and cleane and bright like to heauen Secondly how can they in the first petition say Hallowed be thy name and hope that they by true loue honour and obedience to God can sanctify and make holy his name by their life and actions who belieue that euery action they do euen the best they can do is a sinne and that mortall damnable Surely to pray that by actions which are prophane we may sanctify Gods name that by workes which are offences to God we may please God that by deedes which are damnable and deserue hell we may prayse God and deserue heauen is a prayer not only so hoplesse as it is not possible but also senslesse that no reasonable man can be imagined to make it Thirdly how can they wih confidence say Thy kingdome come that is that Christ may raigne as a King either in his Church by fayth or in the faythfull by grace or in heauē by glory who belieue and professe that Christ was not able to preserue his Church for so many ages togeather without errour of Antichristianity and Idolatry no not so much as in extancy or visibility nor yet hath power by grace so to raigne in any his seruants as to maister any sin or temptation to sin or to performe any one commandement or to do any one action which is iust and not sinnefull Surely weake is that King poore is that Kingdome where neither the King hath power to protect his subiects from the inuasion of the enemy nor the subiect hath ability to performe any action which may tend to the honour and seruice of the King Againe what needes any man to pray that either Christ may raigne in him by grace present or that he may raigne with Christ in glory to come who is certaine and sure by his speciall fayth as all Protestants say they are that both he is for the present in state of Gods fauour and also shal be for the future in state of glory in heauen Surely he that belieues this needs not to pray either for pardon of sinnes which he is sure are pardoned or for his obtaining heauen which he is sure to obtaine Fourthly how can any one in the third Petition say Thy will be done in earth as it is in heauen Vnderstanding that Gods will should by vs be performed in doing good deedes and auoiding bad that we should conforme our selues to the will of God both in the materiall obiect by doing that which he will haue done and in the formall by doing it both for the end and after the manner as he will haue it done who belieues 1. That man hath no freedome or power to worke the will of God 2. That Gods will is wrought in euery action as well bad as good 3. That the will of God in performing his commandements is impossible 4. That good workes in this life are neither meritorious nor necessary nor yet possible 5. That in earth euery man and euery action of his is sinnefull and vncleane and in heauen euery Saint Angell and euery action of theirs is good pure and perfect For as it is needlesse to pray that Gods will be performed which ineuitably shal be performed both in good and bad actions in which man hath no liberty or power so it is bootlesse to pray that men may either be freed from sinne or may do good workes or may fullfill Gods commandements or may do his will in earth as Saints and Angels do it in heauē because according to their beliefe all this in this life is impossible and neither euer was nor euer shal be by any at any tyme performed In vaine therefore is it for vs to pray that we may conforme our selues to the will of God either in the affirmatiue precept in doing that which he commaunds or in the negatiue precept in omitting that which he forbids either in the materiall obiect in doing what he commands or in the formall in doing how and why he commands sith both and all are either necessary and so must be done or impossible and so cannot be done Fifthly how can any man say Giue vs our dayly bread Vnderstanding either of temporall sustenance for the reliefe of the body or of Sacramentall food the body and bloud of Christ who belieues either that the decree will and ordinance of God doth impose an infallible and an ineuitable necessity vpon all things whereby all thinges necessary wil be prouided for vs as God hath ordayned without our prayer or that the Eucharist is not the true body and bloud of Christ but only a figure or signe of it because the beliefe of the former takes away all necessity of praying for temporall sustenance and the misbeliefe of the latter opposes all desire of the supersubstantiall bread of the body of Christ in the Eucharist Sixthly how can any man with confidence say Forgiue vs our trespasses as we forgiue them that trespasse against vs Vnderstanding by trespasses his debts or sinnes by forgiue remit or take away the same For if Fayth be precedent and presupposed to prayer as it is for els how can we as we ought with fayth and confidence aske and pray and the same faith as they say doth assure vs by a certaine and infallible perswasion that our sinnes are already forgiuen or not imputed then surely in vaine needlesse yea foolish is our petition to haue them remitted or not imputed 2. If euery good worke be a sinne as they defend and that mortall then by sinne and that mortall such as is the saying though neuer so deuoutly of this prayer and petition is sinne remitted and so comitting of sinne should be a meanes to obtaine remissiō of sinne which is most absurd as though the committing of a new offence should be a motiue to pardon the old 3. If no sinne be remitted in this life but only couered and not imputed then in vaine and hoplesse is our prayer for remission and taking away our sinnes as of a thing impossible and needlesse and bootlesse is our prayer for the not imputation of the same because as before in the elect they are already not imputed in the reprobate they neuer shal be imputed either therefore fruitlesse and hopelesse as a thing impossible is the remitting and taking away of our sinnes or needlesse fearelesse as a thing certaine is the not imputation of the same by this petition demanded sith the one is impossible to be obtained and the other is certainly already possessed and enioyed needlesse therefore or hopelesse is this petition of forgiuenes of our sinnes by their principles Seauenthly how can any man with confidence in the sixt petition say Lead vs not into temptation that is into no danger or occasion of sinne into no consent or act of sinne to to come who belieues 1. That God wills and workes all sinnes and occasions of sinnes 2. That as he hath already decreed so euery action and
