to introduce in the Churches under the pretence of Religion the Sun as yet Shining whole heaps of waxen things to be lighted and wheresoever there is I know not what dust in a little precious Vessel inclosed in Linnen the Kissers thereof do Adore it Men shew great Honor of this sort to the Blessed Martyrs whom they think to be illustrated by the most vile waxen lights and whom the Lamb which is in the midst of the Throne with every ray of his Majesty illustrateth The Councel of Eliber also celebrated in the time of Constantine the Great in its 34 and 35 Cannon saith the like 7ly Against Transubstantiation and by Consequence the Adoration of the Host THe Lord Theodoret in his second Epistle Dialog first when he had taken the Symbal or Sign said not this is my Deity but this is my Body He gave to his Disciples the Image Procopius Gazeus upon the 49 Chapter of the Book of G. Effigies or Tipe of his Body admitting as thou mayest gather not any thing further of raw and bloody Sacrifices Bread being taken and distributed to the Disciples he made it his Body Tertullian in his Fourth Book against Marcione c. 19 saying this is my Body that is the Figure of my Body And it could not have been a Figure unless the Body were of verity for it is an empty thing which is a Phantasme that cannot take a Figure The Priest saith Ambrose in his fourth Book of the Sacraments chap. 5. make this oblation ascribed to us rational and acceptable which is the Figure of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ The Lord admitted Judas to the Banquet in which he commended and delivered to his Disciples the Figure of his Body and Blood Augustine upon the third Psalm Look into the same diligently Ephrem Syrus to them which will search into the nature of the Son of God chap. 4. how taking in his hands the Bread he Blessed it and Brake it for a Figure of his Immaculate Body and the Cup he Blessed and gave to his Disciples for a Figure of his Precious Blood Al 's Charles the Great in his Epistle to Alcuinus of the Reason of Sept. in his Book of Divine Offices Bertramus of the Supper of the Lord Origines against the Marcionits Diolog 3. Chrysostom in his Eighty third Homily upon Matthew and many others say in sense the same Eighthly Against the Adoration of the Altar the Cross and all manner of Creatures whether of Gods Creation or of Mans Invention THE Catholick Church the true Mother of Christians Augustine in the first Tome in his Book of the Manners of the Church Catholick ch 30. doth not only deservedly Preach that God himself whose adoption is a most blessed life is most Purely and most Chastly to be Worshipped but we command that no Creature to be Adored be brought in for us to serve the same and by that uncorrupt and inviolable Eternity to only whom Man is Subject and to only whom the rational Soul in not cohering is miserable Excluding every thing that is made that is obnoxious to change and is Subject to the time The like also affirmeth Epiphanius in his Second Book against Origen Adamurtius in the 64 Heresie pag 231. Ninthly Against Prayer for the Dead READ the Scriptures of our Saviour Chrysostome in his twenty Second Homily to the people of Antioch Hierome in his Commentaries upon the Sixth Chapter of the Epistle to the Galatians on these words every one shall bear his own burthen and learn how we wandering hither and thither can help no body not a Brother redeemeth a Brother from interminable torments not a Friend a Friend not the Parents their Children nor the Children their Parents but why do I speak of miserable men when neither if Noah cometh and Job and Daniel then judging can Pray us out Whilst we are in this present world either by Prayers or Counsels we may be helpful to our neighbour but when we shall come before the Tribunal of Christ not Job not Daniel neither Noah can ask for any one but every one shall bear his own burthen The same in sense saith also Augustine in his Tenth Tome in the thirty Second Sermon of the words of the Apostle Tenthly Against humane merit THe forgiveness of Sins is not the merit of Honesty Hilarie in his Enerration upon the 66. Psalm near the beginning Gregory the great Bishop of Rome in the ninth Book of his Moral Exposition upon Job chap. 11. Bernard in his Treatise of Grace Free will not far from the beginning but the will of a free indulgence from the riches of goodness a gift abounding to pitty Although I should abound for the work of virtue I attain to Life not by merit but by pardon Where therefore saith he are our merits or where is our hope Hear I say not by works of Justice which we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us Why therefore dost thou resolutely think that thou hast created thy merits and canst be saved by thy own Righteousness which canst not so much as say the Lord Jesus unless in the Holy Ghost hast thou indeed forgotten he which hath said without me you can do nothing and that it is neither