hundred years we were never exempted from civil Wars Here many of our sacred Kings have been deposed and murthered by their near Blood and Kindred how much innocent Blood was shed for the space of five years in Queen Marys days and how many Popish Conspiraces were there in Queen Elizabeths days And this addeth exceedingly to his wickedness that the Pope pretendeth to be a common Father of Christians and the Vicar or Deputy of Christ and under this mask acteth so mischievously against Christ and Christians Other Errours are of the Papists concerning the Church That there are no Catholicks but those of the Roman Church That he is a Catholick who believes all that the Roman Church delivereth whether it be written in the Bible or not That there is no Salvation out of the Roman Church That the sincere preaching of the Gospel and lawful administration of the Sacraments Bp. Downham Caâ—al are not a certain note of the Church That to acknowledg the Roman Pope and to be under him as the Vicar of Christ the only Pastor the Head of the whole Church is a note of the true Church That the particular Roman Church is the Mother Mistress and Lady of all Churches yea the Mother of Faith That the Roman Church did obtain this Primacy from our Lord and Saviour himself That the Roman Church hath power of judging all neither is it lawful for any to judg her Judgment That the Roman Church as it cannot err much less can it fail That there is no sure ground for the authority of the Scriptures but the infallible testimony of their Pope and Catholick Roman Church But the true Church must be discerned by the Scripture and not the Scripture by the Church unless a man would in the dark seek to find out the candle by the candlestick whereas he should rather seek out the candlestick by the light of the candle for the Church is as the candlestick and the Scripture as the light or candle Finally the Papists assert that we are to be subject to the Church without limitation So when in the maintenance of their Opinions they are beaten off from the Scripture they fly to the Church and make use of its authority which is with them in effect the Pope whom they make the Head of the Church and whose Sentence among them giveth all force and authority to that which the Church is said to define Howsoever the Church doth but signifie such a Society as consisteth of Men and Women and therefore set the Pope aside to be absolutely subject to the Church what is it but to be the Servants of Men which Saint Paul forbiddeth and presseth his Prohibition with an argument drawn from the precious Blood of Christ the price of our Redemption And therefore when once Cochlaeus a Champion of Popish Superstition speaking for the gross Idolatry of worshipping Images used this reason Quod Mater Ecclesia hâc in parte audienda esset cui hoc visum fuisset that our Mother the Church herein is to be obeyed whose pleasure it is that Images should be worshiped Brentius a learned Divine is said to have answered Quid si Pater diversum praecipiat what if our Father forbid it no Command of our Mother the Church on Earth can bear us out if our Father which is in Heaven speak the contrary And therefore in yielding obedience to the Church we must except our duty to God and obey her no farther than her commands are allowed by him much more must we reject the tyrannical and presumptuous Mandates of the Whore of Babylon pretending her self to be the Spouse of Christ wanting that authority which belongeth to the Church and yet still challenging far more than the Churches right A great misery of so many millions of poor wretched souls it is to be thus enslaved and a most cursed practice it is of those who go about to bring them again into such Antichristian bondage who now are out of Babylon But among all other Papists how desperately wicked are the Jesuits and how slavish swearing absolute obedience to the General of their Society binding themselves by Oath to do whatsoever he commandeth them Vide Gages Survay of 〈◊〉 Wâ—st Indies without exception though it be to murther Kings and blow up Parliaments with Gunpowder and any such like villanies Of the Members of the Church THe Members of the Church considered severally are The Clergy The Laity Their Errours are 1. That to make a Member of the Catholick Church Bp. Downham Caâ—â—aâ— there is not required Grace or any internal vertue but a profession of Faith is sufficient 2. That the Clergy are not held under civil Laws by any coactive but only directive Bond that is that the Clergy are not subject to the civil Magistrate 3. That Clergy-men are not bound to keep and observe the positive Laws of Princes if they be contrary to the Canons of the Church neither ought they to be cited before the civil Magistrate for any cause or to be judged by him It is absurd saith Bellarmine that the sheep should judg the Shepherd 4. That the goods of the Clergy both ecclesiastical and secular are free from the Tribute and Taxe of secular Princes 5. That the election of Bishops dependeth upon the Pope and that they all receive Jurisdiction from the Pope 6. That single life is always joyned to holy Orders by divine right that Marriage in the Clergy is a greater sin than Whoredom 7. That men are to be prepared for holy Orders by the first shaving 8. That the Clergy-men of the first Order are Priests properly