men take direct courses that the common-People should never vnderstand what they or themselues were doing for their Masses and publick services all was done in an vnknown language to the People and for their ordinare Prayers they inioyned for the most part to say them in Latine though they vnderstood not the same Indeed heere in Scotland because such proceeding hath giuen distaste to sundrie by appearance libertie is giuen to those who please to haue them in the vulgare language else where J haue not seene this so ordinarly practised Next by all meanes they laboured that the common-People either had not the Bible in their vulgare language or else that they red it not or if any read it that they should not presume to take any part of it in any sense contrare to the doctrine and practise of the Roman Church but instead thereof J saw they filled their heads and hands with Jmages and Beads Agnus Deis meddals and reliques and bookes of Prayer to this Saint and to that Saint and the office of our Lady as they call the Virgine Mary and the legends of such and such miracles done by Saints departed as they alledge Such stuffe as these a man trauelling will finde in mens houses but seldome or neuer the Bible and oftner mention will he heare of the Virgine Mary than of our Lord and Sauiour and the fairest Churches and Chappels you shall finde dedicate to the Virgine Mary and to Saint Peter and Saint Paul others some hee some shee Saints to whose Chapells and Churches you shall finde dayly numbers going in Pilgrimage or visitation and offering their offerings and Prayers before such an Altar to one Saint to keepe them from the Pest to another to keepe them from the Ague to this Saint for their Kyne to that Saint for their Horses in such varietie as I cannot number for there are particulare Saintes for all diseases whom to at seuerall times by Prayers and offerings ordinarly they haue their recourse to bee helped Yet I thought all well thinking the Romish Church could not erre At Rome it selfe I remarked a Church whose Patrone if I remember is commonly called in vulgare speach Saint Aloy and hath power as they say to heale Horses or keep them from their diseases To this Church once in the yeere all the Horses of Rome the Popes horses and Cardinals Counsellours and Citizens horses are brought and when they come to the Fount where the holy water stands I saw one of the Priests sprinkle holy water on the horse forehead and another Priest receiue the offering that vseth to be giuen at that time by which meanes that Church and all these that waite vpon it are vpholden and thus it is done in other places and for seuerall diseases of men and beastes All this J approued supposing the Church of Rome could not erre Neither doe I speake these things without pittie of the estate of the poore Soules so abused for J my selfe who had seene better thinges and should haue had better vnderstanding as a scholler by tying my selfe without further warrand to beleeue as the Church beleeues and beleeuing the Church of Rome could not erre for that time allowed or forced my minde to allow of all these abominable Idolatries and multitude of false Gods and was as busie to pray to all the Saints as any man and said my Prayers Pater noster Ave Marie and Confiteor vpon my beids as carefully as the most ignorant old Wife among them J keeped constantly the Matines and Vespers and Salute said the office of the dead my long letanies and my 〈◊〉 I approued their making of holy water consecrating of meddals beads Agnus Deis c. Also that there was some divine vertue in making the signe of the Crosse before my breast for expelling the Deuill for the time from me I beleeued I was as cleane as glasse when the Priest did shrive and absolve mee I haue come with others to meete a procession of sundrie sorts of Church men carying a consecrated hostie which they did relate was Christ himselfe carried throughout the streetes J haue fallen downe before it worshiped and adored it with many others supposing it was Christ bodilie present when I was present at Masse I did the same vpon the same presumption J beheld the bread of the hostie before it was consecrate as they call it I beheld it when it was consecrated and when it was lifted vp I saw bread as clearly as J saw the Priests hand that held it vp J opened my mouth and the Priest put it in my mouth I saw btead with my eyes I smelled it J felt it I tasted and discerned it as sensiblie as ever I did bread in my life yet I beleeued that it was not bread but Iesus Christ corporally present put in my mouth and going downe my bellie though all senses which God hath euer made the faithfull witnesses of all miraculous changes whereof we read in Scripture did testifie the contrare I gaue them all the lye because I beleeued