Church which are almost without number And mark that in all ages this hath been the malice of hereticks to have recourse to Traditions when the Scriptures faile them Tertull. de Monog cap. 2. Joh. 16.12 Bellarm. lib. 5. de verbo Dei so Tertullian being become hereticall in his Booke de Monogania cap. 2. maintaineth the heresie of Montanus by those words of our Saviour I have yet many things to say unto you but yee cannot beare them now Which is the passage Bellarmine citeth for Traditions cap. 5. of his Book of the unwritten Word and yet it appeareth by the following verse that our Saviour by those things which they cannot for the present beare meant the things which are to come as the prophesies concerning the things which were to fall out which are to be seen in the Epistles of the Apostles and in the Revelation of St John and such like things and not any doctrines of faith Irenaeus in the second chap. of his third Book saith Irenaeus cap. 2. lib. 3. that when any did convince the hereticks with Scripture they began to accuse the Scripture saying that the truth could not be found in the Scripture by those who knew not the Tradition because it was not given in writing but onely spoken verbally Now this is practised by the Romish Church more than by any sect that hath ever yet been because seeing Scripture doth faile her to maintaine her tyranny and innumerable superstitious policies she hath invented a word not written which shee calleth Traditions equalling their authoritie with the holy Scriptures and those Traditions are invented and augmented from time to time according to the will and fancy of the Popes for some of them have invented the Masse and some other ceremonies and one or other of them have now and then added to them or taken from augmented or diminished the same some of them have invented Purgatory others Indulgences some the invocation of Saints others the reliques some the Communion under one kinde and yet to this day their number is not perfect neither is it yet known to the Romish Church that which our Saviour preached as necessary to faith and salvation for as there were new Articles of faith made in the Councell of Trent which was the last generall Councell amongst them as that of justification and originall sin so doe they hope to make yet more in the next Councell as it may be of the conception of the Virgin Mary of predestination with or without merits or some others Here is another objection those of the Romish Church thinke to be of great force and which I my selfe have often used disputing against those of the Romish Religion pretending thereby to prove the necessitie of Traditions and to referre our selves to the Church for say they who gave you the holy Scripture but the Tradition and whence know yee the Canonicall Books from those that are not Canonicall but by the determination and tradition of the Church It is true that every particular man receiveth the holy Scripture from the Church he liveth in whether it be a pure or impure Church so the Apostles had received from the Priests and Scribes enemies of Jesus Christ the books of the old Testament but in that the Church doth onely the office of a Witnesse and not of a Judge it onely witnesseth that those Books are holy and Canonicall but it judgeth not them to be holy nor giveth them any authoritie and the Tradition of the Church witnessing those books to be divine and holy is onely a protestation of her subjection to the Scripture and not an usurpation of her authoritie above the written word of God He who sheweth the King to a stranger is not therefore above the King nor giveth he any authoritie to the King and a Book-seller shewing to a buyer the Book of the Statutes of the Kingdome doth not for that authorise those Statutes and some man may receive the holy Scriptures from the Church and afterwards use it to condemne the same Church And as the testimony of innumerable eyes and eares seeing the lightnings and hearing the thunder maketh us say that it thundreth and lightneth so the testimony of innumerable Churches assuring us that the holy Scriptures are from God cause us to give an assent to them as divine Where it is to be noted that as for the Books of the New Testament wee ought to take the testimony of the Churches under the New Testament so for the Books of the old Testament we ought to follow the judgement of the Churches of those times and refer our selves to their testimony without making them for that Judges of the controversie Nor doth it appertaine to him who is to be judged by the holy Scripture and the word of God to make himselfe Judge of that word of God so it is a great impertinency to inferre from this objection the necessitie of Traditions to be of the same vertue with the pure word of God CHAP. VI. Traditions condemned by the holy Scriptures VVE have seen the testimonies of the holy Scripture and the reasons they of the Romish Church bring to establish the doctrine of Traditions Now let us see the testimonies of the same Scripture which the Orthodox and reformed Church alledge to condemne those Traditions and consider which of them are of greatest strength As for mee having maturely considered the passages I cannot see how their force can be eluded or rather that men yeeld not to their cleernesse The Prophet Moses saith to the people of God Deut. 12.13 Deut. 12.13 Yee shall doe that which I command you before the Lord neither adding nor diminishing there from and more cleerly in Chap. 12. Yee shall adde nothing to the word which I command you nor take nothing from it and Salomon in his Proverbs saith Pro. 30.6 Adde thou nothing unto his word least he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Which being not deniable but that it is said of the Church what doth the Scripture thereby but condemne most cleerly the Traditions which are questionlesse new inventions added to the holy Scripture For my part after I began to consider attentively the words of the Apostle St Paul on this subject I could never see how those of the Romish Church can maintaine the doctrine of their Traditions as pertaining to faith and equall in authoritie to the holy Scriptures Gal. 1.8 Mark I pray you with me those words Gal. 1.8 If we our selves or any Angel from heaven preach to you any other Gospel than that which hath been preached unto you let him be accursed Note these words Let him be accursed which are of no small importance and observe the word besides Praeterquam quod is in the vulgar translation of St Jerome which is more fully expressed by the word besides than by the word otherwise as it is in some corrupted impressions and above all note that he saith not against but besides Praeterquam
