things as one of the better sort of Popes himself freely confessed t Adrianus 6. In orat per nuntiū suum facta ad Comitia imperialia anno 1522. Vpon these grounds I proceed to lay downe 3. propositions touching the incurablenesse of Romish Babel 1. That these Councels assembled to reform and amend did contrariwise establish diuers impious errors neuer be fore decreed in the world 2. That those foule deformities in the Romish Church both in the head and members and both for doctrine and manners that were in that Church before those Councells and for the redresse whereof those councells were called did neuerthelesse and yet do continue vnreformed 3. That since then in steed of redresse and reformation of the euills then found there haue contrariwise growen vp in their Church more horrible hainous practices and more erronious and impious doctrines then euer before and at this day stand vnreproued and maintained by their Church And these three propositions being proued I hope there is none but wil confesse that the Romish Church for ought that man can see is past cure Touching the first I proue it by a fewe particulars in steed of manie and first for the Councell of Constance that Councell decreed 2. such decrees as tend rather to the ruinating of all religion and ouerthrowing all humane societie then any whit to the curing of diseases either in the one or other For first whereas it is knowen and granted that Christ at his last Supper ordaining the holy Communion did consecrate and giue it both in bread and wine and commanded his Ministers after him Doe this u See all the Euangelists S. Paul 1. Cor. 11 23. c. and tho it cannot be denied but that the primitiue antient Church did so receiue it as Christ left it yet for all that comes the Popish Councell of Constance and calls it a peruerse fashion and an ill order of those that giue their people the sacrament in both kindes and do further decree that Notwithstanding Christ ordained and the primatiue Church practiced it in both kinds yet now to say that it is necessarie to receiue it in both shall be heresie and punished as heresie that is with death and losse of lands and goods c. And howsoeuer Bellar. w Bellar. de Sacram Euch. lib. 4. cap. 26 much ashamed of the matter wil needs that the Non-obstante is not referd to the institution in both kindes but to the celebration after supper and therfore accuseth Luther and others as lyers for so reporting of the Councell yet many others of his fellows make no bones to grant it and if they all denyed it the very words themselues of the Canon are plaine inough Now thus to decree and make a Canon contrarie to the direct institution commandement of Christ what is it but to controll Christ himselfe and to weaken the certainty of all truth and religion Secondly whereas there can be no firme societie amongst men if othe◠and couenants especially made by publicke persons be of no force and therefore God himselfe would haue the Israelites oath to the Gibeonits performed thogh it was craftily extorted x Iosh 9. 19 after seuerely punished Saul in his posteritie for the breach of it y 2. Sam. 21. 1. 2. yet the Romish Councell in this latter age hath decreed that z Concil Constant sessione 19. Though the Emperour or King giue a safe conduct to one accused of heresie to come to a Councell or Disputation c. and tho he bind and confirme that safe conduct with any bonde whatsoeuer and tho he would not haue come but vpon the assurance of the safe conduct Yet hoc non obstante this notwithstanding hee may bee taken and proceeded against and burned as an hereticke without anie preiudice to the Catholicke faith c. If this bee good diuinitie that Oathes and Couenants to hereticks are of no force binde not the makers then it is in vaine for men to haue anie dealing one with another for if oathes bee once of no force in any one thing they will in time be weakened in all things Thus this Romish Councell that should haue amended hath contrariwise decreed two conclusions of monstrous impyetie and such as for ought I could euer see were neuer till then decreed nor receiued no not in the Romish Church it selfe But is this reformed since No saith a great Spanish Bishop a Simancha Institut cathol cap. 45. art 14. edit Hispan Fides data haereticis a priuato non est seruāda nec a magistratibus data seruā da est haereticis quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur nā Ioh. Huss Hieronimus eius discip legitima flāma concremati sunt quāuis promissa illis securitas fuisset more then a hundred yeares after this Councell it is so farre from beeing altered that contrariwise by the authority of this decree it is now a rule in our Church that faith made to an hereticke by a priuate man is not to bee kept no nor if it be made by a Magistrate as sayth he is prooued by the practice of the Councell of CONSTANCE Marke howe they are healed afore it was true in publique persons now it is true in priuate men also afore it might bee broaken without anie fault but nowe it may not bee kept See howe Babylon is cured But the Councell of Trent is of latter times hath not it done much good and reformed much ill Nay on the other side it hath decreed and made 2. Canons to the high disgrace of holie SCRIPTVRES and much derogating from the souereigne authority thereof which til then were neuer decreed not in the darkest times of poperie when her ignorance and superstition was without all controll As namely first b Concil Trident. sess 4 That the Apocriphall Books of Tobiah Iudith and the rest shal be held receiued of as authenticall and Canonicall authoritie as anie parts of holy Scripture whose authoritie was euer sacred