Salvation Obj. 1. That Religion which hath been delivered down from the Apostles to this day without interruption is a safe way to Salvation For it is the same that the Apostles and all the ancient Christians were saved in But the Religion of the Church of Rome is that which hath been delivered down from the Apostles Therefore c. Ans 1. There is a change of the very subject of the question It is Popery that we are disputing of and this argument instead of Popery speaks of The Religion of the Church of Rome The Religion of the Church of Rome hath two parts First the Christian Faith Secondly their own corruptions depraving and contradicting this Faith The first as it standeth alone uncontradicted in the Religion which â—e profess The second is it that we call Popery and â—ay It is no safe way to salvation 2. And of this I deny the Minor and say that Popery is not the ancient Religion the Apostles and Primitive Church never knew it There was no such creature as a Papist known in all the world till six hundred years after the birth of Christ It was about 606. when Pope Boniface did first claim his universal Papacy and Headship and after that it was not till about one thousand years that the usurpation and Tyranny was consented to any thing generally in thâ— West And even the multitudes still dissented and some opposition was still made against it and all the Esterne Churches and the rest of the Christian world did dissent Of these things there is enough said to silence all the Papists on earth in Bishop Vsher de contin successione slatu Eccles Occident and his Answer to the Jesuites Challenge and by Bishop Jewell and Doctor Field and in many of the old Treatises against the Pope published together by Goldastus which shew us that he setled not his Kingdom without continnual opposition and contradiction We affirm that Popery is a meer novelty and challenge all the Papists in the world to prove the Antiquity of it When they have once arrogated to themselves the name of the Catholike Church and taught the people to believe as the Church believes that is to believe that all is true which the Pope and his Clergy will report of themselves it is then an easie matter for them to prove any thing to be true which makes for their turn then they may say The Fathers are for them and that they have their Papal sovereignty from St Peter when there is never a true word in it Then they may frame and forge new Decretals and cut out of the Ancient Writers thâ— which is against them and bring forth spurious writings under their names and tell the people that our Religion begun with Luther for its easie to prove any thing where themselves are the Judges and no witnesses but their own must be heard But if they dare leave that hold and come into the light its easie to evince the novelty of Popery though not of every particular error they hold Obj. 2. If the Church of Rome be a true Church then Popery is a safe way to salvation
that Evangelical command So let your light shine c. § 7. Of Confirmation 1. THE Sacrament of Confirmation is more worthy then the Sacrament of Baptism for as it is done by greater Priests viz. Bishops which cannot be done by less so also it is to be had and held with greater veneration and reverence 2. That Confirmation does excel Baptism in regard of its effecting grace to well doing 3. That the Sacrament of Confirmation does confer Grace making us acceptable ex opere operato and indeed more then Baptism does 4. In which the fulness of the Holy Ghost is conserred viz. ex opere operato 5. The matter of this Sacrament is Chrisme oâ—â—unction which they call the Chrisme of Salvation 6. That by this holy Chrisme made of Oyle and Balsom and smeered on the forehead in form of a Cross the sevenfold Spirit of Grace is given 7. For that the holy Spirit is given to us by Oyle as it was given to the Apostles in the form of fire 8. That he will never be a Christian that is not by Episcopal Confirmation Chrismated 9 Instead of Imposition of hands the Bishop gives him that is confirmed a boxe on the eare to confirm him forsooth and to drive away the Divel § 8. Of the Eucharist 1. IN the Sacrament of the Eucharist they teach and urge the corporal presence of the flesh of Christ As if that Sacrament were instituted to nourish bodies and not souls 2. And that the body and blood of Christ is made really present in the Sacrament by Transubstantiation or conversion of the whole substance of the bread into the very body of Christ and of the whole substance of the wine into his very blood 3. That this Transubstantiation is made by reciting the Sacramental words Hoc est corpus meum This is my body And therefore they call these operative words 4. That these words are to be muttered with a low murmuring as if Christ had spoken them Magically to inchant the Bread and not to instruct his Disciples 5. Thus they expound them This i. e. under these figures is my body and yet they urge the litteral sence or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 6. That the body of Christ is made of the Bread in the Eucharist as Wine was made of water 7. And yet that the Priests when they make the Body of Christ of the Bread do not produce it as some will have it but do change the substance of the Bread into the very pre existing body 8. That after the words of consecration the meer accidents and indeed all the accidents of the bread and wine do remain 9. That not so much as the first matter doth remain after the change of the bread 10. That the substance of the bread is consumed and ceaseth to be and yet is not anihilated 11. That the substance of the bread ceasing the substance of the body of Christ succeeds and is contained under the accidents of the bread 12. That those accidents are not in any subject nor do they subsist of themselves but are upheld by God after a supernatural manner 13. That they are in somewhat else but do not inhere in it 14. That the body of Christ does remain in the host as long as the accidents of bread remain uncorrupted 15. That as long as the body of Christ is in the host It is accompanied with Angels 16. That in the corruption of the species there is matter substituted by God