from the dead to convert his brethren God who is understood by Father Abraham did he not answer They have Moses and the Prophets let them harken to them that is let them reade and see what they say for Moses and the Prophets were already dead and could not speake but by their Bookes St John the Evangelist having written the Apocalyps which is the most obscure and difficile Booke of all the Scripture in the opinion of all the learned whereof St Jerome saith that it containes as many mysteries as words yet St John who writ it forbiddeth not the reading thereof to Christians nor saith that none but the Pope of Rome or the Bishops and Doctors have power and presumption to reade it but stirreth up every one to reade it and proclaimeth a blessing upon all those that reade it by those words Blessed is he that readeth Apoc. 1.2 and they that heare the words of this Prophesie and keepe the things that are written therein Apoc. 1.2 When Philip went out of Jerusalem by the commandement of the Lord Act. 8.27 to goe for Gaza he did meet with the Eunuch of the Queene of Ethiopia who being a man that sought the Kingdome of God did reade the old Testament the Apostle did not reprove him for reading the Scripture but explained to him a Prophesie of Isaiah that was difficile to be understood and that reading was a means and helpe to finde true faith and to embrace Christian Religion In the time then of Jesus Christ and his Apostles the reading of the holy Scripture was not forbidden neither was it thought to be pernicious The Romish Church commendeth also St Cecill whose feast they keep as of a great Virgin and Martyr for carrying continually in her bosome the Books of the Evangelists and they hold she lived in the times of St Clement who is esteemed one of the first Bishops of Rome after the death of St Peter The Scriptures then were not as yet prohibited nor the reading of the same thought pernicious or dangerous to the simple sort for she was but a simple young damsell brought up in Paganisme As we reade of St Jerome who lived about three hundred yeares after that he did recommend nothing to Paula and Eustochium Mother and daughter both great Romane Dames so much as the assiduous reading of the holy Scriptures and that it should be their most ordinary study and frequent meditations By these and an infinite of other examples which I might alledge if I feared not tediousnesse we see that the reading of the Scripture was permitted yea recommended and laudable in Christians and that neither by Christ Jesus nor his Apostles nor the Romish Church in those times was it thought to be pernicious None will say that the Gentiles Jewes and Christians of those times were of greater judgement than those of our times or that they were more capable to read the holy Scriptures and the most difficile Prophesies for that should be ridiculous Neither dare any one say that the Prophets and Apostles and Jesus Christ himselfe or the first Pastours of those times had not as much and more understanding than the Pope or the Church of Rome in our time and yet they did not conceive that some would abuse such reading for that should be a great impietie notwithstanding this must be the inference from such a prohibition But to speake truth it appeareth to be no other thing but a policy and malicious subtiltie of the Romish Church for the present too much corrupted or rather from those who governe the same for feare that the people reading the holy Scriptures perceive the errours and falsenesse of the doctrine therein preached seeing so little conformitie in it with the Word of God And truly according to the Maxime of policy and for the conservation and upholding of their doctrine they have as great reason as Mahomet had to destroy all the Universities and Colledges of learning within the reach of his authoritie for my part I doe not remember to have seene any Christians who have not in reading the holy Scriptures faln soon to an infinite number of doubts about the beliefe of the Romish Church it being almost impossible to be otherwise and as black is never better seen than when it is brought neere to white in the light so the lies and false doctrine being confronted and placed by the truth cannot but appeare immediately And there are but few learned men who perceive not this cleerely enough but being interessed in that party and being bound to it with humane cords and bands they strive to dissemble the same that they may conserve their goods and dignities and by the spirit of pusillanimitie or avarice endeavour to suffocate and tread underfoot the prickings motions caused by the truth but blessed are they whom neither wealth nor honours nor any worldly or humane consideration hinder to come to Christ and who embrace his holy doctrine and can say with St Paul Phil. 3.8 Phil. 3.8 I account all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Saviour Since then courteous Reader the reading of the holy Scriptures is of such vertue that it discovereth the lies and is so much recommended to us by God the Father who hath spoken to us by his Prophets and servants and by his Sonne Jesus Christ who hath preached it to us from his owne mouth and by the holy Spirit who hath charged us therewith by his Apostles and Evangelists be in love with it reade it againe and againe without wearinesse Let no power nor authoritie in the world no prohibition of any whosoever hinder you from the reading of it for it being against the will and intention of God there is no power nor authoritie in the earth can binde us from it On the contrary God who commandeth it must rather be obeyed than all the Popes that forbid it although they were universall Pastours as they falsely brag themselves to be and undoubtedly it is a great sin to neglect and set at naught the commandements of our God in that point to obey man and therefore I exhort you againe to read the holy Scriptures couragiously and often to have them continually before your eyes to compare the whole doctrine of our salvation with them and hold them for a sure rule of all truth to meditate and ruminate them uncessantly and obey the holy Spirit who preacheth to us therein for I doubt not but yee may reape great profit for your soules necessary instruction for your salvation and a singular consolation And because that some one by Gods punishment and just judgement abusing the same finds death instead of life is that a sufficient reason to deprive others thereof forbid the reading of it Because the Sunne the fire or the water occasions sometimes great damage to certain persons ought the use thereof be forbidden to all men therefore as most dangerous some there are who abuse both
Againe in preparing himselfe to saile and about to passe through the raging waves calleth upon a piece of wood more rotten than the vessell that carrieth him for verily desire of gaine devised that and the workman built it by his skill Judge I pray you if all this doth not agree and is not found in the simple people of the Romish Church and if there be not as great reason to condemne them of Idolatry as those of whom it is spoken in this place and are not they which place those Images and expose them to the people which authorise them by their doctrines and sollicite the people thereunto the causers and protectors of Idolatry But as the Booke of Wisdome saith in that place The desire of game hath devised that for it especially hath been the onely covetousnesse of Priests and Clergie to gaine and gather the money and offerings of the people which hath made them expose the Images and erect them in the Churches there being many of those Images worth great revenues to the Clergie and I know some worth above ten thousand Crownes yearely to their Priests and therefore we need not marvell that the Romish Clergie so carefully maintaine the doctrine of invocation of Saints and Images For as the people goe but seldome to God but by the Saints so doe they but seldome goe to the Saints but by the Priests to wit by their Masses Pilgrimages and other the like means and howsoever the saints in heaven take no money for their paines they having no need they neverthelesse which are on the earth can well take it refusing nothing although they have no hands but the Priests have hands enough for all for they take