and soule so was Christ to suffer and did suffer not only in body by shedding his bloud which as corporall auailed little but in soule also which for the sinnes of the soule was to suffer the paines due to the soule And as man was to suffer the paines of hell in body in soule so was Christ to suffer and did suffer all the same paines of hell which man should haue suffered and so was presented before the tribunall of God for man as guilty of sinne Feared the iudgment of God against this sinne doubted and feared the sentence of his damnation for this sinne and wauered betweene blessing and cursing of God betweene praysing and blaspheming of God vttered wordes not only of inconsideration and perturbation but euen of desperation and at last suffered all the paines and torments of hell in his soule vpon the Crosse which any damned doth suffer or ought to suffer in his soule for the same sinnes in hell In which 1. They deny the fulnesse and perfection of Christs redemption euen of the elect in that they deny the infinite excesse of dignity and value in euery action and passioÌ„ of Christ as proceeding from his diuine person aboue the malice of sinne 2. They doe derogate from the vertue of Christs bloud shed by his passion of which the Scripture affirmes that he iustified vs in his bloud that he redeemed vs in his bloud washed vs in his bloud pacifyed for vs in his bloud purchased vs with his bloud and made his new testâ—ment in his bloud in that they affirme nothing had beene done if Christ had dyed only a corporall death 3. They do extenuate the merit of Christ in that they auerre that in the iudgmeÌ„t of God there is no place of merit for Christ. 4. They do impose vpon our B. Sauiour horrible impiety blasphemy in that they auouch him to haue doubted feared and wauered in his saluation to haue beene ready to curse and blaspheme and to haue despaired and suffered all the torments of the damned in hell In all which as they impose this horrible blasphemy vpon our B. Sauiour Iesus and make him more sinnefull and vncertaine of his saluation then they are of theirs so they do most impiously derogate from the vertue of his death and passion and from the perfection of his redeÌ„ption and in the effect thereof euen in those elect who according to them he only by his death saued redeemed Secondly because to be a perfect and full Redeemer of the elect is requisite that he redeeme them from the seruitude and misery into which by sinne they fell which was the seruitude and misery 1. Of sinne into which being depriued of grace they of themselues cannot but fall and of themselues cannot ryse again you are seruants of sinne 2. Of Sathan to whome by sinne they are made captiue and cannot of themselues resist his will 3. Of sensuality and the law in the members repugning to the law of the mind which of themselues they cannot maister 4. Of the law of workes which of themselues they cannot performe but by it remaine vnder the curse 5. Of hell which for their owne demerit is due to them we haue made a couenant with hell But by this doctrine of sole fayth that Christ did not redeem euen the elect from any of these captiuityes and miseries especially of sinne Sathan sensuality and law of workes nor yet from Hell is proued Not from the seruitude of sin because the best man in his best workes according to Caluin and Luther cannot but sinne as before and because the iust hath no inherent grace or iustice to sanctify him from sinne but only imputatiue couering his sinne and making him seeme and shew iust Not from the seruitude of Sathan because he wants Free-will to resist him and so cannot but yield to his instigation and because he still remaines in sinne both originall and actuall and so by sinne remaines SathaÌ„s slaue Not from the concupiscence because it still remaynes in him infects euery action proceeding from him and because according to Caluin not to haue concupiscence is impossible and according to Luther to haue a VVoman is as necessary for a man as to eate drinke sleep or as to be a man Not froÌ„ the seruitude of the law because the performance of the law and the doing of good workes is impossible and because maÌ„ though iust remaines still guilty of the disobedience of the law Not from the misery of hell because while a man remaines a worker of sinne a seruer of concupiscence a transgressour of the law and a slaue of Sathan as according to the former confessed doctrine euen the iust and elect do he cannot but be subiect to hell and hell be due vnto him therefore if Christ redeeme not euen the elect and iust from the seruitude either of sinne Sathan sensuality the law or hell as by this their doctrine he doth not he cannot be a perfect and complete Redeemer euen of those elect whom only say they he came to redeeme Thirdly that this doctrine makes Christ a bad PhisitiaÌ„ worse Chirurgeon of soules to cure them of their sinnes is proued Because he infuses neither grace into our soares to cure them nor giues strength to our infirmityes to enable vs nor extinguishes the poyson of originall sinne which still infects our actions but only couers our soares and wounds with a faire cloake of his owne iustice presents vs thus couered before God as iust and imputes no sinnes vnto vs though inwardly indeed we remaine vniust and wicked in soule in hart and in all cogitations wordes or actions What doth Christ therfore Surely no more then a Chirurgeon who finding a man wounded and his woundes festered and infecting the rest of the body should only couer the same with a faire cloath produce and shew him to the people thus couered and for this cure accountes both the man safe and sound and also himselfe a perfect Chirurgeon or Phisitian worthy of honour and reward for his paines Such a Phisitian or Chirurgeon according to them is our Sauiour and such a cure doth he worke vpon all his elect whome he cures and redeemes no beter for he cures not by grace infused either the ignorance of the vnderstanding or the malice of the will or the concupiscence of the affections or the infirmity of the exteriour faculties but only couers and hides them with the cloake of his iustice and so imputes them for no sinnes and accounts the persons iust which is all the cure that our Phisitian Christ workes on vs in their new doctrine Fourthly that this doctrine makes Christ either no law-giuer at all contrary to the Prophets who call him a Law-giuer and to his disciple S. Iohn who sayes he gaue a new commandement or els such a law-giuer as makes lawes which are neither iust vpright nor