in that very instant in which those species cease to be and in which something else is Generated 17. That the subject of these Accidents is quantity which also it self is an accident and which they feign to subsist without a quantum that hath dimensions 18. That the Elements of the Sacrament of the Eucharist do not nourish if taken in a great quantity without a Divine Miracle And therefore neither do they nourish the mice that take a small quantity without a miracle 19. But as they take away the substance of the Bread and Wine and so with that the substance of the Sacrament so they rob the Body of Christ of almost all the essential properties of a true body by this fiction of Transubstantiation 20. And as they feign the Accidents of bread in the Sacrament without the substance of it so they must needs feign the substance of Christs body without the Accidents of it 21. Many do teach the presence of Christs body affirming that one and same body of Christ undivided does exist upon innummerable Altars and every where whole 22. That the body of Christ being in many places at once and yet not in the space between is not discontinued or divided from it self in respect of its proper substance or quantity but only is divided from it self in respect of place 23. That one and the same body of Christ being in heaven and on earth yea in innumerable places on earth at once is indeed visible and palpable in heaven but on earth invisible and beyond all our senâ—es There it is limited and circumscribed here t is unlimited there it has its Dimensions here t is free from all dimensions 24. Moreover they teach an Oral and Capernaitical Manducation of the flesh of Christ for they say the body of Christ in the Eucharist is really and sensually touched broken and eaten 5. Yea that wicked men receiving the Sacrament of the Altar do chew the body of Christ and break it with their Teeth 26. And upon the same account is the very body of Christ devoured by Mice and Doggs if they chance to eat the host 27. By reason of this Mystery of Transubstantiation they call the Sacrament or consecrated host their Lord and God 28. That the Mass Priest when he makes the Sacrament or as they themselves speak the Body of Christ he is the Maker of his Maker 29. The Priest does adore the consecrated Host and does offer it to others by lifting it up to be adored 30. And for the same end they keep it and carry it in solemn Procession that it may be publikely adored 31. That the Eucharist when it is carryed to the sick is to be adored by all those that meet it those that do adore it are to have indulgences those that don't adore it are to be counted Hereticks and are to be persecuted with fire and sword 32. By this Bread-worship they commit great idolatry whilst that they adore a peice of Bread with the worship of Latria which is onely due to God 33. In honor of this Breaden-God they celebrate the feast of the body of Christ 34. Although they confess Christ did administer this venerable Sacrament with both Elements of Bread and Wine and though they acknowledge this Sacrament was received of the faithful in the Primitive Church with both Elements Yet they determine that it is to be communicated to the Laity in one kind or Element onely and forbid the Priests giving it to the people in both kinds upon
of Scripture but take them and Church customes and constitutions to be onely for matters of order and determination of such circumstances as it belonged not to the perfection of Gods Laws to determine but were to be left to the wisdom of Governors the Scriptures containing sufficient for salvation They believe with the Protestants that Justification is not by the Merit of works And that it is impossible for us properly to Merit ex condigno the least mercy much less the Kingdom of Heaven at the hands of God They have but one order of Monkes viz. of St Basil and those not such as the Papists that live a private unprofitable droanish life but their Monasteries are as Colledges to fit them for the service of God in the Church and thence they oft proceed to be Priests and Prelates They take your Pope to be condemnable for his pride cruelty and presumption his pride for pretending to an universal jurisdiction and usurping a power to depose Princes and dispose of their Crowns his cruelty in persecuting other Christians for their differing judgements and his presumption in granting pardons and deliverances from Purgatory In a word they take the Papists for Schismaticks and aâ—cordingly condemne them with a solemne condemnation The Muscovites and Russians admit not Priests or Deacons to Ordination unless they be marryed and they refuse to communicate with the Romane Church The Egyptian Christians allow not of Baptisme in any necessity whatsoever but onely by the Priest and in the Church and administer the Sacrament of the Eucharist in both kinds they give not the Lords Supper or extream unction to the sick They deny Purgatory and prayer for the dead They marry in the second degree of consanguinity without dispensations They elevate not the host They reject all the general Councels after that of Ephesus They repute the Papists to be Hereticks and avoid their communion no less then of the Jews Most of these â—lso is common to the Abassines who also admit Marriages of Priests and Bishops and eat flesh on Fridayes communicate standing in both kinds Are all these nothing What no one difference with this Popish Veridicus I will not desire him to take my word for all this because I will not take his for the contrary nor will I turn him to any Protestant for satisfaction unless he will better use that one which himself citeth Sands Relation of the West Relig. or Europae Specul p. 234. c. But I may with reason intreat him to believe his own brethren the Papists and the Greeks themselves And in some of them he may see many more differences then I have here named For example in their Possevin de Rebus Moscov at large See also Concil Florent Sess 18. Jerem. Patriarch Const in Resp 1. ad Germ. Zonar Annâ—l Tâ—m 3. in Imper. Leo. Nilus de Primat Papae â—aâ—lam de Primatu Papae figebert in Chron. ad 〈◊〉 1054. Leo Epist ad Episcop Constant Jacob