thing so coÌ„trary to our proud nature had not the Son of God himselfe planted the doctrine no power could haue brought it into the Church Is it not contrary to the high estate of Kings that are in Gods steed vpon earth to submit their scepters to the Pope of Rome to lie downe for him to treade on their neckes to kisse his foote and his Legates knee to hold his stirrope to leade his horse by the bridle and go on foote by him to suffer him to pill and poll their countries by his prouisions dismes annates and such other exactions and to sequâ—ster out of their hands spiritual causes and persons and to draw them to the Court of Rome The tyranny of the Pope of Rome hath brought these wonders to passe will you thereof conclude that the sonne of God hath planted these tyraÌ„niesâ— so may you conclude for 1 King 18. 18. Baals Priests it is a thing so contrary to the tender nature of man for men to gash and launce their owne flesh that no power could haue brought it into vse if God himselfe had not planted it So may you conclude for those that caused 2 King 23. 10. their sons and daughters to passe through the fire vnto Moâ—ech that no power could haue brought them to it it being so contrary to naturall piety if God himselfe had not planted it The scripture hath told vs what Antichrist shal do He shal make all both smal and great rich and poore free Apoc. 1â— 1â— Apoc. 17. 3. and bond to receiue his marke in their right hand or in their foreheads and the Kings of the earth shall giue thier power and authoritie to the beast In a word superstitioÌ„ hath caried idolaters to crueltie against their owne bodies and flesh foolish prodigality of their owne substance base seruility in their owne persons and extreame fury in their minds and senses as the idolatries of the Gentiles do aboundantly proue Now to that which Caluine saith in old time it was free when you cannot deny it which is sufficient to conuince the tyranny of your Romish torturing shrift you say Do we not know that the communion was so in old time you may know that the Church in old time did celebrate the Lords supper on euery Lords day as for the people they did not require them all of necessity to receiue euery day yet appointed them to receiue at least at the Natiuity of our Lord at Easter and Pentecost as appeareth in Concil Agatheâ—s alleadged De Consecrat dist 2. cap. seculares Not thereby exempting them to receiue no oftner but exhorting them to receiue often and yet prouiding that at least they should receiue at some times What sopln strie is this because at other times of the yeare they were free to chuse at what time besides the three named they would communicate so they did all communicate then therefore the communion was in old time free as if the Church required no man at any time to receiue the communion Thus wily you are to beguile your selfe and those that will be led by you Christ left it not free for Christians to communicate or not to communicate neither did the Church of old time so obserue it Christ left it free for men to confesse in the eare of a Priest or not to confesse and the Church of old time so obserued it Will any man now say that the communion in old time was so free as auricular confession was wherefore although the Church of England treading in the steps of the ancient Church may make a lawe to bind men to the communion three times in the yeare yet may not any Church make the like lawe for your auricular confession vnlesse they can shewe as good warrant for the institution thereof as they can for the institution of the Lords supper By the way let be here obserued that you thus wrangling against Caluine to make a shew as if Christ himselfe and his Apostles had planted â—urioular confession bring not one worde of Scripture to proue it PAPIST Concerning also the sacrifice of the Altar and the Real presence no small pointr we haue antiquitre on our side For Sâ—int Austen is therein so plaine in his Manuel that one Thomas Rogers an English man who hath translated that booke is inforced to alter one whole Chapter to make the holy Doctor against his wil Chapter 11. Printed by Peter Short 15 97. to agree with their doctrine Another chapter there is quoth he though not clean left out yet applied froÌ„ an ill to a good purpose as the 11. chapter where that which was spoken of the sacrifice of the Altar is applied vnto our sacrifice of thankesgiuing or of the Real carâ—â—lpresence of Christ vnto his spiritual being at the coÌ„munion Thus we bâ—â—e S. Austen of our opinioÌ„ â— our enemie coÌ„feseth and so consequentlie the rest of the Fathers For no reason â—â—â—one vs to thinke that he did in so important a matter dissent from all other of his time Manie more questions might he touched vvherein they grant vs venerable antiquitie but these few being verie weightie may suffice for all such as he desirous of truth and saluation of their soules PROTESTANT What Maister Rogers hath done in translating Augustines Manuell and namely the eleuenth chapter I know not because I haue not his booke but sure I am he needed not alter or decline one worde there writen by Augustine for feare to giue any countenance to Popish sacrifice or carnall presence All that Augustine hath here in shew to serue your turne is that he calleth the Lords supper Mirabile caleste sacrificium a wonderfull and heauenlie sacrifice But what meaneth he by the