of the runner nor of the willer but of God shewing mercy The same also in effect saith Hilary in his Sermon upon the 51. Psalm not far from the end Eleventhly Against Auricular Confession I Do not lead thee upon the Stage of thy associates Chrysostome in his second Homily upon the 50. Psalm I do not compel thee to discover thy Sins to Men rehearse and unfold thy Conscience before God Shew to the Lord the most excellent Physitian thy wounds and ask of him a Medicament Shew them to him who not in the least reproacheth but most graciously cureth What therefore have I to do with Men Augustine in his first tome tenth Book of Confessions chap. 3. that they should hear my Confessions and as if they could heal all my griefs A curious kind of people to know anothers life but slothful to correct their own life Why do they inquire of me to hear what I am who will not that thou my God do hear what they are and from whence know they that although by my self they hear from my self or whether I say true or no seeing that no one knoweth what is done of Men towards Man unless the Spirit of Man which is in himself The same also in effect saith Chrysostome in his 31. Homily upon the Epistle to the Hebrews the which is upon the 12. chap. Pag. 1956. according to the Commelinian Edition Twelfthly Against Humane Satisfaction PEter grieved and wept Ambrose upon the 22. chap. of Luke because he erred as a Man I find not what he said I find that he wept I read of his Tears but I read not of his
which seeketh to draw its Succession from St. Peter was condemned by the rest of the Chairs who not only had their Succession from St. Peter but from the other Apostles And moreover St. Ambrose saith in his first Book and sixth Chapter of Penitence Non habent Hereditatem Petri qui fidem Petri non habent that those have not the Succession of St. Peter which have not St. Peter's Faith 4. If perpetual Continuance were a mark of the true Church then I considered we must stay until the end of the World before we could know which was the true Church for who knoweth until that time come what Church may continue until that time come A Church may exceedingly flourish now which long before then may be utterly overthrown Perpetual Continuance I concluded therefore was no good mark of a true Church for besides this if Perpetual Continuance was a good mark then divers Churches planted by the Apostles seeing they have long since ceased were false Churches and divers Churches which have continued ever since the Apostles time and yet continue though the Church of Rome call them Heretical and Schismatical would be true Churches So that this Mark though she were sure of it as she is not would not only be no good Mark but make against her self 5thly As for Unity the fifth pretended Mark of the Roman Church I found she had it not by her own Confession for if she be Universal as she pretends she is then Protestants Greeks Arminians Muscovites Coftians and all other Christians in the whole World together with Turks Jews and Heathens are all of the Roman Church and is there Unity amongst these If there be what makes so much quarrelling and contention betwixt the Church of Rome and them But knowing she was not Universal I next considered her as she was in her self viz. a Particular Church And taking her thus never did I find in all my Travels a Church more divided within it self both in Faith and Manners than this of Rome For as for their Faith I observed it was not the same formerly as it is now nor now as formerly For formerly they believed the Sacrament of the Eucharist was to be received by the Laity in both kinds now only in one Formerly they believed a Priest might Marry and ought not to be Shaven now the quite contrary Formerly they believed Baptism was sufficiently performed only with Water now not without Water Salt Oyl and Spittle Formerly they believed the Eucharist was to be given to Infants now no such thing Thus in every Age they have either changed added to or substracted from their Faith and Opinion whereas a Church at Unity in it self always believes one and the same thing And 2dly For their Practice I found therein no Unity at all for some followed the Rules of St. Dominick some of St. Benedict some of St. Bruno some of St. Augustine some of St. Francis some of St. Ignatius Loyola some of St. Kath rine some of St. Bridgit some of St. Ursula and so some of one and some of another the Rules of whom in very many things are quite contrary Some again would have that our Lady was immaculately conceived and that the Pope is Infallible othersome will admit of neither But perhaps the Papists will say All these together with the other before-mentioned are and were Matters of Practice and not of Faith but in all Matters of Faith say they we agree But the plain truth of it is they define all matters of Faith to be those wherein they agree So that to say the Roman Church doth agree in all Matters of Faith is but