â— Vitriaco histor Orient Sigism de Rebus Muscâ— Guagu descript Muscov Saecram de Errorib â—â—theâ— Boleri Relat. Thom. a Jes Conver. Gent. Gâ—iliel de Rubri Itiner Tartar Oforius de Reb. Emanuel Saligniac Itiner Alphons a Castro contr Haeres Damian a Goes Prateol de Haerefib Alvarez histâ—r Ethiop which yet have much falshood Guiâ— sumâ— de Haerefib Burchardus Descript teâ—â— Sanct. If our confuter cannot have leisure to read all these let him onely read Thom. a Jes Possevin deâ—eb Moscov Apparat. Sacra and see to his shame what his own friends say against his falshoods And that all these Christians are as considerable as all the Papists in the world far over matching them for number is apparent Much more when we adde to the Grecians and Moscovites and Copti's all the Syrians the Georgians the Indians of Saint Thomas the Abassines the Nestorians the Jacobits the Armenians and the Maronites and to them as Protestants where then is the Papists Universality and how few are they comparatively and how plainly do they play the Donatists but that it is on a far worse ground The Patriarch of Constantinople alone hath under him in Asia as Brierwood noteth the Christians of Natolia excepting Armenia the less and Cilicia of Circassia of Mengrelia and of Russia And in Europe also the Christians of Greece Macedon Epirus Thrace Bulgaria Rascia Sextia Bosnia Walachia Moldavia Podolia and Muscovia till lately together with all the Islands of the Aegean Sea and others about Greece as far as Corfu with much more And as is noted in Curopalat de Offic. Palas Constant Offic Mag. Eccl. he hath under him The Archbishop of Caesarea in Cappadocia 2. Ephesus 3. Heraclea 4. Ancyra 5. Cizicum 6. Sardis 7 Nicomedia 8. Nice 9. Calcedon 10. Mitylene 11. Thessalonica 12. Laodicea 13. Synadae 14. Iconium 15. Corinth 16. Athens 17. Patrae 18. Trapezuntium 19. Larissae 20 Naupactus 21. Adrianopolis These are all Archbishops and have many Bishops under them viz. Of Muscovy 17. of Larissae 13. of Athens 11. of Corinth 10. of Tessalonica 9. c. And if these be under the Patriarch of Constantinople alone how great a number are all the rest in the great Empire of the Abassines and elsewhere through the rest of the Christian world I do not mention all these to intimate either that multitudes prove them or any to have the best cause if we were in all things of their mindes or as if I preferred them for Arts and Civil Policy to the Romanes but to shew both the haniousness of the Popish Schisme that would unchurch so many and the cruelty of their censures that would damne so many and the Impudency of their pretence of Universality and their vaine boasting of All the Church when they are so small a part of the Church and more bad then small But we have been too long on this let us come to the confuters next untruth and that is That the Grecians c. do in no one point agree with Protestants as such what hath been said doth sufficiently shame that fiction But he instanceth in our differences And 1. he saith The Grecians hold one supreme head of the whole Church under Christ Repl. An immodest fiction to uphold a cause that 's like it 2. He saith The Grecians hold the Real presence of our Saviours body and blood in the Eucharist Repl. not Transubstantiation which they deny The But Protestants do hold some kind of Reall presence 3. He saith The Grecians defend the necessity of Baptisme to salvation and that Original sin is remitted thereby Repl. And the Protestants hold it necessary necessitate praecepti and as an ordinary means where it can be had And neither the Greeks nor all your own dare damne all Infants that dye before Baptisme when it could not be had but you say that the Votum may serve turne And also Protestants hold that if the Infants be within the Covenant as it pardoneth their Original sin primarily so
speculatively may yet hold the contrary truthes practically not discerning the contradiction I would gladly have shewed the vainty of the rest of that Pamphlet because I see he hath contracted most of their common cavils into a narrow room but the rest is less to our present purpose and the same things are already answered by many and therefore I shall no further Digress in the pursuit of this Confuter having already said so much against the chief of their objections as may leave the impartial Reader confirmed in it That notwithstanding the Popish cavils to the contrary it is apparent that the Christian Catholike Reformed Religion commonly called Protestant is a safe way to Salvation Query Whether Popery be a safe way to Salvation Neg. IT is not as other mens Judges that we determine this Question to their own master do they stand or fall but it is to render an account of our own Belief and practice and for our further confirmation in the truth for the defence of it against gain-sayers and for the establishing of our people against the sophistry and seduction of Deceivers For the explication of the terms I shall tell you 1. What I mean by Popery 2. What I mean by Salvation 3. What by the way to it 4. What by the word Safe 1. Popery is a certain farrago a mixture of many grievous errors in the doctrine of Faith Government and Worship expressed in their Authorized writings especially in their decretals and Councils corrupting the Christian Religion which they profess the whole being denominated from that one falshood that the Pope of Rome is the Universall Bishop and Visible Head of the Universal Church and Christs Vicar-General on earth and that only is the Catholike Church and those only Catholiks that so believe Where note 1. That the Papists professing to be Christians do first own the substance of Christian doctrine and then corrupt it and contradict it by this fardle of their own inventions superadded They profess to believe the holy Scriptures to be the word of God and to be true every Book that we believe and more They profess to believe all the Articles of the ancient Creeds commonly called the Apostles the Nicene or Constantinopolitane It is not the Christianity or true doctrine which they profess which we call Popery 2. It is therefore onely their own invented corruptions by which they contradict the