terme sacrifice himselfe there interpreteth namely that Christ ordeined it to be offered in commemorationem mortis passionis for a remembrance not for a repetition of his death and passion Likewise in other places he speaketh to the same purpose as cont Faust lib. 20. cap. 21. Huius sacrificis caro sanguis c. The flesh and bloud of this sacrifice before the comming of Christ was promised by sacrifices of resemblance in his passion it was deliuered or rendred by the truth it selfe but after the ascention of Christ it is celebrated by the sacrament of remembrance and Epist 23. he saith that Christ is offered vp in the sacrament for the similitude betweene the sacrament and the thing whereof it is a sacrament that is the offering of Christ and generally of euery sacrifice else where he saith The visible sacrifice is asacrament that is an holie signe of the invisible De Ciu. Dei lib. 10 cap. 5. sacrifice And as he is aleaged De Consecra Dist 2. cap. Hoc est The offering of the flesh which is done by the Priests hands is called Christs passion death crucifying not in truth of the thing but in a signifying mystoris And the glosse vpon that chapter in the word Calestis Heauonlic that
himselfe the mercie of God forgiuing his sinnes and haue his conscience in regard of those sinnes still troubled It is therefore vntrue and sheweth want of faith that you say you thinke all the sinnes that come to minde should trouble a Christian mans conscience And yet it agreeth well with your Popish spirit which is the Spirit of bondage and not of adoption of feare and not of promise We say indeed that death is the Rom. 8. 15. 6 23. wages of all sin and therefore all sinne is mortall and damnable but we say that no sinne shall be laide to the charge of Gods Rom. 8. 33. 34. chosen whom none shall condemne because God himselfe iustifieth them Christ died and rose againe for them Secondly you obiect that the same scripture which commandeth the confession of some sinnes commandeth as well the confession of all It is very true that the scripture commandeth to confesse all sinnes but to God Of confession to men there is no other commandement but generall Confesse your sinnes one to another and pray one for another Which Iames 5. 16. giues as much authority to euery brother as to a Priest to heare confessions For of confession in the eare of a Priest you can shew no tittle in the scripture Howbeit as by the aduise and counsell of holy Scripture Christians are taught to ease their oppressed consciences into the bosoms of their faithfull brethren to the end they may be partakers of their comfort and prayers so we thinke it also a godly course and a ready meane to find comfort if the sheepe of the flocke do open their woundes to their pastor who hath wisdome and faithfulnes to powre in wine and oile that is to minister vnto them the word of admonition and consolation and this is the meaning of our Communion booke but what is this to Popish Eare shrift Yea but the booke prescribeth also how after confession the Priest must absolue him and the maner of words You shoulde haue dealt faithfully if you had set downe the whole truth Our booke appointeth the Priest first to pray vnto our Lord Iesus Christ that he would grant vnto the sicke person truely repenting and beleeuing in him forgiuenes of all his sinnes as acknowledging it to be the onely right of the Lord Iesus Christ to forgiue sins Secondly presupposing the sicke man truely to repent and to beleeue in Christ it appointeth the Priest by the authority of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to absolue repentant sinners which power is theÌ„ executed by the Priest to absolue the sicke from all sinnes To absolue I say not to forgiue For Christ onely forgiueth as our booke there vnderstandeth forgiuenesse and as it is vnderstood in the Lords prayer and as it is vnderstood in the Lords prayer and is interpreted by the Prophet Dauid Psalme 32. 1. 2. By couering and not imputing sinnes The Church by her ministers absolueth that is declareth to the repentant and beleeuing by authority of Christs promise Sent. lib. 4. Dist 18. Nec ideo seq that their sinnes are forgiuen So saith Peter Lombard This truelie we maie saie and thinke that onelie God remitteth and reteineth sinnes and yet hath giuen power to his church to binde and loose but he bindeth and looseth after one sort and the church after another For he bindeth by himselfe onelie so hee forgiueth sinne because he both clenseth the soule from the inwarde blot and looseth it from the debt of eternall death But he hath not granted so much to the Priests to whom he hath onelie giuen power to bind and loose that is to shew that â—en are either bound or loosed And Bonauenture in his disputes vpon it expounding the words of Ambrose Sacerdos officium exhibet â—ed nullius potestatis iura exercet That is the Priest executeth his office but exerciseth not the right of anie power writeth thus For Ambrose meanes to saie that sinnes are said to be remitted of the Priest not in manner of a doer but in manner of a minister Against both Ambrose Non per modum efficientis sed per modum ministrantis Conâ—â—l â—rid Sess 4. cap. 6. can 9. and your Maister of the sentences your Tridentine councell crieth Anathema giuing to the Priest in their sacramentall absolution not a bare ministrie to pronounce and declare but a iudiciall act