agreable to reason and equity is manifest for either they hould that Christ made no lawes and was no law-maker at al but a Sauiour only who tyed vs to none but freed vs from all lawes and cleared our conscience from all obligation to all lawes from all obedience to all lawes and from any scruple or punishment of transgressing any law naturall morall or diuine of Church or common-wealth of God or of man and by the liberty of his Ghospell gaue vs freedome to do what we will to omit or comit what we will without condition or obligation but only to belieue and assure our selues that we are sure to be saued Or if they admit any obligation of keeping any lawes as the morall law of the ten Commandement or other they auerre it to be impossible to keep them euen for the iust and perfect though assisted with the help of grace whereby they make God cruell in imposing that vpon vs which we are not able to performe vniust in punishing vs for that which he enforces vs to commit vnreasonable in charging vs aboue our ability in punishing vs for not doing that which we could not do As afterward is more at large shewed Fiftly That this faith doth take from Christ all authority either of iudging at all or of iudging vprightly so makes him either no iudge or an vniust iudge is proued Because in a iudge is requisite 1. That he vnpartially discusse and examine the cause 2. That he duely reward the iust 3. That he iustly punish the offender But this doctrine leaues no place for discussion of sinnes because according to it all works are sinnes as proceeding from originall sinne and infected with originall sinne and all sinnes are a like great as equally forbid by the law of sinne which forbids as well and vnder as great penalty at least in generall of death damnatioÌ„ the theft of a pin as of a pound therfore all discussioÌ„ of this difference is needlesse where no difference among them in greatnesse is admitted 2. It leaues no place for reward of God workes in that it admits neither any workes to bee before God good nor any persons to be inwardly iust nor any merit to be possible by any worke or person nor any reward to be due to any merit but where neither worke is good nor person iust nor merit deseruing there can be no iustice of remuneration in rewarding either good works or iust persons 3. It leaues no place to the iust punishing of the wicked for where all persons are either already iudged and sure to be punished as the Infidels and Pagans are for he that belieues not is already iudged or shall not at all be iudged nor punished as all faithfull Protestants shall not who are sure to be saued where the thing commaunded is impossible to be done or the law commaunding doth not oblige to the doing where God doth ordeine that thing to be doÌ„ne and compels the person to do it where the person commaunded hath neither ability to do the thing commaunded if he would nor yet fredome of will to do it if he could there can be no place of iustice in the lawmaker to punish the fact thus committed or the person committing it But so it is according to the former Protestant doctrine Therfore according to the same Christ cannot at the day of iudgment iudge any or at the least not iustly and cannot be either a iudge or at least not a iust iudge according to euery mans works Sixtly That this doctrine doth bereaue Christ of his priesthood and power of sacrificing and offering for sinnes is proued thus As in all states of nature cerimonall or grace sinnes were committed so in all states were sacrifices ordeined for remission of sinnes and priests appointed to offer for the same In the law of nature the sacrifice was voluntary the priest was the eldest of the family In the law of Moyses the sacrifice was determined to certaine beasts birds and meates and the priests were Aarons posterity and the tribe of Leui. In the law of grace the sacrifice is the body and bloud of Christ and the priests are Christs Apostles and who are consecrated by lawfull orders from them Christ as in persoÌ„ so in his Priesthood and sacrifice he surpassed both the eldest of the family in the law of nature and the Leuiticall priests the sacrifice of both for they were only men he was God man they were men sinfull he was not polluted with sinne they as men and sinners are far distant from God to whom like to men in sinne for whom they offer he as participating of God to whom and of man for whome he offers is one imediate with both They offered often and many times as wanting one full price able to make a full redemption at once he offered once for all and that a full price satisfaction sufficient for all They were annointed with materiall oyle of oliues he with internall oyle of Deity aboue his companions They offered sacrifices many in kind and meane in quality all inferiour to themselues he offered one and that most iust euen himselfe and his owne body bloud of which sacrifice himselfe was 1. The priest annointed by his incarnation to offer 1. The sacrifice ordeined by himselfe an hoast to be offered 3. The temple consecrated to God for his holy offering 4. The Altar in his body which was sprinckled with the bloud of this offering for all which reasons Abraham and the Leuitâ—all priests in him and in his soines as inferiour offered tithes to Melchisedech as superiour and in Melchisedech to Christ figured by him as the chiefe of all The sacrifices Christ offered were of two sorts both of them one and the same in substance to wit his owne body and bloud but diffeâ—ing and diuerse in the manner of offering the one on the Crosse the other at the supper the one bloudy the other vnbloudy the one in his owne forme of man visible the other in the forme of bread and wine inuisible The one once and not reiterated as being a sufficient price of our redemption the other often as the application of the former and that often repeated as sinnes are often committed By the one purchasing to himselfe his Church in his bloud by the other conseruing sanctifiyng the same to himselfe by his grace By the one as a cause meritorious deseruing grace pacifying God and reconciling man to God by the other as an instrument causing grace sanctification satisfaction and actuall remission of sinnes for by it as by Baptisme is wrought remission of sinnes and as by fayth hope charity and other vertues is obteined grace and saluation Now sith it is euident that Christ was 1. a Priest 2. According to the order not of Aaron but of Melchisedech 3. For euer Sith it is euident also 1. That a Priest and sacrifice are correlatiue and so mutuall that