Christian verity which they profess which we call Popery 3. Note That the common denominating corruption is the forementioned doctrine of the Popes Universal Episcopacy and Headship or a supreamacy at least if not Infallibility and that the Catholike Church and the Romane Church is all one and the Pope is the visible center of its Unity 4. Note also that as to the rest of their corruptions they agree not among themselves what is to be esteemed of their faith or Religion and what not and therefore it cannot be expected that we should give you an exact enumeration of the points of their faith and so a compleat description of Popery which is such a self-contradicting unreconcileable hodg podge But their errors may be distributed into these three rankes 1 Those that are established by the Pope and his supposed general Councel These they all receive and own 2. Those that are established by the Popes Decretals without a Council These some own as points of their faith and some reject them I will not adde as the third those that are established by a Council without the Pope not because there never was a Council that dissented from him in Good but because it is a difficult matter at least to find any Council that did go beyond or without him in Evil or erred without his Approbation 3. The third sort therefore shall be those opinions that are commonly maintained by their most Approved Writers which are published in books that are licensed and commended by the Popes Authorized agents but are not determined by the Pope or his Council These though they contend for and lay great weight on them in their disputations yet dare they not own them as any part of the matter of their faith lest they seem to be what they are divided and mutable A man would think that those volumnious hot disputes about Divine things did intimate that the Authors did fide divinâ— believe those points which they do so zealously dispute of But if it be their pleasure that we should so distinguish we will call the rest the Popish faith or Religion and these last the Popish opinions because we would fasten on them nothing but their own If you ask me which be those doctrines which they take for points of faith which we call Popery I must refer you to their Decretals and Councils on one side and Gods word on the other and all the Doctrines in those their Canons or determinations that are against the word of God are the doctrines which we mean by this name If they do lay greater stress upon any one point than others its likely to be on those that are put into their Creeds and Vows and therefore I shall onely recite the latter half of their Tridentine Creed seeing they will own that or â—othing When they have begun with the ancient Constantinopolitane Creed containing the true Principles of Christian Religion and have ended that they proceed thus as followeth The Apostolical and Ecclesiastical traditions and the rest of the Observations and constitutions of the same Church I do most firmely admit and embrace I admit also the sacred Scripture according to that sence which the Holy Mother the Church hath held and doth hold to whom it belongeth to judge of the true sence and interpretation of the Holy Scriptures and I will never take and interpret it but according to the unanimous consent of the Fathers I do profess also that there are seven truely and properly Sacraments of the new Law instituted by Jesus Christ our Lord and necessary to the salvation of mankind â—hough not all to every one to wit Baptisme Confirmation the Eucharist Pennance extreame Vnctiâ—n Order and Matrimony and that they confer â—race and that of these Baptisme Confirmation and Order cannot be reiterated without Sacriledge I do also receive and admit the received and approved Rites of the Catholike Church in the solemne Administration of all the aforesaid Sacraments I do embrace and receive all and singular things which in the Holy Council of Trent were defined and declared about Original sin and Justification In like manner I do profess that in the Mass there is offered to God a true pâ—per and propitiatory sacrifice for the living and fâ— the dead and that in the most holy Srcrament of â— Eucharist there is Truely Really and Substantiâ—â—y the body and blood together with the soul and Diâ—â—nity of our Lord Jesus Christ and that there 〈◊〉 change made of the whole substance of Bread â— the Body and of the whole substance of Wine 〈◊〉 blood which change
3. I would desire any Papists living to tell me why the Text doth not as much oblige him to believe that The Cup is the New Testament substantially without a figure as that The Bread is his Body For the Text as expresly saith one as the other Luk. 22.20 This Cup is the new Testament in my Blood Yet I suppose they will be content to say that by The New Testament is meant the Sacrament or Seal of the New Testament 4. Why will not these blind wretches believe the Holy Ghost who calls it Bread at the eating after the consecration 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. three times together and tells us that the use of it is to remember and shew the Lords death till he come I might here adde to this in the next place their worshiping oâ— Saints especially of the Virgin Mary with prayers to her as the Queen of Heaven to forgive their sins and to command her Son to forgive them with abundance more of such impious idolatrous or sacrilegious expressions as might make the ears of a sober Christian even to tingle But these things have been so oft told them and are so visible in their Offices and other writings that I shall pass them over As also their worshiping of Images and publike using them to that end in their Churches Though most of their Laity that I have met with say that they use them but for a remembrance of the Saints and do not worship them and that 's bad enough in such cases yet their learned Schoolmen and Doctors tell us another tale as is too visible in many of their writings Arg. 10. That Doctrine which teacheth men to turn the most of Gods worship into meer unreasonable ceremonies and vain formalities of mans dev ising is not a safe way to salvation But such is the doctrine of