This wrong was neuer offered to the holy Scriptures before neither was there euer any Popish generall Councell so presumptuous afore this of Trent that euer durst adde more books to the sacred Canon then we receiued from the Church of the old Testament Some bolde Papists say that the Florentine Councell before Trent did make them Canonicall which if it had it had bin little materiall seeing it was but a small time before Trent scarce 100. yeares but the truth is it did not and therefore Bellarmine and Coccius are more careful of their credit and wil not affirme it c Bellar tō 1. lib. de verbo dei Coccius in the sauro cathol tom 1. So that its cleere there neuer was generall Councell that made them Canonicall before Trent nor anie prouinciall but one d Concil Carthag 3. and they are not able to bring one Father that helde them so within 400. yeares after Christ nor very manie after
years y Vide Corpus Iuris Canoâ—ici iussu Gregorij 13. recognitum editum Lugduni 1591. and there stand the very same words without the least reformation in the Rubricke or title of the Chapter The decretall Epistles are numbred and reckoned amongst the canonicall Scriptures 8 The fourth wound not healed Which is the more shamefull in it self and shamelesse in the doers in as much as in the same newe edition they are forced to confesse that Augustine out of whom they cite the whole Chapter did not at all meane the Popes decretall Epistles but the holy and Canonicall Scriptures z Quae quidem sententia beati Augustini non ad decretales Ro. pontificum sed ad Canonicas sacras Scripturas referenda est Corp. Iur. CaÌ„ edit 91. in additione ad dist 19. cap. 6. and no maruell for the name of decretall Epistles of the Popes was to get and to beare many a faire yeere after his daies To conclude this point let wise men obserue here this point how vnwilling the Romish Church is to ameÌ„d or alter any thing especially if it concern Gods honour and not their own free-hold els why should they maintain that blasphemie in the Rubrick and title of the Chapter which in the bodie of the Chapter they condemn But well doe they know that manie a man reades the contents of books and chapters which neuer read more Therfore because the words of this title giue honour to his decretalls tho they be neuer so dishonorable to Gods holy Scriptures they are suffred to stand whereas they haue put out many things disgracefull to themselues Thus vnwilling is Babylon to be healed in any thing This doth but make them equall and that may bee thought no great wound in that Church but shall wee see a deeper and more deadly namely where the authoritie and determination of the Pope is made higher and of more respect then the holy Scriptures themselues In the same booke the XL. Distinction the Pope alleadgeth for good doctrine and canonizeth for a lawe these words taken out of one Boniface 9 The fift wound The religion of Christianitie is to bee founded rather from the Popes mouth then from the â—oly Scriptures that is from Gods mouth a Vide Decret dist 40. in appendice ad cap. 6. Et reuera taÌ„ta reuerentia apiceÌ„ praefatae Apostolicae sedis omnes suspiciunt vt nonnullam sanctorum Canonum disciplinam antiquam Christianae religionis institutionem magis ab ore praecessoris eius quà m a sacris paginis paternis traditionibus expetant Illius velle illius nolle tantum explorant vt ad eius arbitrium suam conuersationeÌ„ ipsi remittant aut intendant Haec in Corp. Iur. Canonici editionis Lugdun 91. in 4. And certainely allmen do yeelde so much respect and reuerence to the Pope of Rome and his chair that they require and seeke for much of the discipline of the holy Canons and the ancient institution of Christian religion rather from the mouth of the Bishops of that Sea then either from the holy Scriptures or the olde traditions all they care for or seek after is what hee wil and what he will not that so they may conform themselues and frame their conuersation this waie or that waie according to his will and pleasure Loe what doctrine is here the discipline nay the religion it selfe of christianitie is sought for rather at the mouth of the Pope then at Gods mouth in the 10 The fift wound not healed holy Scriptures and all that a Christian man cares for is not what God but what the Pope will and what he wills not and according to that are they to frame theÌ„selues Is this a doctrine â—it to be inserted in the popes lawe Is this the holy and the onelie true Church that teacheth this If to be a Catholicke be to holde this and to denie this to be an heretike I am content to be an hereticke let who will bee the Catholicke but if a true Catholicke ought to holde the doctrine of the Scriptures and to depende vppon the mouth and reuealed will of GOD then woe bee to that Church and religion that reacheth wee maie rather depende on the Popes mouth then on Gods But some will say this is healed Nay alas they be so farre from that 10 The fift wound not healed that contrariwise for ought that I knowe this is not be found in the elder editions but I am sure it is in the latter and last of all set forth by speciall authoritie from the Pope from whence also I cite it at this time Thus I haue shewed First that the Pope makes his Decrees equall with the Scriptures Secondly that they are of greater authoritie then the Scriptures Is it possible to haue a worse Yes for the measure of her iniquitie will neuer be full and therefore shee goeth one steppe higher in this impietie and teacheth that the holy Scripture is so farre inferiour vnto the Popes decrees that vnless he by his authority giue them strength they are not of credit nor necessarie to be belieued