baptisme May we not iustly ranke them with those luke-warme Revel 3. 15. 16. Laodiceans that were neither hot nor cold fish nor flesh And may not they certainely looke for the euent which our Lord Iesus threatneth that he will spue them out of his mouth It is high time therefore for all men 1. Reg. 18. 21. to resolue themselues whether they will follow God or Baal Christ or Antichrist and not to continue halting betwixt two opinions I cannot reasonably conceiue whence this want of resolution should proceed in them that are not desperately carelesse or profainely politicke but onely from ignorance of the necessity of being separated from the church of Rome The clouds of this ignorance I desire and purpose to scatter by the light of truth that all men which will not shut their eyes against the beames thereof may see both the way wherein they are and the place it leades them too Now to the end I may the bettor vnderstand my selfe and be vnderstood by them that seeke for resolution if they doubt or confirmation if they be resolued I will labour to speak as plaine as the matter will giue me leaue to doe desiring to haue that I deliuer rather iudged of thèn wondered at And because we are accused by the Church of Rome sometimes of heresie sometimes of schisme I will apply my disputation and discourse to the iustifying of our forefathers in separating from the popish religion and our selues in continuing that separation Wherefore that we may proceed orderly and plainely I propound the matter to be disputed in these termes Euery man is bound vpon paine of damnation to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome This proposition or sentence hath two things in it to be proued That 1. The faith of the Church of Rome is to be refused That 2. It is to be refused vpon paine of damnation These two I will handle seuerally First by shewing the necessitie of that refusall Secondly by setting out the penaltie if that faith be not refused And that nothing may be wanting which may helpe the simplest to conceiue and iudge aright of that which shall be spoken before I come to debate the point I will declare the meaning of the termes in which I haue deliuered it as shortly as I can with plainenesse By the faith of the Church of Rome I meane the Doctrine of the said Church deliuered by it in certaine Articles propositions or sentences to be beleeued by all men that desire to be saued as matters reuealed by God to that end This their faith I consider as one individuall or singular thing For although it may indeed be devided into many seuerall Articles of which it consists and is as it were compacted or framed yet it is conceiued by themselues as one intire body because they are all knit together by the same bond namely by being assented to or beleeued vpon one and the same ground or reason which is the spirit of that body and are all to be receiued a like vnder paine of the same Auathema or curse if they be not receiued and this is especially to be obserued as the maine point in this iuquir That the faith of the Church of Rome is so to be conceiued of it appeareth manifestly by Mr. Fisher the Iesuites Mr. Fisher Trealise of saith vnder the name of AD. treatise of Faith vnder the name of A. D. wherein the whole fourth chapter is spent to shew that Faith must be intire Faith saith he must be intire whole and sound in all points and it is not sufficient to beleeue stedfastly some points mis-beleeuing or not beleeuing obstinately other some or any one The reason thereof followes a little after where he saith that Not to beleeue any one point whatsoeuer which God by reualing it doth testisie to bo true and which by his Church he hath commanded vs to beleeue must needs be damnable as being a not able iniury to Gods verity and a great disobedience to his will To the same purpose writes the titular Archbishop of Spalato that All Articles of faith determined by Spalato Consil 〈◊〉 pag 20. the Church are fundamentall and that none of them may be denied without heresie By this it comes to passe that whosoeuer is a true member of the Church of Rome must as stedfastly and resolutely beleeue the least point of reliques and Images deliuered by the Councell of Trent as the greatest mysteries of the God-head the Trinitie the Redomption of the world by the Lord Iesus and that if he denie any of the former he is no lesse an hereticke then if he did refuse to beleeue any of the latter yea though he beleeue all they propound to be beleeued saue some one small matter he is for want of beleeuing that one if he know the Church propounds it to be beleeued a miscreant and mis-beleeuer the reason of this is that if the Church may erre in one thing it may erre in an other and so can be no sure foundation of faith But what is it to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome surely nothing else but not to acknowledge the doctrine deliuered by the Church of Rome to be true but to abhoire it as false I speake not