absolute obedience to the superiors of that order renuncing both my will and iudgment as their Father Ignatius His Epistle to his Brethren in Lusitania calls it and to follow al their injunctions without asking question to goe or to stay to do or to suffer whatsoeuer they thought good to enjoyne mee for the Catholick cause and good of the Roman Church This oath J saye I could not get digested For therby J should haue bene bound if they had thought it fit to enjoyne mee for the advancement of the Catholick cause to haue beene an instrument of all the mischiefe that they could devise against my natiue Countrie and vnder colour of relieving soules to doe what any hath done or attempted in that blind obedience Skarring therefore at this oath I came home and yet forced my self still to keep the former grounds of Religion whereby I was made obstinat in errour and vntoward to be dealt with by any who wold haue studied to reclaime me Yet it pleased God at last to force in his own truth vpon my conscience that I began to smell sundrie of their errours and specially of the sacrifice of the Masse and transubstantiation that I began to examine these groundes of the Roman Religiō which I had drunk in the beginning if they could beare me out before God or not wherein finding my selfe miserablie mistaken and so long by that meanes abused freelie and of my own accord not beeing dealt with by any J addressed my selfe for conference with the Ministerie of Edinburgh Falkirke and Glasgow who all louingly and learnedly gaue mee solution to all my doubts and furthered this worke of God in helping home a forlorne Sonne to his Fathers house againe Now for all the particular reasons why I call their masse and transubstantiation an errour and the grounds of their Religion vnwarandable and why J haue renunced their particular errours builded thereon it were not convenient to set them all down here partly because it wold accresse to a volume partly because in substance they are the same that are learnedlie set down by these who handles the contrauersies against the Church of Rome Only J will content my selfe to shew some few things of many First concerning their Religion in generall Next concerning their masse adding therto compendiously in the third place some few things of their common absurdities maintained by them CHAP. 5. The Scriptures alledged imperfection the Pope of Romes perfection who can not erre as is alledged because hee sits in the Chaire of Saint Peter are the two rotten Pillars whereon all these errours are builded THis Romish Religion is a mysterie it makes show to hold the common groundes of Christianitie but by her deedes everts them The first principles of the Romish errours doe resolue vpon these two the imperfection of the Scripture and the peerelesse prerogatiue of the Church of Rome As for the imperfection of the Scripture they alledge that it does not containe all things necessarie for Salvation but place must bee left for traditions that is vnwriten doctrinall poynts and ancient customes long vsed in the Church as also for Ecclesiasticall constitutions and determinations or definitive sentences in matters controverted all which they alledge must haue equall authoritie in mens mindes with the Scriptures Next they alledge that these points necessarie to Saluation which are set down in Scripture are not cleare and plaine in the Scripture but that the Scripture is obscure and doubtsome and therefore is neither necessarie nor expedient that it should bee translated that it is a dangerous thing for laicks to read it wherein to any that will looke narrowlie vpon the matter they bewray a secreet feare if they bee hemde in into the rule of the Scriptures they cannot iustifie with any colour the abundance of their errours Thirdly evidently they show that the reading of the Scriptures by laicks shuld breed moe doubts about their Religion than they could bee able to solve and giue them such insight in this Religion that these whom they keepe now in the chaines of darknesse and blinde beliefe causing them to doe and suffer and beleeue what they please could not but break the yock if they grew acquainted with the Scripture Fourthlie they bewray the Spirit of Antichrist who thus vnder faire pretences sclander Christ Jesus who hauing taken vpon him as the great Prophet and Doctour of his Church to reveale the whole Counsell of God concerning mens Saluation and caused set it downe in Scripture yet hath come short of his purpose as their doctrine importes and neither hath set downe all things needfull nor these clearly which are set downe but obscurely ambiguously and dangerously that it is not safe for common People to read the same and so by these meanes they breed a misregard of the Scripture of Christ in mens hearts and skarres Christs sheepe as long as they can from hearing what the Spirit of Christ sayeth to his Churches As for the peerelesse prerogatiue of the Church of Rome the first is that she cannot erre If wee aske how this can bee since they cannot name six men liuing of the Romish Religion of whom they either dare or wil avow but they may erre and are subject thereto nor three nor two They will answere that yet there is one who is head of all the rest of that Religiō the Pope who cannot erre