Let me be of no credit nor worthy to be beleeued if I repeate not their wordes truely out of their owne booke namely their authenticall glosse vpon the Popes Decretalls where the Text of the Decretall being no more nor lesse then only one verse of the 26. Chapter of the Prouerbs the glosse that is the approued Commentarie vpoÌ„ that decretall is in these words b Vide Decretal lib. 2. tit 23 de praesumptionibus cap. 1. sicut Aduerte quod verba textus non sunt verba Papae sed Salomonis in Parabolis habentur originaliter in c. 26. Sed quia textus hic est canonizatus facit fidem inducit necessitatem sicut si editus â—uiÌ„sset a Papa quia omnia nostra facimus quibus nostraÌ„ autoritateÌ„ impertimur Glossa Obserue heere that the wordes of the Text are not the words of the Pope but of SALOMON in the Prouerbes the sixe and twentith Chapter but because that Text of SALOMONS is heere canonized by the Pope 11 The 6. wound The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit to be beleeued because they are allowed authorized by the Pope being so by him authorized they are of as much authority as if the Pope himself had been the Author of them Therefore it is of credite and implyeth necessitie of beeing belieued or it bindeth as stronglie as if it had beene pronounced or vttred by the Pope because wee make all those things as good as our owne vpon which we bestowe or impart our authoritie The high and holy God that is the Author of the holy Scriptures bee mercifull vnto vs in hauing anie thing to doe with this vnchristian blasphemie and graunt that wee may not anie waie communicate with their sinnes not haue fellowship with this wicked worke of darkenesse The Impietie and Atheisme that lyeth
in it is such as if it had but crept into some secret pamphlet I would neuer haue brought it into light but beeing that it is registred in the Glosse vppon their lawe a booke of so great authoritie and so common in the hands of all the learned I cannot but discharge my dutie to the truth tho it may giue vantage to the Atheist and Libertine For what can such men thinke when they heare him that pretends to bee Christs Viker and Peters successor teache that Salomons wordes are not of as good authoritie as his bee when as Christ himselfe did approoue and iustifie himselfe and all his words and deedes and doctrines by the olde Testament and that the words of God in the olde Testament doe therefore binde and are therefore to bee beleeued because the Pope pleaseth to insert and canonize them in his lawe and that being by him so canonized they bee therefore as good as if the Pope himselfe had spoken them VVhat I saie can they iudge but that the Pope is one of their religion a plaine Atheist that holdes the Scripture and all religion as farre as pleaseth his humour serueth his turnes And if anie of his faction holde this too hard a censure I would intreate him to answere mee but this question grounded vpon these words of his Whether is God the Authour of the olde Testament 2. Pet. 1. 20. 21 or no If they say no Saint Peter answereth that Prophecie in olde time came not by the will of man but holy men of God spake as they were inspired by the holie Ghost If hee bee then the Prouerbes of Salomon beeing a Canonicall Booke of the Olde Testament is Gods Booke and the wordes of this Text are Gods words and not Salomons This beeing so let vs then take the wordes as they are in their true and full meaning and see what a peece of Popish diuinitie heere is A straÌ„ge peece of popish doctrine that Gods word if it be authorized by the Pope is then of as good credit as if the Pope himselfe had spoken it therefore if the Pope please not to canonize it then it is not So that either Gods word must be beholden to the Pope for the authoritie of it or els it hath none Obserue that the wordes of the Text are not the wordes of the Pope but of God but because these words of God are heere canonized by the Pope therfore they are of credit and worthie to bee beleeued as well as if they had beene spoken by the Pope himselfe Loe heere the Pope in his owne colours this is Diuinitie fit to be hatched at Rome and to be coyned in his mint Let the words be examined and see what can followe of them but that either the Pope holdes not the Prouerbs to be Gods booke but SALOMONS which is horrible Atheisme or els if hee holde them Gods that the words of God beare no credit nor haue authoritie to binde mens conscience till the Pope doe canonize them and that Gods word in a book knowen receiued and graunted to bee Canonicall is not of as good authoritie in that booke as being translated into the Popes Canon lawe if he refuse both these then let him refuse his owne lawe and burne his glosse vpon his decretalles as contayning Atheisme and Heresie in a high degree 12 The sixt wound not healed But to goe forward is this wound healed Surely if they haue left it out or reformed it in any later impression so it bee with open confession and detestation of the fault it is well But sure I am it is in the impression I haue and in all other which I could borrow And further I do not know any Pope or popish writer that hath with authoritie and allowance condemned or reprooued this Atheisme if they knowe any they may doe well to produce them Meane time I am also sure of this that in stead of healing it they haue suffered their Doctors and Writers continually since to speake and write almost as ill if not worse In Queene Maries time an English Papist wrote thus c Proctor in his booke called the way home to Christ printed at LondoÌ„ in 8. Religion is occasioned by Scripture but perfected and authorized by the Church See we are more beholden to the