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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A03334	The first motiue of T.H. Maister of Arts, and lately minister, to suspect the integrity of his religion which was detection of falsehood in D. Humfrey, D. Field, & other learned protestants, touching the question of purgatory, and prayer for the dead. VVith his particular considerations perswading him to embrace the Catholick doctrine in theis, and other points. An appendix intituled, try before you trust. Wherein some notable vntruths of D. Field, and D. Morton are discouered.	Higgons, Theophilus, 1578?-1659.	1609 (1609)	STC 13454; ESTC S104083	165,029	276

to predominate Caluinists will not obay where is the vmpire of their contention 16. It is a memorable history which Sturmius recordeth in his booke * fol. 33. de ratione concordiae ineundae complayning pathetically against the Lutherans who are so deepely exasperated against the Zwinglians that they will not endure any conference with them but reject them as damned hereticks anno 1560. vnworthy of any farther dispute Thus the Ienensian Lutherans made their supplication vnto the Princes that a lawfull Synod consisting onely of such as embrace the cōfession of * Sacramētaries deny to subscribe therevnto whatsoeuer D. Field pretendeth See Iosias Simlerus in vita Bulling Augusta might be assembled to condemne the Zwinglians and all other enimies of their religion Likewise the Flacians a particular sect of Luthers ghospell desired to haue a publick Synod but with this caueat that all Sacramentaries Swhenchfeldians Osiandrines should be excluded from the same Which vnequall courses stirred vp Bullinger to write that since the Lord hath freed vs from the seruitude of the Pope we will not suffer our selues to be oppressed by the new tyrany of such as vnder the pretense of the ghospell aspire vnto a primacy and dictature in the Church We w●ll not be shutt out from the company of Saints at their choyce and pleasure c. 17. But their mutuall fury is so augmented that Sturmius seing no submission on either side professeth vnlesse the Euangelicall kings and princes interpose their authority to take away theis contentions without doubt the Churches will be infected with many heresies and hence a great vastation of Christianity will ensue as it came to passe in Asia Greece and Africk for the like causes The fundations of our Religion are conuelled the chief articles are called in question a playne way is prepared for Turcisme and Atheisme to enter in vpon vs If I would proceed farther in this argument I might informe you how fatall and vnhappy the conuents of your Ghospellers haue bene at Marpurge at Swabach at Smalcald at Maulbrune where they treated about their owne Religion and at Ratisbone where they should haue entred into a conflict with the Catholicks but the precedents are sufficient to let you vnderstand that you haue not a due subordination of persons and consequently no rule of peace pag. 169. howsoeuer D. Field is pleased to affirme that with your Churches an end is made of all controuersies c. See the place and iudge of his exactnesse 18. My THIRD exception against D. Fields pretended rule is in respect of the matters wherein your dissension doth consist For they are many in number reall in euidence substantiall in waight as I could prooue abundantly out of the writings of Luther Hunnius Conradus c. of the one part Zwinglius Sturmius Clebitius c. of the other to the iust reproof of D. Field who sayth that your differences admitt an easy reconciliation and that this shall be iustified against the proudest Papist of them all 19. My counsayle vnto you is alwayes the same TRY BEFORE YOV TRVST you haue already seene an example of his reconciling art in one poynt and by that you may take an estimate as well of his syncerity as of his solidity in the rest If your excellent and heroicall Spirit will be so grossly abused and deluded by him or any other to the certayn perill of your soule you can neuer plead inuincible ignorance for a iust excuse 20. Now to conclude this chapter good Sir if I did not experimentally know the variety and vanity of opinions in your Church 2. Timoth. 