that which is offered them with one hand with the other that which is offered to their Images so they handsomely take as men commonly say two maulters of one sack and know how to flea the poore beast without noise caring little whether the people commit Idolatry or not provided they find their profit And howsoever the Priests know well enough that the people commit idolatry with the Saints and Images in rendring to them the honour that is due to God neverthelesse that doctrine being so profitable to them they are loath to preach against it or reprove it And as a notable and very learned Bishop of the Romish Church who is yet alive and whom I well know a man unblameable in his conversation did begin not long ago eagerly to preach and write against those great abuses against the congregations and Tiercers against pilgrimages and those artificiall superstitions and the Idolatries practised by the ignorant with vitious simplicities and invented of purpose by the Priests to snatch mens money those who were the more interressed rose up against him incontinent and prevailed so far by their practises with the greatest that he was forbidden to preach and write and hath been disgraced and banished these many yeers although he was esteemed for that of the most judicious and even of them who did solicite against him but profit and gain suffocate and strangle oftentimes the reason and truth especially in the Romish Church CHAP. XIX Of the Miracles of the Romish Church THe strongest reason they of the Romish Church have to authorise their invocation of Saints is an infinite multitude of Miracles which they say were done by the Saints at the prayers of the faithfull and the book of their miracles is of such credit at this day in that Church that it is their Word of God and holy Scripture and the book in greatest estimation among the people and where scarcely one Bible is to be found in an whole Parish an hundred books of the life and miracles of Saints are to be seen Truly for my part I once accounted of them as other men did and because there was many strange accidents surpassing the force of nature I took great pleasure in reading those histories for it is naturall to our spirits to be delighted with things which are not common thence cometh it to passe that there are but few that are not delighted with the reading of Romans although they know them to be fabulous and things invented of purpose to passe idle time but when I came to sound and examine the manner in which those things were left unto us I found there was but small reason to brag of those miracles or oppose them to the Word of God and practise of the Apostles and first Christians for there is none but they know that those books of the Saints and especially that which is most esteemed at this present and called the flowers of the Saints composed by Ribadeneyra a Spanish Jesuite hath been extracted out of the ancient Legends and lives of the Saints in which the most judicious of the Romish Church as the Cardinall Baronius and others acknowledge so many absurdities and lies that they are ashamed to hold them for authentique such is the Tripartite History Metaphrastus Nicephorus The life of the ancient Fathers and Hermites attributed to St. Jerome who never dreamed of it The golden Legend and many others of the same kind where it is certain the lives of many Saints are which were never in the world Notwithstanding the Moderns have not neglected to take out of all those books the things which seemed to them least absurd and they thought easiest to be beleeved and so have left it to the world not with more truth but with more likelihood of truth But I would willingly ask them who told them that those things which they have pickt out of those ancient books and old Legends esteemed to be Apocrypha are truer than the things they have left behind For they were not present to know it and all things which might have come to passe and been done are not therefore come to passe and if any Authors have written of them they have taken them one from another as divers Writers do So truly all those Authors old and moderne do not deliver them as holy Scripture or things certain and infallible and the more judicious through all ages have never given great credit thereto Notwithstanding because many Authors are cited in them who write those things which indeed they have never seen but read or learned from their predecessours or found in some Manuscripts wherein were written many lies and false histories to make them more plausible to the end they might sell better to the people and to make them the more credible they write them often under the name of some dead Saint or some grave Author who had been famous and the simpler which make profession to beleeve all that is moulded or printed especially being dazled with the name of so many Authors whereof some were accounted Saints receive that as Gospel firmly beleeving the same but not the more judicious and wiser amongst them And as for Miracles I am not inclined to incredulitie but I am of so easie beleefe in that point as a
of all question doth proceed that great ignorance which is to be seen amongst the people in the Church of Rome there not being ten amongst an hundred instructed sufficiently to salvation or that can give a sufficient reason of their beliefe I say even according to the doctrine of their own Church This is specially to be seen in the Countrey Parishes and in many Cities also where though there be more frequent preaching the Communion and confession be oftner haunted yet the people are nothing the better instructed in the faith for all that nor know they sufficiently that which concerneth their salvation this defect can be imputed to no other cause but the forbidding the reading of the Scriptures which is the Booke of life appointed by God for the instruction and consolation of the faithfull for howsoever they make many Catechismes and the Preachers endeavour often to instruct the people in their beliefe they are but little the wiser or better instructed for all that for they nourish them not with the Book of life to wit the Word of God which is the true bread of the faithfull instituted by God for their instruction and comfort Where on the contrary in the Churches of the reformed Religion there is not one almost but he can give a reason of his beliefe if he have any judgement and is instructed in the faith though often they cannot reade but have onely heard the Scripture read and you shall finde in many places an infinite number of simple and ignorant people in humane learning who know the Bible a great deale better than many great Bishops in Popish Universities and famous Preachers among them which I protest I have often seen with great admiration as did many others also to the great confusion questionlesse of the Romish Church what ever they can alledge As for my part I confesse I could never finde any sufficient reason in that prohibition for reading the Scriptures for if the Scripture we call the Old Testament is the same Word of God that was left unto us by Moses by the Prophets and servants of God as is most certaine I see nothing more common in that Word than straight commands to reade heare meditate ruminate and observe the same to write it upon the posts of our houses and carry it tyed to our fingers that is to have it continually before our eyes and in our hearts I should make too large a volume contrary to my intention if I should cite all the passages which are clearly