Church then to the Scripture for our Religion About the same time Cardinal Poole out of his Pope-holy deuotion is sayde to haue affirmed that The written word of GOD is but a seede of Turcisme d Scriptura scripta est semen turcicuâ—â— And certaine Popish Doctors in Germanie beeing pressed in a disputation with the euideÌ„ce of Scripture boldely answered We are not tyed to the Scriptures those goose quilles doe not tie vs e Nos pennis illis anser inis minime sumus alligati I will not affirme these two vpon my owne credit but they haue beene charged with them both manie yeeres agoe and neuer yet disproued them But that that followeth I speak vpon knowledge A little after a great english Papist pretending to summon a Parliament for Poperie in his booke so called telles a storie of one whom hee hearde vpon reading the Booke of Ecclesiastes earnestly say that The Booke of Ecclesiastes is a naughty booke f Heskins a Doctor of diuinitie in his parliament of Christ lib. 1. cap. 2. printed at Antwerpe 1566. in folio He voweth to God and cals him to witnes that this he heard him himselfe but what was hee that spake it a Protestant no a Papist and no mad fellow nor ignorant foole nor profane scoffer but sayth Heskins hee was a man of worship of grauitie of wisedome of godly life and competent learning able to vnderstand and likewise exercised in the Scriptures and this is all the censure hee giues of him that spake these wordes Hee addeth further a little after in the same Chap. that a popish Gentlewoman hearing a text out of a boooke that papists holde to bee Scripture which shee misliked and being tolde by him for he heard her speak the words that the booke was Scripture shee aunswered that if the Scripture had such I will not say what shee saide words in it Shee would no more beleeue the scripture for it was naught g Heskins in his parliameÌ„t the next page after And what was shee that saide this a vertuous Catholicke gentlewoman and one that feared GOD h Obserue wel how a great popish doctor commeÌ„ds that man and woman for deuout and zealous papists who blasphemously saide that the scriptures were naught and not to be belieued and doth not reprooue the parties for their blasphemie So little doth it touch a papists hart to heare Gods word abused in the highest kind Lo what tokens Poperie giueth of a vertuous Catholicke woman and that feares God And tho Heskins cannot but graunt that these are blasphemies Yet did hee not reproue the one nor the other But contrariwâ—se commends them both and turnes it to
the aduantage of the Romish cause and sayth that hereby wee may see what a perillous thing it is for Lay people to read the Scriptures But with his leaâ—e hereby we may see what a filthie heart and vile estimation popish doctors haue of the holy Scriptures who hearing their disciples thus horribly blaspheme them and God in them do not reproue it but make vse of it nor burie and quench them but write and publish them rather with an approbation then any detestation of them But will you heare his owne wordes and his owne iudgement not related from others as these but vttered out of his owne heart How little incitement to vertue appeareth to bee in the songes of Salomon yea rather how vngodly and wanton seeme they to bee in the outward face rather teaching and prouoking I craue pardon of all Christian cares Wantonnesse then godlinesse and what can the vnlearned finde or vnderstand in many sentences any thing to edification of godly life or rather a prouocation to wanton life And after certaine sentences alledged hee concludes The whole booke is no better like vnto these saith hee is all that booke You haue heard how the proueâ—bes were disgraced in the glosse vpon the decretalls and here the Canticles Now that Salomon may not haue one book left in credite Heskins i Vide approbationem laudem huius autoris libri apud Possev in appar sacro to 3. lit T. verbo Thomas Hardingus addeth touching Ecclesiastes What may appeare more vehement to disswade a man from wisedome then the booke of the Preacher how much is wisedome the goodly gift of God abused to appearaunce in this booke k Heskins in the same book and Chapter And to conclude of another booke which they holde also to be canonicall scripture and some of them to be Salomons hee sayth that The booke of Ecclesiasticus seemeth to haue such vnseemely wordes in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake them and I also sayeth hee would bee ashamed to write them if they were not Scripture l Heskins a little after in the same chapter If the wordes bee as immodest as hee pretendes they bee then why doe they holde such a booke to be Scripture and if they holde it to bee Scripture then how dare a Christian man say that it hath such speeches in it as an honest man would bee ashamed to speake or write I leaue this for them to aunswere in the meane time I go forward Not longe after comes Hosius a greate Doctor of theirs and after a Cardinall and writes thus m Hosius editionis vlt. tom 20. lib. de expresso dei verbo pag. 5. Pronuntiamus non verbum dei sed scripturam pendere ad authoritate testimonio approbatione Ecclesiae quae non aliter verbum esse dei censeri debet nisi quatenus ecclesiae fuerit autoritate coÌ„probata The word of God of it selfe doth not but as it is written in the Scriptures it dependeth on the authoritie testimonie and approbation of the Church and it ought no otherwise nor no further to bee esteemed the worde of God then as farre foorth as it is approued by the authority of the Church Lo what doctrine here is for hence it followeth that therefore if the Church should not allowe the newe Testament it were not scripture Put all these together and then it will soone appeare how pitifully this wound is healed Nay further if the time and present occasion would giue leaue to looke into their latter and moderne writers wee should see by the last and latest of all this wound is so farre from being healed that it rankles further and deeper euen like an incurable leprosie that cannot bee healed but let it suffice to name some of the Authors and referre the learned Reader to them n Pistoriuâ— cont Mentz disp 1. Stapleton lib. 9. doct princip cap. 14. Bellar. tom 1. Controv. 