4. and that as some men heape vp a multitude of teachers vnto them selues so others confine all things vnto their owne sense and spirit I could easily belieue that you would admitt a triall by the Fathers and that you would rest in the iudgement of the Church But forasmuch as I know that neither all nor the greatest part of ghospellers in England will submitt themselues dutifully and humbly vnto this rule though I may and do challendge it at their hands therefore I will lay downe three considerations whereby you may see the equity yea the necessity of the sayd rule and how you are bound in Christian simplicity to accept it with true and hearty obedience 21. FIRST it is impossible without extraordinary reuelation to distinguish Canonicall Scripture from Apocryphall otherwise then by the testimony of the Church SECONDLY when by the testimony of the Church you can thus distinguish the Scripture yet you must giue credit vnto some translatours since you vnderstand not the originall text and if they render the Scripture vnfaithfully how can you buyld your faith vpon it with infallible euidence THIRDLY when by the authority and warrant of the Catholick Church you haue the Scripture faithfully translated the principall poynt is yet behind Tantum obstrepit veritati adulter sensus quantū corruptor stylus Tertull. in praescript c. 17. to witt the sense which is the very soule thereof If pure necessity compell you to fly vnto the Church for your assurance in the first and second poynts will you rely vpon your owne discretion and wisedome in the third If you obiect your Spirit I also obiect mine If inward testification I haue the same You compare Scriptures so do I. You pray I do the like You are sure my certainty is as great You haue reason mine is as strong You haue faith mine is not inferiour Thus our contention is earnest and our successe is none 22. What remayneth but that we both should try our Spirits and examine our priuate thoughts according to the perpetuall and generall doctrine of that Catholique Church from which we receiued the Scriptures and which by singular notes of Antiquity Vniuersality Consent Succession c. is most eminently approoued vnto vs For which cause † cap. 15. Tertullian doth excellently prescribe and if I be not much deceyued * in his epist to the Archb. of Cant. D. Field doth condescend vnto him that Whereas Hereticks pretend the holy Scriptures and as they mooue some men with their boldnesse before hand so in the congresse of disputation they tire the strong and insnare the weake and dismisse the middle sort with scruples we must preuent them in their course and not admitt them vnto any disputes concerning the Scripture and if this be their strength we must consider first of all to whom the possession of Scriptures doth agree least he be admitted vnto them who hath no right therein c. The residue I commend vnto your owne perusall and so I referr the euent of all vnto the blessed disposition of our onely Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ CHAP. 3. The falsehood and inciuility of D. Field traducing Card. Bellarmine §. 1. Three criminations deuised against the worthy Cardinall by D. Field 1. Your learned Doctour hath sprinkled many vntruths in his discourse to the personall disgrace of Bellarmine and then

Mark 8.24 who saw men walking like trees vntill he had a perfect restitution of his sight 11. Wherefore resting my self a while vpon a profitable and sound instruction of m Lib. imperfect in Gen. cap. 1. S. Augustine viz. God hath constituted a mother Church and she is called CATHOLIQVE because she is vniuersally perfect and halteth in * Therefore not in this particular of prayer for the dead nothing I referred the successe vnto a future triall hauing a constant and vnchandgeable purpose neuer to decline nor vary from this ground which I haue here presented vnto your Christian examination §. 3. The THIRD Consideration touching the Protestants zeale in condemning this doctrine of Purgatory and prayer for the dead as hereticall blasphemous c. 1. I Considered Thirdly that this doctrine of Purgatory and Prayer for the dead as it is generally renounced by our Euangelicall congregations so it is seuerely censured by many of our writers 2. Hence it is that n Pag. 79. D. Field himself chardgeth Purgatory with the disgracefull imputation of HERESY and yet he graceth it so farr as to affirme that Augustine gaue occasion vnto this heresy in the beginning 3. Hence it is that M. Rogers in the o Pag. 121.122 Catholick Faith of our English Church spending his tempestuous phrases against the doctrine of Purgatory saieth that hereby the Papists nourish most cursed and damnable errours and that * Pag. 123. it teacheth vs to be our owne Sauiours 4. Hence it is that M. Powell in his inconsiderate violence assigning many goodly reasons why p De Antichr pag. 453 NVLLVS NVLLVS inquā PAPICOLA SALVARI POTEST no Papist can be saued includeth * Pag. 123. the figment of Purgatory