as the Church beleeued and belieued that the Church of Rome could not erre Thus I who would not beleeue the Trueth was giuen ouer to such fearefull superstition and strong delusion that J might beleeue lyes CHAP. 4. No end in erring except the Lord reclaime THese things were common to mee and all others of the Romish Religion but J went yet further than the common course and was yet more besotted by this delusion for I haue beene clark to the masse helped the Preist to the saying of it lifting the masse Booke now from the right hand to the left now from the left to the right backe againe Now kneeling now standing now bowing and bending the body now knocking on my breast now making the signe of the crosse at the eleuation I haue born vp the Priests taile with the one hand hauing a burning torch in the other hand sometimes giuing him Wine and water in a Chalice sometimes one thing sometimes another as such like service did require I entred my self yet further in their snare and became one of the sodalitie of our Lady This sodalitie tyes none to any Ecclesiasticall order for therein with their approbation all Rankes of Persons may be so they use their particular devotion to our Lady which is an ordour wherein especiallie all devout students in Colledges by a solemne oath and invocation of the Virgine Mary are tyed to vse speciall deuotion all their dayes to her and to defend her name where euer they come and to depend vpon her as their Lady Patronesse and lady aduocate with God for them O fearefull Idolatrie and yet I swalowed it then beleeuing as the Church beleeued and that she could not erre and obeying as diuine truth what their Church commanded Last of all J was in tearmes with the Iesuits to haue rendred my self of that order and to haue taken on their threefold vow the third whereof which is of a blind
and as sin althogh inherent into vs and only imput vnto Christ Iesus who had no inherent sin in him made him die the death wherefore may not Christs righteousnesse inherent in him and imput vnto vs bee accepted of God for our iustification to life and that so much the more because Christ Iesus is our head and cautioner which the Saints are not For he hath made him to be sin for vs which 2 Cor. cap 5. vers 21 knew no sin c. CHAP. 13. Of taking away the Cup. TOuching their minching of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Table and depriuing rhe People of the one halfe thereof contrare to Christs institution who commanded them all to drinke of it is a grievous defrauding of the people of their due comfort and that by Iohn 6 which they will haue spoken of the Sacrament except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and Iohn 6. drink of his blood yee haue no life in you So to depriue them of the blood is to depriue them of eternall life And in the primitiue times when persecution raged in the Church the godly Fathers neuer omitted the holy cup to the people that not only because of Christs divine institution but also that they might encourage people to shed their blood chearfully for him who had shed his blood for them did so friely communicate with them in the holy cup. Further Christ sayeth it is the cup of the new Testament in his blood which he shed for the remission of sins Then it appeareth that to depriue the people of the cup is asmuch as to depriue them of the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins for in the hostie there is no shedding of blood as they themselues confes As for the custom of the primitiue Church it is clear in this poynt neither can they or do they deny it yet when either the command of Christ or practise of the primitiue Church seemeth to crosse their businesse they dissalow both him and the ancients and in open counsell giue a decreet to their contrare The councill of Constance holden anno 406 which was the first councill that discharged the cup as an heresie towardes the middest of the Canon Concilium Constantinense 13. sess hath these wordes Although Iesus Christ did institute and administer to his Disciples this venerable Sacramēt vnder the formes of bread and wine and likewise although in the primitiue Church this Sacrament was receaued by the faithfull vnder both kinds neuerthelesse this custome hath with reason beene induced that it should bee receaued by those who consecrate vnder both kynds and by the layity vnder forme of bread only c. And concluds that these that would maintaine the contrare were heretiques where by consequence they make Christ and the primitiue Church heretiques at least in practise which if J had not red and considered in their councils J could not haue beleeued that men could be so impudent and absurd as to affirme CHAP. 14. Of Images HEre J can not passe by their adoration of Jmages 2 book of the images of Saints