to be seen in it to this effect peruse but the Bookes of Deuteronomy and Numbers the Proverbs of Salomon the Psalmes of David and divers of the Prophets All those commandements and exhortations are given to all men as well the learned as the ignorant the poore as the rich which cannot be understood of the Bible onely in a strange tongue but in a language that is best understood of every one which is the vulgar That which is said of the old Testament may be more easily proved of the New which is as the last Will Christ Jesus our Father hath left us as his children by which we must know his intentions and that which he desireth us to doe to become worthy children of so good a Father and to possesse the inheritance he hath purchased for us through his merits and bloud Is there any man of judgement in the world who can beleeve that he hath left us his Commandements last Will and intentions as altogether needfull to salvation and not suffer us to reade the same and that there was but one man in the world to wit the Pope who had power to reade and explaine the same to others Where is that so important prohibition set downe Where is it so spoken have not we as much part in the inheritance of Christ Jesus as our Father the Pope By what right should Christians be deprived of the reading of the will and intentions of their Father the will of God and his holy Commandments which they ought to know and doe under paine of eternall damnation Is there any power or authoritie under heaven that can hinder them seeing God enjoyneth and commandeth the same the thing being of so great importance to them that none can be answerable for them in the day of Judgement Is there any power on earth that can dispence them No no this prohibition is altogether unjust and against both reason and the will of God Yes but some will say the intentions of God his Testament and the holy Scripture are made knowne to Christians by the sermons which they call commonly the Word of God It is true the preaching of the servants of God and Orthodox Preachers are highly to be esteemed for they may learne and profit much thereby but there is great difference betwixt a mans and the Word of God because the Word of God is altogether divine and holy and the infallible truth of which we cannot doubt and the Sermons of Preachers howsoever they be called the Word of God are not to speak properly the Word of God except onely that which is simply produced out of the holy Scripture the rest are onely humane words subject to faults and defects to passions and errors especially in the Romish Church where many among them cite oftner Plato Seneca Plutarch or some other than they doe the holy Scriptures and if they cite them it is so far from the true meaning thereof that they may rather be tearmed prophane than piously cited and sincerely explained Finally it is to deceive Christians to make them beleeve that Sermons should serve them in place of reading the holy Scriptures the Word of God is filled with a better spirit than all the best Sermons in the world for there it is the holy Spirit who speaketh to us whereof we ought not to doubt nor can we enter into any suspition of deception but Sermons being onely the words of men instituted to instruct and stirre us up to God wee ought indeed to respect them much and heare them willingly but we are not obliged to heare and receive them with so great respect as the holy Scriptures and we ought also to examine and confer them with the Scriptures as did those Noble Bereans having heard St Paul preaching to see if that which he said unto them was conformable to the Word of God as it is set downe Act. 17.11 neither did St Paul nor St Luke Act. 17.11 nor any other ever blame them for that action And our Saviour himselfe reproaching the Jewes that being sent from God his Father they would neither receive him nor beleeve in him saith to them Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 for in them yee thinke to have eternall life for they are they which testifie of me And in the History of poore Lazarus and the wicked rich man is written in St Luke chap. 16. Luk. 16.28 when this damned wretch desired that God would shew miracles and raise some
quod Now what I pray you are all the traditions of the Romish Church but doctrine and things besides the Word of God Besides that which St Paul and Christ Jesus and the other Apostles did preach yea even contrary for all doctrine taught as necessary to faith out of the Scripture is also contrary unto the Scripture seeing it is against the prohibition to adde to the Word of God Mat. 15.9 and God condemneth them who teach for doctrine of faith the doctrine and commandements of men And mark that Christ Jesus in this chap. of St Matthew did specially condemne the Pharisees because they transgressed the commandements of God by their traditions and what I pray you were those traditions they were not things expresly forbidden in the law of God but simple additions and willing devotions without the word of God and which outwardly smelled of nothing but devotion puritie and holinesse as to fast three times a week to wash the cups the platters to tithe Mint and Annise to make conscience to heal any sick man on the Sabbath day to make long prayers to abstaine from certaine meats and that not through a conceit that those things were polluted but through a willing devotion and humilitie of spirit or through a desire to mortifie the flesh but because those things were taught as being of equall authoritie with the doctrine of faith that is the cause wherefore they are condemned by the Son of God as contrary to his holy Word There is no doubt but by this passage of the Apostle St Paul we cited before are also condemned all the Traditions of the Romish Church which are taught and preached to be of equall authoritie with the holy Scriptures which truely are besides the Word of God and the Gospel that was preached by our Saviour and his Disciples for how cometh it to passe that they should have preached so many things pertaining to faith and salvation and never speak any thing of them in any of their Books nor in the acts of the Apostles which is the History of the most remarkable actions and Sermons of the Apostles for more than twenty yeares see if there be any thing spoken there of the invocation of Saints of Indulgencies Purgatory prayer for the dead of the Communion under one kinde or of the rest and if those and the like things be not in the holy Scriptures they are besides the Word of God and consequently he that preacheth them is accursed and Anathema and they are not to be received as pertaining to faith And to shew that the Traditions which the Church of Rome teacheth as Articles of faith doe not come from Christ Jesus and his Apostles nor cannot be said to be Apostolique nor divine but papall and humane to say no worse there is almost none of them the history of that Church sheweth not by what Pope or Bishop they were invented and at what time they had their beginning Baro. Annal Eccle. Gualter Chronol Durant de ritib. see the Authors who handle the same least I should be too prolix in this matter being desirous to lay open another of not much lesse importance CHAP. VII That wee cannot ground our beliefe upon the Books of the ancient Fathers THose of the Romish Church to authorise their Traditions which are besides nay contrary to the Word of God send us to the Fathers as to other Judges to determine our differences whose doctrine they affirme to