1. lib. 4. cap. 4. Fran. Agricola de verbo dei scripto non scripto cap. 7 cap. 9. Perouu de incertitudine c. scripturaruÌ„ And let vs go forward to another wound They taught the People in olde time namely for two or three hundred yeares past that Images were good laye mens bookes and euen then when they denied them the scripture as vnfit for them and obscure dangerous for seducing them to heresies were Images allowed and coÌ„mended vnto them as good meanes of Instruction 13 The seaueÌ„th wound Images are good laye mens bookes Some three hundred years ago liued a Frier called Gulielmus Peraldus learned for that time and well approued o Guliel Peraldus ord praed postea Epistola Lugdunens scripsit inter alia summa virtutuÌ„ vitiorum pervtilem illaÌ„ quidem coÌ„modam concionatoribus quae saepius est recusa haec Possev appar sac to 1. lit G. of their Moderne Censurers hee writes thus As the Scriptures are the bookes and containe the learning of the Clergie so Images and the scripture are the learning and bookes of laye men p Guliel Peraldus Summa virt vit tom 1. cap. 3. vt scripturae literae sunt Clericorum sic scriptura sculptura literae sunt laicorum Lo here how Images are associated and ioyned with the Bible Search the scripture saith Christ look on them and on Images sayth the Pope how readest thou saieth Christ what seest thou saith the Pope It is written sayeth Christ it is painted and grauen sayeth the Pope thy worde sayeth Dauid is my light not the golden Châ—rubins but nowe sayeth Poperie euen in the newe Testament the scriptures and Images are laye mens lights What a wronge is this to GOD and what an iniurie to his worde But is this healed Oh that it were but let the reader iudge by that that followeth 14 The seauenth wound not healed but made worse and worse One of their greatest Casuists Laelius Zecchius a great Diuine a famous Lawyer and of late yeares Penitentiarie of Bresse writing a great volume of Cases of Conscience dedicated to Pope Clement the viij amongst many other strange doctrines touching Images teacheth that It is not lawfull onely but profitable to haue Images in Churches to cherish and encrease charitie towards God and men c. and to preserue faith seeing Images are to bee held as bookes for them that bee vnlearned to draw them vnto knowledge memorie and imitation of holy and diuine matters c. q Laelius Zecchius Summa moral theolog casuum consci tom 2. cap. 90. art 18. pag. 609. Imagines poni â—n Ecclesijs vtile est ad charitatem erga deum sanctos fouendam augendam c. ad fidem conseruandam cum Imagine babeantur pro libris his qui literas ignoraÌ„t ex quibus ducuntur in cognitionem memoriaÌ„ imitationem diuinorum c. Brixiae 1598. Lo here this doctor who heing Penitentiarie is by his place
find such in our religion he that can shew me either of these I will be his Conuert To this end I haue presumed to present it first to your Honour and vnder your honorable name to the worlds viewe not only as a testimonie of the loyaltie loue and dutie I owe your Honour for your many particular honorable fauours but especially for that we to our ioy do find and the Papists to their grief doe feare that God hath hath raised vp your Honor in these declining and desperate times for so hath Poperie made them to defeat their deuises to countermine their plots and to make them the instruments of their own ruine fit therfore and worthy to be the patron of that Treatise which is a discouerer of theâ—r spiritual impieties And surely right Honorable the churches hope ouer the Christian world is that God hath ordayned his Ma. of England to be the means by the aduise assistance of your Hon. others like you wherof God send vs more to giue the whore of BabyloÌ„ hir last blow wherof she shall neuer recouer which most worthy worke as God raised vp your honorable Father of happie memorie to begin Gretserê° a Iesuite was suffered to write within these 2. yeares that we rackt and tortured Garnet euen neere to death to make him confesse himself guilty of the powder treason but he did not so we hauing no proof haÌ„gd him onely for being a priest and not for it And that OueÌ„ his man was puld in pieces on the racke and when wee had so killed him then wee gaue out hee had killd himselfe with a knife But for the 1. wee appeale to publicke records and the worlds knowledge and for the second there yet liue witnesses whose eies saw the woundes and bloudy knife and whose eares heard him freely and penitently confesse hee did it with that knife to escape the racke which hee sayde hee feared but had neuer tasted So hath he your Lordship paternarum virtutuÌ„ cur non etiam dignitatuÌ„ ex asse haeredeÌ„ to accomplish and bring to perfection The Father of mercie and the Sonne of consolation be praysed for euer for sending such a father and such a sonne to bee the Children of the Church of England Go on noble Lord with courage and constancie and this worke of God shall prosper in your hand To this end the same God assist strengthen and protect your Lordship and the blessed Father for the blessed Sonnes sake double vpon you his holy and