chap. 21. but must giue a taste thereof Their doctrine is of Images that they are not only relativè as they respect the thing represented but properly and perse by themselfe and terminatiuely without respect to the thing represented as Bellarmine hath expresly yea not only with the worship of dulia or seruice as they call it by the which distinctiō they blind the eys of the ignorant since all religious worship in whatsoueer degrie belongs properly to God but also they teach and affirme that the Images of God and the crosse ought to bee worshipped with the selfesame supreme worship that is due to God himselfe which they call Latria as hath expresly their 25. ques 3. arti in the concl 4. article Angelick doctour in his third part Sic ergo dicendum est c. and fourth article in the conclusion Crux Christi c. which conclusion the foresaid doctour prooues by this that wee giue the supreme worship to him in whom we put the hope of our safetie but in the crosse of Christ This is the crosse of wood whereon hee was nailed we put our hope of safetie So the Papists obiect of faith according to his doctrine is an Image of stocke and stone And therefore Suarez sayes in expresse tearmes Per hanc 45. disp 4. sect adorationem c. I shall faithfully translate the words By this adoration a man not only professeth that which hee adoreth to represent God but also to bee God and his supreme Lord and Redeemer otherwise it would not be a true and supreme worship The common people their case in this Idolatrie is deplorable but somewhat more excusable albeit they be involued in that same guiltinesse who must beleeue by an implicite faith whatsoeuer their Church beleeues for their great doctours doe expresly admonish their Readers that their Preachers let not the people vnderstād in their sermons that this Soueraigne worship of God should bee giuen to Images by the principles of the Roman catholicke faith for it might readily skarre them of catholick Romans make them become Calvinist hereticks See Bellarmine of the Jmages of Saints at these words Quantum ad c 22. chap. giues the same watchword in the place forsaid And this 25. ques 54. dis 4. article because as they both acknowledge in the forsaid places the common people can not be capable of these sublime distinctions wherby the foresaid doctrine must be maintained yea skarsly saith Bellarmine our great doctoures themselues Some of them for eschueing the inconvenience of this foresaid doctrine do use these tearmes directly and indirectly but any that pleaseth to examine at more length this defence they shal find it indirect enugh to giue to the creature any way a worship due to the Creator Further for backing of this doctrine their best reason that I could perceiue they euer broght was their blotting out of the second command of the Lords Law for giuing and not graunting that the second command were one with the first yet wherfore do they scrape out so great a part of that command if their best defence stood not in cancelling the Law of God which is opposite to their adoration of Jmages CHAP. 15. Of their new beliefe satisfaction purgatorie IN this place their large addition to their beliefe represents it selfe to my mind as may be seen in the bull of Pope Pitis the 4. concerning the oath taken of their Church-men containing their Trent creed wherein beside the Articles of the Apostles creed they haue ingrossed many other Articles of their most grosse and absurde heresies I can not also omitte heere their idle repetition of Prayers ascrybing merite and satisfaction to the number of them for I my self haue been enioyned to say such a number of Aues Pater nosters by waye of pennance or for the reliefe of Soules and
time or a long time after any that euer heard of a number of the Articles of their Faith But this is one of their shiftes to dispute about genealogies and generalities lest comming to particulars the strength of our cause and weaknesse of theirs should appeare They will obiect Luther and Calvine and our first reformers were Papists first But it makes not to vs wee belieue not any poynt of Religion upon their worde but what wee finde aggrieing with Scripture Againe Paul was not the worse Apostle that sometime hee was a Pharisee but their Religion is so much the worse as such men and many after them behooued to quite it or lose their Soules They will obiect diuersities of opinions and diuisions and schismes but answere you that there were divisions in the Churchs of Corinth Galatia and other Apostolicke Churches and yet they were not the lesse true Churches let euery Church answere for her selfe whether shee keepe vnitie with Christ and his Apostles in her doctrine for vnitie without trueth is but conspiracie in errour It is a whorish impudencie to obiect vncleannes to a chast