be conformable to that which they teach Certainly I have thought Antiquitie in it selfe to be very venerable and worthy to be respected especially the Fathers whose grave and learned Books deserve praise of all good spirits principally if their doctrine be conformable to the Word of God which is the sole infallible rule of all good doctrine And to speak truly I finde that the Fathers of the first ages condemne in a number of places so manifestly the errors and superstitious doctrines of the Romish Church that I have marvailed oftentimes how they can have the boldnesse to alledge them in their favour It is true that as in the time of St Paul the mystery of iniquitie was already working so it is not to be marveiled that they being men some things have now and then insensibly crept into the writings of some of them which were not altogether so pure and seeme somewhat to incline to superstitions which by little and little insinuated themselves into the Church But I beleeve that though all their Books should seeme manifestly to contradict the faith of the Reformed Churches wee are not obliged to receive them as our Judges neither as irreprochable Witnesses and howsoever I esteeme highly of the Authours yet wee cannot ground any Article of faith upon their Writings but so far as wee finde them to conforme to the Word of God which is the toucstone of all truth neither are wee bound to have recourse to them any wayes For if we were obliged to have recourse to them and receive them for Judges of our faith that were to bring our faith and the point of our salvation in an impossibilitie at least morall because all Christians should be obliged to have them and to have them all or the most part which is not possible but to the richer sort and having them they should be obliged to reade them almost all and that wholy to the end they might compare one with another and see if they agree one with another in the same doctrine and if they be conformable to themselves every where and so none but those who had great leasure could reade them and being almost all of them either in Latine or Greeke or other strange tongue but few of them in vulgar tongues what should they doe who understand neither Latine nor Greeke There would be none then but the richer and learneder and those who had no other imployment but to reade could be assured of their faith and so all others should be without faith and knowledge of those things which concerne their salvation and consequently in a manifest way of perdition by their ignorance Notwithstanding our Saviour his coming was to teach the poore as well as the rich the ignorant as the learned the Merchants and Tradesmen as well as those who are not so much imployed Besides it is impossible to build upon their Writings any beliefe of faith for as Printing was not in their time but onely two or three hundred yeares since those who have written in the Primitive Church even to our time since our Saviour which hath been thirteen or fourteen hundred yeares have left us nothing but Manuscripts which behooved to be transcribed that they might be dispersed Now there is no man who will not confesse that the Originals and first Manuscripts written or at least revised and corrected by the Fathers which composed them have been seen but of a few and little or nothing of them all is to be found at this time nor was found
when Printing did begin they being either lost or consumed by fire or time or by the Wormes or a multitude of other accidents which we see doth eat and consume the very stones and Iron Now those first Manuscripts have been copied out by divers Writers and that from hand to hand from time to time to be dispersed and preserved from age to age and run over Kingdoms and after a multitude of Transcriptions passed by example since our Saviours time to us how many faults and what alteration have been made in those Books and in the doctrine of those Fathers for there is no man almost how able soever who can brag that he can transcribe a sheet of paper without committing some one or more faults how many will there be then in a great Volume as one of St Augustins or St Chrysostoms And as those Clerks or Transcribers who were called Amanuenses were for the most part mercenary and did all for money and profit living by that trade it is likely they took not much care but thought onely upon a quick dispatch that they might gaine the more and when they found any thing that seemed a fault to them whether it was really so or not they changed and corrected it according to their minde and passion it faring with faults as with balls of snow which the more they are rolled grow the bigger so far was their faults to be lesned by their Writers thav they were rather augmented and multiplied the old continuing or rather growing worse and daily more new ones being made so that some little time after it might be said of every Book that it was in a manner no more the same Book but altogether another being so much changed and altered And the Romish Church growing in power and authoritie when shee found any thing in those Books contrary to her doctrine and the increase of her greatnesse or against her designes and intentions shee did condemne the same as falsified and falsly attributed to the Fathers and correct it after her own minde and fancy and when Printing was come in use shee made choice of that which was most conformable to her doctrine or rather moulding and forming it by her agents and supporters to her own minde caused it so to be printed suppressing and forbidding other Copies as spurious and corrupted said they by some heretiques or malicious people or falsly attributed to their Authors and so who can now say in the world certainly that the writings fathered upon Irenaeus Cyrillus Augustin and other ancient Fathers are the true and genuine Writings of those Fathers not falsified or supposed And if it hath been so hard a matter to preserve the holy Scripture which is but a little Book in comparison of those others in its purity through so many ages when Printing was not in use What can we say of those great Volumes which were not in so great request nor so much respected and where the change and alteration was not of so great importance to care so much but where every one took often the authoritie to change according to his fancy and accommodate the Father to his minde to authorise his beliefe I think there is no man of good judgement in the world who seeth not cleerly the force and power of this so manifest truth and that it is impossible to ground any certaine beliefe such as that of faith ought to be upon so uncertaine grounds Besides that though they were most certaine yet being men subject to mistakes and errours wee were not obliged to make their opinions our Judges if they be not conformable to the Word of God which is the rule of all truth For which cause I shall not strive in this Booke to alledge many passages of Fathers but onely shew my opinion grounded upon strong reasons and upon the vertue of the Scripture My intention not being to make a great Volume but onely a little Book of small cost and little time and paines both for my selfe and the Reader CHAP. VIII Concerning the chiefe point of Controversie to wit that St Peter had no primacy in the Church and that the primacy of the Pope is an unlawfull usurpation AS I have ever beleeved that the chiefe and most important point among all the controversies betwixt the Catholique reformed and the Romish Church is that