which they are daily about to try and would gladly execute if they could he sendeth Agents and imployeth spyes and men disguised especially of some orders who goe secretly from house to house preaching his Indulgences and pardons to move the people to acknowledge him and restore his former revenues for this is the onely end of all his Inventions what ever pretext of faith and Religion he pretend but the carriers of those Indulgences are no more in request and are onely good for nothing but to cheat women and weak spirits the world hath had so many of his Bulls and pardons that they beleeve they will have no more need but may live without them the ages to come and wise Princes chose rather to keepe their moneys for the ease of their subjects and conservation of their estates than to send it to the Pope to maintaine his Court in riot and inrich his kindred the falsenesse of his doctrine appearing too cleerly now to be embraced by judicious and cleer-sighted men CHAP. XV. How absurd is and how little ground hath the pretended infallibilitie of the Bishop of Rome and that it is not without cause he is called Antichrist THe Bishop of Rome is not onely content to challenge the primacy and superioritie over the whole Christian Church but to strengthen and increase his credit he falleth into a folly insupportable to every wise and understanding man for he attributeth to himselfe the same infallibilitie and truth that God doth affirming and maintaining that he cannot erre no more than God when he pronounceth any sentence in matter of faith This seemed to me a cunning subtilty if it were as easily to be beleeved as invented for wanting the word of God and sufficient Scripture to establish his primacy and universall superioritie he hath resolved to attribute to himselfe the infallibilitie to make men receive the Scriptures according to his explication to ground his authoritie and establish his doctrine thereby And this Article of infallibilitie is at this day come to such a passe in the Romish Church that it must be beleeved as pertaining to faith and necessary to salvation it being forbidden under the paine of being holden for an heretique and Anathematized for preaching to the contrary and truely it is a doctrine which in policy ought to follow that of the primacy for the accomplishing of a perfect and absolute authoritie But as wee have shewen this primacy to be usurped and invalid so doe we beleeve we have sufficiently nullified all that followeth upon those prerogatives whereof this is the principall Notwithstanding for the greater satisfaction of the courteous Reader wee shall answer briefly the principall reasons they bring to prove this doctrine The first Objection is drawne out of a passage alledged before where it is said Mat. 16.18 Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it This say they being understood of St Peter is to say that errour and untruth shall not prevaile against Peter nor have victory over him and that he shall never be deceived nor erre nor consequently the Pope who tearmeth himselfe successour of St Peter Notwithstanding St Peter having erred after these words were pronounced and denied his Master which is the greatest fall that can be in the faith sheweth that those words are not understood of St Peter but of the faith and confession he made at that time which being most true and the truth it selfe shall never be overcome nor surmounted by the gates of hell but shall continue in strength eternally and so it is in vaine for the Pope to ground his infallibilitie upon words which are not spoken of St Peter nor consequently of him as is most manifest and as I have shewed before Another Objection which the Romish Church thinks stronger and more expresse is this Luk. 22.32 The Lord said to Simon Luk. 22.32 Simon behold Sathan hath sought to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and then when thou shalt be converted strengthen thy brethren For my part I perceive not what they would conclude thereby but that the faith of St Peter should never faile and yet wee see that it failed much and that St Peter did stumble and erre grossely in the faith having denyed his Master a long time after those words were spoken If then that be understood as they would have it the prayers of Christ should be of none effect which is blasphemy to thinke wherefore we must finde out a truer meaning of those words and say that is understood of small falling Christ Jesus saying to Simon Simon I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not finally that is to say if peradventure thou succombe and fall as thou wilt at least raise thy selfe and enter againe into the profession of faith and being converted by a true repentance thou must confirme thy brethren and let this fall make thee wiser in time to come and be a means to thee to confirme others and exhort them to take heed least they slide and fall as thou This is doubtlesse the true and lawfull meaning of those words as every understanding man may judge and not the explication of the Romish Church which every reasonable man will finde to be altogether absurd and invented of purpose to establish a false doctrine And although it could be proved that St Peter did never fall and we should confesse that the infallibilitie was given to him Will it therefore follow that it is given to all his successours also and that which was said to one person and of one person must be said to all his successours and of them all if they apply to the Pope all that was said to St Peter