Matron they might remember Christs aduertisment Hypocrite cast out the beame of thy owne eye first or the Poets admonition Loripedem rectus derideat For beside the bloody schismes of their Popes and the irreconciliable diuisions of their Doctours the Jesuites and Dominicans at this day do iarre so hotly concerning grace and frie wil that their Pope darre not determine the question for feare he lose one of the parties Jf they finde you ignorant they will cause you belieue that your Ministers teaches such and such heresies as that they are enemies to good works enemies to the Virgine Mary and to the Saintes that they giue libertie to sinne and makes God the author of it that such a writer on our Religion hath such a blasphemous errour in such a book and another writer another blasphemie in another booke Luther sayes this and Caluine sayes that and a thousand slanders suchlike To bee short their whole wits they will imploy to brangle you in some generall that they may haue you at an vantage brought ouer to their grounds whereof they will make great show and ostentation or if they condescend vpon a particular and finde you therin weak they will shoote at all But if yee keepe the loue of the Scriptures the Lord shall mak you to stand Great peace haue they who Psal 119. 165. loue thy Law and nothing shall offend them As for their disputs they will make great boast and brag if they see not a learned partie if they finde a learned partie they will take them to discourse if they may if they must disput they will keepe the former method that is stick vpon generalls about the visibilitie of a Church and notes as they say thereof whether the true Church can erre and will hold off whether Rome can erre as long as they can they wil make shew to quot councils and Fathers not because that they can obtaine the victory by them but because the books are rare and few are acquaint with them to know whether they say right or wrong they wil avow forged distinctions when they are prest and flee to philosophick tearms not becaus such refuges wil saue them but because by this meanes they blovv mist in their eyes that cannot follovv them to their lurking holes vvhen their cause is vveakest then they grovv boldest and vvill set a brovv vpon their part that their countenance may giue vveight to their vvatter-vversh argument or ansvvers vvhen they are like to succumb they will cry lovvdest and cast in a nevv subiect to disput on yee will not put them to silence albeit they knovv they are ouercome For what by shifts what by subtilities what by circumventions what by apparent verities they can colour their cause though neuer so bad It vvere an endles labour to shovv all their courses impossible these may suffice to giue aduertisement to you who may bee in danger that you acquaint you with the grounds of your owne Religion and diligently read the Scriptures that you bee not rash to vndertake a disput concerning Religion and leane not much to your owne or others disputation for in a disput yee will get the two disputers wits tried and acquaintance with their owne grounds which they defend but yee will not so try Religion it is the studieing of all the grounds thereof and trying them by the Scripture must make you sure when Gods glory or others edification requires that you disput doe it advisedly for they haue their set arguments and their writen disputs carrying about with them set the state of the question right limite thy argument to be brought on either side to Scripture or reasons deduced therefrom not because thou needst to feare any councils and fathers but partly because fathers and councills are but human testimonies partlie because if you goe from the Scriptures ye goe to the long Sands and the disput will not end shortlie and so hee escapes and his errour is not convinced and the auditours is left suspense This much may serue for a generall aduertisment Now for my part pray for mee that God may show more and more mercie on mee J know many a bitter hard word will be spoken against me J deserue them all not for my departing from them but for my first revolting in my ignorant youthead from this Religion whereinto I am now brought home by Gods mercie his name be glorified for euer And the Lord make known this his trueth to the World vvho knovves it not and no doubt multituds shal come vnto the Lord this Religion vvhich is grounded on his trueth as Doves flocking to their vvindovves Lord doe it for Christs sake All glorie bee giuen to God through Christ Yours in Christ Mr PATRIK CRAVFURD FINIS Faultes escaped in the Printing Pag. 10 for Chap 5 read Chap 4. Page 47 line 8 for justification read regeneration Page 5â— line 1. at the beginning read Suarez The changes of letters or transposing of vvords the courteous reader vvill tolerate