so called which they say are instituted to offer an external and real Sacrifice 9. That preaching is not necessary to the Priesthood and in the Roman Church the greatest part of Priests do not preach They must have some other Charge or Commission besides the Priesthood for to be Preachers 10. There is that which they call Irregularity that which hinders a man from being capable of the holy Orders or performing the Functions belonging thereunto after they have received them Ignorance maketh not a man uncapable of holy Orders Some of their Bishops could not read 〈…〉 l. 1. c. 61. but they give them a co-adjutor for they hold that a man may serve God by an Attorney Yea they confer the sacred Orders upon Infants in the Cradle as Cardinal Tolet the Jesuit teacheth No man can receive nor exercise the Priesthood that hath any notable defect in his Body especially if he hath lost one of the Fingers wherewith they handle the Host That man is irregular also that hath had two Wives An Hermophrodite is not irregular provided that the virile Sexe do prevail as Emanuel Sa in his Aphorisms teacheth Item that man is irregular that hath cut off a member from any other man An Heretick also though converted is uncapable of Orders his Children likewise and his Childrens Children yet in this nevertheless the Pope gives
obliged by the Church and may eat Cheese The Letter cost twenty Groats Of their Dispensing with Fasts BUt the Jesuits have found many ways whereby to dispense with Fasts and the use of Meats on Fasting-days 1. They will have the obligation to Fasting to commence only at the age of twenty one years and that it ceaseth commonly at sixty 2. Father Bauny dispenseth for this Obligation with Labourers Jesuits Morals Vine-dressers Masons Joyners and generally all Handicrafts-men and Artificers To these he addeth such as have any infirmity of Body or Mind They who complain of pain in Head Heart or Stomach and who being empty and without food cannot sleep are not comprised under this Precept Tombou rine 3. Tambourin extends the Dispensation for Fasting to those who are notably sick though they have fallen into this sickness by their own proper fault and that the same must be said of a sick person unto whose Health Fasting might happily conduce The same must be said of him saith the same Author who cannot sleep in the night for a considerable time unless he sup The Indulgence of the Church in permitting to eat at noon on fasting-days is a Rite according to this Casuist which its Children may make use of against it to the neglect of its Commandment 4. The Jesuits hardly leave any Profession which they exempt not from fasting 1. All Labourers as such are exempt for the Church saith he hath no intention to deprive the faithful of the exercise of their Trades and course of life 2. Those who climb the Pulpit saith Bauny every day in Lent are not obliged to fast Bauny because of the extream toyl they are obliged unto by their Profession There is the same reason for Confessors and Missionaries who spend whole days almost in Confession and for Professors who commonly ascend their Chairs twice a day and continue therein commonly longer than Preachers 5. Emanuel Sa saith Em. Sa. when Fasting hinders the Husband from performing the Marriage-duty toward the Wife or causeth the Woman to be disliked by her Husband they are to be exempt from fasting 6. Tambourin saith a young Maid that would marry if by fasting all the Lent she notably blemish her Beauty is also exempt from fasting 7. Another Casuist saith that one may be justly excused from fasting when he cannot do it without trouble as if Fasting were not in it self troublesome and were not instituted to cause pain to subdue and mortifie the Flesh Besides they who are most averse to fasting have commonly more need thereof than others 8. It sufficeth saith Tambourin to the Pope for to dispense with Fasting that he hath a design to shew his kindness towards some persons who have obliged him If it be kindness to dispense with Fasting commanded by the Church it is rigour contrary to the affection and humanity of the Church to command it 9. Escobar Escobar gives also another expedient to exempt us from Fasting without necessity and dispensation which is to depart from the place where the Fast is to go to another place where it is not observed And if any think that this is to deceive our selves while we think to deceive the Church Filliut Fulliutius answereth That this is not to deceive the Church nor to clude its Command but only to avoid the Obligation of the Commandment in pursuance of the right which every one hath to do it when he can Non est ulla fraus si quis utatur jure suo Filliutius Their Errours concerning Oaths and Vows 1. THey teach men to swear by the Creatures yea they are bold to say that it is not only lawful to swear by Creatures but sometimes more convenient than to swear immediately by God himself 2. They say that it is lawful to swear by the name of Saints because all is referred to the honour of God 3. They deny Oaths to be fit for the perfect 4. They defend Vows that are made unto the Saints 5. They say that the Pope can absolve from the Bond of Vows and Oaths 6. Oaths among the Papists are taken by touching the Saints Reliques that so the Obligation of the Oath may be divided betwixt God and the Saints 