the Apostle and in his favour by Christ Jesus why doe they not apply as well all that was said to his disgrace and so the Pope must be called Sathan because Christ did call Peter so those words must also be applyed to the Pope Thou shalt deny mee as our Saviour spake them to St Peter This certainly hath too often falne out to the great hurt and scandall of Christian people although I confesse that our Saviour speaking to Peter did not meane it of those who should be thought his successours Now these are the strongest passages and arguments on which this pretended infallibilitie is grounded which is the whole foundation and basis of all the Romish Doctrine now in controversie which being proved to be usurped against reason and equitie as the primacy whereon it is grounded you see in what estate of errour and heresie that Church is in and how blinde and deceived they are that follow it It was thought formerly strange that the Pope of Rome was called Antichrist and I confesse it was long before I could be satisfied with the application of this name to the Pope thinking it was too rigorously spoken and with too small
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
before it was given them by the wicked and perfidious Emperour Phocas who having overcome and taken Maurice succeeded in his place and because he was freely and without any contradiction crowned at Rome in recompence would oblige the Romans and ordained that the Church of Rome should thereafter be chiefe of all the Churches and that Boniface the third then Pope should be universall Bishop and so was the controversie determined by the power and authoritie of the Emperour If after all this the title of head universall and generall Bishop ought to be thought of divine right and of divine and Apostolique institution given to the Bishop of Rome I have done beleeving that the gift and declaration of a wicked Emperour maketh not the Institution divine Thus you may perceive friendly Reader that Christ never gave it to St Peter and that the Apostles never beleeved any such thing nor did St Peter himselfe ever imagine to have it or make use of it Yee see how almost six hundred yeares were finished which questionlesse is a long time after the death of our Saviour before either the Bishop of Rome was esteemed or did esteeme himselfe generall Bishop and Superiour over the whole Church and now to say that it is the institution of Jesus Christ is it not to thinke men fooles and beleeve they are geese void of all sense and reason not to perceive the imposture Nor is there any but simple and weake wits will beleeve it in the Romish Church and if it be any Article of faith as the Pope his adherents preach and as the Councell of Trent declareth there is none by that reason in the Romish Church but weake judgements who are in the paths of salvation CHAP. XIII How the Bishop of Rome hath and doth labour to maintaine his usurped Primacy and after what manner the Pope is elected at this present I Know the Cardinall Baronius a man otherwise learned and of great authoritie in the Church of Rome in his Ecclesiasticall History hath endeavoured above all things to shew the primacy of the Bishop of Rome as being the principall end and cause of all his painfull labours but I protest that he saith nothing contrary to all I have spoken here of the History of the Popes except onely that he striveth to draw more advantageous consequences for the Bishop of Rome but with what sinceritie and ground the indifferent Reader may judge And because he sheweth that which I have granted that Letters were written from divers places and from many Churches to the Bishop of Rome since St Peters death either to have his advice in matter of faith or clearing of some doubts in Religion or composing of some differences risen amongst the Bishops as to one of their fellow-Bishops and brethren who had great authoritie amongst them as being the Bishop of the Metropolis of the world where the Emperour did reside he concludeth every where the primacy but with very bad consequences as doe many more of his fellowes who taking pay of the Romish Church either for feare to loose the Benefices they have or in hope to obtaine better and greater doe all that lyeth in their power to extoll the same dissembling often those errours they perceive and labouring to cloake and excuse that which they cannot deny Certainly there is no man who reading the Cardinall Baronius with a minde void of passion will not cleerly perceive that he proceedeth after that manner and indeed according to the policy and wisdome of this world which is neverthelesse foolishnesse before God he could not doe otherwise for he was wise enough to see and foresee if he wrote otherwise than in the favour of his Holines and the Romish Church he could never have aspired to the Cardinalship which he obtained thereby nor to the honours and gratifications the Pope imparted to him thereafter for having maintained so advantageously his authoritie and pretended rights Now to returne to my purpose the Bishop of Rome having once obtained the title of universall Bishop and generall Pastour of the Church by the donation and investure of the Emperour he being already in possession of great authoritie and abundance of great riches it was not hard for him to maintaine and conserve it in despite of all oppositions that were raised from time to time by Bishops who had not so much riches and authoritie as he nor a backe strong enough to contest it against him and make him quit the title but