in that number Likewise in the same kind of precipitation setting downe 23. q De Antichr l. 2. c. 19. blasphemous opinions deliuered by the Church of Rome against the doctrine contayned in our LORDS PRAYER he inserteth this particular viz. * Pag. 457. She teacheth that VVE MVST PRAY FOR THE DEAD 5. But forasmuch as the glorious Emperour CONSTANTINE Great in birth Greater in victory and Greatest in Christian Religion which till his time was planted in the continuall effusion of bloud buylding a magnificent * At Constantinople See Euseb in vita Constant l. ● c. 60. Church in honour of the 12. Apostles did foresee in his religious prouidence that the people mooued with the celebrity of that place would flow thither and there pray for him after his decease whereby he should be partaker of their deuotions for the benefit of his soule I was desirous to vnderstand here briefly by the way whether this imcomparable Prince following the instruction of the Catholick Church herein and whether the Priests together with the people supplicating vnto God pro anima Imperatoris for the * D. Field talketh of naming names c. see before pag. 31 But it is euidēt that the Catholick Church in hir best age prayed for the SOVLES of the dead And this exāple it self is an inuincible demonstration thereof SOVLE of the Emperour after his death as * Ibid. cap. 71. Eusebius relateth who was a reuerend Bishopp and in speciall grace with Constantine were guilty of a blasphemous opinion against our LORDS PRAYER or not 6. And my desire to receiue full satisfaction vnto this point was the rather enkindled within me because our Soueraigne Lord the King to whom all good Catholicks wish the happinesse of Constantine in faith imitating his blessed Mother a true Helena in hir virtues though not in hir fortunes made this just demand according to the sublimity of his excellēt apprehension r See the booke of the Conferēce at Hamptō Court pag. 69. What is it now come to passe that we shall appeach * Omnes nôrunt Cōstantinum fuisse admirandum in Christianismo c. Epiphan hares 69. CONSTANTINE of Popery superstition If the Crosse in baptisme were then vsed I see no reason but that we may still continue it Which royall sentence I applied duly vnto this particular of prayer for the dead and how effectuall it was with me the ingenious Reader may well perceiue if he will vouchsafe to make a little experience therof in his owne respectiue meditations 7. I returned speedily vnto my purpose for I was not willing to eclipse the light of my discourse with the interposition of M. Powells darke conceipts Finally therefore remembring that M. CALVIN is the Ipse dixit in the purest Ghospell in which respect it pleased * In a sermon at S. Maries Church in Oxon. 4. yeares since D. Airay to exhort his Auditours perswading them very earnestly and intreating them that they would by all meanes defend the estimation of M. Caluin and the rather because he is the man against whom the * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th● infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine Papists do principally bend their forces I contented my self with his s Eldershippes censure viz. PVRGATORY is a pernitious fiction of Satan disgracefull vnto the great mercy of God euacuating the Crosse of Christ dissipating and subuerting our faith pure and horrible blasphemy against the bloud of Iesus Christ c. 8. Hence it is that we Protestants haue sentenced Purgatory to be an Antichristian Doctrine For * And what think you of the Lutheransi doth not D. Hunnius himself beseech God to preserue his Church mercifully from th● infection of Caluin See Caluin Iudaiz in fine he is Antichrist that denieth Christ to be come in the flesh And we pretend that howsoeuer this doctrine doth not positiuely deny that Christ is come in the flesh in regard of his Incarnation and Nature as he is a MAN ſ Institut lib. 3. cap. 5. §. 6. yet it denieth the same consequently in regard of his Satisfaction and Office as he is a REDEEMER 9. In which our specious venditation of reseruing inuiolated honour vnto Christ * Epist Ioh. 2. vers 7. I saw that we insist directly in the steppes of Nouatians Nestorians and the like The first pretended that they forsooth did exhibit * See S. Ambros de Poenitent cap. 2. in initio reuerence vnto God by their doctrine inasmuch as they teach that he onely and no man can forgiue sinnes The second could not endure that a woman should be stiled the Mother of their God Thus also the infatuated Presbyterians glory in their excellent cause saying * See M. Rogers in the Preface of his Cathol doctr num 16. Our controuersy is whether Iesus Christ shall be King or no. The end of all our trauayle is to sett vp the throne of Iesus Christ our heauenly King c. Which colourable piety and popular zeale in ancient or later Hereticks aduancing their opinions as Mountibancks extoll their wares did mooue me vnto a just