Popery Therefore c The Major is certain For 1. God hath taken down the ceremonial Law which he himself had made and therefore will not give leave to man to set up another in its stead and to burden his Church with unncessary things 2. It is contrary to the freedom and spiritual state of the Gospel Church The Apostle bids us stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free And Christ saith that God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and Truth for such worshipers the Father seeketh And he telleth the formal ceremonious Pharisees that they worshipped God in vain teaching for doctrines the Commandments of men Mat. 15.6 7 8 9. Joh. 4.23 24. Gal. 5.1 As for the Minor it were tedious to recite but half the Romish ceremonies and formalities with which â—hey both delude and burden poor sinners For the word of God in a tongue which they understand they must hear a sound of a strange language which they understand not Instead of singing praises with the heart as David and with the understanding as Paul requireth they sing over prayers and Scriptures and other things in uncouth notes and in the Latine tongue which the people understand not The Eucharist or Lords Supper is also celebrated in Latine and the prayers and praises adjoyned and the Cup taken from the people and all turned into a meer shew by elevation of the host adoration of it gaping while the Priest doth pop the Bread into their mouthes Prayers also are used in Latine so that the substance of publike worship is thus made a very Picture or unreasonable service Yea they teach them to pray partly in Latine in private and partly with vain repetitions multiplying over the name Jesu nine times together and rehearsing over their canting shreds and numbering their prayers on their beads to keep tale and observing such and such hours and praying to Saints to one Saint for this and another for that giving the elogies and prayers and praises to the Virgin Mary that are due to God alone Sacraments they multiply even Marriage which in the Clergy is a deadly sin and the avoiding it by the Laity is a work of supererogation yet must it be a Sacrament The Rules of their several Monastical orders were tedious to recite Touch not taste not handle not such meats must not be eaten on such a day such orders must use such meats and forbear such other Orders forbear other meats some must be thus shorn shaven clothed and some thus Much of their Devotion consisteth in being sprinkled with Holy Water anointed with Chrysme creeping to the Altar striking 〈◊〉 the breast making and wearing the Cross setting it up and worshiping it in high wayes and Church-yards worshiping Crucifixes and bowing before the Images of God the Holy Ghost in the form of a Dove and of the Saints travelling to certain Images and shrines in Pilgrimage offering to them especially to our Lady at some famous places compassing the Church so oft formal penances observing multitudes of Holy-dayes for the Saints hearing so many Masses saying such or such words carrying Palms taking ashes carrying banners following the Cross and host in processions and worshiping it bearing candles In Baptisme salting crossing spathing exorcizing washing hands Also baptizing bels Ceremonious consecrations saying Dirges and Masses for departed souls forswearing marriage renouncing propriety pardons and indulgencies from the Pope with abundance of the like delusory carnal formalities in which much of the Popish devotion doth consist And how can any unprejudiced man that is but possessed with the Spirit of God and truely knoweth what it is to worship him imagine that God is pleased with such histrionical gandes and childish things I confess the reading of their very books of devotion their offices to our Lady and others the like which are stuffed with such superstitious and unreasonable passages seems enough to me to turn the heart of a sober man against their way For who can think that the Holy and Blessed God will be delighted in their vain bablings and childish cantings and affected ropetitions of words and saying and hearing we know not what would any wise man regard such expressions of love or honor If your friend or your child should express his Love and respects to you by mimick gestures and gambals and making strange faces or repeating over your name nine times in a breath or ridiculous cantings complements and actings like a Stage Player would you applaud or delight in such expressions of love and honor as these Or would you not rather say as the Philistine King of David when he spit and scraped on the Wall Have I need of mad men It is sure a carnal unreasonable doctrine that leadeth men to such carnal unreasonable services of that God who will be served reasonably in spirit and in truth They that have but an Image or shadow of Faith and Grace and can expect no more of Glory are like enough to be well pleased with these Images and meer shadows of Gods worship But its like to be otherwise with him that hath a spirit of
Images They elevate not the Sacrament nor reserve it after Communion Their Priests labor but beg not The Emperor conferreth Bishopricks and Benefices They use no confirmation nor extreame unction They admit a first marriage in Bishops and Priests They eat flesh on Fridays And yet this man saith they differ not from them The second Chapter is the meer ebullition of foolish malice deserving no reply to those that do not desire to be deceived He would prove that according to these laxe principles of our charity we may agree with Jews Turkes Mahometans As if we needed a dispute to prove that these are no Christians and that the Greeks Abassines c. are But such disputes do the Papists put us upon The Bishop had concluded in his Sermon that If we should survey the several professions of Christianity that have any large spread in any part of the world and put by the points wherein they differ one from another and gather into one body the rest of the Articles wherein all generally agree we should finde so much truth in them as being joyned with holy obedience may be sufficient to bring a man to everlasting salvation neither have we cause to doubt but as many as