rather hath laboured to exalt himselfe more and more taking occasion from the weaknesse and necessitie or the simplicitie and devotion of Princes to augment his authoritie and estate And he who by the meanes and beneficence of the Emperours was invested in the possession of his greatnesse primacy and riches rose in a small time to that point as to strive to depose them from their thrones and usurp the right of creating and crowning them make them kisse and adore his feet nay even to set his feet upon their necke abusing those words of the Psal 91.13 Thou shalt walke upon the Aspe Basilisque Psal 91.13 and the Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread under-foot as did Alexander the third to the Emperour Fredericke Barberousse and his sonne Henry the sixt saith Baronius being brought to the feet of Pope Innocent the third there to receive the Imperiall Crowne upon his knees and it being set upon his head as he was on his knees before the Pope who was on a throne he beat it off with his foot saying to him with an unsupportable arrogancy Know that as I have had the power to set the Crowne on thy head so have I to take it from thee and deprive thee thereof at my pleasure But they took their time and opportunitie of the infirmity and misery of those afflicted Princes to exercise upon them the usurpation of their Empire And no man of understanding will peruse the History but he may see that as the Emperours had invested the Bishops of Rome in the title and qualitie of Head of the Church so for a long time after they reteined the authority to create and install them in their See and depose and turne them out neither was any admitted on received but by consent of the Emperour And if in the absence and distance of the Emperour the Romanes at any time medled themselves with the choosing of the Pope they sent continually to the Emperour to have his consent which sometimes he gave and other times refused And because time altereth and changeth all things that which sometime before was done by all the Romane people with the aforesaid conditions became by little and little to be reduced to the Clergie alone which as the Pope grew greater and richer did also augment their revenues and power gathering the crummes from a Table so excessively furnished as was that of the Pope and so the consent of the Emperour began by little little to be neglected but principally then
THE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIKE VERITIE OR THE REASONS AND MANNER OF THE CONVERSION OF FRANCIS DE NEVILLE FORMERLY A CAPVCHIN PREACHER The Popes Missionary and Superiour in sundry COVENTS of the same ORDER A Treatise very usefull for all Christians and especially for such as are POPISHLY-affected or not fully setled in their beliefe And for the further Confirmation of the FAITHFULL Wherein many SECRETS of the ROMISH Clergie heretofore UNREVEALED are DISCOVERED Dedicated by the Author to the High Court of PARLIAMENT now Assembled 1642. See the Contents at the next Page LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Cornehill 1642. THE CONTENTS OF the CHAPTERS AN Historicall Prelude concerning the Author Chap. 1. How the Romish Church acknowledge no other Judge in matters of Faith but the Pope page 1 Chap. 2. That the holy Scripture is the onely Judge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church p. 4 Chap. 3. That the holy Scripture is clear in that which concernes things necessary to salvation pa. 8 Chap. 4. That the holy Scripture is given us by God to read and meditate in the same and that the prohibition of the Pope to read it is altogether unjust and contrary to the will of God p. 12 Chap. 5. Of Traditions and that they ought not to be taken for Judge or rule of our faith p. 20 Chap. 6. Traditions condemned by the holy Scripture p. 25 Chap. 7. That we cannot ground our beleef upon the books of the ancient Fathers p. 27 Chap. 8. Concerning the chief point of controversie to wit that S. Peter had no Primacy in the Church and that the Primacy of the Pope is an unlawfull usurpation p. 30 Chap. 9. Proved from holy Scripture that Christ had never intention to leave S. Peter or any other Apostle for his successour or generall Vicar after him p. 40 Chap. 10. Proved by the holy Scripture that the Apostles did never acknowledge S. Peter for superiour and universall Head of the Church p. 43 Chap. 11. That although S. Peter had had the preeminence the Pope hath no right to challenge it to himself and that the Primitive Church never acknowledged this universall superiority in the Bishop of Rome p. 48 Chap. 12. In what manner and at what time the Bishop of Rome usurped the Primacie pa. 53 Chap. 13. How the Bishop of Rome hath and doth labour to maintain his usurped Primacy and after what manner the Pope is elected at this present p. 57 Chap. 14. A notable reflection upon the usurped power of the Pope and his election and how much all Princes Prelates and Christians even Romanes are interessed therein p. 64 Chap. 15. How absurd is and how little ground hath the pretended infallibilitie of the Bishop of Rome and that it is not without cause he is called Antichrist p. 71 Chap. 16. The summe and conclusion of the former discourse concerning the usurped Primacie and infallibility of the Pope p. 75 Chap. 17. Of the Invocation of Saints p. 78 Chap. 18. That profit temporall is the cause of the Invocation of Saints and Images in the Romish Church p. 84 Chap. 19. Of the Miracles of the Romish Church p. 89 Chap. 20. Of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the