infants as their own famous histories record The third place is 1. Tim. 5. 15. For some are alreadie turned aside after satan To marrie then after the vow of chastitie once made is here tearmed by the Apostle a turning aside after satan sayeth he To which I answere 1. That Primasius expoundeth this That they are turned after satan either by denying the faith of God or by committing fornication sayeth he 2 Their own late Estius sayeth also thus But wherein they are turned after satan the Apostle telleth not some expound it because they married after their vow others because they committed Fornication which is the more probable sayth he for heereby a greater occasion of speaking evill against the profession was furnished to enemies as v. 14. As also sayeth he it may be referred to their deserting of the religion As the experience therefore of some younger widows that had turned aside after satan by incontinencie was a sufficient reason to the Apostle for refusing such so like wise should the wofull experience of so many whorish Priests Friers Nuns and others teach that no young person should bee forced in their admission to holie orders to vow and make profession of perpetual continencie which moved Cardinall Cajetan to say on 1. Tim. 5. 12. As Paull had learned by experience the forenamed inconvenients by admitting young widows under 60. years to a profession of continencie so would God sayeth he that we would learne by such experience whither the solemne vowes of persons oâ— both sexes in their youth that haue entered into holie religious orders hath done good iâ— the Church or not But it seemeth strange to me that against the marriage of religious persons hee should alleadge scripture seing in the Popes canon law causa 28. q. 2. and by Bellarmin himself lib. de clericis cap. 18. it is acknowledged That the marriage of Priests is not forbidden by Law or gospell nor any Apostolicall authoritie but by a later Church constitution for repealing whereof Pope Pius the second as Platina reports used to say that ther was greater reason cause to repeale it than ther was for making the same The fruit of which decree their owne Cassander setteth down consult art 23 saying Wee see by this decree that chastitie is so farre from being established that a window is seene to be opened to all lust villanie Therfore also did Gerson Chancellour of the universitie of Paris deplore de vita spirituali animae lect 4. coroll 14 That the places of the holie Ministrie were possessed by Adulterers whoremasters Sodomits and such like Monsters and that the number of this kind was so great that there was no proceeding against them yea Whoredome was of so little account amongst them authorised that it is said in the glosse on the canon Law dist 81. cap. Maximianus That for simple fornication a Priest is not to be deposed Seing as hath beene said Few were to bee found who were free of that vyce So likewise to the very same purpose causa 2. quest 7. cap. Lator it is againe said That single fornication is not worthie of deposition So that as Bernard speaketh serm 66 in cantica Take from the Church honourable marriage and the Bed undefiled you shall fill the same with whoredomes incests filthie issues effeminat and Sodomiticall Monsters and in a word with all sort of uncleannesse And what opposition was made against this decree of forced single life made by Pope Gregorie 7. alias Hildebrand aÌ„no 1074. by the whol Clergie almost Their own Sigebert declareth in his Chronicle saying Pope Gregorie having convocated a synod removed from their office all married Priests and inhibit all Laicks to heare their Masse by a new example whereupon did arise so great a scandal that in the time of no heresie the church was rent with a more grievous scisme many therby joyning also with incontinencie perjurie and manifold Adulteries Which made that noble poet in his time Chaucer Esq of woodstock anno 1341. to say in his plowmans tale They liue not in lecherie but haunt Wenches Widows wives and punisheth the poore for poultrie Themselves using it all their lives 45 THat fasting and abstinence from certaine meates is not grounded on holie scripture nor causeth any spirituall good FOr answere 1. That fasting is not grounded on scripture nor causeth any spirituall good we disowne for our Confession of faith 1647. cap. 21. art 5. testifieth the the contrarie where solemne fasts in their severall times and seasons used in an holie religious manner are declared to bee a part of Gods religious worship according to the scriptures there alleadged So that we admitt both private publick fasting for humiliation as the same is joyned with prayer and fitteth us the better for devotion as also tendeth to spiritâ—all good many wayes as we see Act. 13. 3. Math. 17. 21. c. But as for enjoyning abstinence from certaine sorts of meate at set times for coÌ„science sake joyned with opinion of merit or satisfaction This we oppose as a doctrine of devils so called 1. Tim. 4. 3. contrarie to Christian liberty and to Gods word 1. Tim. 4. 