writinges let him peruse the foresaid Collation where he shall find at large Gods expresse wordes that God wills not iniquity their expresse wordes that God wills iniquity Gods words that God doth not worke iniquity their wordes that God doth worke iniquity Gods words that he doth not coÌ„mand man to sinne their words that God doth command a man to sinne Gods words that God doth not tempt to euill their wordes that he doth tempt to euill Gods wordes that God doth hate all who worke iniquity and their wordes that he dâ—tâ— noâ— haâ—e them Gods wordes that he doth not â—ustify a wicked man remaining wicked their wordes that he doth iustify such a one Gods word that he is angry with the faythfull when they sinne their word that he is not angry with them Gods word thâ—t God is delighted with good workes their wordes that he is not delighted with good workes Gods words that God is worshipped with good works their wordes that he is not worshipped with them Gods wordes that God is pacifyed pleased with good workes their wordes that he is not pacifyed nor pleased with them Gods words that God will haue his Commandments kept their wordes that he will not haue them kept Gods words that God will haue mercy vpon all men their wordes that he will not haue mercy on all men Gods wordes that God doth loue all men their wordes that he doth not loue all men Gods words that he will haue all men to be saued their wordes that he will not haue all men to be saued Gods wordes that God wills not the death of a sinner their words that God wils the death of a sinner Gods wordes that God made not death their wordes that he made death Gods wordes that God hath no need of sinners their wordes that God hath need of sinners Gods wordes that God damnes men for their sinnes their wordes that he doth not damne them for their sinnes Gods wordes that God can do all thinges their wordes that God cannot do all thinges All which contradictions being in the forecited booke place expressed in the wordes of God in Scripture in the wordes of the authours themselues out of their owne writings and that only in one article concerning God to omit many other such like contradictions concerning Christ Scripture Church Sacraments Fayth good Workes in generall and particuler Sinnes Iustification Free-will the Commandements Heauen Hell and others in particuler to the nuÌ„ber of 250. in the same authour expressed in the wordes of Scripture and the Protestant authours themselues do euidently conuince that in most points of controuersies expresse Scripture is against them of which also some particuler instances are giuen in the former part of this Treatise and that they doe make God who is truth it selfe a false lying or dissembling God in his holy word holy Scripture which they would seeme so much to esteeme and honour SVBDIV. 6 Protestant Doctrine of Predestination makes God a most cruell Tyrant THAT this Protestant doctrine doth make God cruel most cruell and more cruell then any Tyrant in this world shall by these their positions and doctrine before proued appeare 1. In that they affirme God to haue imposed vpon man lawes impossible by him to be performed as the ten Commandements and for the breach of them to haue inflicted paines intollerable as hell-fier 2. In that they affirme God to haue ordeined appointed and created that vpon his owne meere will and pleasure without any demerit so much as in them foreseene the greater part of mankind to be damned for euer in the torments of hell 3. In that he hath taken from these men freedome of will and ordained decreed forced and necessitated these men to sinne that for this siâ—ne he might damne them and for the same hath damned and doth still damne many By which doctrine is taken away from God his chiefest attribute of mercy which is aboue all his workes and is attributed to him the chiefest property of the Diuell which is extreme cruelty For first if God do make lawes which are impossible to be kept and inflict punishment which is intollerable to be endured for the breach of them then are Gods lawes more seuere then were the laws of Draco the Athenian who made lawes so cruell that he inflicted death equally vpon all offences as well lesse as greater as well for taking a bunch of grapes as for stealing a great treasure as well vpon those who were only idle as vpon those who were murderous because sayd he the least offence deserued death a great offence could not haue a greater punishment then death for which Demades sayd such lawes were to be writ not with inke but with bloud and Solon did after seauenteene yeares abrogate them all and made new but according to this doctrine Gods lawes inflict a death not temporall but eternall and paines not for an hower but for euer as well for euery idle word as for an horrible murder as well for stealing a penny as a thousand pounds as well for an vnuoluntary suggestion to sinne as a voluntary consent act or custome of sinne and which is more for not doing that which was impossible for them to do or for committing that which God himselfe forced them to commit Memorable are the tyrannies of the Herods in holy Scripture Of Herod the King who to kill one most innoceÌ„t kild all the innocent children about Bethleem Of Herod the Tetrarch who to please a dancing Wench cut off the head of a holy S. Iohn Baptist And of Herod â—grippa who to please the people kild S. Iames would haue kild S. Peter if the Angell had not freed him out of prison Memorable are the crueltyes of Adonibezec who cut off the fingars and toes of 70. Kinges and fed them with scraps vnder his table Of Abimelec who kild vpon one stone the seauenty sonnes of Ieroboall Of Amman who would haue kild all the Iewes in all the kingdome of assuerus in one day Memorable were the cruelties of Hannibal who of dead bodies of the Romans made a bridge and of his wife who said that a Ditch full of bloud was a gratefull spectacle Of Mythridates who with one letter caused foure score thousand Roman Merchants to be kild at one tyme in Asia Of the Hetrurians who tyed the bodies of the liuing Romans to the dead that the one might dye by corruptioÌ„ of the other Of Atrius who kild cut in peeces boiled and set before his brother Thyestas his owne children to eate Of Ptolomy of Aegypt who kild his owne sonne Memphis borne of his owne sister and wife Cleopatra and sent the head handes and feet to his mother for a present Of the Emperour Nerâ— who set Rome on fire desired to see all the world on the like fire and wished that all the Cittizens had but one head that he might cut it off at