of the Primacy of the Pope and whether he be Vicar of Christ Jesus on earth universall and generall Bishop over all Christians and be head and superiour of the Catholique Church So it was the first motive of my conversion and that which I esteemed to have most need to be well considered and examined as being the ground of all the Romish beliefe which once over-turned shee must of necessitie fall to the ground And howsoever there be many other points of great importance this neverthelesse is as the Center where all the rest do meet and the axletree on which they all move and the foundation that upholdeth them because that whatsoever point of faith or Scripture is in controversie those of the Romish Church will have none but the Church for Judge or as I have shewed the Pope saying he is Vicar of Christ Jesus and head of the universall Church and consequently sole Judge in matters of faith And being the Pope of Rome pretendeth this authoritie onely so far as he vaunteth himselfe to be successour of St Peter to whom he saith that Christ Jesus hath given this power I have diligently examined the question to see what reason and ground the Doctors of the Romish Church have to maintaine the same and howsoever they reject the Scripture and will not admit it to be Judge of controversie they are neverthelesse necessitated to have recourse to it and receive it for Judge in this point For the question being of the Pope he must not be Judge and party and it would be an insufferable impertinency to goe about to prove the Pope by the Pope and maintaine that he is head of the Church because maintaineth he and affirmeth it he must then of necessitie declare and produce his other titles and shew by what vertue he posseseth this authoritie there being no proscription in matter of faith and conscience for otherwise the Religion of the Gentiles and Idolaters would have been thought the best and the doctrine of the Evangelists would never have been planted for which cause also he laboureth to prove this his Article by the Scripture And to that end we shall first set downe the strongest of his reasons by way of objection the weaknesse and nullity of which I shall shew And although it be sufficient enough for evidencing his power to be unlawfull and usurped making it appeare that his titles are false and of no force and that wee are not obliged to bring proofes out of the Scriptures for that which is not a point of our faith it being sufficient for us that it is not in the Scripture which we hold for sole rule
excommunicated by his Patriarch or Metropolitan or by any Councell either justly or unjustly he went presently to Rome addressing himselfe to the Bishop as the richest of them all to assist him and the most powerfull and of greatest authoritie to protect him against his adversaries and as necessitie and extremitie passe often all the limits of truth many amongst them to captivate his good will and favour strove to give him as great titles as their industry could suggest and although they who gave them and they to whom they were given knew sufficiently that it was wrongfully and without reason or the Word of God neverthelesse the extremitie and necessitie of the one made them submit even in that point depriving themselves of somethings which justly belonged to them to give them to the Bishop from whom they expected assistance and the vanitie which did creep in and diffuse it selfe in the hearts made many Popes receive those titles without contradiction at least apparant or opposition that was capable to hinder the progresse In Sylvester his time indeed it did cleerly appeare that the greatnesse and authoritie of the Bishop of Rome did grow and increase mightily Neverthelesse the title of general Pastour or universall head of Bishops or Vicar of Christ Jesus on earth was not yet in use nor was it given or usurped by any and the first Bishop of Rome in whose time the title of universall Bishop began to be spoken of was Gregory who lived above an hundred and fiftie yeares after Sylvester between the fifth and sixth age I call them and others Saints after the manner of the Romish Church that it may the better be knowne of whom I speake I having no purpose here to question their holines seeing also the Apostle calleth all Christians Saints and although it is apparant that the puritie of the Church was already much changed under this Pope yet he had modesty enough pertinently to refuse this title which was offered him and to reprove and blame the same severely in the Bishop of Constantinople who challenged and usurped that which hitherto had been attempted by none other And however my resolution be not to overcharge this Treatise with passages of Fathers I hope notwithstanding that it shall not be amisse to set downe St Gregories own words on this subject which even those of the Romish Church confesse to be true and not Apocrypha and shew so neere as I can the summe of the History There was at that time in Constantinople a Bishop named Iohn a man exceeding ambitious desiring to extend the limits of his Diocesse as far as was those of the Empire and usurpe the title of universall Bishop over the whole Church even as the Emperour who had his residence in that Citie was generall and universall Monarch of the world a title which before him no Bishop durst usurpe which Gregory Bishop of Rome seeing and considering how great consequence prejudice it was to his See and all other Bishops he as the most potent and remarkable among them for the causes I have already set downe opposeth stoutly labouring violently to repell the boldnesse and temeritie of this usurper Greg. l. 4. Epist 76. without complaining therefore that John had therein incroached upon any priviledge appertaining to him and all the Bishops of Rome but he couragiously maintaineth that title to be prophane sacrilegious and a presage of the comming of Antichrist Idem l. 4. Epist 78. see the 76 Epistle 4 Book And in the 78 Epistle of the same Book It is saith he a thing too hard to indure that our brother and fellow-Bishop should be alone called Bishop in contempt of all the rest and what other thing doth his arrogance portend but that the time of Antichrist approacheth already in so far as he imitateth him who disdaining the company of Angells assayed to ascend to the top of singularitie In the 80 Epistle of the same Book he saith Idem l. 4. Epist 80. None of my predecessours would use this prophane word because if one will call himselfe universall Patriarch the name of Patriarch is stolne from others but far be it from a Christian soule that any should falsly ascribe to himselfe that whereby he diminisheth any thing from the honour of the brethren to consent to that unjust speech is no other thing than to fall from the faith one thing wee owe to the unitie of faith and another thing to suppresse pride and I say boldly that he who calleth himselfe Pastour universall or desireth so to be called surpasseth the Antichrist in pride because by pride he exalteth himselfe above others Idem l. 6 Epist 188. In his 188 Epistle of the sixt Book see his words I have said that he could not have peace with us if he corrected not the vanitie of that superstitious and ambitious word which hath been invented by the first Apostat and to speak nothing of the injury done to your honour if a Bishop be called universall that universall once falling the universall Church must also fall downe Thus much saith St Gregory of the arrogance of John Patriarch of