4. As for the example of the Rechabits which he bringeth Ierm 35. 5. of forbearing the drinking of wyne for ever It was a singular case and a particular humane injunction onlie of their father binding no others in that time or ever thereafter as the like was that of the Nazarits Luke 1. 15. to wit temporarie onlie relating to some onlie as also meerlie ceremoniall 46 THat Iesus Christ descended not into hell nor delivered â—hence the soules of the Patriarch's out of the same VVHich he sayeth is contrarie to Ephes 4. 8. where it is said That when Christ ascended on high he led captivitie captive which Captives sayth he were the soules of the fathers which Christ delivered out of Limbus To whom I answere 1. we deny that ever he shall find in scripture any such place as he calleth Limbus or that the word Hell as it relateth to the soule signifieth any place appointed for the godlie but for the wicked onlie damned for ever 2. By Captivity led captive Christs enemies ours are onlie meant not his freinds or the fathers which is clear first by the alike speech Judg. 5. 12. where Deborah after the victorie over Israels enemies sayeth to Barack Arise Barack and lead thy Captivitie captive That is thy vanquished enemies 2. The fathers also so expound these words therfore sayeth Tertullian lib. 5. contra Marcion Hee led Captivitie captive that is death that slaverie under which man was Haymo also Theophy lact on Ephes 4. 9. sayeth That this captivitie was the Devill death the curse of the Law sinne And so also speaketh Augustin on psal 67. 3. So also do their own Doctours expound these words as Lyra on psal 67. Lombard likewise and Arboreus on Ephes 4. 9. The second place is Act. 2. 27. Thou
their faith to God ward was spread abroad And that this is the onlie thing which these words import their late Estiê° on Rom. 1. showeth As for testimonies of Fathers and 1. to that of Cyprian who writting to Cornelius sayeth Whilst with you there is one mind and one â—oyce the whole Church is confessed to be RomaÌ„ I answere 1. That Cyprians words are perverted which are these dum apâ—â— vos unus animus una vox est Ecclesia omnis Romana confessa est that is Whilst with you there is one minde and one voyce the whole RomaÌ„ Church hath confessed Cyprian thus commending the Church of Rome for an unanimous confession of faith before heathen persecutors as others had done which indeed proveth the soundnes of the Roman Church in Cyprians time as a meÌ„ber of the catholik church but not that shee only then was the Catholick Church 2. Giving that these were the words of Cyprian as they are alleadged they would import onlie that whil the RomaÌ„ Church keeped the unitie of the true faith that all other orthodox and sister Churches of these times would acknowledge themselves to bee of her communion and this we may see confessed by Stapleton relect con 1. q. 5. who giveth this to be the reason why by the ancients the Roman and Catholick Church wer held for one thing because her communion sayeth he with the whole Catholick Church was then most evident and certaine whence it followeth that shee her self then was not the whole Catholick Church 3. where it is said to Pope Cornelius Whilst with you there is one minde one voice that is as long as you kepe the trueth and profession thereof this speech being conditionall and limited it importeth that shee might lose the same as shee hath done Therefore not only was shee forewarned Rom. 11. 20. Not to be high minded but feare but also Cyprian ad Pompeium accuseth Pope Steven who succeeded Cornelius that he maintayned the cause of Hereticks against the Church of God the Pope then and Roman Church under him in Cyprians estimation maintayning Hereticks against the Church could not theÌ„ be accounted by him to be the Catholick Church nor yet to be infallible The second testimonie of Augustins where he sayeth That they who dissent from the bodie of Christ which is the Church they are not in the Catholick Church proveth nowise that the RomaÌ„ Church is this onlie Catholick Church But rather as the words of that testimonie beareth The whole body of Christendom And as for Jeroms words That it is all one to say the Roman faith and the Catholick faith I haue alreadie answered that this was because of her communion with the Catholick Church when Rome was orthodox and as Isai 1. 21 The faithfull City was not become an Har lot 10. THat the Churches unitie is not necessarie in al points of faith I answere that this is an impudent Calumnie as the Harmonie of Confession of reformed Churches showeth and ours in particular of 1581. art 16. For wee maintaine that a two-fold unitie is necessarie to be in Christs church to wit An unitie in Trueth and an unitie in affection both which wee should pray for and promove that as the psalmist speaketh 122. 