in soule and that not to the lowest Hell but only to the graue or buriall and so Act. 2. Thou shalt not leaue my soule in hell they change soule into carkasse and hell into graue translating it Thou shalt not leaue my carkasse in the graue as Beza and Bucer 5. By those who admit his descension to haue beene in soule but yet suffering the very paines of hell and of the damned either after his death in hell as Luther Gerlachius and some other mentioned by Beza or before his death in the garden and vpon the Crosse as Caluin VVillet and others before cited 6. By those who question this article as suspected to haue beene intruded into the Creed after it was made as Caluin All which opinions as they either deny any Limbus Patrum to haue euer beene or any reall torments of hell as yet to be or as they affirme Christ to haue descended only in vertue and merit not in body or soule or only in body to the graue or in soule to suffer the paines of hell either after death in hel or before death vpon the Crosse and in the garden are all contrary to this part of this article in which is affirmed Christs descending into hell that is in soule to Limbus to free the Fathers and Patriarches there and to carry them with him into heauen Secondly his Resurrection from the dead in the same article is oppugned 1. By those who according to Beza deny all resurrection as yet of Christs body more then of other mens 2. By the Vbiquitarians who affirme his body to haue had immensity and therby to haue beene euery where in all places euer after his Incarnation 3. By Caluin Beza and other who deny his Resurrection with the guift of subtility or penetration and affirme that his body could not pierce through the stone of the sepulcher or enter the doors to his Disciples without either the remouing or altering of the nature of the dores and stone by resoluing them into some liquid matter 4. By Caluin and others who deny the rysing againe of his bloud that was shed vpon the Crosse thereby the resurrection of his whole and entire body All which as they deny either any resurrection at all or the complete Resurrection of Christs body or the resurrection of the same with subtilty or penetration do euery one oppugne this article of Christs resurrection from the dead in such due sense as it ought to be belieued Seauenthly in the seauenth article attributed to S. Bartholomew is oppugned both the ascending of Christ to heauen and his sitting at the right hand of God the Father by power and dignity equall to him in person and excelling all creatures in his humane nature 1. By the Vbiquitarians who by the all-presence of Christs body in euery place take from it all possibility of ascending to a new place 2. By Caluin who by giuing to Christ a power not equall with God but Vicary or deputary to him and an honour not the same but only second in degree to Christ after God the Father by denying al situatiō either of sitting or standing of Christs body in heauen doth oppose both his Ascension and sitting at the right hand of God 3. By the same Caluin and others who deny all Ascension through the heauens by way of penetration and admit it only by diuision and by cutting off the heauens 4. By those who yield the Patriarches a priority and deny Christ the primacy of tyme in ascending to heauē All which as they either affirme an euery where presence of Christs body or a difference of honour between◠Christ as God and God the Father or as they deny either any penetration of Christs body through the heauens or any priority of his ascending before other soules are all opposite to the manner of Christs ascension and sitting at the right hand of God in glory Eightly in the eight article attributed to S. Matthew is oppugned the Cōming of Christ to iudge the quicke and the dead by their generall doctrine that God is authour and worker of all sinnes that the Commandements of God are impossible that man hath no freewill that there is no reward for good deedes that all sinnes be mortall and damnable For these supposed no way is left to discusse rightly the differēce of sinnes to punish iustly mens sinnes or to reward duly their good deeds Ninthly In the ninth article attributed to S. Iames the lesser is oppugned the beliefe of the holy Ghost and of the Catholicke Church both which S. Augustine makes one article Of the holy Ghost in that some as hath been shewed make it only the vertue not the substance of God others expung it out of their Letanies Others as the Geneuians deny the adoration of it Others as before do make it the authour worker of all sinne the sauiour of all sects who by a perswasion they cōceiue of it do euery one assure themselues of saluation which authority reason and experience conuince to be false Of the holy Catholicke Church in that some reiect the name Catholicke as vaine and change it into Christian others leaue it wholy out of the Creed as superfluous and all of them do generally affirme the Church for many ages to haue beene latent inuisible erroneous adulterous and antichristian without either head to gouerne it or authority to end any controuersies and to conserue vnity or to punish offenders in it and without any sanctity in the professours of it whom they make all to be sinners and that in all sinnes generally and in great sins mortally then how can such a Church be truely holy vniuersall and infallible in deciding the beliefe of articles determination of controuersies Tenthly In the tenth article attributed to S. Simon is oppugned the Communion of Saints and forgiuenesse of sinnes The communion of saints is oppugned 1. The communion of saints in earth one with another by denying all meanes of vnity in faith vnder one head and Iudge 2. The communion of saints in earth with the soules in purgatory by denying all prayer for the dead 3. The communion of Saints in earth with the Saints in heauen by denying all honour or praying by vs vnto them and all knowledge and praying by them either for vs in earth or others in purgatory The remission of sinnes is oppugned by denying al power of priesthood in Gods church to pronounce any sentence of absolution all vertue in Sacraments to haue any operation as instruments in the remitting of sinne all infusion of grace to blot out and wash away all vncleannesse and deformity of any sinne either originall or actuall which according to them are neuer remitted or taken away but only couered and not imputed Eleuenthly In the eleauenth article attributed to S. Iudas Thaddaeus is oppugned the resurrection of the body by all who before oppugned the resurrection of Christs body and