Constantinople Idem l. 1. Epist 30. who would appropriate this title to himselfe he blameth his insolence and applieth not to himselfe that which he denieth to him but rather refuseth it being offered in those words in the thirtith Epistle of his seventh Book Behold saith he in the Preface of the Epistle yee have sent unto mee I having forbid it yee have wrote a word full of ambition calling mee universall Pope which I intreat you yee would use no more for it is taken from you which is given to any other more than reason requireth As for mee I account it no honour to see the honour of my brethren diminished for my honour is the honour of the universall Church and the solid authoritie of my brethren Now if your sanctitie call mee the Pope universall you deny your selfe to be such in calling mee universall And thus much St Gregory in those places for the condemning of that title as well in his owne person as in John who would not for all submit thereto but persisted still in his presumption nor would his successour after him for any intreaty part with any thing Judge by those testimonies if in those times the Bishop of Rome was thought or did thinke himselfe generall Pastour and Head of the Church his power and authoritie being already very great but not yet come to the presumption of usurping that dignity and primacy for that seemed to be an usurpation of such consequence and prejudice to all other Bishops that he durst not attempt it publikely for feare of a generall oppositiō from all other Bishops who might also have interposed the authoritie of the Emperour And howsoever the Bishop of Rome at that time did shew a great inclination to their primacy for perfecting of their greatnesse yet did they never dare to ascribe the same to themselves
a short Masse in great confusion rub their beads against the Image and receive in haste some small suffrages for their money and see and hear a great disorder throughout the Church because of the presse of the people and those who gain most there are the Priests and the Devils As I remained in another Town bigger than the former there was a child of twelve yeers of age who had his sinews so contracted and drawn in that he could not walk but crookedly and leaning upon his hands and knees and was foure yeers in that manner after which time a Gentlewoman of qualitie who had some skill in Physick did undertake to cure him and while he was in her hands for some weeks his parents carried him to a famous Church dedicated to the Virgin Mary where being come at the earnest sollicitation of his parents he constrained himself to walk and indeed did walk a little and then did they cry out a Miracle beleeving their child was healed by a meer Miracle which the honest Gentlewoman did contradict maintaining that it was by her industrie and remedie But she was commanded by the Priests to keep silence saying that it was to deny the Virgin the glory due unto her and that she did not well but because the child did not walk firmly but as if he were tottering and very weakly and as one whose sinews were not as yet sufficiently strengthened as I did see with my eyes and as it happened to those who are cured by the Art of Physick it was a very strong proof to all men of good understanding that that cure had been done rather by remedies than by miracles which notwithstanding was published in every place for most certain and beleeved by those who did not understand the circumstances I have heard speaking and had knowledge of a number of cures which the people did esteeme Miracles they being done beyond the hope of the Physitians and the appearances of nature but if all that falleth out so ought to passe for a Miracle there are an infinite number of the like done every day both with and without prayers both amongst Christians and Infidels nature working often by wayes unknown to us God permitting and so disposing But those who are born blind to recover sight and the dead to be raised and such like is not done nor heard of now adayes but those who come after us shall find enough wherewith to fill their books as many Writers in our time in the times past and as they have done at all times in the Romish Church And concerning the dead which are raised I have but this one word to say to wit that there being hundreds yea and thousands who are said in the Legends to have been resuscitated at divers times and by divers Saints there is nothing seen nor found of all the said dead or written after they were raised and I marvell that men did not carefully gather all the news they might have brought from the other world where they had been and how they did live after For my part if I knew a man who were raised 200. Leagues hence I think I would willingly go thither to see him and to learn something from him of that which he had known and done from the time of his death to his resurrection and if a man should carry him through the world as they do Monsters and rare things I suppose he would gain more monies than did ever any man hitherto with any other thing But we must say either our forefathers have not bethought themselves of that as now they might do or rather they are but all fables and except those who have been raised by Christ and his Apostles and which are mentioned in the holy Scripture I see not sufficient ground to beleeve so much as one And although there is no miracle now seen amongst us yet there is no famous Church wherein they do not often publish some and there is no Religion and Order that doth not daily represent to the people some new Images of Saints who are or have lived as they say not long ago in their Monasteries and do many miracles which in truth have never been done or otherwayes are not miracles but notwithstanding shall be written for Miracles by the posteritie I being the last yeare in close prison above eleven moneths together where I had no other company but two little tame doves which seemed to be given to me of God for my consolation and recreation in the affliction wherein I was for the confession of his name and of the truth and besides some few Popish Bookes there I chanced to reader amongst others a certain English Authour called as I remember Ordericus Vitalis a benedictine Monke who lived about St Bernards time a man zealous of the welfare and honour of his order and writ the history of his owne age and the two precedings there he makes mention of a multitude of able men and who were thought to be very holy in those ages and were afterwards canonized especially of St Bernard whom he had seen and knowne and St Anselme Archb. of Canterbury who was dead a little before and in whose Monastery he had lived and of others the like but he speaketh not of one Miracle which he would not questionlesse have omitted if he had knowne any for it was his speciall intent and inclination and he complaineth extreamly and was sorry he found none to write Neverthelesse those who lived after have been abler and sharper-sighted than he was for they have discovered them by hundreds a far of where he who was in the place and living at that time could not see nor finde one onely so may we say of all the rest and although there be none in our time yet they who shall come after us and write after the manner of the Romish Church will finde a great number I have knowne a great many of religious persons especially who at this present have the opinion to be holy and some of them to worke miracles to have wrought in their life time although I did never heare of it so long as they were alive and now they begin to adore their Images some of them indeed were men who lived without scandall and in reputation of godlinesse but they were also said to have their owne imperfections as others and I have knowne a multitude of secular persons whom I beleeve to have been no lesse holy more perfect than they And I may boldly affirme as having known it by long experience and heard it an hundred times from the most judicious and best among the religious that if there be any vertue in the Romish Church it is beyond all comparison more among the Laicks and secular persons than in the religious orders and Cloysters for there is much hypocrisie among them and more exteriour shew and appearance to guide the opinion of men and be esteemed holy than of interiour and care to please and
