to the accepting of grace in the article of conversion is hereticall in so far as it is contradictorie to the sayings of the Apostle Who hath separate thee what hast thou that thou hast not received A likewise It is not the runner nor the witter but God that showeth mercie Lastly the Romanists prove hereticall in the cooperation of mans will with grace giving unto it not only a proper working by it selt but also the first place setting God beside the coushen in the second roome which hath a flat opposition to the Apostles words I dare not faith he speak of any thing which Christ hath not worught by mee to make the Gentiles obedient in word and deed As also that every good gift and perfect donation is from above and cometh down from the Father of lights I may joine to the roâ—mer heresies these of the Semipâ—lagians of Massilia touching conditionall predeltination and free will mentioned by Prosper and Hilarius to Augustine which are now refined by the Jesuits and goe most curient in the Romane church as best coine to be layed up in the treasurie of mans merits and rightreousnesse The meanest of these foresaids heresies against faith are of greater moment then the old heresies of the Quartodecimani c. recorded by 〈◊〉 Epiphanius and Augustine Neither have these pesâ—â—erous weeds of heresies spread their roots to the suppression of Faith but also to the destruction of the law Teach they not that divine worship is to bee given to creatures against the first Commandment images to bee worshipped against the second and dispensation with perjuries against the third Saints dayes are among them in greater estimation then the Lords day contrare to the fourth commandement they liberate children from obedience to parents and Subjects from the oath of Alleadgance to their native Princes against the fift They yoak Christian Princes in bloodie wars and persecute the Saints of GOD to death contrare to the sixt They allow incestuous marriages and tolerat stewes prohibite in the seventh they transferre Kingdomes and Empires at their arbitrement being a great injustice contrare to the eight they tolerat lies equivocations and mentall reservations prohibite in the ninth and lastly they deny concupisence to be formally sin after baptisme as if in any article of time it might be said of man that he is without all sin Since then this Romish Babylon is so fraughted with heresies let us all obey the voice of God from heaven and come out of her least being partakers of her sins we receive of her plagues If it be demanded when and how these errours came in and what was the cause that being so grosse and palpable they get such acceptance of the learned I answere that many errours and a-abuses have creept in into the Romane church even of late since the reformation began by the Valdenses As that superstitious festivitie of the forged transubstantiat bread into the body of Christ jubilees depriving the laicks of the cup erecting of images in resemblance of the blessed Trinitie schoole divinitie more Aristotelian then Scripturâ—li diverse orders of begging Monks Jesuites and others bowing at the name of Jesus and now lastly Pelagianisme doth prevaile so far in the doctrine of election conversion and freewill that GODS grace is made a subservient cause to nature and the immaculate and pure conception of the blessed Virgine without originall sin against reason and Scripture is now almost universally maintained These I say are the late cockle and dornell that have sprung up sowne by that ill One since the light of reformation so that the light of GODS word hath beene to them as the Sun to the clay to harden them more and more As to the errours before the reformation though they pretend antiquitie it shall be found that some of them were unknown to the church for many hundred years and the most ancient of them hath nothing but an humaine antiquitie which being compared with Divine antiquitie is but a meer noveltie Where was that doctrine of prayer for the dead in the dayes of Irenaeus who lived in the 180. year of God and some others about these times and long after who thought the souls to rest in subterranean places till the last Judgement Where was the antiquitie of worshipping the Crosse when Minucius Felix who flourished in the 206. year of God averreth in the person of Octavius his dialogist that Christians did neither wish nor worship crosses Where was images in the church when they were condemned in the councel holden at Eliberis And Epiphanius who lived in the 370 year of God seeing a vail haying in it the Picture of Christ or some saint as hee sayeth hung without the door of the temple of Anabletâ—a moved with an holy indignation did cut the same in twaine which doing is approven by Hierome Was the worship of Angels received in the church when the councill of Laodicea did prohibit the same and Theodoret who lived in the 430. year of God in his commentar upon the 2 Colâ—ss condemneth it likewise Doeth not Gregorie bishop of Rome about the 600 yeare of God writing to Serenus bisop of Marsilia condemne the worship of images Was the Saints worshipped in the church when Augustine who was in the 420. year of God in his book de verarelig affirmeth that they did honour the saints with charitie and with noworship And in his 22. book of the Citie of God We name the Saints saith he when wee pray but we do not pray to them Was not these books which now the Romane church accounteth to