by many who now a dayes euen in England admit a resurrection in a like body but not in the same body which was before Twelthly In the twelth article attributed S. Matthias is oppugned the life euerlasting 1. By Luther who one while affirmes that the soule is made by propagatiō ex traduce not by creation and that the immortality of it is a popish fiction out of the dunghill of the Popes decrees anotherwhile that the soules of the iust of many damned do sleepe senselesse vntill the day of iudgment and that dogges sheep oxen and fishes shal be in heauen for our recreation 2. By Caluin who affirmes that the soules of the blessed remaine sleeping in the porch are not as yet entred into the kingdome of glory that faith is remaining in heauen that it is foolish temerarious to enquire where the soules of the iust are and whether as yet they be in glory or not All which many such like opinions of theirs as they are the inuention of this priuate spirit and are both absurd wicked or blasphemous so are they all plaine contrary to the Apostles Creed and do directly oppugne the articles of it And thus much of this priuate spirits doctrine as it oppugneth the articles of the Creed and in them all faith and beliefe Of absurdities against Prayer and the Pater noster SECT VII SVBDIV. 1. In generall making all Prayer needlesse or hopelesse SECONDLY This doctrine oppugneth the petitions of the Pater noster and all manner of prayer and deuotion to God for which we may note that as by faith we come to know God and his reuealed verities so by this hope we are animated to attaine to the fruition of God all that is good for vs. An effect of this hope is prayer by which we are emboldened in hope to obteine to speake to God and aske of him what we stand in need of Prayer therfore as it is according to S. Augustine an eleuating of the mind and a sacrifice to God a reliefe to man a terrour to Sathan a safegard to the soule a comfort to the Angells the perfect glory the certaine hope and incorrupted preseruer of all religion As it is an incense moūting vp to heauen a messenger we sēd to God where our selues cannot yet come a ladder by which we climbe to the throne of God and God descends to our vale of misery a hand which we reach to heauen which God returnes filled with benedictiōs to vs againe so it is not only a speciall vertue commended vnto vs by Christ who wils vs to pray and to pray often yea without intermission but also a chiefe practise the particulars wherof Christ himselfe did deliuer to vs both for the matter what and the māner how we should pray and make our petition This he did in the Pater Noster and the seauen petitions of it which being a compendium of all we are to aske as the Creed is of all we are to belieue we make in it besides the preparatory preface which teaches vs to haue confidence in God in that he is to vs not only a maister but a Father charity to our brethrē in that he is our Father and we all brethren his children by creation and adoption and a Reuerence both to Gods Maiesty as residing in heauen and also to his Saints and seruants in whom specially as in the heauens he dwels and reignes by grace as S. Augustine expounds it besides I say this preface or preparation we make seauen petitions of seauen seuerall things vnto God in which we desire blessings at Gods hands either positiue of good things to be obtained or preseruatiue from euill things to be auoided The positiue blessings we craue are either spirituall or corporall the spirituall are 1. the sanctification of Gods name in the first petition that is either true knowledge of him or right honour to him or constant perseuerance in him 2. The coming of his kingdome in the second that is the dilatation of his Church on earth the increase of his grace in our harts the obteining of his glory in heauen 3. The obedience to his will in earth as it is in heauen in the third that is as Gods will is done by Angells so it may be done by man as it is done by the iust so it may by sinners as it is wrought in the spirit so it may be in the flesh The corporall blessings we craue are our dayly bread in the fourth that is either temporall food for the body or doctrinall for knowledge of the vnderstanding or sacramentall of the Eucharist and whatsoeuer is conuenient for both soule body these are the four first petitions of positiue blessings The preseruatiue blessings are from euils from which we desire to be freed those either euils past as sin forgiue vs our trespasses in the fifth against God our neighbours or ourselus by commissiō or omission by thought word or deed or euils present lead vs not into tēptation in the sixt that is permit vs not to fall into any occasion or danger of sin by concupiscence of the flesh vanity of the world and malice of the Diuell Or euils to come deliuer vs from euill in the seauenth that is from all paine due to sinne originall or actuall by affliction in this life or by torments in the next life either in Purgatory or in hell and from whatsoeuer may hinder vs from God and all goodnes in this or the next life In which are summarily contained all the thinges pertaining to the honour of God or necessary for our body or soules in this life or the next It remaines to shew that the former positions of the Protestants do make all these petitions needlesse or fruitlesse needlesse as of thinges certaine which need to be asked fruitlesse as of thinges impossible which cannot be obtained which is shewed two wayes first in generall of all prayer secondly in particuler of these petitions In generall thus 1. That prayer is needlesse which prayes for that which is certaine cannot faile vs as either already past or assuredly possest or to come as for example that Christ should be borne or crucifyed which is past or that I should be a man or an English man which I am sure I am or that to morrow the Sunne should ryse or that men should rise at the day of iudgment which they are sure to do Againe that prayer is fruitles which prayes for that which is impossible to be had as for a mother to pray that she were a Maid and Virgin againe or for that an old man to pray that he were young againe and might neuer dye both which are impossible though not both equally But according to the Protestant grounds such are generally all their prayers for if they pray for remission of sins for the fauour of God for perseuerance in Fayth or for the glory of heauen their