of euery particuler point but of all ioyntly together according to my former exposition For I doe freely and willingly confesse that the Papists hold many great misteries of diuinitie truely and soundly wherein also we agree with them but yet I say we may not at any hand receiue their faith for true as it is deliuered by them for one intire bodie of diuinitie reuealed by God to be acknowledged by all men that will be saued So then to refuse the faith of the Church of Rome is not to beleeue that it is true or to beleeue tht it is false and this I say is required of euery man vpon paine of damnation The exposition of the second point vpon paine of damnation I referre to the place where it is to be handled after I haue dispatched that which is first to be debated CHAP. III. Of the Authors that haue formerly hold the proposition handled in this Treatise THere are not a few that looke more after the man then after the matter and inquire rather who is the writer then what is written Therefore least the meannesse of my condition and abilities should bring some preiudice to the truth I search for giue me leaue I pray you in the first place to shew that the point I intend by Gods gracious assistance to proue is no new conceit or deuise of mine but a matter aduisedly resolued of and set down by more then one of the worthies of our church and nation Amongst whom the first in time and authoritie was that rare and pretious Iewel Bishop of Salisburie They B. Iewel des apol paro ◠cap 22. divis 1. haue no cause saith he of the Papists to complaine of our departing and to call
RVNNE FROM ROME OR A TREATISE SHEWING THE necessitie of Separating from the Church of Rome Disputed in these Termes EVERIE MAN IS bound vpon paine of Damnation to refuse the Faith of the Church of Rome By ANTONY WOTTON B. D. REVEL 18. 4. Come out of her my people that ye be not Partakers of her sinnes and that ye receiue not of her plagues LONDON Printed by W. J. for Nicholas Bourne and are to be sold at his Shop at the South side of the Royall-Exchange 1624. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE EDWARD LORD DENNY OF WALTHAM MY ESPECIALL GOOD LORD Right Honorable WHen the great God of heauen and earth proclaimed by his Prophet to Eli 1. Sam. 2. 30 that he would honor them that honour him he therein implied both an example and a charge for all men to do the like Therefore is this actioÌ„ of honouring theÌ„ that honour God one of those whereof the holy Ghost made choise Psal 15. 4. that he might by them giue vs notice of those men which shal abide in the Tabernacle of the Lord and dwell in his holy hill It is my desire to performe this dutie to God by this seruice to your Lordship wherein I feele and confesse that I receiue far more then I can possibly giue For by desiring to honour our Lordship for your zeale in honouring God I encrease mine owne hope that I am of their number who haue obtained already some part of his grace and shall hereafter haue entrance into his glorie Giue me leaue noble Lord to forget in this respect my particular obligation to your Honour for your continuall bountie to me and good opinion of me that I haue an vnfained desire to maintaine the truth of God profest in this famous Church of England against the subtill and dangerous errors of the Romish Synagogue For I truly and willingly professe that the consideration of your Lordships feruent zeale for the glory of God zealous loue of his truth and true detestation of Popery haue so possest and rauisht my heart with a longing after your Honour that it will not suffer any other of your noble vertues though many and great either to come into comparison with it or to haue the least place in my thoughts while it is in presence This in my apprehension is as much to true honour as in Demosthenes opinion pronuntiation was to true eloquence Let them that will dote vpon their worldly greatnesse as the Peacocke is in loue with his owne feathers It is true honour to be honourable in his sight who onely is worthy of honour and yet graciously vouchsafeth to giue and to command that honour be giue to his faithfull seruants This is the foundation of your Lordships honour in my heart and vpon this ground wil I daily offer vp my poore prayers to God for your good Lordship your noble and truly vertuous Lady and hopefull of spring that it would please him to shewer downe euery day more more the comfortable dew of his grace and blessing vpon euery one of you to the increase of all honour in this life and happinesse in the life to come through Jesus Christ our Lord In whom I shall euer be at your Lordships seruice to be commanded Antony Wotton Tower-Hill May 3. 