blessed Spirit wherto I am sure all good Christians will say Amen With Your Lordships deuoted seruant in Christ WILLIAM CRASHAVVE Magna est veritas praeualet The XX. Wounds found to be in the body of the present Romish religion in doctrine and in manners Proued in this Sermon not to bee yet healed 1. THe Pope is a God the Lord God and such a head of the Church as infuseth spiritual life heauenly grace into the body of the Church pag. 53. c. 2. The Pope hath done more then God for he deliuered a soule out of hell pag. 57. c. 3. God hath diuided his kingdome with the Virgine Marie keeping Iustice to himselfe but committing and giuing vp his mercie to her so that a man may appeale from him to hir pag. 60. c. 4. The Popes decrees bee equall to the Canonicall scripture pag. 69. c. 5. The Christian Religion is founded rather from the Popes mouth then from Gods in the Scripture pag. 71. c. 6. The holy Scriptures are therefore of credit and to be belieued because they are allowed and autorized by the Pope and being by him authorized they are then of as good authority as if the Pope himselfe had made them pag. 73. c. 7. Images are good books for lay men and better easier then the Scriptures pag. 80. c. 8. An Image of God or a Crucifixe or a Crosse are to be worshipped with the same worship as God and Christ with latria that is diuine worship pag. 82. c. and that we may speake and pray to the Crosse it selfe as we do to Christ 9. Frier Francis was like to Christ in all things and had 5. wounds as Christ that did bleede on good-Fridaie yea he did more then Christ euer did pag. 96. c. 10. The Pope may and doth grant Indulgences for a hundred thousand yeares and giue men a power to redeem soules out of Purgatory pag. 103. c. 11. The Pope may annexe Indulgences for many thousands of yeares to such beades Crucifixes pictures and other like toies that are hallowed by his hands pag. 107. c. The popish Church baptizeth bells pag. 115. c. 12. The Pope denieth the Cup in the Sacrament to the Laitie tho Christ ordained the contrarie pag. 120. c. 13. The popish Church alloweth many sorts of sanctuaries for wilfull murder pag. 122. c. 14. Romish religion publickly tolerates and permits Stewes and takes rent for them pag. 132. c. 15. By the Popes lawe he that hath not a wife may haue a CoÌ„cubine pag. 141. c. 16. Some men had better lie with another mans Wife or keepe a whore then marry a wife of his owne pag. 143. c. 17. Priests in popery may not marry but are permitted to keep their whores vnder a yeerely rent pag. 147. c. 18. Such Priests as be continent and haue no whores yet must pay a yearely rent as they that haue because they may haue if they will pag. 150. c. 19. Their Liturgie is ful of blasphemie their Legend ful of lies their Ceremonies of superstition pag. 153. c. 20. A generall corruption of manners in all estates pag. 156 c. To the Christian Reader whosoeuer be he a true Catholicke or a Romish TO prevent all misconceits that might arise vpon the so late coÌ„ming forth of this Sermon so many weekes expected I desire thee good Reader be satisfied the cause thereof was a long vnlooked for journey And now that you haue it let me desire all men in the reading iudging therof to deale with that ingenuity and sinceritie as I haue endevored in the writing of it My coÌ„science speakes for me I haue forged no new Author I haue falsified none I haue corrupted none I haue to my knowledge misalledged none I haue taken no proofe vpoÌ„ bare report nor haue I produced our men to proue what I lay against them nor is there one quotation of any Authour of theirs which I haue not diligently perused afore-hand and the whole scope of the place If any should thinke of answere I desire him let passe all personall rayling and by-matters and come directly to the points in issue which be these 1 Whether the Church of Rome teach practice in these xx or xxi points as I haue charged her withall or no. 2 If she do whether they be healed of these wounds as yet or no. 3 If
there is any hope of life then how may anie man forsake the soule that is pretious and that cost so pretious bloud p 1. Pet. 1. 19 Surely the spirituall Physician must neuer forsake a Church a people or a man as long as there is anie hope of curing and conuerting him Heere is condemned the practice of two sorts of men amongst vs. First such as be now tearmed of the separation formerly and vsually called Brownists who forsake our Church and cut off themselues from our congregations and separate themselues to a faction and fashion or as they call it into a couenant and communion of their owne deuising these men haue made a grieuous rent and giuen a deepe wounde into the peace of our Church they vse this place and others like against vs say We would haue healed you but you will not bee healed therefore we forsake you but they abuse the place therefore I will turne the point of this their weapon against themselues I meane against their errors and this their bitter and schismaticall separation To this end I would aske these men but 4. questions whereunto if they can giue me satisfaction I will be one of them First therefore whereas you say that Wee are wounded incurably and will not be healed I aske Wherein are wee deadly or incurably wounded what fundamentall wound is in our doctrine what deadly corruption is in our discipline such as eats out the heart and life and being of a Church what book of Canonicall scripture receiue we not what holde wee for Canonicall that is not what sacrament that Christ ordained do we want and what haue we more then Christ ordained what article of faith deny wee or what holde we for an article of faith that