be Canonick Scripture esteemed to be Apocryph in the councell of Laodicca and by Hierome in his prologue called Galâ—atus and by the Christian church in these dayes Was the imputation of Christs righteousnesse unknowne to the Ancient church when Augustine in his Enchiridian ad Laurentium clearely averreth the same as also Bernard in the larter dayes Was the title and power of Oecumenick or universall bishop received and approved in the church of Christ when Gregorie the great did averre that whosoever did assume that style was either the Antichrist or the foreâ—unnâ—r of the Antichrist Or was the supremacie of the Pope over the church acknowledged when Polycrates with the rest of the eastern bishops did resist Victor bishop of Roâ—e The holy Martyr Cyprian did resist Stâ—phanus and Cornâ—lius both bishops of Rome And the bishops of Africk in the Milevitan councell whereat Augustine was present did inhibite all transmarine appellations to the Sea of Rome Was the doctrine of the substantiall changing of the bread in the body of Christ nothing remaining of the bread but naked accidents received and approved when Theodoret plainly affirmeth that the bread doth abide in its substance unchanged The same doeth Gelasius bishop of Rome after him Bertrame and Scotus one of their chiefe schoolemen testisyeth lib.
was in Babylon being a servant and a tenant of the scarlet whoore c. And more clearly to Marcella in the name of Paula and Eustochium hee inviteth her to come out of Rome being that Apocalyptick Babylon whereby it is clear what Hierome did esteeme of Rome And in the preceeding chapter the whore is said to sit cloathed in purple dyeed with the bloud of the Saints with a golden cup full of fornications in her hand having in her fore-head A mysterie Babilon Rome therefore is that mystick Babylon the citie situat upon seven hilles which did reigne over all the kingdomes of the Earth at that time And it is observable that the Popes ordinarie vesture is Scarlet and in the frontispice of his Mitre as Joseph Scaliger witnesseth in his notes on the New Testament is written Mysterie which he learned by the report of Lord Montmorency who was certified thereof in his being at Rome Moreover the same Scaliger sayeth there that the Masse in all languages hath the name of Mysterie which I doubt not is by Divine providence for it is full of mysteries in all the parts gestures actions and rites thereof in so far that for their exposition they require a voluminous treatise as Durandus Rationale and idle pennes of others imployed upon that superstitious subject doe testifie Yea there is no part of their white garments that wanteth its mysterie wherefore the better reformed churches have rejected them for their forged operation and popish mysticall signification The scarlet the golden cup the mysterie the imperiall citie situat on seven hilles do evidence what that mystick Babilon Rome is and the pope who resides there In this book of Divine Revelation Rome is branded with three titles and names of Egypt Sodome and Babilon It is called Egypt in the XI Chapter because it oppresseth the people of God and maketh them worke in brick and clay of corrupt doctrines and humane inventions It is there also called Sodome because of idlenesse and fulnesse of bread and that filthie and unaturall lust not to be named which made GOD to raine fire and brimstone thereupon for many idle bellies be there dumb dogs that preach not prodigalitie and luxurie do reigne amongst them and these unnaturall lustes wherewith the Sodomites were infamous so abounds in Rome that Petrus Damianus leaving Rome and betaking him to the wildernesse in detestation of this Sodomiticall villanie published a book intituled by him Gomorraeus which he did dedicat to Leo the ninth Cardinal Baronius in his Annales clearly confesseth the same And the Archbishop de la Casa was not ashamed to present to the view of the world a treatise in the commendation of filthie Sodomie which was printed and reprinted at Venice O Coelum ad haec non sadas O terra non dehiscis O Heavens doe yee not blush O Earth doest thou not open thy mouth and swallow such vile and grievous sinners But O LORD great is thy patience which the impenitent abusing do treasure up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath Thirdly Rome is called Babilon which signifieth confusion for the confusion of tongues at the building of Babell because in Rome mystick Babilon there is a confusion of secular and ecclesiastiâ—k governement distinguished and divided by GOD himselfe in the persons of Moses and Aaron and from thence as is evident in the reigne of Jehosaphat except in extraordinarie cases untill the dayes of the Macabees whose successours confounding church and policie as a thing ordinare did loose both church and policie And unto Peter the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven was committed and not keyes of the kingdome of the earth And the Canons of the Apostles so called interdict ecclesiastick persons from medling with civile affaires The prime and purer Antiquitie not onely condemneth the same but in the last and corrupt dayes Bernard ad Eugenium enveyeth against all secular governement in the persons of Churchmen But Babilon hath confounded these giving in both the plenitude of power to the Pope and from him as the source and spring all power to streame forth and bee derived at his pleasure in spirituall and temporall