do walk according to this rule neither overthrowing that which they have builded by superinducing any damnable heresies thereupon nor otherwise vitiating their holy faith with a leud and wicked conversation Peace shall be upon them and Mercy and upon the Israel of God And what hath the Confuter to say against this Why first he begins with the Sacraments to try whether those commonly agreed on may save And here he first tells us that Some Churches are for seven some for three and some for two â—â—d no more therefore here is no agreement Rep. 1. Leâ— the nominal differences about the word Sacrament be first laid by unless you think that word necessary to salvation and then we shall the better see what real difference remaineth 2. The two Sacraments then are confessed by all and the use of the rest which you call Sacraments This much in its own place then may save where no more is confessed 3. You vainly put in the exclusion of more for that 's none of the things that all agree on All agree that there are two Sacraments and those may save But all agree not that there is but two This man therefore seems to dote when he should gather up the common agreements according to the Bishops proposal he gathers up the disagreements or vainly pretendeth that we agree in nothing What do not you confess that Baptisme and the Lords Supper are Sacraments and do not we do so too Next he comes to the use of Baptisme and saith that The Romanes and Greeks say that there is no other use of baptisme but to wash away sin The Protestants of England and Geneva say that it is no laver of Regeneration at all but onely a seal of Gods promise made to the party baptized and that the childe unbaptized may be saved and the baptized damned Repl. 1. You make your selves much more the Greeks worse then you are Do not your own maintain that Baptism admitteth into the Church and granteth many other priviledges besides washing away sin 2. We say that to the children of promise it doth secondarily and by obsignation wash away or pardon sin by way of obsignation and solemne exhibition as the promise doth primarily as a deed of gift or legal Grant as also that in the same way it secondarily conveyeth further Grace according to the capacity of the subject and admitteth into the Church And all this is commonly confest by your selves and all Christians of the Greek or Abassine Churches c. This much alone without your additions is as much at least as is necessary to salvation to be believed concerning baptism Next he cometh to the Lords Supper and saith that one party holdeth the real presence and the other not And what of this Doth that prove the insufficiency of what all are agreed on what we hold you deny not We hold the signifying and sealing and exhibiting use of the Sacrament though we deny Transubstantiation And dare you deny these We hold that it is the commemoration of the sacrifice of Christs body and blood offered once on the Cross for the sins of the world and that it is a means of Church-communion And dare you deny these Lay by your Additions and that which we are all agreed in is enough to salvation His next instance is about Faith Because we say that Historical faith may be in Devils and Miraculous faith in the wicked and Calvin defineth justifying faith to be a firme and certain knowledge of the love of God to us c. and the Lutherans that it is an undoubted perswasion of the pardon of our sins and adoption c. and this faith is by the Councel of Trent condemned to the pit of hell therefore he concludeth that there is no saving faith common to Papists and Protestants Repl. Here again you vainly and fallaciously bring in the disagreements and over pass the agreements 1. We are agreed that all those which the Protestants call the Canonical books of Scripture are the word of God and true and particularly all the Articles of the Creed and many things more We are agreed that Christ and life is offered by the Universal promise in the Gospel to all that hear it and that all must first believe the truth of this promise and then heartily consent to the offer and accept the benefit and also believe and fear the threatning and joyn sincere love and obedience to all this This we are all agreed in And this is certainly saving to all that sincerely believe and do as they thus profess But then whether Historical faith be common or not whether assurance or strong perswasion of pardon be faith or justifying faith with other the like these we are not agreed in and without these we may be saved The next exception is only this The Bishop tells us not what be those Heresies that destroy this common faith Rep. And doth that cross his former charitable conclusion What because he undertakes not an alien task Why in general they are any thing that is so held as that the common Articles of faith cannot be held with it and that practically The sum of the next passage is this That its absurd for us to call them the true Church or say they may be saved when we have charged them with so much error and idolatry c Repl. 1. We onely say that you are a polluted part of the Church 2. If your salvation be made so difficult by your errors look you to that The Bishops conclusion of the sufficiency of the communiter credita is nevertheless sound though you destroy your selves by your corrupt additions 3. Multitudes among you believe not your Infallibility Transubstantiation and many the like errors 4. Many that behold them as opinions