7. peace may bee within her walls and prosperitie within her palaces And because they brag so much of unitie in doctrine and all points of faith for stopping the mouths of all Romanists ever heereafter ut ex ungue Leonem I will onelie amongst many instance but in one or two maine points of poperie that their unitie is like the division of tongues which was amongst the builders of Babell The first is papall Indulgences and Pardons which are so lucrative dependeth on their Purgatorie wherin thus they varie 1. Some of the old schoolmen as Bellar. witnesseth lib. 1. de Indulg cap. 2. they doubt of this spirituall treasure and Francis Mayro on 4. sent D. 19. maketh question in particular sayth hee of the treasure of Christs overflowing satisfactions laid up in the Church Againe Durand likewise on 4. sent D. 2. doubteth if the satisfaction of saints belong to the treasure but S. Thomas and Bonaventure sayeth hee thinketh that both belongeth thereunto Againe this is denyed by sundrie ancient Divines sayeth Bellarmin lib. 1. de Indulg cap. 7. That pardons delivereth men from punishment not onelie before the Church but also before God and verie graue Authours sayeth hee as Alfonsus Durand Paludanus Pope Adrian the 6. Petrus à Soto and Cardinall Cajetan hold That pardons were never given but for enjoyned penance but Aquinas Ioannes Major Sylvester Dominicus a Soto Michael medina Ledesinius Antonius Cordubensis Navarrus Panormitan and Ioannes Andreas sayeth hee these maintaine the contrarie 2. For the Persons that haue power to give pardons it is questioned sayeth Bellarmin lib. 1. de Indulg cap. 11. by what law Bishops may give pardons for some hold that they may do it by Gods law sayeth hee but others deny it yea Angelus in summâ— and Bartholemus Fumus do hold that all Priests who may heare confession may also grant pardons sayeth hee and they bring for their warrant Pope Innocentius and Panormitan but the coÌ„mon opinion sayth Bellarmin is contrarie to these 3. For the persons whom they availe thus they varie for amongst the Catholick Doctours sayeth Bellarmin lib. 1. de Indulg cap. 14. Ostiensis in summa and Biel on the canon of the Masse lect 57. haue taught that pardons nowise profite the dead and so this maâ—teth soule Masses but other Catholicks sayeh hee do hold the contrarie Again if they help the dead Bellarmin lib. 1. de Indulg cap. 14. showeth that it is controverted whether by way of suffrage or otherwise and that they are divyded in three opinions Last of all sayeth Bellarmin in the same place the hardest question of all is Whether pardons do help the dead upon any justice or condignitie or onely of the meer and free favour of God and congruitie some hold the first sayeth he as Dominicê° Soto on 4. sent d. 21. Navarrus others hold it to be meerlie of the mercy bounty of God And so holdeth Cajetan Petrus a Soto Cordubensis and others Now in such a division of tongues and Pen's in this point what is popish unitie let any man judge The second grand point which I will instance is TranssubstantiatioÌ„ wheron is grounded the Idoll of their Masse and that idolatrous adoration of their Hostie wherein sayth the Iesuite Aâ—lapide on Isai 7. 14. by the words of consecration as the bread is trulie and reallie transsubstantiat so Christ is brought forth and as it were begotten upon the Altar so powerfully efficaciouslie as if Christ were not yet incarnat yet by these words this is my Bodie He should be incarnat and assume an humane bodie therfore sayth he the Priest is as the Virgin that bare him the Altar is the manger the little Emmanuell which hee beareth is Christ brought
Hezekiah was 2. Chron. 29. 15. 31 and Iosiah 2. Chron. 35. 2. 3. and 6. and as Nehemiah was 13. 7. 8. and 28. acting in matters ecclesiastical civilie but not usurping any power or practise as Vzziah did 2. Chron. 26. which belonged to the Priests office or of a Pastourall charge in doctrine discipline or administration of sacraments but as Princes should to cause and see that God be worshipped aright discipline be exercised as it ought within their Dominions that so as their power is from God so it may be imployed chieflie for God as nursing Fathers and mothers to his Church and as no scripture debarreth Princes and Magistrats froÌ„ medling with such causes in the manner forenamed but admitteth them to be Governours therein so likewise doth antiquitie as we may see in the person of Constantine the first Christian Emperour as Eusebius in his third book of his life c. 13. reporteth and of his carriage in the first Councell of Nice and decision of matters of faith whâ—â— medling the Emperours also â—ad in such causes Socrates likewise declareth in the pâ—oeme of his fifth book of ecclesiasticall historie Augustin also contra Cresconium lib. 3. cap. 51. and de Civit. Dei lib. 5. c. 24. Athanasius in his second Apologie p. 797. Graecolat appealing to the Emperour Constantine against the unjust proceedings of the Councell of Tyre in his behalf As Flavianus in the like case did to the Emperours Theodosius and Valentinian But I cannot marvell enough that this pamphleter should so touch upon a womans government of a particulare nationall Church in a civill way within her Dominion whil as a craftie vile Strumpet named Pope Iohn the eight did governe the whole Roman Church which they cal Catholick as