governement This is a great confusion but there is a greater and worse in mixing and confounding trueth with errour in the worship of GOD for they have joyned with the word GOD their traditions with the two Sacraments of GOD their five bastard sacraments with the bloody sacrifice of CHRIST their unbloodie sacrifice of the Messe with the merit of Christ the merit of man with the adoration of the Creator the adoration of the creature with the blood of Christ the blood of Martyrs And this way have built up their Babell of confusion And because of this double confusion if they repent not double confusion in GODS just judgement is prepared for them Therefore that we may eschew this confusion and GODS fierce vengance let us come out of Babell To come out of Babylon is not only to come out with the feet of our body but three wayes we must come out of Babylon In minde affection and action In minde and judgement disproving and condemning their errours in heart and affection hating them in action in deed and body forsakeing them and that with resolution never to returne And he who in these three forsaketh Babel may bee said truely to come out of Babel But this coming out of Babel presupposeth a residing and dwelling in Babel Whereby we may answere to these who aske us where our Kirk was before the dayes of Luther I aske likewise where they who came out of Babel was before their coming out of Babel It must bee said that they were in Babel So our Church before the reformation which was three hundred yeares before Luther was in mystick Babylon the Romane church But though it was in it it was not of it for if it had beene of it as John sayeth it had not went from out of it It was in it and with it as a masse of metall consolidat of gold silver and tinne wherein though the gold and silver be mixed with the tinne they are no part of the tinne and by the melting of the skilfull founder are separate and distinguished one from another So were the good and the bad mixed together in the Romane church till GOD by the Reformers as so many skilfull founders did separate and divide his own Elect from the reprobate If it bee further demanded who these were of our profession that did remaine in the Romane church I answer they were of three sorts Publick opponents to the Romish errours Private opponents and a third who were neither publick nor private opponents Publick opponents I might name many but I will content mee with some most remarkable When the Gregorean Liturgie was obtruded to the Christian Kirk in these Westerne parts these of Millan did oppose the same being better pleased with the Liturgie of Ambrose these of Spaine did
4. Senten that before the Lateran councell which was near twelve hundred years after Christ transubstantiation was no article of Faith In the Romane church the innocent person whether man or woman is debarred of the benefite of marriage after divorce This was not of old as is manifest out of Fathers Councels and Decrees of the bishops of Rome Was auricular confession thought to bee of Divine authoritie and necessare for salvation when Nectarius a learned and godly bishop of Constantinople did abrogate the same which also Chrysostome his successor did reject as unnecessare The like did after him Cassianus and in these our later ages Cardinall Cajetan â— Rhenanus and Erasmus Was the lording power of prelates over Presbyters received when they could determine nothing without their consent as is certaine out of Cyprian and the fourth councell of Carthage Why are Presbyters now debarred from a definitive voice in councell which they had and enjoyed in the Christian church for many hundred years As is manifest out of many Councels as the second holden at Rome and these of Eliberis Sinuessa the fifth Toletan and that late Councel of Constans as is related by AEnaeas Sylvius in that hote contest which was between Panormitan and the Cardinal of Arels Do not this day in the Romane church Archimandritae do not the generals of religious orders to this day voice in their Councels And both of them are but Presbyters no Prelats These and many mo pretended antiquities in the Romane Church are nothing but meer novelties As to the precise periode of time when every errour did enter into the Church it is not requisite to be knowne When the Scribes and Pharisees asked Christ Iesus of unlawfull divocre pretending antiquitie for the same Christ answereth no other thing but that it was not so from the beginning It is sufficient then for us though we point not out the precise article of time when errour did creep in into the Church that it was not so from the beginning as we have demonstrate If they reply that the precise period of time is known when Arrianisme Nestorianisme and other heresies had their beginning I answere though it hold in some it will not hold in all Who can designe the precise period of time of unlawfull divorce Who can designe the precise period of time of idolatrie The Jewes against the word sacrifized upon Mountaines but who knoweth the precise time The Saducees believed neither Angel nor spirit and the beginning of this damnable doctrine is not agreed upon The Scribes and Pharisees leavened the word of God with their traditions and inventions But the originall of these errours who can tell Laicks were deprived of the cup at the communion which is a breach of Christs institution The private and solitare communion of the Priest without the people used