exception of D. Field against Miracles refelled by the authority of GERSON whom he magnifieth as a man that wished our Protestanticall Reformation 1. I Loued sometimes esteemed the Church-booke of D. Field as the best oracle of our dayes and as the worke commended the Authour so the Authour did reciprocally commend his work in my simple thoughts 2. Amongst sondry positions which he there frameth as bulwarkes of our Religion and impregnable forts thereof I applauded this which here ensueth viz. a Pag. 185. We say that howsoeuer it may be some miracles were done by such good men as liued in the corrupt state of the Church yet that is no proof of those errours Purgatory Transubstant c. which the Romanists maintayn against vs. For VVE PEREMPTORILY DENY that euer any Miracle was done by any man in times past or in our times to confirme any of the things controuersed betweene the Papists and vs. 3. In this resolution I was vndaunted because I tooke it to be substantiall I embraced it as a necessary principle because if it should fayle then it followeth most euidently either that God is not true or that our Religion is false 4. But now after my long and serious discourse concerning the aforesaid miracle I was compelled to sound retreate and to deny my peremptory deniall for my reason did informe me that S. Bernard hath long since by miracle confirmed the doctrine of Purgatory it being one of those things which are controuersed betweene vs and the Papists at this day 5. Besides since any man who is meanely instructed in the writings of the Ancient doth know that S. Gregory was a Papist for which cause b Cathol Apolog. in Secunda Classi D. Morton hath stalled him in the catalogue of Popish Doctours and that S. Augustine his messenger vnto vs deliuered the same Popish faith in England as c Centur. 1. fol. 35. Iohn Bale confesseth saying Augustine the Romane was sent as an Apostle from Gregory the first to season the English-Saxons with a popish faith whence the same Bale is pleased to affirme that King Ethelbert died 21. yeares post susceptum papismum after he had receiued Popery finally that this holy blessed man who came from farr to sing the Lords song in a strandge land did worke many rare miracles by cooperation of the Diuine Power for this is euidēt by the testimony of d Lib. 7. ep 30. S. Gregory the Great of e Eccles hi. l. 1. c. 26. 31. l. 2. c. 2. c. V. Beda and of sondry others yea f Act. Mon. pag. 105. Iohn Fox himself can find no exception against this poynt howsoeuer he participateth with the malignity of g Contra Camp Rat. 5. D. Humfrey h In his Reply pag. 185. M. Iewell i Centur. 1. Iohn Bale c. and throweth out his contumelies against so worthy a Saint to disgrace the work of our happy Conuersion from Paganisme vnto Christianity I desired to vnderstand whether we could truly deny since we do PEREMPTORILY DENY that none of those things were euer confirmed by Miracle wherein the controuersy standeth betwixt us and the Papists at this day For I argued thus in my priuate cogitations and said Did God concurr with our Augustine and his assistents by any FALSHOOD to strengthen the supposed heresies which they did then and Papists do now maintayn No for this were against his Truth I know that he neither deceiueth nor is deceiued Or did he concurr with them by CONFVSION to strengthen some part but not all that faith which they preached in the name and authority of the Romane Church No for this were against the sweet disposition of his gifts and workes and I am assured that he is the God of order and not of confusion as I see in the Catholick Church 6. But there is yet an other euidence which as it is more particular so it was more potent and perswasiue vnto me then the former And because as it was a key to vnlock my vnderstanding so since it doth most highly import your selues deare Contreymen to take good notice thereof I will here deliuer it vnto you briefly and playnely branching it into three considerations 7. FIRST therefore it may please you to be informed by k Pag. 171. D. Field that TRANSVBSTANTIATION is one of the greatest mysteries of Popish religion which all Papists at this day do most firmely hold and belieue Whence it followeth if so speciall a * Miraculū in Mysterio