Christs vicar and head thereof two years a moneth and foure dayes till going in procession and surprysed by paines of child-birth being upon the publick street delivered Shee thereafter died for which cause in detestation of the fact as Platina the Popes Secretarie all ancient Romanist histriographers speake No Pope ever since went that way in publick procession as Martinus Polonus Sigebert Fasciculus temporum Marianus Scotus and many others ancient Records do testifie whom I can produce And as for any testimonies of Fathers which he bringeth as Damascen's where he sayeth I consent not that the Church of God be governed by Kings and in Theodorets historie that one Eulogius said concerning the Emperour Valens coÌ„manding by his officer what did belong to a Bishop What was hee made Bishope sayeth he that day when he was crowned Emperour and Ignatius who commandeth all men even the Emperour himself to be obedient to the Bishope all these I say makes nothing against that which I haue said before but onlie against civill Princes their usurpation of what belongeth properlie and onlie to the Ecclesiasticall office and persons vested therwith in doctrin and discipline And if we will look to Antiquity we shall find that in this point popish doctrine debarring princes or the civill Magistrat from any medling in Ecclesiasticall effaires as Bellar. teaches lib. 1. de clericis c. 28. 29. joyneth hands with the ancieÌ„t hereticks the Donatists who did contend in likemanner that the cognition tryall and medling with Ecclesiasticall effaires belongeth nowise to the Magistrat And therfore this was the speech of Donatê° Quid est Imperatori cum Ecclesia or What hath the Emperour adoe with the Church as Optatus Milevitanê° declareth in his third book against Parmenian and Augustin likewise lib. 1. contra epist Parmeniani c. 7. epist 166. Whereas the harmonie of confessions of faith and ours in particulare 1581. art 24. sayeth Moreover to Kings Princes Rulers aâ—d Magistrats we affirme that chieflie and most principallie the conservation and purging of Religion appertaineth so that not onlie they are appointed for civill policie but also for maintainance of the true religion and for supressing of idolatrie and superstition as in David Iosaphat Ezekias Iosias and others highlie commended for their zeale in that case may be espyed in our later confession 1647. cap. 23. That for the better effecting wherof they haue power to call Synods to be present at them and to provyde that whatsoever is transacted in them bee according to the minde of God 13. THat Antichrist shall not be a particulare man and that the Pope is Antichrist VVHich he sayeth is contrary to 2. Thess 2. 3. where he is called That man of sinne c. and therefore a particulare man onlie Whereunto I answere in the Iesuit Ribera's words on Revel 17. 10. That it is not unusuall in Scripture that by one man many the like and of the same incorporation are signified sayeth hee which he proveth out of Math. 22. 11. where by One man that wanted the wedding garment many such are signified and out of Dan. 7. where by the King of the Medes and Persians not any individuall and one onlie person is signified but the whole succession of these Kings one after another likewise by the coÌ„sent of all Romanists that speech 2. Thess 2. 7. wher it is said Onlie he who now letteth will let till he be taken out of the way is to be understood not of an individuall Roman Emperour onelie but of the whole succession of the old Roman Emperours then resident at Rome in their full integrity Yea the papists even now when they say that the Pope is Christs vicar they meane not this or that Pope onlie but the whole succession of such one after another The second place is Revel 13. 18. Where the number 666. is called the number of a man whence hee concludeth That Antichrist shall be one onlie individuall man To which I answere that from the number of a man 666. to argue to the singularitie of a person is a bad consequence but by this number the Iesuite Ribera teacheth us better that Ireneus who lived neare to the Apostles times according to the coÌ„putation by the greek letters found it out to be Lateinos or Roman as their Church is called at this day Ecclesia latina seu Romana and the Pope Papa Romanus c. The third place is 1. Iohn 2. 22. That Antichrist denyeth the Father the Sonne which the Pope doeth not Whereunto I answere 1. That the word Antichrist is somtimes taken generallie for all these who openlie avowedly oppose Christ and his trueth and of such the Apostle Iohn speaketh verse 18. That even in his time there were many Antichrists And somtimes it is taken more strictlie as 2. Thess 2. for that great Antichrist to come wherby is signified the succession of such who under the profession of the Christian name shall notwithstanding oppose Christs trueth by all deceavablnesse of unrighteousnes and in deepest hypocrisie working in a mysterie and therefore is said to bee herned like the lamb but to speake like the dragon And in this sense we say that the Pope is Antichrist 2.