daylie in the Romane church is contrare to the word of God practise of the Ancients and Canons of Councels and who knoweth the beginning thereof The communion was given unto new borne children before the use of reason and was universally received and approven in the dayes of Cyprian and Augustine and who knoweth the originall of the sameâ— The custome of the church of old was first to enjoine repentance and after the performance of it to give absolution But now in a preposterous order absolution is first keeped then penance imposed to be performed afterward The beginning of this change who can tell There was hereticks named 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because the source and fountaine from whence this heresie did spring was unknowne Shall we say that a man sick of a consumption is not diseased because we know not when his disease began The masse of errours wherewith the Romane Church is loadened is called a Mysterie of iniquitie because as a mysterie is dark they came in dâ—rkly And the good seed being sowen the ill One is said to have sowen cockle and darnell in the night Now as darnell and cockle while they are in the blade can hardly be discerned from wheat but in the fruit they are discerned of all so the errours of the Romane Church came in so maâ—ked and disguised that they were not perceived but when they came to the fruit and maturity then were they sensible to all that had eyes to see For clearing of this it is to be observed that three wayes errours have beene introduced in the Romane Church first Secretly next openly undercolour of law thirdly by force and violence Secretly invocation of Saints crosses images purgatorie the sacrifice of the masse authorizing of Apocrypâ— books and many other corrupt and erroneous doctrines these I say were brought in secretly and mystically by certaine degrees unknown at the first till they did show themselves in their owne colours when they came to the fruit and maturity Invocation of Saints had its originall from the festivall dayes dedicat to Saints first in the church of Smyrna for the commemoration of the martyrdome of Polyearpus bishop there but it did not stay at a bare commemoration of the death of the martyre and thanksgiving to God but this mysterie grew from a commemoration to publick banqueting in the annuall festivities of Saints and from publick banqueting to nomination in Church prayer from nomination to Rhetorick compellation and from that to invocation and consequentlie to idolatrie Likewise the signe of the crosse was used for a symbole of gloriation that Christians were not ashamed but did glorie in the crosse of Christ then it became impetrative as a virtuall prayer for sanctification thereafter operative for expelling of divels and diseases and from aeriall crosses they came to materiall crosse and from a relative worship of them to a terminative inferiour worship and from that to a divine worship Images was also first received as ornaments to beautifie the church thereafter as books to teach the unlearned then they became conduits only to convoy worship to the Samplate till at last they were adored Prayer for the dead is not founded upon scripture as Epiphanius against Aërius confesseth but upon tradition which often is deceatfull and ever uncertaine It was unknown to the apostles c their disciples and others succeding them who thought the souls to rest sequestrat in secret places expecting the second coming of Christ Afterward least the soule should seeme to be mortall and the Saints departed to be Gods as witnesseth Epiphanius they did broach this superstition which was advanced by a new conceit that the souls after this life did either reside in the outward porch of heaven before their entrie or if they were in heaven did not attaine at the first to the full fruition of God which made Augustine to pray for his father Patricius and others whom he affirmeth to be in the heavenly Hierusalem and if they were in the heavenlie Hierusalem why doth hee pray for them but that they might as hee thought come more speedily to
the full injoyment of God But the foolish braine of man evanishing in fond speculations did conceive that the souls not fully purged from sin Flitting out of the tabernacles of this mortality before they did attaine to the fruition of God behooved to be purged by fire as most fit for that use Whereupon was kindled this fire of Purgatory to wast and consume the moyens of the simple and credulous and warme the kitchines of the Romane church And it is to be observed that this errour was not universally received for the Greek church to this day reject and condemne the same As to altars Bellarmine confesseth that there is no mention either of Priest or altar in scripture in the dayes of the Apostles for that whereof is spoken Heb. 13. 