being the fountain of all darkness or at least the cause of mens wandrings Onely where they cannot help it or as Stapleton saith where Heresies are most common there they will permit or connive at it for their own ends For Necessity hath no Law I conclude therefore and confidently conclude that Popery is not a safe way to heaven because it doth 1. both vilifie Gods Scriptures as an insufficient Rule and but part of his word And 2. presumeth to alter its most express institutions as the Cup in the Lords Supper And 3. expresly contradict it in forbidding the Prayers of the Church to be in a known tongue 4. And forbid the publike reading of Scripture in a known tongue 5 And forbid the translating of Scripture and the reading of such translations even by any private man unless he have the Ordinaries Licence which he may get in those Countries where there is no remedy The Kingdome of the Devil is called in Scripture the Kingdom of darkness and Christs Kingdom is called a Kingdom of light and when ever God converteth a sinner he translateth him from the Power of Darkness into his marvellous light even into the Kingdom of his dear Son Act. 26.18 Col. 1.13 1 Pet. 2.9 And God is the father of lights Jam. 1.17 And Satan is the Prince of the powers of darkness Luk 22 53. Rev 16.10 And Christ hath told us that he that walketh in darkness stumbleth and knoweth not whither he goeth Joh. 12.35 46. And that every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to the light lest his deeds should be reproved but he that doth truâ—â— cometh to the light that his deeds may be made manifest that they are wrought in God Joh. 3.21 The Papists therefore give us reason to think they have not the truth were it but in this enmity which they bear unto the Light Arg. 9. That doctrine which teacheth men to worship the creature with Divine worship is no safe way to salvation But Popery teacheth men to worship the creature with Divine worship Therefore it is no safe way to salvation The Major will not be denyed by Papists The Minor I prove by one instance onely at this time and that is their worshiping of the consecrated Host or Bread in their Mass and at other times He that worshipeth the consecrated Bread with Divine worâ—hip doth worship the creature with Divine worship But the Papists worship the consecrated Bread with Divine worship therefore They deny the Major and tell us that it is no longer Bread but the Body of Christ But that they worship that thing which we call Bread and they call Christs Body with Divine worship they do not deny Onely some would excuse them from the guilt of Idolatry which is a worshiping the creature instead of the Creator by this because they think it is Christ that they worship and so interpretatively it is he in deed and the worship right But if they will think that to be Christ which is not Christ and then worship it that will not excuse them from being some kind of Idolaters What if they will think a Ranter or Quaker to be Christ who call themselves Christ are they therefore excusable if they worship them Then why might not the old Pagan Idolaters be justified or thus excused seeing they thought that the Sun and Moon had been Gods And when they worshiped an Image they thought that some Deity had affixed this special presence to that Image What if an Egyptian thought that an Oxe was God or that a Deity did dwell in him were they therefore no Idolaters And then how hainously God taketh the sin of Idolatry the Scripture fully witnesseth That which we have to do therefore is onely to enquire whether indeed it be bread or Christs body a creature or the Creator which they worship Concerning which there is so much said by Doctor Featly against Fisher and by Peter Martyr against Smith and elswhere and by Jewel Foxe and abundance more that if people would read it I should think it vain to say any more I shall onely annex â—hese Reasons very briefly which come first to my thoughts to prove that the Bread is not turned into the very body of Christ but remaineth Bread still 1. If the Bread were Christs real Body then Christ had two real bodies for he had one sitting at the table which delivered the Bread and if the Bread were another he had two or else the body that Christ sate and lived with was not a whole body but a part But Christ had but one body and that was entire 2. It would follow also that Christ had a living and a dead body a sensible and insensible body both at once 3. It would follow that the Apostles did tear Christ true flesh and draw out his blood as well as the Jews did 4. Yea and that they began to the Jews and did it before them And therefore why should the Jews act and theirs be so much differenced 5. It will follow that either Christ had one body torne by the Jews and another by the Disciples or else that one part of his body onely was crucified and not the whole for the other part was eaten and drunk by the Disciples before 6. Also either Christ had one body that did Rise again and another that never rose or else it was but one part of Christs body that rose from the dead for the other part was eaten and drunke before 7. The like may be said of his ascension Then it is not Christs whole body that ascended up into heaven for part of it was eaten before by the Disciples and digested by them 8. It will follow that Christs glorified body is corruptible and may be digested by a mans stomacke and turned into dung For so is that which is eaten 9. It will follow also that Christs body may become an integral part of our very natural bodyes and so his body is become sinful as being a natural part of a sinner for the Bread and Wine do nourish us and turn into our substance 10. Yea it followeth that Christ doth thus turn into the substance of every child of the Devil that eateth the consecrated Bread and drinketh the Wine For they certainly nourish him and turn into his substance A most horrid consequent For what communion hath Christ with Belial 11. Nay which is in some respect more horrid and abominable to imagine it will follow that the Glorified body of Christ may turn into the substance of a mouse or a Dog for if they eat it the bread will certainly nourish them and become their substance 12. It will follow that either Christ hath an insensible body or else men hurt him by eating him in the Eucharist 13. It followeth that Christ hath as many thousand bodies as there be consecrated hosts or else that by continuation of parts it is every where and filleth all the world which the Papists disavow 14. It followeth