of the same heere on earth In which we honour him belieuing that as man he is the head of men of the Church and of the visible monarchy of the Church which he established for euer and that euery knee ought to bow downe and adore him as the Sauior of it and that he hath dominion ouer all by his death and resurrection and did also leaue a visible Vicegerent after him by whom we should be gouerned visibly as by himselfe inuisibly Fourthly from his authority to make lawes and iudge vs they derogat and dishonour him in that they take from him al power to make any lawes or giue any precepts of true faith morall life or good manners for our instruction direction deny him as a iudge to haue exercised any iudgment vpon the liuing and faithfull In which we giue him the honour to haue beene our law maker our iudge and to haue made a new law of grace abrogating the old of Moyses and in it to haue prescribed vnto vs obedience to his precepts of faith and good life Fiftly From his Sanctity they derogatiue much and dishonour him greatly in that they call him truly and properly a sinner a great sinner and the greatest sinner of all sinners who sinned in discurtesy to his mother in inconsideration in his actions in forgetfulnesse of his function in staggering betweene praising and blaspheming God betweene hope and despaire and in renouncing his saluation for which he was execrable to God cursed with the damned being in all these properly a sinner and not only by the imputation of our sinnes to him as in their opinion euen man is iust by imputation of his iustice to him and so as truly sinfull as euer any man was iust All which we abhorre as blasphemy belieuing that he suffered paines and payed therby the price of our redemption but was innocent impolluted immaculate incontaminat and segregated from all sinners and sinfull actions bearing the punishment of our sinne in his body but being free from all imputation of the guilt of sinne in his soule Sixtly From his redemption of mankind they derogate and dishonour him 1. In that they deny the vertue of his death passion and precious blood to haue been any full satisfaction or redemption of mankind but only the inâ—ernal paines and suffering in his soule to haue been accepted as sufficient 2. In that they deny the vniuersality and fulnesse of his redemption to haue been offered for all men affirming him to haue dyed only for the elect and to haue offered or left no meanes of redemption for the wicked and reprobat 3. In that they deny the effect and efficacy of the same to haue extended to the abolishing and washing away of sinne to the inward sanctification of the soule by any inward and inherent grace and iustice which should enable it to keep the commandments of God and to auoid mortal offence against God In all which we honour him and his redemption in that 1. We belieue and professe that his pretious bloud shed vpon the crosse and his death and passion offered vp to God was a full price a perfect redemption from sinne 2. That the same was a full price satisfaction and redemption for all the sinnes of all persons in all the world 3. That the same purchased of his part for all sinners not only are imputatiue but also an inherent and reall iustification by grace which doth wash away the deformity of sinne cure the infirmity of the soule and giue strength to the keeping of Gods commandements and to the auoiding of sinne and so the meriting of a reward at Gods handes Seauenthly from his merit and satisfaction they derogate and dishonour him in that they deny him to haue by it satisfyed the iustice of God for any one sinne or to haue merited to himselfe his owne exaltation to glory or to our workes either any satisfaction for sinne or any merit of reward by his grace In all which we honour the same belieuing that he fully in iustice satisfyed and offered to God a sufficient price for our sinnes that he merited for himselfe his owne body the glory of his Resurrection and to vs not only for our sinnes a full price and satisfaction but also for our good works a vertue by grace both to satisfy in some sort for sinne and to merit a reward of more grace present and glory to come Eightly about his corporall death and passion they shamefully derogate and dishonour him in that they affirme he suffered both in body and soule the paines torments of Hell the death of the soule the separation of the soule from God the same infernall and eternall paines which the very Diuells and damned do suffer for the tyme and which in rigour are due to sinne and all sinners which except he had suffered he had not satisfyed for vs nor sufficiently redeemed vs. In all which we doe so honour his life and death that we attribute to euery action and passion of his euen to the least drop of his bloud that worth and valew arysing of the dignity of his diuine person that it was sufficient to haue satisfyed for an infinit world of sinnes and that the paines he suffered were only in the sensible and inferiour part of the soule and body but did not touch the superiour part of his soule that they were voluntarily sustained and offerred vp to God for vs and accepted by God for vs as being of more dignity then the offence of all our sinnes was of indignity whereby he neither suffered nor needed to suffer nor could in the dignity of his person suffer any paines ot hell but by the paines of the Crosse though by the tendernes of his coplexion more painefull to him then to any other did pay a sufficient price make a full attonement offer a perfect satisfaction and performe the part of a complete Redeemer and Sauiour for all mankind and the sinnes of all men Ninthly in the certainty of his saluation they blasphemously derogate from him and dishonour him more then themselues in that they affirme euery one of themselues to be infallibly certaine of his saluation and more certaine by his speciall faith of it then by his generall faith of the B. Trinity or incarnation of Christ and yet that our B. Sauiour was fearfull doubtfull wauering and vncertaine of his saluation did strugle with the horrour of death feared to be absorpt vp of eternall death was tormented with the anxiety of Gods wrath and indignation and that more then any man euer was or could be in which his horrour and desolation consists the summe of their consolation as their owne words more fully before related do expresse In all which we do so far honour him that we affirme and belieue that the painâ—s he suffered he willingly offered vp to God for vs that he was sure and secure that God his father did alwayes