7. Upon the Question touching the necessity of keeping an Oath and whether the Pope can dispense with an Oath made to God you have divers and contrary Councils where the Pope did preside which conclude contrary things and condemn and reverse the decisions one of another And the worst opinion prevailed at last for yet at this day the Pope dispenseth from Oaths that is he takes upon him the power of declaring that a man is not bound to be faithful to God 8. They hold that the proper Vows of Christians are voluntary not of such things which Christians are bound to do in duty but of such as they may leave undone if they will such as are their Popish Vows of Continency and voluntary or rather wilful Poverty 9. All voluntary Vows say they made by Christians though not commanded by God as not to eat Flesh not to drink Strong Drink or to live unmarried do concern the Worship of God and thereby men are made more acceptable unto him 10. There are three kinds of Vows which belong unto Monkery the Vow of voluntary Poverty the Vow of Obedience unto the Monastical Governours the Vow of Continency 11. They say it is an acceptable Service to God for a man to give all he hath to the poor and by Vow to consecrate and addict himself to voluntary poverty They that do enter into the Monkish Profession do Vow in all things to become obedient to their Governour and to follow his Rules and Injunctions as the Franciscans follow Saint Francis's Rule who instead of a Girdle put a Cord about him went bare-foot in Winter-season covered his Flesh with Ice and Snow The Vow of Continency say they is commendable and meritorious in all that do take it upon them and after the Vow made they are sure to receive that high Gift of Continence if they duely labour for it Rhem. Annotat. 1 Cor. 7.7 But say they whosoever marrieth after the Vow made sinneth damnably and turneth back after Satan 12. They assert that those that are come to the years of Discretion may at any age take upon them the Vow of Monkery that Children may enter into Profession of Monkery without their Parents consent as the Men of fourteen years old at the least the Women of twelve 13. That two married persons the Man and the Wife may separate themselves and vow and promise single life for ever so long as they both shall live 14. Their opinion is that if the Marriage be contracted only but not yet consummate by the parties coming together it is lawful for either of them without the others consent to vow Chastity 15. They allow of great variety of Vows which have various Rules of Life invented by men beside the holy Scripture
Sacrament of Orders they say is to imprint a certain indelible character and mark in him that is ordained which can neither by Sin Apostasie or Heresie be blotted out and therefore a Priest once ordained can never lose his Orders or become a Lay-man again Their Errours concerning Confirmation 1. THat Confirmation is properly and truly a Sacrament it was so decreed in the Council of Trent 2. The Matter of this Sacrament they say is Oyl mixed and tempered with Balm first hallowed and consecrated by the Minister thereof and striked in manner of a Cross upon the forehead of him that is to be confirmed 3. As to the Minister of Confirmation the Papists are here divided Some think that the Bishop is so necessarily the Minister of Confirmation that it can in no wise be committed to Presbyters other of them are of opinion that it may be extraordinarily ministred by Presbyters But Bellarmine saith the Bishop is the ordinary Minister thereof 4. That by this holy Chrism smeered on the forehead the Holy Ghost is given for strength and corroboration against all our spiritual Enemies and to stand constantly in the Confession of our Faith even to death with great encrease of Grace And in this respect say they it giveth more abundant Grace in strengthening us against the Devil than Baptism doth 5. That he will never be a Christian that is not by Episcopal Confirmation chrismated 6. There are God fathers and Godmothers between whom and the Child that is confirmed by that Sacrament there is a spiritual Parentage begotten which hindereth Marriage and which also causeth the dissolution of Marriage notwithstanding the prohibition made by Jesus Christ forbidding the dissolution of Marriage unless it be for Adultery 7. That it ought to be celebrated Fasting 8. That it imprints an indelible character in the Soul 9. This Sacrament is administred in this manner Du Moul. Buckler of Faith p. 337. A Child is presented to the Bishop by a Godfather if it be a Son or by a Godmother if it be a Daughter The Bishop sits down washeth his hands layeth them upon his Breast saith certain Praiers by which he asketh or requireth the seven-fold Spirit Then he asketh the Godfather the Childs Name and dipping his right thumb in the sacred Oil which is called Chrism which they bring in a bottle whereon the Bishop breatheth to sanctifie it speaketh to the Oil saying Ave Chrisma I salute thee Chrism That done the Bishop anointeth the Childs forehead therewith in manner of a Cross saying Bellarm cap. 10. Signo te signo Crucis confirmo te Chrismate salutis in nomine Patris Fili. Spiritus sancti I mark thee with the sign of the Cross and confirm thee by the Chrism of Salvation in the name of the Father of the Son and of the Holy Ghost After that he