10. is Christ our altar in heaven upon whom we offer our prayers and Minucius Felix who lived in the 300 year of God witnesseth that Christians in his time had no altars nor images And though Tertullian who lived about that same time in the Latine Church mentioneth an altar yet it is to be understood that there was then no sacrifice of the body of Christ seeing the same author against Marcion calleth the bread a figure or representative signe of the body of Christ and that kneeling at the altar recorded by him in his book intituled Of Repentance importeth no ordinare bowing to the altar but the humble gesture of a penitent which was performed sometimes at the entrie of the church without and sometimes within With altars there came in sacrifices first representative and commemorative then subjective by faith and prayer then propitiatorie and at last the offering of Christ under the naked speces of bread and wine The Canonick Scriptures dyted by Divine inspiration were first only read in the church as is evident out of Justine Martyres apologie Origen and the councell holden at Laodicea and other councels But in the latter end of the 400 year of God the reading of Apocrypha in the kirk did open a doore to the reading of homilies and they to the reading of the acts of Martyres and thereafter the fabulous legends of Saints fictitious for the most part in stead of Gods word did sound in his church and 〈◊〉 last the reading of Apocrypâ—â— and humane writs in the church made that these books called Apocrypha were esteemed Canonick and of no lesse authoritie then if they had beene dyted by the holy Ghost Whereby we may clearly perceive how dangerous it is to give way to wil-worship and humaine 〈…〉 such as faiars dayes crossing in baptisme images altars reading of Apocrypha in the church and the rest of the that Romishrubbish Neither only after this manner secretly but openly errours were obtruded and imposed upon the church under colour of law by a prevailing faction to the regrate and grief of many good Christians who did in private mourne and according to their power resist the same as in the corrupt councels the second of Nice Lateran these of Constans Florencs c. Besides this thirdly great way was made to superstition and idolatrie when the Gregorean liturgie by violence to the effusion of blood of many Saints was inforced upon the Christian world Thaâ— have I declared that the Romane antiquitie in religion is no antiquitie but noveltie as also when and how errours had their original some closely and unknown in the â—owing and spring till they came to maturitie others appearing at the first in thâ—â—r colours were opposed by the Godly which notwithstanding by a prevailing faction were established some under pretext of law others by violence It may seeme strange that the Romane religion being contrare to grace by the presumptuous merite of man contrare to peace by anxious doubtings whereby they keep the souls of men in perpetuall suspensions being also contrare to reason and sense as to maintaine a body without dimension a subject without accidents and accidents without a subject contrare to all societie by approving lying and equivocation Contrare to the light of nature dispensing with incestuous marriage Contrare to magistracie in freeing subjects from the oath of alleadgeance their native Prince and teaching further man to scourge his body kill his King and eat his God being I say such a religion it may appear strange and admirable that men of great learning and understanding Thould be addicted and devoted thereto But there be five reasons why it so falleth out first they have transformed as I said the glorie of 〈◊〉 Eternall God into the similitude of corruptible freatures and God therefore hath infatuaâ— and given them over unto a reprobate minde as he did the Gentiles for the like sin â— They are drunk with the cup of fornication of the Babylonish whoor and as men drunk are bereaved and spoiled of their iudgement and understanding so are they â— They worship images the worshippers whereof as saith the Psalmist by Gods iustice are made like 〈◊〉 of them and as the images have eyes and see 〈…〉 and heare not so are they â— Because the love of the Trueth is not in them as the Lord gave over the Jewws to strong delusions so hath God done with them in Romane church who are enemies to the word of God forbidding the reading use and exercise thereof Finally God fayeth by Esay because the Jewes did worship him after the precepts and traditions of men that their understanding should bee blinded that in hearing they should not heare and seing they should not see To this judgement the Romane church by their vaine inventions and traditions have made them selves lyable For 〈◊〉 therefore that we be not carried with the Current of errour to destruction it is expedient we beware of these fix rocks whereupon many have made shipwrack of their faith which are mentioned by the Apostle Coloss 1. chap. to wit Philosophie Traditions dead and unprofitable Ceremonies called the Rudiments of the world Wil-worship pretended humilitie and uncertaine speculations The church of Christ hath felt the wounds of all these and is still bleeding therewith crying for the help and hand of a pitifull and skilfull Physiciar The church was first wounded by Traditionarâ—s as by Papiaâ— the first of that number and others following Then by Wilworship as festivities and holy dayes to creatures and such like Moreover by humane rites and ceremonies in the sacraments especially in baptisme as crossing spitle oyle salt c. What errours were brought in by Platonicke Philosophie in the prime antiquitie by Origen and others and in the latter ages by the Romish schoolemen what be the uncertaine speculations of the hierarchie of the Angels and pretended humilitie of worshipping of angels and mediating by them dolefull experience doth testifie Therefore let us beware of these rocks and direct our course by the compasse of GODS word which is of greater authoritie by many degrees then the voice of the church not in it self only