with the actions and practises of the Romish Church which wanting true faith cannot have true holinesse But the reformed Protestant Church retaining true faith which was preached by Christ and his Apostles is also onely capable of sanctity and as that faith is the onely Catholike faith so is the name of Catholike justly due to it excluding all others and the Romish Church not holding this faith it cannot nor ought to be holden for a Catholique Church nor ought the Papists be called Catholiques And now to begin the comparison betwixt them by the house of God and Churches if you enter in the Popish Churches you may it is true see in most of them many fine pictures rich carvings and rare inventions some in Marble stone some Jaspar some in Porphar and other materials where gold and azure are not wanting yee may observe also their stately architects great number of rich ornaments of all usuall colours of damask sattin velvet cloth of gold and silver laid over and garnished with precious laces and embroyderings there ye may find also many vessels and utensils and boxes for reliques of gold and silver In a word a multitude of curious and sumptuous objects very fit to delight the eye and which agree better with the ancient ceremoniall Church than with that of the Gospel and we may say all those magnificences are but vanity before God if it be not accompanied with devotion Psal 45.14 because all the glory of the Kings daughter saith the Psalmist is within and in the heart but that is much wanting in the Romish Church for if you go into their Churches especially the Parish Churches in time of publique Service ye shall see few that pray to God or seem attentive to the mysteries but many prating or doing worse here dogs playing there little children crying while in the mean time some Priests are in singing for the most part confusedly without respect or reverence and things which almost none of the people understand and there is commonly such a noise that it resembleth rather a Market than the house of God this I say with that which followeth for them who have not seen those things But in the reformed Churches praised be God it is not so and I have received very great comfort and edification seeing the silence which is kept there both before and in the time of Service how every one carrieth his Bible and book of Prayer to read them with the Ministers if they cannot hear how everie one singeth devoutly and orderly without haste or anticipation endeavouring to smell and taste the meaning of those holy words and if there be any thing to be further desired in this it is to follow the notes exactly to keep a greater uniformitie as they do in the reformed Churches of France and Holland and to that end that the Clerks were Musicians enough that they might be the more exact therein and that the notes and tones were so easie that they might be the better sung by all the people as it is in other places For it is true that a devout and harmonious singing raiseth the spirit much to God and comforteth and maketh glad the soul Thence was it that the divine Psalmist was wont to sing his Psalmes not only with his voice but on the harp and organs and other musicall instruments on which he exhorteth us to sing and praise God as he did but using them or not using in the Church being not a point of faith but of discipline onely it ought wholly to be remitted to the disposition of the Church to which every one ought to joyn inseparably and submit himself in humilitie of spirit so long as she doth continue orthodox and we ought to beleeve that the assistance of the holy Ghost shall never be wanting to her in every point of discipline expedient for the salvation of the faithfull And I will say further to the glory of God and to the edification of the Reader that not onely in Churches but even in private houses God is better served than amongst the Papists for amongst them there are never any prayers almost in publike and I remember seldome to have seen any such thing practised in an infinite number of houses both of Nobles and others where I have been but in the Reformed Churches it is almost common amongst the Nobles and it is very ordinarily practised amongst the people and if there be any defect in that dutie we may say the mixture and bad example of Papists hath been a great cause thereof here But it is credible that all things will be amended by the zeal of this Honorable Parliament and the discipline of the faithfull will be altogether throughly reformed against all the imprecations of Arminians and Papists false Prophets and ill fore-tellers of the confusion which they doe wish to this Kingdome but the Ecclesiasticall discipline of the Reformed Churches in France which you may see Englished shew evidently that good and happy order may be established in Church-government without such connivances with Popish fashions Now let us come to the solemnities of the Sabbaths and holy dayes it is certain that the Pope minding more the profit of his Priests than the salvation of his flock hath instituted too many holidayes in the Romish Church to the great hurt questionlesse of poore people who cannot conveniently be so often idle but hath need to work more to gain their living and therefore complain often and the institution of God hath been very discreet in ordering six dayes to labour and the seventh to rest and spend the same in his service and if in some places of the Reformed Churches the people be commanded to keep close their shops some other dayes through policie that is onely to give some time of recreation to the Apprentises and those who are not in libertie not under any precept of sin or damnation as doth the Pope and the Romish Church to keep holy dayes as strictly as the Sundayes but onely under some pain or pecuniarie penaltie and we see that in the Romish Church the holidaies and Sundayes being of equall obligation they are observed equally that is very evill for they will go it may be to some Monastery if there be any or to some other place and heare a little Masse for a quarter or half an houre which they hear even for the most part very irreverently and onely for fashions sake and because it is commanded under pain of sin and this is all the sanctification the most part give to holy dayes and Sabbaths in that which concerneth the worship and in the time of the publique Service which is of the great Masse the Mattins and Vespers in towns where they may have half-houre Masses at command there is almost no body in Parish Churches but the Priest and some few women and folk whom they terme commonly Image-eaters and superstitieux the rest of the time is spent either in Tavernes which are open all