Communion under both kinds p. 101 Chap. 21. Of the Masse and of Prayers in a strange tongue p. 107. Chap. 22. Of Auricular Confession p. 113 Chap. 23. Of Purgatory p. 122 Chap. 24. Of Indulgences p. 131 Chap. 25. Of the Congregations and Religious Orders p. 136 Chap. 26. Of Justification p. 141 Chap. 27. Of the heavinesse of the yoke of the Church of Rome in comparison of the yoke of Christ. p. 147 Chap. 28. If one can be saved in the Romish Church p. 151 Chap. 29. A comparison of the Protestant Reformed Church with the Church of Rome and in which of them two is salvation most certain pa. 156 TO THE MOST HIGH AND HONORABLE COVRT of PARLIAMENT of England now assembled in the yeer of the Lord 1642. Most Illustrious Assembly WE owe the homage of Service in those places where we first breathed not where we were conceived this little Treatise had indeed his conception beyond the Seas but being brought into the world in the Land and in the time of Your Authoritie it is to You it oweth homage and to whom it is bound to render all the dutifull submissions a vassall oweth to his Lords and will account it self exceeding glorious if ye but daign to vouchsafe it with your favorable acceptance for it trusteth that once being acknowledged for Yours it will be the more welcome in other places and your Patronage alone will be a sufficient protection to defend it against all the attempts of its enemies and evill willers And I am fully perswaded it could never have obtained a more happy nor Honorable protection in this world For that famous Assemblie consisting of the supreme and royall Majesty as the most worthie Head thereof of the Illustrious Nobilitie and the choicest Persons of the whole Kingdom as the Members of it there is none in this State who will not think themselves obliged to receive it favourably and if it shall passe the Seas to travell through forraigne Countreys it will questionles be more regarded there being no Canton in Europe where the wisdome of this Noble Assemblie is not admired and redoubted and where all that it avoweth and protecteth is not highly prized But as there is no good thing in the world which meeteth not with some contrarietie no vertue that is not opposed no prosperity that is not crossed I doubt not but it will find contradictions and obstacles both at home and abroad at home from some evill Christians secret enemies of the peace and tranquillitie of this Church and Estate abroad from the Enemies of the truth and every where from envious and malicious spirits But I trust it shall be as the nest of the little Alcion which under the protection of the most High contemneth the surging billows of the Ocean and which though tossed with the waves remaineth still victorious above the floods Or rather as the Rocks which cannot be moved with stormes but continue firm against all the assaults of winds and tempests So I shall let it travell under those favourable hopes with expresse charge to proclaim in all places where it shall passe the greatnesse of your glorie While in the meane time I shall endeavour to shelter my self here from all dangerous stormes under the shadow of your wings to enjoy the sweetnes of peace and happines which this whole Land expecteth from your wisdom and one who for the glory of God hath sought hither for refuge as I may hope from your bountie And there in greater securitie than the Dove that is chased by the Hawks doth find being once gotten into the holes of the Rock I shall meditate the rest of my dayes the wonders of the Almighty and
did the same what then Will we be wiser than Jesus Christ and his Apostles the people in those dayes was more rude and lesse capable of mysteries than now adayes for they were but newly come out of Paganisme or Judaisme CHAP. XXII Of Auricular Confession THis point of Auricular Confession is also for the present holden to be of greater importance in the Church of Rome than the Masse and there is no vertue nor any other duty so much recommended at this day as a full and faithfull confession of all sins and even a generall confession of the whole life In a word all the perfection and excellency of all Christian doctrine at this day in the Romish Church aimeth at that point and although ye should give all your goods to the poore Concil Trident. Tolet. Lest Bonac and others and were the best man in the world and indued with all the excellent parts of bounty and vertue yet if ye confesse not often and exactly all your sins great and small all the adherent circumstances which aggravate the same and tell faithfully and punctually the number all the rest is nothing and without that say they it is impossible to be saved or please God in any fashion for those who have the occasion and commodity to do the same after they have sinned To prove this doctrine which is an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome they produce no passage of the Scripture that hath either force or reason for to alledge that of S. James Iam. 5.16 ch 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed is without sence or reason because that which is subjoyned and pray one for another sheweth clearly that as S. James recommendeth not prayer onely to the Priests so he commandeth none to confesse their faults to the Priests alone For as he speaketh of a reciprocall prayer and mutual assistance so speaketh he of a mutuall confession betwixt particulars after quarrels and offences as the Cardinall Caietan confesseth and acknowledgeth well in his Commentary in this