Mystery of Popish faith as this is were iustified by any Miracle then all the Religion of the Papists is thereby confirmed and established eminenter that is to say in a principall or eminent manner 8. SECONDLY it may please you to be farther indoctrined by the mature resolution of l Pag. 186. D. Field and the graue iudgement of the Metropolitan himself for this CHVRCH-booke was composed at his * See D. Fields ep dedicat to the Archb. of Cant. direction approued by his censure and publicated by his authority that there is NO BETTER proof of the goodnesse of our the Protestants cause then that that which we Luther Zwinglius c. haue done in the REFORMATION of the Church was before wished for expected and foretold by the BEST men that liued in former times in the corrupt state of the Church In the number of which best men he recompteth GROSTHEAD and GERSON whom with some others he doth * Pag. 85. elswhere intitle VVorthy Guides of Gods Church But how good a proof this is and how laudable our Reformation is which standeth and supporteth it self chiefly vpon the same you may perceiue by the little Appendix which ensueth in the conclusion of this Treatise Which when you haue carefully perused and discreetly waighed then reflect vpon this matter and then speake in the vprightnesse of your consciences betwixt God and your selues whether the Cause be not very bad and the Patrones thereof much worse Let that be an example vnto you for euer to see what immoderate affectation of vntruth possesseth your most eminent Authors and how miserable your Religion is of whose goodnesse there is no better proof 9. THIRDLY and lastly it may please you to vnderstand that this worthy Guide of Gods Church and one of our pretended Fathers m Part. 4. Serm. in festo Corporis Christi Iohn Gerson the most Christian Doctour as he is commonly stiled by the Church discoursing vpon the aforesaid great mystery of Popish Religion and reproouing INFIDELITY to witt of Berengarius and in him of Caluin for it is a memorable poynt to consider that though Berengarius did abiure his errour against the Reall presence and died * See Gerson ibid. penitently for the same yea though the n Centur. 11. c. 10. pag. 527. Lutherans of Magdeburge themselues do expressly say that Pope Leo the 9. did meritt great praise by condemning the heresy of

part in condemning the articles of Iohn VVickliffe the first and principall Saint in Fox his Calendar and that in all probability he gaue his furtherance to the iust and necessary execution of the sayd Bohemian Martyrs Which proceeding against rebellious and insolent persons the Protestants do continually exagitate with infinite calumniations But I will confine my self vnto D. Field and vnto his Reformer The FIRST speaketh in this manner (g) Pag. 76. We acknowledge Wickliffe Husse Hierome of Prage and the like who with great magnanimity opposed themselues against the Tyranny of the See of Rome and the impiety of those who withheld the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse who being named Christians serued Antichrist as * Serm. 33. Bernard complayned of some in his time to haue bene the worthy seruants of God and holy Martyrs and Confessours suffering in the cause of Christ against Antichrist The SECOND in a certayn epistle to the Earle of Passun Tom. 2. prefixed before his Satyricall script against King Henry the eight thundreth out this terrible denunciation Homicidae Antichristi Papitta Ioannem Hussium innocentem virum exusserunt ipsi septies heretici The Papists being homicides and Antichrists burned that innocent man Iohn Husse but they were seuen times hereticks themselues 16. Compare theis things together and iudge indifferently in this case Gerson was a worthy guide of Gods Church There is no better proof of the goodnesse of our cause then that our Reformation was long since desired by him c. And yet this VVorthy Guide was 7. times an heretick yea a Patrone of the Antichristian cause a sworne enimy of Husse and VVickliffe the most illustrious Saints in the petigree of the Reformed Church Is there any sense in theis deuises or is there any conscience in the Authours Wo be vnto them whose soules are pinned vpon their sleeues and most vnhappy men that tread in their deceiptfull steppes 17. I might proceed now to vnfold sondry falsehoods artificiall tricks in the 4. precedent * §. 