pain of excommunication 35. They teach that whole Christ is in either of the Elements and that the whole Nature of the Sacrament is to be found in one of them neither is any more profit reaped from communion in both kinds then in one 36. Nay that he gets more who communicates in one in obedience to the Church then he that communicates in both without that huge fruit of obedience 37. But this taking away of the Cup from the people may seem a small matter for it is done but once every year at which time the Sacrament is given to the people For in all the rest of the Masses which are continual and daily they deprive both the people and the Clergy that do not consecrate it of both kinds For in private Masses it is held forth to be seen by the people and Clergy and to be adored not to be received but onely by the Priest that makes it 38. They urge a mixture of Water with the Wine in the Cup as most necessary 39. And they assert that the Body of the Lord cannot be rightly taken but of those that fast 40. They have converted the Sacrament of the Eucharist by which God communicates Christ to us into a real Sacrifice in which they do offer up Christ to God 41. Also the Table into an Altar and the administrator of the Sacrament into a Priest after the order of Melchizedek 42. They say this new Sacrificing is required that Christs Body may begin to be an oblation 43. That Christ in the last Supper did offer his body and blood in both kinds of Bread and Wine to God the Father as an oblation 44. That Christ did once offer up himself for us upon the Cross in the Mass often by the hands of the Priests 45. That t is one and the same sacrifice which is done in the Mass and which is offered on the Cross onely they differ in the manner of oblation being without blood 46. Every Mass Priest offering Christ to God the Father prayes God to accept that Sacrifice and to command that it may be carried by the hands of an Angel unto the high Altar of God 47. And therefore they make the Priest Mediator between God and Christ 48. The Priest in offering that Sacrifice to God for thers is a Mediator between God and the men for whom he celebrates the Mass 49. That Christ when he said in the Supper Do this commanded the Apostles and their Successors that they should Sacrifice him and offer him up to God the Father 50. That by the same words Christ did appoint his Apostles to be Priests 51. That one never to be repeated offering of Christ by which he hath consecrated those that are sanctified for ever They do offer thousands almost infinite times 52. Neither do they do it onely at divers times and in divers places but in the same Temple they celebrate divers Masses at divers Altars 53. They also celebrate Masses â—â—e they offer Christ himself to God for the honor of the Saints to obtain their intercession with God 54. That the sacrifice of the Mass which they confess is without Blood is truely propitiatory for the living and for the dead 55. That the same sacrifice is impetratory not only of Spiritual but Temporal blessings hence they are wont to celebrate Mass i. e. offer Christ to God â—or the obtaining of health for defence for a prosperous journey for victory in war and all other such Temporal benefits yea for Horses and Hoggs c. 56. By the Mass which being hired they are wont to celebrate for others They say they can apply to them the vertue of Christs death to take away their sins and to obtain all manner of benefits 57. By Masses are souls delivered out of Purgatory 58. To conclude They have most filthily polluted the Sacrament of the Eucharist with a multitude of foolish Ceremonies which were too long to rehearse And yet in the observation of them they place the worship of God and merit and urge them as most necessary and not to be omitted without mortal sin § 9. Of their Sacrament of Penance 1. THat Repentance Penance is a Sacrament properly so called 2. That Repentance in the New Testament is another thing from that which was in the old and alâ— that in the new Testameâ—â— which is after Baptisme is another thing from that which â—s before For that Repentance which is in the Old Testament or before Baptism is not a Sacrament That saying of Luther is heresie A new Life is the best Penance 3. They say contrition is an Act of the Will done by the power of Freewill or a sorrow voluntarily assumed 4. That contrition does deserve forgiveness of sins 5. That its necessary to justification that sins all and every one as far as may be be confessed to the Priest as to a judge 6. That this confession is meritorious of remission of the fault the lessening of the punishment the opening of Paradise and of confidence of salvavation 7. Without Sacramental which they call Auricular Confession or the vow of it sins cannot be forgiven 8. That sin which was declared under the Seal of Confession is by no meanes to be disclosed though it were the Crime of Treason or Rebellion 9. By the doctrine of satisfaction they do sacrilegiously and blasphemously derogate from the satisfaction of Christ 10. They teach indeed the satisfaction of Christ to be full for all both in respect of the fault and also the punishment but by way of sufficiency not by way of efficiency but satisfaction by way of sufficiency onely deserves not the name of satisfaction 11. They say the fault being remitted there remains a debt of punishment to be paid for which satisfaction must be made 12. That satisfaction is required for the compensation of the wrong done to God and the satisfying of divine justice 13. That a justified man may truely and properly make satisfation not onely to the Church but even to God himself namely for the guilt of punishment which remains to be expiated after the fault is remitted 14. That it is unbecoming Divine Clemency to remit sin without our own satisfaction Three wayes we are said to satisfie the Lord. 15. First By patiently bearing the scourges and punishments laid on us by God 16 Secondly By voluntary undertaking laborious works 17. Thirdly By undergoing the punishment imposed by the discretion of the Priest 18. That all the afflictions of the faithful are to be accounted for true and proper punishments of sin 19. That the calamities which are laid upon the just after conversion are to be born in some sence to compensate their offence 20. That it is not sufficient that we repent except we also satisfie God by painful and satisfactory works 21. Amongst those painful works they reckon their Whippings of themselves and Pilgrimages unto the places of the Saints c. 22. Prayer