is not what fundamentall heresie doth our doctrine maintaine what haue wee in our Church that ouerthrowes the being of a Church what is necessarily required to make a Church that we do want Do not say These be many questions for if you wil haue them all in one generall I will end it as I began Wherein are wee deadly incurably wounded If I should walk a while on your owne grounds grant you that which you can neuer proue yet will it not follow that we are incurably or deadly wounded A man may want a finger or haue some blemishes in his face and yet bee a strong and perfect man sound and heart-whole and able to ouerthrowe his enemies so tho there were in our Church those wounds you speake of yet do they not come neere the heart they bee not deadly they may blemish the beauty but endanger not the life of our Church The Churches of Corinth and Galatia had other kind of blemishes then ours hath blessed be God Corinth doubted or erred in the great article of the Resurrection 1. Cor. 15. The Galathians erred fouly in the high and maine point of Iustification and yet Corinth a Church of God sanctified in Christ Iesus 1. Corinth 1. 2. And Galatia though almost remooued to another Gospell Galathians 1. 6. yet not withstanding a Church for all that Galat. 1. 2. And if you will adde to these fundamentall errours in doctrine corruptions in manners and disorders in Gods seruice you can with no shewe of truth lay such to the charge of our Church as is apparant were rife in the Church of Corinth and then shall Corinth bee a Church and not England Let the Lord bee Iudge betwixt you and vs. Therefore if wee should grant vnto you that our Church were blemished or wounded yet not beeing deadly wounded your separation from vs is schismaticall and vniust and more cruell and vnchristianlie deale you with our Church then did Gods Church with Babell who forsooke her not til she was deadly wounded and past life To conclude if Israel might not forsake Babel til then then what are you that dare forsake a Church of God wherin they haue found God if euer they haue found him yet wherein the diuell himselfe cannot shewe one deadly wound Blessed be the Lord that hath so healed vs. Secondly seeing they say that we are wounded but as for themselues they be healed therfore they must separate and so keep the sound from the sicke I aske them this question Are they healed then where were they healed where were they called where were they regenerat begotten to Christ was it not in the wombe of this our Church by means of the immortall seede of Gods word that is daily sowen in our Church by the ministry of those men that were called by our Church and yet cleaue to our Church and mourn for their separatiō and by the dewe of that blessing from aboue which is dayly poured vpon our assemblies from Gods merciful right hand Then how can they deny that to be a true Church a holy church a Church of God wherein ordinarily men are called and brought to God And how vnthankfull and vndutifull are they to their spirituall mother to forsake hir and cast the dust of contempt in her face that bore them in her wombe and brought them foorth the sonnes of God To auoid this what can they say but one of these two things either that there is indeed a true Ministery of the word amongst vs but it is not powerfull to anie but themselues that wee haue the word truly preached and so as it may conuert a man but it is not the sauour of life to anie but such as come into their couenant but from this horrible and hellish pride good Lord deliuer them or els let them be assured such a height of pride is sure to haue a fearful fal Or if not this then must they say that they were not called in our Church but since they left vs But they haue bard thēselues already from that plea. For it being obiected to them that they haue left our church not out of conscience but out of carnal discontents and vpon fleshly reasons worldly grounds they all stoutly answer and stifly stand to it that they do it not vpon any such grounds nor for anie reasons of flesh and bloud but meerely and onely out of conscience and for their saluation and that gladly they would haue staied but with a good conscience they could not If this be true then they had conscience before they left vs then where came they to that conscience and care of their saluation but in our Church Now a good cōscience cannot be seuered from regeneration and an effectual calling therefore they cannot deny but they were regenerate and called in our Church vnlesse they wil say they had no conscience when they forsooke vs which if they doe then I will yeelde that my question is answered If they grant they were called a fore they went and that stil they who fall from vs to them are called then how can that be but a true Church wherein by their own cōfession men are ordinarily begotten to God how