gives the Child a blow on the Ear to strengthen him in the Faith then he kisseth it and having rubbed his thumbs with crumbs of Bread after many signs of the Cross by him made he commandeth the Godfathers and Godmothers to teach the Child the Creed the Pater noster and Ave Maria. While this is doing the Child if it can stand upright setteth his right foot upon the right foot of his Godfather or Godmother The action ended they bind the Childs forehead with a cloth and upon the Band put certain Golden Spangles in manner of a Cross and so the whole action is ended The Church of England retaineth that which is commendable in this custom where Confirmation is no other thing but a Profession which the Child having attained to the age of discretion maketh to keep the Promise which his Godfathers and Godmothers made in his name when he was baptized and answereth touching his Faith and Instruction which done he receiveth the Imposition of Hands and the Blessing of the Bishop which is not called by them a Sacrament The French Churches instead of that cause Children to be presented at Catechizing and to answer publickly touching their Faith before they admit them to the Lords Supper which is done with Praier that it will please God to extend his Blessing on them CHAP. III. THis is especially to be observed that their Errours are not only about many particular Points but about the fundamental Rule of Faith the holy Scriptures which makes the Disease the more dangerous and the cure more difficult Of their Corruptions in Worship NOw for their Corruptions in worship many are implied in their corrupt Doctrines for they that corrupt the purity of holy Ordinances do frame their Doctrines accordingly seeking to colour such abuses and refusing to reform their Corruptions by the Scripture They seek to wrest the Scripture and corrupt the Sense of it that they may seem to favour at least not to condemn their Inventions Of their Latin Service ALl that is spoken in the Church should be to edification 1 Cor. 14.6 but it is impossible to edifie by that which we cannot understand If we understand not our selves when we speak then we edifie not our selves if our hearers understand us not then we edifie not our hearers if neither of us understand then neither of us is edified I know what they plead for their Latin Service and their Latin Praiers that though it be a Tongue not commonly understood yet it is none of the strange Tongues that the Apostle speaks against for it is one of the learned Languages and besides it was dedicated to the use of the Church upon our Saviours Cross I answer that the Greek and Hebrew are learned Languages too and that they were dedicated upon our Saviours Cross as well as the Latin nay all Languages were as well and better dedicated to the use of the Church by the coming of the Holy Ghost than those by Pilat's writing upon our Saviours Cross It follows not because it was one of the learned Languages it is none of the strange Tongues for any Tongue not understood is to him that heareth it barbarous and strange not ob naturam vocis sed ob imperitiam as Chrysostome noteth on that place Against the use of all such the Apostle speaketh and sheweth that they be as Trumpets uncertainly sounding therefore they serve not for edifying in utiles sunt in quantum ignotae sunt they be unprofitable so far as they be unknown for we cannot say Amen to a Praier when we understand not the matter of a Praier I had rather speak five words saith Saint Paul to the understanding than five thousand in a strange Language Illud plus ostentationis habit iscud plus utilitatis there may be more ostentation on in that but there is more edification in this As it is the work of an Architect to build up an house so of Christians by spiritual endeavours to build up one another but that which is not for the understanding of Christians cannot be for the building up of Christians therefore of no use in the Church
of God The Pope and his Clergy propound themselves two ends for the celebration of the Mass and the ordinary Service in the Latin tongue The first is to keep the people in ignorance and use them to believe without knowing to follow their leaders blind-fold and to obey without enquiring They were afraid that even the Latin should be too intelligible and therefore they would have the principal parts of the Mass to be said with such a low murmur that the voice of the Priest cannot be heard The second end was to plant the marks and Standard of the Popes Empire among the Nations which he had conquered The simple people believe that their Religion must be Roman as well as the Tongue which is used in Religion and that both Christian Faith and the Language come from the same place But the chief cause why the Pope will not have the Mass to be understood by all is that the Mass contains many things which would either instruct or offend the people Of praying for the Dead THeir Opinion is that the Praiers of the Living are neither available for the Saints in Heaven for they need them not nor for the damned in Hell for they cannot be helped but only for the Souls tormented in Purgatory who do find great ease say they by the Praiers of the Living Of the Canonizing of Saints THe Canonizing of Saints is nothing else but the publick Determination and Sentence of the Church whereby some that are