whereby the sentence is pronounced by him as by the Iudge So making the comfort of him that is absolued to depend not onely vpon Christs promise but vpon the person of the Priest absoluing which is farre from the doctrine or meaning of our Church either in the Communion booke or any where else And therefore what affinity soeuer bee betweene your Latine words and our English there is no affinity betweene that comfortable absolution which our booke appoineth Gods minister in the name of Christ to publish to the humble and repentant sinner and your Popish and Pharisaical absolution Lastly this order of confession and absolution as they are set downe in the communion booke is indeede some part of the practise of our relition but no principle of our religion and therefore you do much abuse your Clients when you make them beleeue that this and other orders are any of the principles of our religion PAPIST Thirdly the booke alloweth the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme why then is it not likewise lawfull in other things What word of The signe of the Crosse Images God willeth the one and forbiddeth the other and if the signe of the Crosse be good why not also other images especially of Christ crucified That teâ—t which they can bring to iustific the one vvill also serue for the other and that which they shall alleage to ouerthrovv the image of the Crucifixe will giue small rest to the signe of the Crosse PROTESTANT It is false that you say that the booke alloweth the signe of the Crosse in Baptisme That signe by the ordinance of the booke hath nothing to do in Baptisme It is onely made a signe of confession after Baptisme which vse our Church hauing receiued as continued from antiquitie in that manner without interruption considering how notably it serued the faithfull in old times to manifest their confession of Christ crucified thought meete still to retaine But as for reuiuing any other vse of it after so long disuse our Church thought it might rather tend to superstition then to edification the rather because your Popish confidence in such bodily exercises had greatly corrupted the primitiue simplicitie of the vulgar vse thereof among the first Christians There is no word of God that willeth the vse of it nor anie word of God that I know that forbiddeth the bare vse of it It grew out of a desire the faithfull had to testifie before the enemies of Christ their faith in Christ crucified In the vse thereof it seemeth they felt further comfort not hauing confidence in the
bookes when being compared to those which were trulie knowen to be Hippocrates his owne they were iudged to be vnlike and because they were not knowen to be trulie his at the same time when the rest of his writings came to be knowne So the ecclesiasticall writings of men are no otherwise knowen whose they were but because in the times wherein euerie one wrote them he acquainted and published them to whom he could and from thence by a continued knowledge from one to another and farther confirmed they cap. 9. came to their posteritie euen to our times In like maner he concludes of the holy Scriptures If you will follow the authoritie of the Scriptures which ought to be preferred before all other follow that which from the times of the verie presence of Christ by the dispensations of the Apostles hauing beene kept throughout the whole world came commended and famouslie knowen to our times By all which it is euident that Augustine meant not to make the Catholike Church of his time the author of his beleefe touching the Canonical Scriptures but the Catholike Church of the first times who came neerest to the writing and deliuerie of the Scriptures from the hands of the Apostles and the Apostolike men that wrote them for whose testimonie and commendations sake the Church succeeding is also beleeued What is this to the supposed Catholike church of our daies by which you meane the Popes kingdome when euen the true Catholike church of later times neither hath nor chalengeth to her selfe any credit in this matter but as she can porduce the testimonie of the Catholike church in the first times Lastly Augustine there saith Nisi me commoueret Ecclesiae authoritas He only ascribeth to the Churches authoritie that it is a motiue and the first motiue to induce an vnbeleeuing man to thinke well of the Scriptures but hee resteth not in this motiue Hauing thus begun he proceedeth after in searching the Scripture to finde by what spirit they were written and by the authority and teaching of that Spirit as the vndoubted word of God to embrace them not man now but God himselfe inwardlie strengthening and enlightening his â—inde as he is before alleadged What makes all this for the authoritie of the Popish falsly called Catholike church to lead mens consciences into captiuitie by her interpretations or determinations either of the Canonicall Scriptures or of their sense Nay what makes this for such authoritie as vnder the Churches title you would claime to depriue Christians of any better assurance either touching the Scriptures or their sense then it receiued from the authoritie of the Church that is of men no lesse subiect to errourthen themselues But you would faine knowe how the Protestants that beleeue nothing but Scripture can by Scripture prooue against Luther that S. Iames his Epistle is Canonicall Scripture Euen in like manner as wee can prooue S. Pauls Epistles and other Scriptures inspired of God to be Canonicall Scripture For thinke you that that Spirit by whose inspiration holy men of God wrote the Scriptures doth not still breath in the same Scriptures by meanes of which Spirit the word of God Hebr. 4. 