to say they agree in those things they do agree in and so do all other Churches 6thly As for Miracles I considered they were not only pretended to be wrought by those of the Church of Rome but also by the Turks Heathens and present Jews And since I could see no reason why to believe the one any more than the other having never known any such thing wrought amongst them this signified nothing at all to me Besides I observed the Miracles pretended by the Papists were in many Ages ago if ever wrought and so many Ages after the prefixed time of their being wrought before they were once related to be done that they were greatly to be suspected as meerly feigned Lastly I considered the multitude of the Papists and here I concluded That if this were a Mark of the True Church both Turks and Heathens and Greeks also in time past were to be preferred before them Next I camy to Sery in my Journey to which considering again of the great Differences I had observed in Religion and the several Reasons each Nation gave for each Particular in which they differed and moreover finding they had all much to say for themselves that in all things I could not believe them all and that I could not be of any one Community amongst them all but incur some Censure from one or other either of Heresie Schism or both I burst forth into these words Good God! in what a miserable Condition is a Man in this Life he that is an honest and well-meaning man that would be knoweth not what to be He would be a Protestant but then the Church of Rome would condemn him He would be one of the Church of Rome but then the Greeks the Muscovites the Melchits the Mengrelians the Georgians the Armenians the Maronits the Jacobits the Nestorians the Indians or Christians of St. Thomas the Centurians the Nubins the Ethiopians the Abessines the Circasians the Bohemians the Slavonians and the Christians of St. John would condemn him He would be a Greek a Muscovite a Melchit a Mengrelian a Georgian an Armenian a Maronit a Jacobit a Nestorian an Indian or Christian of St. Thomas a Centurian a Nubin an Ethiopian an Abessine a Circasian a Bohemian a Slavonian or a Christian of St. John or one of any or of all if it were possible of the aforementioned but then the Coftians would condemn him He would be a Coftian or in fine he would be any thing so he might be a Christian but then the Samaritans would condemn him He would be a Samaritan but then the Essenes and the Common Jews would condemn him He would be an Essene or a Common Jew but then the Pharisees and Sadduces would condemn him He would be a Pharisee or a Sadducee or in fine he would be any thing so he might be either a Christian or a Jew or both but then the Turks would condemn him He would be a Turk or in fine he would be either Jew Turk or Christian but then the Heathens would condemn him He would be a Heathen or in fine either Christian Jew Turk or Heathen but then the Atheists would condemn him He would be an Atheist but then the Christians the Jews the Turks the Heath us and all the World would condemn him In the next place therefore shutting forth the Atheists
THE REASONS OF THE CONVERSION OF Mr. John Sidway FROM The Romish to the Protestant Religion Together with what usage he hath since received in the Church of England As also a brief Account of his Travails Humbly Communicated to the High Court of PARLIAMENT LONDON Printed for Nevil Simmons at the Three Golden Cocks at the West end of St. Pauls and Langley Curtis on Ludgate Hill 1681. TO THE HIGH COURT OF PARLIAMENT JOHN SIDWAY wisheth Grace Mercy and Peace through Jesus Christ GReat and manifold were the Blessings most Noble and Magnificent Assembly which Almighty God the Father of all Mercies bestowed upon the People of England when your most Wise and Honorable Ancestors by a most impartial and happy Reformation expelled from the Church those Thick and Palpable Clouds of darkness that for many years had overshadowed this Land And as it yet giveth unto all that are well affected an exceeding great cause of comfort so the fruit thereof doth extend it self not only to the time spent in this Transitory World but to our safe conduct to that Eternal Happiness which is above in Heaven The occasions most August Assembly of my relinquishing the Romish way of Worship were the many exceeding gross Errors and most wicked Practices which I found I must necessarily be daily guilty of continuing therein And the Motives that enduced me to imbrace the Reformed Religion and be Reconciled to Protestancy were the most Sacred Scriptures and Antient Fathers unto whom I found the same agreeable both which having here exhibited I humbly Present to your High Court Humbly craving since things of this Nature have ever been Subject to the censures of ill meaning and discontented persons the same may receive Approbation and Patronage from so Learned and Judicious an Assembly as your High Court is That so although I am exposed