God not only that which was written in paper but also that which was deliuered in preaching by the Apostles We receiue without any addition or diminution that Canon which the auncient Church twelue hundred yeares ago receiued that translation which for as many ages hath been approued that sense which the auncient Fathers Councells and Church euer since Christ allowed that Iudge which hath an infallible warrant from God to iudge truly and impartially of the Canon the text the translation the sense all whatsoeuer is doubtfull And all our practise is to follow the spirit of God speaking in the auncient Fathers Councels Church by which we are secure from errour or falshood about the scripture and sense of it Fifthly For the Church of God they with their priuate spirit dishonor it and derogate from it 1. From the power and authority of it as not hauing according to them any visible head and gouernour assisted with the holy Ghost to direct and gouerne it and to iudge of all causes and controuersies in it and so make it headlesse and vngouerned We honour it in acknowledging it to be a visible and perpetuall Monarchy with a setled and spirituall both Gouernour and gouernement hauing in it an infallible authority to iudge and decide all causes and controuersies 2. They derogate from the visibility perpetuity and infallibility of the same making it not only subiect to errour and corruption but to haue erred and perished or at least become inuisible for many ages We honour it in belieuing that it cannot erre faile perish become inuisible or be corrupted in fayth but that it is the piller of truth against which assisted by the holy Ghost the gates and power of hell and heresy cannot preuaile 3. They derogate from the vnity sanctity vniuersality and succession of the same as notes and markes to distinguish it from all other congregations which they reiect and admit not We reuerence and respect it as one holy Catholike and Apostlike Church which no other congregation is or can be 4. They derogate from the vncontrollable authority stability of the decrees of Councells and from the infallible testimony of the vnanime consent of the Fathers Doctors of the Church both which they at their pleasure censure condemne We receaue imbrace and follow them as guids and directours to truth and as witnesses and testimonies of truth belieuing that which they belieue and reiecting that which they before reiected 5. They derogate from the splendour and beauty of the Church in the state of Prelates in the single life of the Clergy in the retirednesse of the Religious persons in the ornaments of the Churches and in the variety of so many orders and professions all which they reiect condemne as needlesse or superstitious We reuerence and honour the same as tending to the externall honour of God and the magnificence of his Church thereby making the Church beautifull as the Moone elect as the Sunne wel ordered as an Army of men And to cōclude they make the Church the mystery of iniquity a whore a harlot and a strumpet the whore of Babylon drunken with al abominable filth of superstition and abomination of idolatry and antichristianity with which she hath made all the Christian world all Kinges and Emperours and that not for one or two ages but for seauen on ten or twelue or fourteene ages according to diuers opinions drunke with the same cup of superstition abomination idolatry and antichristianity and make it a body consisting of persons whoeuen the best and purest are in all partes and in euery action stayned impure sinnefull vniust and wicked We doe belieue confesse it to be the kingdome the citty the house of God the spouse of Christ the temple of the holy Ghost the pillar of truth which Christ hath purchased washed with his precious bloud made immaculate incontaminate and vnspotted pure holy and perfect before him which no errour of superstition or idolatry can possesse no power of Pagans or Heretikes or Schismatikes or other wicked Christians can suppresse no subtilty of heresy infidelity or Sathan himselfe can supplant destroy or extinguish Sixhtly For the sacraments they from the number of seauen do curtaile fiue and leaue only two and from these two they take away from the one that is baptisme 1. The effect and vertue making it only a signe or seale no cause or instrument of grace and of no more vertue then the baptisme of S. Iohn Baptist 2. They take away all necessity of it making it not needfull for infants whom they will haue saued by the parents faith without it From the other that is the Eucharist they take away both the fruit and the substance of it making it not the reall body and bloud of Christ but only a bare signe and remembrance of it Not any sacrifice offered to God but only a Sacrament signing or sealing grace and therby robbe Christ of all adoration by it as a Sacramēt and of all subiection or acknowledgment of dominion by it as a sacrifice and they robbe the Church of all benifit comfort both by the Sacrament and sacrifice We do admit for seuerall states of persons seuerall sorts of benefits by seauen seuerall kindes of Sacraments all as instruments of Gods power causing grace which assists all sorts of persons in their seuerall states and functions and all excell the Sacraments of the old law For the Sacrament of baptisme we belieue it to be a meanes of regeneration from originall sinne by which all sinne and punishment due to sinne both original actual is fully remitted and by which all persons are admitted into the mysticall body of Iesus Christ in his holy Church and made capable of the benefit of the rest of the Sacraments And for the Sacrament of the Eucharist we belieue that not only i◠conteines the fountaine of Grace but also is offered to God as a sacrifice to apply the vertue of his sacrifice on the crosse for the remission of our sinnes by which is giuen much honour to God and receiued great benefit by Gods Church much comfort to the faithfull both liuing and dead Seauenthly for Faith they and their priuate spirit admit many sorts of faith and in that none at all and make as many faiths as there are priuate spirits in particuler persons and in that destroy all vnity of faith We admit one holy Catholicall and Apostolicall faith one in al and generall to all who in all are directed by one spirit of Gods Church They admit a new and new-deuised faith neuer receiued by any but in some one or other point by condemned hereticks in whom it was condemned We receiue an auncient and euer belieued faith euer receiued and approued by general Coūcells ancient Fathers holy Saints in Gods Church They reiect the grounds of faith as Scripture Traditions Church Councells and Fathers We admit belieue