12. liueth and is mightie in operation and by that speciall vertue differeth from humane writings yea euen those that are written of Scripture matters Either then you must diuide the Spirit from the Scriptures when Gods children reade it which you cannot doe without dishonour to the Scriptures or you must needes confesse that out of the Scriptures inspired of God Gods children doe sufficiently prooue vnto their owne consciences and against all gaine-sayers that the whole Scripture and euery part thereof is Canonicall that 1 Cor. 2. 4. is a souereigne rule to guide the Church in all points both concerning faith and maners For as the Apostles preaching so his writing and all Scripture inspired of God hath in it selfe plaine euidence of the spirit and of power that our faith should not be in the wisedome of men but in the power of God Thus out of S. Pauls Epistles wee can prooue S. Pauls Epistles to be Canonicall And out of S. Iames his Epistle wee can prooue S. Iames his Epistle to be Canonicall and generally the whole Scripture prooues it selfe to be Canonicall and from it selfe the Church receiueth receiueth witnesse of it selfe If you be ignorant of this it is because you haue not receiued of the annointing of that Spirit by whom the Scriptures were inspired And now cease any longer to disport your selfe with this carnall question out of what Scripture the Protestants can prooue S. Iames his Epistle to be Canonicall The sheepe of Christ doe knowe the shepheards voice and they knowe it not by report but by it selfe they discerne it To conclude because there is danger in expounding the Scriptures contrarie to the true sense intended by the holy Ghost albeit not equall danger as in refusing the holy Scripture indited by the holy Ghost as Augustine insinuateth Confess lib. 12. cap. 23. 24. as in the greater that is the approbation of Canonicall Scriptures wee dare not remit all to mens voices though they be the Church so in that wherein errours is lesse dangerous yet dangerous too that is in determining the true sense of Scriptures we dare not build our faith vpon the wisedome of men because as hath beene alleadged out of Augustne we haue learned of our Redeemer in â—â—llo hoâ—ike spem pouere to put no trust in any man but onely in the plaine euidence of the spirit that speaketh in the Scriptures which so long as we doe with faithfull prayer and humble submission to his teaching according to the promise they shall be all taught of God weare assured to be led into all truth Isa 54. 13. Iohn 6. 45. necessary to saluation which security the Papists that rest in mens authority can neuer haue PAPIST Seauenthly wittingly and willingly they corrupt the text of holy Scripture for example to make the people beleeue that images are vnlawfull in Tyndals translation where Idols be forbidden vsually the word Image is placed in steed thereof and therefore in S. Iohn we find it thus traÌ„slated Babes keep your selues froÌ„ images 1. Ioh. â— 21. And for triall we will appeale to their later Bibles printed by Christopher Barker for there we read thus Little children keepe your selues from Idols PROTESTANT Not to stand long in these points so sufficiently answered long agoe by Doctor Fulke against Martine and Doctor Whitaker against Reynolds both of worthy and blessed memorie first it is so plain that the Greeke word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 doth in the proprietie of the word signifie an image that Gregorie Martine neither can nor doth denie it Secondly as vse hath restrained the name Idoll from the generall signification to note onely wicked images and such as are abused to Gods dishonour so is it well knowen that both in vulgar and popular vse and also in the generall vnderstanding
would haue all Papists so to do because you make reckoning that the more desperat they grow herein the more neere and apt they are to rebellion and trayterous attempts but yet rather then altogether to driue them from you you will moderate the rigor of your faith in this point and permit them to serue the times alwaies prouided that you be sure of their hearts and that they faile you not when opportunity serueth as appeared in the faculty granted to Parsons and Campiaâ— But marke what this forcible Reasoner saith Such doctrine to wit as this faculty conteineth is deuised only for the cold coÌ„fort of such as loue the world to much Howsoeuer the Pope dispense with Church Papists this Ghostly Father and such like tell them that such dispensations are but cold comfort so slender reckoning they make of them that they call them no better then Temporizers and such as frame their consciences to the lawes and finally such as loue the world too much If the Popish faith were the true Christian faith no doubt this reprehension were iust It behooueth therefore all seduced Papists to trie the Popish faith by the word of God whether it be the true faith or not I speake not of those Catholike points of faith which the popish Synagogue holdeth in common with the church of Christ but of that Apostasie which is risen vp in the Church and vnder the collour and name of the Church to beguile the vnstable and vnbeleeuing Beware of false Prophets saith our Sauiour Christ which Matth 7 15. Operam perfect 10 Matth. 