hereby on the one side to the undeserved Calumniations of the Popish party who strive to keep the World in ignorance and darkness and on the other side to the Foolish Malignity of self-conceited Brethren who like of nothing but what is done by themselves or at leastwise framed after their own fancy I may rest secure supported within by the Truth and Innocency of a good Conscience having walked in the ways of Simplicity and Integrity as before the Lord and sustained without by the Powerful Protection of your most August Assemblies Grace and Favour which no doubt will ever give Countenance to honest and Christian endeavours against bitter Censures and Uncharitable Imputations The Lord of Heaven and Earth grant to this our Nation that by your wise endeavours Popery may be utterly Extirpated and Protestancy firmly established to all generations So that Peace and Happiness Truth and Justice Religion and Piety may ever flourish THE Printers Epistle TO THE READER Courteous Reader SInce he that is Cured of a most dangerous Distemper may do very good service in Relating to others the means of his Recovery The Author hath here exhibited to thy most Candid View and Serious Consideration what as may hereby easily be gathered with very great Cost hard and diligent Study long and tedious Travel and most eminent Danger he was several years in coming to the knowledge of The Book thou wilt find although but little is of very great and universal use For the Grace of God cooperating therewith art thou a Heathen Jew Turk or Infidel it will bring thee to the Faith of Christ art thou a Christian it will greatly confirme thee in thy Sacred Faith and exceedingly incourage thee in thy Religious Practice More particularly art thou a Papist it will cause thee to Relinquish thy Errors Idolatries Blasphemies and Superstitions and to adhere to the most Catholick Faith and most pure Practice of the Antient times Art thou a Protestant it will greatly fortifie and strengthen thee in thy most Renowned Primitive Christian Faith and Orthodox Profession In fine whatsoever thou art it will bring thee to imbrace the Commands of God and to avoid the Darts of the Devil if thou reapest the benefit thereby intended give God the Glory Vale. WHereas there is joy in the Presence of the Angels over a Sinner Converted and that we are Commanded to let our Light so shine before Men as that they may see our good Works and Glorify our father which is in Heaven I have here shewed to the World the Reasons of my Conversion from the Romish to the English Church I was Born at Dublin in Ireland but of an English Extract was Educated in a Jesuits Colledge at Bologna in Italy where I remained until I had not only Commenced Master of Arts but was by standing Batchelor of Divinity At my first coming to Bologna several Protestants often told me that the Roman Religion was not good and greatly indeavored to perswade me from it but perceiving their design herein was to bring me to their own I desired to know of them whether the Protestant Religion were Catholick had Antiquity Succession of Chairs Perpetual continuance wrought Miracles and had the greatest number of Christians which I looked upon being so instructed to be the Marks of the true Church but they being not able to shew it to be thus in the Romish sense I was so obstinate against Protestancy that I gave them such a repulse they never after troubled me The Jesuits in the next place after I had been a while there set upon me to enter into their order and did so assault me with such allurements and perswasions in order thereunto that I was so streightned to overcome their Temptations that many a time I have spent all the time allotted for recreation in Prayer to Almighty God that of his great mercy he would give me his assistance to defend me from them And as often as they tempted me thereunto I told them what I might have hereafter I knew not but as yet I had no inclination to enter into a Religious order but if I had ever such an inclination I would sooner enter into their order then any other And with this they seemed to be well satisfyed nevertheless it was but a meer put off for I did not at all approve their ways When I came to study Divinity reading the Fathers I often in the same observed divers passages which in my opinion made as exceedingly against both the Faith and Practice of the Church of Rome as might be which whether they do or no let the World Judge I have quoted them exactly as they are in their works making First against Purgatory Limbus Infantium THe just are called to refreshment Cyprian in his Book of Mortality Sect. 11 and the unjust are snatched away to Punishment there is presently given rewards to the Faithful and Punishments to the Wicked The Faith of the Catholicks by Divine Authority believeth the first place to be the Kingdom of Heaven Augustine in his 7th Tomb and 5th Book Hipognosticôn against the Pelagians p. 957. from whence as I