1624. TO THE CHRISTIAN READER THe Councell of Trent confirmed by the Pope is the chiefe Oracle of the Church of Rome from it she receiues all doctrines necessarie to be beleeued vnto saluation Romish Catholikes hold it for a principle that whatsoeuer is deliuered therein for doctrine is an article of faith and must stedfastly be beleeued vpon paine of damnation he that doth not is pronounced an Hereticke and is made lyable to a supposed heauy curse What little reason there is that Papists should yeeld such blind obedience to the Canons of that Councell may appeare by a plaine but true testimonie which was giuen thereunto by a Bishop a member of that Church and Councell who was present thereat This testimonie I haue thought good to prefixe to this my Treatise because in it I dispute against the doctrine of faith deliuered in the said Councell Andraeas Dudithius Bishop of Quinquecclesiae Quinquecclesiae is acitty in Lungarie calleâ— in German â—unsâ—â—rchin in Turkish â—nden or 〈◊〉 and Embassadour in the Councell of Trent for Maximilan the second Emperour in an Epistle to the said Emperour wherein he deliuereth his iudgement about granting the Cup to the Laitie and the marriage of Priests writes thus of the Councell of Trent WHat good could be done in that Councell where voyces were taken by number not by weight If argument if reason might haue preuailed if we had had some and those not many to take part with vs though we should haue bin but a few yet had vve ouerthrowne the greÌ„at forces of our aduersaries but when all stood vpon number wherein we were much inferiour we could not get the better though our cause were the better The Pope was able to set an hundreth of his against euery one of ours and if an hundreth were not sufficient he could vpon a sundaine haue created a thousand to succour them that were readie to faint and perish Therefore we might see euery day hungrie and needie Bishops and these for the most part beardlesse younkers and wastfully ryotous come in flocks to Trent hired to giue their voices according to the Popes humour vnlearned indeed and foolish but of good vse to him for their audaciousnesse and impudencie When these fellowes were ioyued to the Popes old slatterers then iniquitie got the vpper hand and triumphed neither could any thing be decreed but according to their liking who thought it the highest point of religion to defend the power and royot of the Pope There was in the Councell a graue and learned man who could not endure this indignitie but the Councell by terrour threatning and bayting him as one that was no good Catholike drew him to yeeld to that which he did no way like of In a word things are brought to that passe by their dishonesty who came prepared and made for the nonce that it seemed to be a Councell not of Bishops but of puppies not of men but of images who as it is reported of Daedalus Statues were moued not by their owne but by other mens nerues and muscles Those hireling Bishops most of them were like Countrey Bagpipes which must haue breath blowne into them before they can sound The holy Ghost had nothing to doe with that Couenticle all things were argued by human pollicy which was wholly employed in maintaining the immoderate indeed most shamelesse Lordship Domination of the Popet From thence were answers looked and wayted for as it were from the Oracles of Delphos or Dodona from thence the holy Ghost who as they brag is President of their Councell was sent shut vp in the Carriers budgets and packes who a thing worthy to be laught at when the waters were vp as it falls
vs againe to be fellowes and friends with them If we should content our selues to turne to the Pope and to his errours it should be a very dangerous matter both to kindle Gods wrath against vs and to clogge and condomne our soules for euer And in another place he speakes thus to the same purpose As for vs we haue not fallen from the Bishop of Rome cap. 20. dirts 2. vpon any matter of worldly respect but so the case stood that vnlesse we left him we could not come to Christ Dr. Reynolds another shining light of the Vniuersitie D. Renolds of Oxford shewes vs the same truth in another maner viz. in his verses vpon the third conclusion handled in the Schooles Nouemb. 3. 1579. If that ye seeke eternall life see that you Rome forsake Of the same minde was Dr. Whitaker a man for his learning whether we respect reading or iudgement knowne and approued of the Churches of Christ especially this of England We say saith he that the Church of Rome must be D. whitaker de Eccles cont qu. 6 cap. 1. forsaken of all men that desire to be saued And a little after he addes that There can be no saluation hoped for in the Church of Rome Lastlie Mr. Perkins in knowledge and zeale a worthy Scholler of so excellent a Master treading in his footsteps concludes that All those that will be saued must depart M. Pâ—rlins Reformed Chath nâ— the prolog sed Thus then and separate themselues from the faith and religion of the present Church of Rome We haue seene the iudgement of these learned and reuerend Diuines and therein the consent of both the Vniuersities Cambridge and Oxford for their bookes especially the three last were allowed for printing by the principall Doctors of the seuerall