and calling to heale woundes and satisfie Consciences comming to touch this wound handled it so roughly that in steede of healing it hee makes it sorer then it was For whereas Peraldus gaue Scripture so much honour as to be ioyned in commission with Images they two to be ioynt teachers of the Laity Now comes the great Penitentiarie and is well allowed by the Pope to leaue out the scripture as needlesse and to giue all the power to Images not onely to put men in minde but euen tâ— cherish and increase faith and charitie And certainely if Images can do so it is no maruell that Poperie cast ouâ— the scriptures and in roome thereof do bring Images into the Churches But to make vp the measure of this iniquitie Feuardent the famous Franciscan frier yet preaching at Paris and to whome Possevine wisheth a long life r goeth one step further and to heale vp this wound perfectly teacheth this doctrine s Fran. Feuardentius in lib. homiliarum pag. 16. 17. hom 2 Ex â—aruÌ„ .i. imaginum contemplatione discunt facile breuiter simplices ac Idiotae illa diuina mysteria miracula opera quae ex sacris libris aut vix aut nunquam percipere valeant r Possev app sac tom 1. lit f. By sight and contemplation of Images the common and ignorant Layemen do easily and in a short time learne those diuine mysteries miracles and workes which out of the holy books they shall verie hardly or not at all bee able to perceiue * Strange and fearefull doctrine of poperie Images are better and easier bookes for the laye people then bee the scriptures Heere now is Poperie growen to his ful ripenesse And marke the degrees how this wound hath beene made still deeper and wider First they taught the Scripture and Images together were good bookes for Lay-men t Peraldus Then that Images without the scripture were to be accounted bookes for Lay men u Laelius Zec chius Now at last Images are readier and easier and therfore better bookes for Layemen then be the scriptures x Feuardentius So then seeing this wound is so well healed let vs leaue it and search another In former ages as superstition grew and religion decayed so Images began to bee worshipped more more and ceased not till at the last they came to this that euerie Image was to bee worshipped with the same worship that was due to him whose Image it is so that some three hundred yeares agoe or somewhat more it seemed by Aquinas to bee their generall receiued doctrine that 15 The eight wound That an Image of God or a Crucifix are to bee worshipped as God and Christ that is with diuine worship An Image of Christ and the crosse whereon Christ died and a Crucifixe are all to be worshipped with the same worship due to God and Christ Iesus that is with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 y Aquinas Summa par 3. quaest 25 art 3 Eadem reuerentia exhibetur Imagini Christi ac ipso Christo cum ergo Christus adoratur adoratione latriae consequens est quod eius Imago sit adoratione latriae adoranda art 4. Crux Christi ipsius crucis effigies adoranda est Latria A fearefull doctrine maintaining horrible Idolatrie for nothing but GOD may bee worshipped with diuine worshippe but they teach that those creatures may bee worshipped as God himselfe is that is with diuine worshippe therefore they make those creatures God and by this argument it is apparant that the present religion of the Church of Rome is an Idolatrous religion as long as this doctrine stands vnrepealed Let vs then see if this bee healed 16 The eight wound not healed but made vvider and deeper and deadlier euerie day But alas it is so farre from beeing in any part reformed that it is rather the generall and common receiued doctrine of all their approoued writers I will not stande as I coulde to shewe it successiuelie through all ages since the dayes of Aquinas till these times but sparinge that labour till better leasure I will referre the Reader to most of the elder Authors z Alexander Hallensis 3. par quaest 3. memb 3. art 3. Albertus in 3. sent dist 9. art 4 Bonauentura eadem distinct art 1. q. 2. Richardus art 2. q. 2. Capreolus ibidem art 1. conclus 2. Waldensis toÌ„ cap. 156. nu 6. Caietanus in par 3. q. 25. art 3. hoc modo citantur hi Auctores apud Greg. de valeÌ„t tom 4. disp 1. q. 24. Et multos alios addit Bellarminus lib. de Imag. sanct 2. cap. 20. c. and insist onely on some fewe and those of the latest it being my speciall purpose at this time to shew that the Romish Babylon is euen now not healed of her deadliest wounds Which in this particular I will labour a little the more fully to demonstrate out of the moderne authors now extant and approued because this imputation is generally cast off with this aunswere It is not so it is but an ignorant or malitious slander for the Romish Church giues onely a certaine reuerence to holy Images but doth not worshippe them at all at least with no diuine worshippe And some of our owne profession are either so ignorant they knowe it not or so malitious they will not confesse it or else so hollow hearted to vs and such secrete friendes to them they would not haue it discouered tho it bee so for my part I pittie the Ignorant knoweinge my owne weakenesse I care not for the malitious and I hate the hollownesse of all dissemblinge professors And therefore let others come and conceale her shame and hide the whore of Babylons filthinesse as they will I say for my selfe let the tongue cleane to the roofe of my mouth if I spare to discouer her skirts and lay open her filthinesse to the world that all men seeing her as shee is may detest and forsake her Therefore in the words of truth and sobernesse I do heere offer to this honourable audience that I will willingly come to this place and recant it with shame if I proue not apparantly to the iudgement of euerie reasonable man that this is the common and generall doctrine of the greatest number of their best approued authors that haue written in these later daies namely That an Image of God or a Crucifixe especially one made of the wood whereon Christ died or that crosse it selfe are to bee worshipped with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is with the worshippe due vnto God And first of all I will in this case spare Bellarmine a Vide BellarminuÌ„ to 2 lib. de Imag. sanctorum 2. cap. 20. 21. 22 23. 24. de Concil lib. 2. cap. 8. seeing hee as hauing some grace in him seemes somewhat ashamed of the matter and therefore playeth fast and loose and betwixt God and his conscience on the one side and