Epistle it is not there spoken saith he of a sacramentall confession as appeareth because he saith Confesse one to another Now the sacramentall confession is not made one to another but to the Priests onely but it is spoken of the confessions by which we mutually confesse our selves to be sinners that they may pray for us and of the confession of faults which are done by one another to be mutually appeased and reconciled but there is no appearance that S. James speaketh here of Auricular Confession neither of confession to the Priests alone And although it were true that S. James did speak here of the confession to Priests it will not follow that he spake of Auricular confession for there is great difference and as it is very necessarie to salvation to confesse all our sins to God and profitable to confesse our sins publiquely also and before men in token of repentance and griefe and to edifie our neighbours so none can denie that it is both profitable and good to confesse our sins to the Priest not for any obligation they have to do it there being no commandment or Word of God but to discharge his conscience and seek remedie for his imperfections consolation in his infirmitie and counsell in the ordering of his life And howsoever the Priest may minister matter of comfort to a penitent and afflicted soul upon the assurance he may give him that his sins be forgiven him if he be truly penitent have a true faith in Christ notwithstanding he ought not presume to give a formall absolution but onely declarative or else deprecative nor think to pardon sins as do the Priests of the Romish Church there being none but God alone that can pardon sins Mark 2.7 as Mark. 2.7 but onely assure and declare thar if there be true faith and repentance there sins are remitted or pray to God that he will remit them And as for that which was said to the Apostles by our Saviour That whatsoever they should bind on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever they should loose on earth should be loosed in heaven It is clear from the consideration of the whole passage that it is onely understood of the exteriour power of excommunication which we ought to acknowledge in the Church not of the power to absolve from interiour and secret sins for see the passage which I exhort the Reader diligently to consider Mat. 18.15 c. If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee two or three more that out of the mouthes of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a Publican Verily I say unto you that whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Thereby it is evident that Christ meant onely to speak of the band of excommunication and ejection out of the Church and that all that the Apostles should bind on earth with the bands of excommunication should be thought and esteemed bound in heaven and before God and that which they should loose and absolve on earth restoring and reconciling them to the bosome of the Church should be holden absolved and restored before God and might partake in the prayers of the faithfull Neverthelesse many Priests in the Church of Rome holding themselves successours of the Apostles in that beleeve that from those words they have power given them to absolve from all sins indifferently without any reservation seeing that even the same words are said to them at their consecration But the Bishops give their glosses and exceptions upon and say that it is to them it belongeth being properly and especially the true successours of the Apostles and the Priests but by commission which they can amplifie and diminish at their pleasure in the absolution of sin limiting their power in certain causes and reserving others to themselves forbidding the Priests who are under their jurisdiction to absolve them and the Pope who tearmeth himself Bishop of Bishops and attributeth the whole and absolute power of the Church to himself clippeth the authoritie of the Bishops in this using them as they use the Priests forbidding they should give absolution for every thing but reserve certain causes to himselfe wherein he forbid them to meddle and as the Priests murmure against the Bishops for that so do the Bishops against the Pope beleeving no sin nor case whatsoever to be exempted from their jurisdiction according to the words of Christ and thus do they agree among themselves on the explication of those
is distracted and thinketh or dreameth on any other thing than on God either by expresse or secret consent that is to say doth not all he is able to give attention and banisheth not faithfully all thoughts but is distracted for a considerable time during the Masse which is thought to be about the fourth part of it or almost the third part that man heareth not the Masse but is obliged to hear another the same day attentively if he will fulfill the precept Now let every man judge in himself how few there are which fulfill this precept in hearing the Masse without distraction or wandring minds and which labour to discharge themselves and vanish them when they come with fidelitie and we see but few who go to hear a second Masse as beleeving they have not heard the first devoutly enough Some may say all this is but a little scruple and of no great importance but according to all the Casuists and Doctors of the Romish Church the obligation to hear the Masse with the aforesaid attention and devotion every holiday and Sunday is a precept of mortall sin and eternall damnation so it is of great importance and cannot be said to be a scruple