Vniuersities then resident in them neither is it to be taken for the iudgement of the Vniuersities onely but also of the whole Church as appeareth euidently by the continuance of it from time to time in the writings of these famous learned men successiuely one after another It was first propounded by that reuerend Father in defence of the Church of England to iustifie our departure from that strumpet of Babylon diuers yeares after proclaimed openly in the publike Schooles by Dr. Reynolds ratified afterwards by Dr. Whitaker in his publike lectures of Diuinitie and last of all confirmed by Mr. Perkins and by euerie one of these published in print with the approbation of our Church and State And this to say the truth hath alwayes beene the iudgement and practise of the Churches of God in all Protestant Countries euer since the last birth and infancy of reformation in this age for the space of more then an hundred yeares for what else hath beene aymed at in so many writings and disputations of Ptotestants but the iustifiing of our deparâ—ure from the Synagogue of Rome Not of a bodily departure saith Mr. Perkins in respect of cohabitation Peform chathol in Prol guâ— and presence but of a spirituÌ„all separation in respect of faith and religion It cannot then reasonly be denyed or doubted but that our Church generally holds separation from the Church of Rome to be a matter of great consequence yea of absolute necessitie especially if we remenber that euery Parish throughout the whole Land is enioyned to haue the Booke of Bishop Iewel with the rest of his workes in their seuerall Churches for all men to read and that they were all new printed to that end CHAP. IIII. wherein the necessitie of separating is proued YOu see from whom I take the point that I haue vndertaken to maintaine from the same men will I ferch the grounds of my disputation What is the reason by which these worthy learned and godly diuines did iustifie the separation of our Church and her continuing separated from the Romish faith let vs heare themselues speake We haue departed from that Church saith thereuerend Father B. Iewel whose erroâ—rs were proued and made B. Iewel Iuf. apol pag. 4. cap. 11. 〈◊〉 1. manifest to the world which Church also had alreadie departed from Gods word and yet we haue not departed so much from it selfe as from the errours thereof What errours They are generally imploÌ„yed in these words of his chap. 10. diuis 2. Ignorance errour superstition idolatâ—◠〈◊〉 inuentions and the same commonly disagreeing 〈◊〉 the holy Scriptures And againe These men haue broke â— in peeces Apolog. pâ— 5. cap 13. divis 1. all the pipes and conduites they haue stopped all the springs and choaked vp the fonntaine of liuing water with dirt and mire And againe Wee haue renounced that Church wherein vve Cap. 15. divis 2. Apol. could neither haue the word of God sincerely taught nor the Sacraments rightly administred nor the nam of God duely called vpon and wherein was nothing able to stay any wise man or one that hath consideration of his owne sasetie To conclude vve part 6. chap. 22. divis 2. haue departed from him saith that learned B. of the Pope who hath vtterly forsaken the Catholicke faith For as Dr. Bilson Dialogue â—â—t 3. Bilson saith most truely No Article of the Church of Rome wherein we dissent from them is Catholicke D. Reynolds speakes not so plaine yet giues us sufficiently to understand that he therefore concluded the Church of RomÌ„e was to be forsaken because she was no sound member of the Catholicke Church nor held the right faith Her unsoundnes he thus sets out The Church Reynolds conclu 5. of Rome is not distempered with a little ague such as hindreth not the functions of life greatly but is sicke of a canker or rather of a leâ—prosy or rather of a pestilence in so much that she is past hope of recouery unlesse our Saviour Christ the heavenly physician doe giue her wholesome medicines to purge her of permcious humors Conclus 5. And in his presace to his sixe conclusions he writes thus Sith â—â— the fellowship of the Church of Rome it was not In Preface at the 6. â—n â—asâ—on lawfull for vs either to serue God with a holy worship or to beleeue God with a holy faith as God hath commanded sâ—â—h the Church of Rome being taken with contagious diseases and a frensie did put her Counsellers to the fire friends to the sword brethren to cruell death and stained the faith of Christ with reproaches creatures with the Lords honour Gods service with Idolatry we went away from Papists not willingly as from mâ—n not vnwillingly as from heritickes But D. Whitaker and M. 〈◊〉 deeccâ—eâ— coâ—â—o 2. quist 6. cap. 1. Perkins are most plaine Wâ— affirmâ— saith D. Whitaker that the Church of Rome is to be shuned of all men and that no salvation is to be hoped for in it yea we say it is to be condâ—mâ—ed as a deepe pitt of heresy and errour M. Perkins avoucheth our departure for the same reason Perkins in prolog Resor Catho The