7. hom 19. come vnto you â—â— Sheepes clothing but inwardlie they are reuening wolues Christians saith Chrysostome are rightly called sheepe but the sheeps garment is the shew of christianitie A wolfe many times weares a sheeps garment that is makes a couÌ„tersait shew of religioÌ„ in seÌ„blance either of those works that being rightly done are the workes of sheepe or of the practise of that religioÌ„ which is the religioÌ„ of sheep Counfait almes saith Chrisostom is a sheeps garment but not a sheeps worke Counterfait praier is a sheeps garment but no sheeps worke Counterfait fasting is a sheepes garment but no sheepes worke So are all other shewes of pietie wherwith rauening wolues cloth theÌ„selues The Popish agents make great vaunts of almes prayer and fasting by boasting of good things to insinuate them selues into honest mindes This ostentation is nothing else but a sheepes garment Againe in practise of religion they make a greate shew and thereby dazell the eies of the ignorant for to vse the words of Chrysostome out of their simplitie and zeale but not according to knowledge thus they say How can I say that he is no christian whom I see to confesse Christ to haue an Altar to offer the sacrifice of bread and wine to read the holy scriptures to haue all the order of priesthood Wherevnto Chrysostome maketh this answere That euen an Ape hath the members of a man and in all things like a man shall we therefore say that it is a man So likewise Heresie hath and imitateth all the misteries of the church but Heretikes are not the church yea saith Chrisostom they shew to be grounded christians they haue their churches nay they gouerne churches yet openly anaucentiously subuert them yea they are so multiplied that christians seeme rather to bee wonderers or deceiuers then they yet are they inwardly rauening Wolues because they seeke not to saue but to destroy Christians as the nature of the VVolfe is Hitherto Chrysostome hath set forth the faire and deceiueable shewes that false Prophets make both of their works and of their faith wherein they would seeme to be sheepe but are indeed rauening Woolues Now let vs see what aduise he giues to beware of them and to trie them By their fruites yee shall knowe them The fruite of a man saith Chrysostome is the confession of his mouth and the worke of his conuersation If therefore thousee a Christian man consider by and by whether his confession agree with the Scriptures if it doe he is a true Christian but if it be not as Christ hath commaunded he is a false Christian For so Iohn writing in his Epistle of heretikes said not If anie man come vnto you not hauing the name of Christ Say not vnto him God speed but if any man bring not this doctrine He reserred the triall of Christianitie not to the name of Christ but to the Confession because not only the name maketh a Christian but also the truth of Christ for many walke in the name of Christ but few in his Truth Then coÌ„ing to the works of conuersation Doth a sheep saith he at anie time persecute the Wolfe or rather the Woolfe the sheepe So Cain persecuted Abel and not Abel Cain Ismael Isaac and not Isaac Ismael Esau Iacob and not Iacob Esau the Iewes Christ and not Christ the Iewes heretikes Christians and not Christians heretikes Therefore by their fruites yee shall knowe them For if a Woolfe be couered with a sheepes skinne how shall a man knowe him but either by his voice or by his deede In which comparison you may there see how Chrysostom proceedeth farther A litle after he saith But what fruits do they bring forth wounds troubles other mischiefs As a thorne or a bramble of what side soeuer you view it hath prickles so of vvhat side soeuer you consider the seruants of the diuell they are full of iniquities If he speake he speakes deceitfullie if he holde his peace he museth of euill If he be angrie he is mad if he deale patientlie he vvaiteth for a time to hurt and considereth of some opportunitie vvhen he may doe mischiefe If he do euill he is not ashamed â—f he doe vvell hee doth it for vaine glorie because of men Thus farre Chrysostome Briefly to make Application The Popish Church is of great authoritie euen for the very names sake of the Church with all seduced Papists Their ostentation of almes prayer and fasting makes a great shew in their eies Their confession of Christ their altars their pretended sacrifice their baptisme their reading of Scriptures and shew of Fathers their priestly order do seeme to be infallible signes of a true Church Howbeit as you haue seene Chrysostome affirmeth that heretikes haue all these yet are they no more the true Church for these then an Ape is a man for the resemblance he hath of the parts of mans body Their multitude especially considering the reach of long time makes many suppose it impossible that they should be false Churches Yet Chrysâ—stome sheweth that heerein heretikes are so farre before Christians that Christians rather seeme to be deceiuers or new vpstart and vagrant persons What then is to be done to discerne them Try them by their fruits that is the confession of their faith and the workes of their conuersation And how shall we trie the confession of their faith by the Scriptures