and I have known some timorous people which terrified with that rigid doctrine did often hear three or foure and after all were little better content and did beleeve that point alone capable to destroy them though otherwayes people of good life That which is said of the Masse in regard of all Christians is said likewise of the Breviary and canonicall houres in respect of the Clergie for they are obliged by the Popes Bull and by his Councels under pain of mortall sin and eternall damnation to recite them every day devoutly and with attention and the longer those prayers are the more hard also is the observation of this precept and I have seen some distracted thereby and others to fulfill faithfully that commandment and set their consciences at quiet tell one Psalme or verse ten times over beleeving not to have had sufficient attention and after all that were yet in doubt and of this number were even many Theologians and good Preachers Finally this sheweth clearly enough that if the Romish doctrine be true it is impossible even to the most zealous to save themselves by this point Now let us see the mystery of Auricular confession the difficultie is yet greater here for the rules and conditions of the confession are according to all their Doctors that when one confesseth himself Navar. Tolet. Bonac Less alii Casuist he is obliged first to declare all his publique and secret sins all his vitious actions words and thoughts and the circumstances aggravating the sin and even the number of every sort whether be action word or thought As for example how many times one hath sworn and how many times he hath had bad thoughts of what sort and how long he did delight and take pleasure in every one And that they may declare all they are strictly obliged to use all morall diligence to remember them and this moral diligence is taken according to the intervalles of confessions and the goodnesse of every ones memory so that he who confesseth often and hath a good memory needeth not so much time as another who confesseth but seldome and hath not so good a memory and every one must imploy so much time and take so much pains to examine himself before hand as is requisite to remember all and omit nothing And although according to the generall precept of the Romish Church one is bound onely to confesse himself once a yeer yet if in going but once they do not remember all they must go oftner and so often as is necessarie to every one that he omit none of his sins and so every one almost will find himself obliged to go to confession every week and even oftner and if he cannot remember them at the time of confession but by writing he is obliged to write them In a word they are obliged under pain of damnation to use all means and times possible and convenient that they forget nothing And if for want of time or care or sufficient and due preparation they leave off any thing of importance whether it be action word thought circumstance or number the confession is invalid and void for it wanteth fidelitie and integritie which is one of the necessary conditions and according to all those Doctors they who receive a Sacrament without necessarie dispositions commit sacriledge and if through bashfulnesse and shame which is incident to women any thing be omitted the confession is also of no force now to what rack and torture is a poore soul redacted by the means of this confession according to the maximes of the Romish Church and to how many is this confession which they preach so necessary to salvation and without which say they none can be saved cause of scandall and stumbling block to make them fall headlong into hell and who following that can be saved in the Church of Rome if this doctrine be found to be as true before God as it is preached and written before men It is not yet sufficient though they have fidelitie to merit absolution and make a good and sufficient confession there must say they be further in confessing a constant resolution of amendment of that which is confessed and all meanes and morall diligences are to be used for effecting it as for example he who confesseth he hath not fasted all Lent cannot have absolution and is uncapable of it if he have not a firme resolution in time to come to fast all the fasting dayes and all Lent over and use all possible meanes to effect it and he that confesseth he hath sworne or been angry had taken a surfet or sold or taken more than is reasonable committed injustice or had evill thoughts as of impuritie revenge or the like is uncapable of absolution and committeth sacriledge in receiving it if he have not a constant resolution to commit those things no more and to use all possible meanes to shunne all those things and the occasions of them Oh! how pernicious is yet the confession to many in that for when men fall continually in the same vice and see themselves obliged often to confesse the same sinne it is a great signe they have little care to amend and that so they have but few constant purposes and resolutions that are firme at their confession but every one ought to judge himselfe and though they can deceive men it is impossible to deceive God Now who with all those burdens strait obligations and hard commandements with that so strange doctrine of the Romish Church can hope for salvation and escape damnation Let every one of that sect make reflection upon himselfe and examine himselfe in this point I leave to every particular man to judge and protest I have spoken nothing here but according to the common doctrine