1. num 3. c. passadges but before I dismisse this last assertion of D. Field I may not forgett how subtilly he conuaigheth a sentence of S. Bernard into the same whereby the matter should seeme more odious against the Papists forasmuch as VVickliffe Husse and others opposed themselues against the impiety of those who withheld the truth of God in vnrighteousnesse and being named Christians serued Antichrist euen by the verdict of S. Bernard himself 18. But how fraudulently the learned Doctour hath demeaned himself in this suggestion I remitt me vnto the conscience of all indifferent Readers to determine thereof in their priuate cogitations For it may please you to consider that the purpose and intention of S. Bernard in that place is to reprehend and to censure the euill manners which raigned generally in the Church What verdict Luther hath passed vpon the generall impiety of his new Ghospellers see Iust Caluin In Apolog Pag. 115. She hath bene afflicted sayth he by the cruell persecution of the HEATHEN and molested by the peruerse opinions of HERETICKS The first affliction was repelled by the patience of the Martyrs the second by the wisedome of the Saints And though the Church be now deliuered from both yet * Esay 38. ecce in pace amaritudo mea amarissima may she say behold in peace is my bitternesse most bitter It was bitter before in the death of Martyrs then it was more bitter in the conflict of hereticks but now it is most bitter in the manners of hir owne household She hath peace from heathen and peace from hereticks but not from hir owne children For now the wickednesse of men is so great that as for the abundance of it they can not so for their impudency they care not to conceale the turpitude of their life Hence it is that lamenting their dissolute conuersation euen in the integrity of the faith he breaketh forth into this complaynt All are hir friends and all are hir enimies all are hir allyes and all are hir aduersaries all are hir domesticks and none are peacemakers all are nere vnto hir and yet all seeke their owne the † D. Field translateth it named Christians But S. Bernard speaketh of true Catholicks in religion ministers of Christ serue * ANTICHRIST Honorati incedunt de bonis domini qui domino honorem non deferunt c. 19. * What similitude now is there I pray you betwixt S. Bernard and VVickliffe in their desires S. Bernard extolleth the Religion which VVickliffe destroyed S. Bernards complaynt extendeth meerely vnto the euill manners of men VVickliffe impugned the good faith of the Church VVickliffe made warr against hir peace which she had from hereticks S. Bernard grieued to behold the molestation which she suffered from hir owne children * Who the Pope He knoweth not S. Bernard that dareth impute this opiniō vnto him What should I say more Doth not euery man sufficiently vnderstand that the opposition betwixt S. Bernard and VVickliffe is very great and founded in many differences which admitt no reconciliation To conclude I say briefly VVickliffe was so farr from conspiring with S. Bernard that he hath pronounced an heauy judgement against him † Cōcil Cōstant Sess 8. Artic. Wickliff 44. saying Augustin Bennet and BERNARD are damned vnlesse they repented because they had possessions and because they instituted and entred into religious orders c. Truly if this were a sufficiēt reason to condemne S. Bernard with such seuerity how much rather may VVickliffe giue his censure against him in respect of all those doctrines which seemed Antichristian and damnable in his sight But of his intemperate humour you shall * §. 3. num 14. c. receiue presently more copious information 20. The thing which I now offer vnto your consideration and which I do most earnestly beseech you to ponderate in your religious heart is the falsehood the inflexions the pretenses and subtilities which this learned Doctour doth mingle in his discourse being a very labyrinth and maze of intricate and perplexed pathes a darke oracle of vncertayn resolutions whereby the simple and credulous Reader is caried into an obscure and mysty confusion not knowing how he may find any secure and infallible ground to rest his thoughts therein with sweet and comfortable peace §. 3. A reflexion vpon the 4 passadges of D. Field cited in the first §. of this Chapter A detection of sondry vntruths and vanities wilfully committed by him in the same 1. SInce it is most perspicuous and euident by the premisses that the Reformation of Luther must necessarily be odious and execrable vnto Gerson or vnto any man imbued with the principles of his Catholick Religion I will reflect vpon the former 4. See before pag. 1. 2. 3. passadges of D. Field and discouer his futility therein as briefly as the matter it self being of such consequence can permitt 2. In the FIRST passadge you