dead are judged to be Saints and worthy of Honour and Worship as to be praied unto Temples and Altars to be set up in their names Holy-days to be appointed for them and their Reliques to be adored And thus say they it is lawful profitable and expedient for the Church to canonize Saints This was the Popes own invention eight hundred years after Christ at the least set abroach and continued in Policy for the confirmation of certain idolatrous Superstitions which he laboured thereby to advance and now are made the seven Points wherein the Canonization consisteth fetting the new Saints in the Calendar with red Letters Who gave the Pope that priviledg to be infallible in that Judgment for our Adversaries themselves acknowledg they may be mistaken how many Factions and Sollicitations are used in the Court of Rome by Princes and States that a man of their Countrey or City be canonized And at what vast expences have they been to purchase it The City of Barcelona and the whole Country of Catelona spent many thousand pounds in the canonizing Raimond de Pennafort a Dominican Frier The Jesuits spent ten millions for the Canonization of their two twins Ignatius Loiola and Francis Xavier whom they call the East-India Apostle The Book of sacred Cerimonies doth acknowledg that the Pope sometimes was constrained in some sort to canonize a man against his opinion and therefore made a Protestation By that Protestation he thought to discharge his Conscience The words whereby the Pope canonizeth a Saint are these The manner of canonizing a Saint In the authority of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost and of the blessed Apostles Peter and Paul and in our own we decree and define that N. of good memory is a Saint and must be put into the List of Saints c. But before the pronouncing of that Sentence the Cause is pleaded in the Consistory and an Advocate presents himself who represents the Reasons why such a one ought to be sainted The Apostles were not so sainted nor their Disciples nor those Fathers who were called Saints as Ireneus Cyprian Basil Hierome Augustine as a learned Divine noteth It happens saith he to some poor Saints for whom the dignity of Saints is begged in the Court of Rome to be cast in their suit and they cannot be Saints in Heaven because men on earth were not favourable to them Sometimes the degree of Beati is obtained for them which is a middle degree and an expectation of Saint-ship By this means Popes will give their Servants to be worshipped by the Nations of Christendom whch new Saints are far more honoured than the Patriarchs and Prophets for in the Roman Church it fareth with Saints as with Clothes the newest are the best and most esteemed Of Invocation of the Saints THe Papists maintain the Doctrine of Angel-worship of Invocation of Saints and of the Virgin Mary and canonized Saints calling especially upon the Virgin Mary They usually carve pourtray paint the Statue of the Virgin and represent her by them to the Eyes and Thoughts when they pray unto her in all their Offices Primers Psalters Rosaries Missals Breviaries Books of Devotion Churches Chappels Monasteries Altars of our Lady especially on all their publick Festivals dedicated to her Honour in greatest state crowned with a Crown of Glory as the Empress Queen Lady of Heaven Earth and all Creatures in them In their publick Liturgy they have a Letany whereby they pray 1. To her 2. To the Arch-Angels and Angels 3. To Patriarchs and Prophets 4. To the Apostles and Evangelists 5. To the Martyrs 6. To Fathers and Doctors 7. To Popes and Confessors 8. To Monks and Eremites 9. To all the Saints Virgins and Widows that they would joyn together to make Intercession for them And to these Saints they have their set Holy-days to them they burn Tapers perform Masses and Trentals each have their sundry Collects Hymns Praiers and Oblations each have their sundry Offices designed them Some are over particular Towns and Cities some over Trades and particular Professions same are over Diseases some have the special gift of bestowing Arts and Sciences Now what is this but to forsake the Fountain of living Waters and to hew out broken Cisterns that can hold no Water as the Lord complaineth in a like case The rise of all this was from a preposterous admiration of Saints departed or I may say of some of them they were rather Devils incarnate and from the perverse opinion of those who make no difference between civil Praier to Men living and religious Praier to Saints departed which Errour hath been maintained and heightened by the great ambition and avarice of the Popish Clergy so that now the French Proverb is not without ground 〈◊〉 or ne â—ognâ—ist Dieu plus â—ntre les Saints God cannot be known among so many Saints Thus have they jumbled together God and his Saints in a promiscuous manner of worship Saint Peter tells them to whom he writes that he will endeavour that they may be able after his decease to have these things always in remembrance â—hem in 2 Pet. 1 2 Pet. 1.15 Whence the Rhemists those Popish Corrupters rather than Interpreters of the holy Scripture take upon them to tell us if we will be so sottish as to believe them And they say it was this that the meant to pray for them and as in his life-time he meant to further their Salvation by instructing them so after his death