all the rest of the Church-men of that profession being gathered together without him or without his minde sent by his Legat or Nuncio to them they grant they may erre only he cannot erre So then in stead of the Church of Rome we haue the Pope whose councill of Cardinals they will ioyne with him for lusters cause but the infallibilitie of doctrine they place in none but the Pope only By vertue of this prerogatiue of the Pope they ascribe great things to the Church of Rome vnder this pretence all her traditions are Apostolicke albeit they bee not in Scripture because they are come down as is alledged through the Apostolicke channell of the Popes infallibilitie Vnder this pretence all her customes and obseruations are Catholicke and Apostolicke and all her Ecclesiasticke constitutions and definitive sentences in matters contraverted are of diuine authoritie as they alledge and doe oblige men to beliefe obedience no lesse than the Scripture Yea vnder this pretence the Scripture hath no authoritie in respect of these who beleeue it wherfore it shuld persuade them or be credited more than the fables of Esope but as much as the Church of Rome allowes vpon it Vnder this pretence when other Churches doechallenge the Roman Church for any fault or errour shee takes vpon her to bee judge in all controuersies betwixt her selfe and others The Greeke Church for example in Asia challenges her of vsurpation aboue other Churches shee will be iudge challenges her of defection from Apostolicke doctrine shee will bee iudge challenges her of not doing as shee ought to doe or
and as sin althogh inherent into vs and only imput vnto Christ Iesus who had no inherent sin in him made him die the death wherefore may not Christs righteousnesse inherent in him and imput vnto vs bee accepted of God for our iustification to life and that so much the more because Christ Iesus is our head and cautioner which the Saints are not For he hath made him to be sin for vs which 2 Cor. cap 5. vers 21 knew no sin c. CHAP. 13. Of taking away the Cup. TOuching their minching of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Table and depriuing rhe People of the one halfe thereof contrare to Christs institution who commanded them all to drinke of it is a grievous defrauding of the people of their due comfort and that by Iohn 6 which they will haue spoken of the Sacrament except yee eate the flesh of the sonne of man and Iohn 6. drink of his blood yee haue no life in you So to depriue them of the blood is to depriue them of eternall life And in the primitiue times when persecution raged in the Church the godly Fathers neuer omitted the holy cup to the people that not only because of Christs divine institution but also that they might encourage people to shed their blood chearfully for him who had shed his blood for them did so friely communicate with them in the holy cup. Further Christ sayeth it is the cup of the new Testament in his blood which he shed for the remission of sins Then it appeareth that to depriue the people of the cup is asmuch as to depriue them of the blood of Christ for the remission of their sins for in the hostie there is no shedding of blood as they themselues confes As for the custom of the primitiue Church it is clear in this poynt neither can they or do they deny it yet when either the command of Christ or practise of the primitiue Church seemeth to crosse their businesse they dissalow both him and the ancients and in open counsell giue a decreet to their contrare The councill of Constance holden anno 406 which was the first councill that discharged the cup as an heresie towardes the middest of the Canon Concilium Constantinense 13. sess hath these wordes Although Iesus Christ did institute and administer to his Disciples this venerable Sacramēt vnder the formes of bread and wine and likewise although in the primitiue Church this Sacrament was receaued by the faithfull vnder both kinds neuerthelesse this custome hath with reason beene induced that it should bee receaued by those who consecrate vnder both kynds and by the layity vnder forme of bread only c. And concluds that these that would maintaine the contrare were heretiques where by consequence they make Christ and the primitiue Church heretiques at least in practise which if J had not red and considered in their councils J could not haue beleeued that men could be so impudent and absurd as to affirme CHAP. 14. Of Images HEre J can not passe by their adoration of Jmages 2 book of the images of Saints chap. 21. but must giue a taste thereof Their doctrine is of Images that they are not only relativè as they respect the thing represented but properly and perse by themselfe and terminatiuely without respect to the thing represented as Bellarmine hath expresly yea not only with the worship of dulia or seruice as they call it by the which distinctiō they blind the eys of the ignorant since all religious worship in whatsoueer degrie belongs properly to God but also they teach and affirme that the Images of God and the crosse ought to bee worshipped with the selfesame supreme worship that is due to God himselfe which they call Latria as hath expresly their 25. ques 3. arti in the concl 4. article Angelick doctour in his third part Sic ergo dicendum est c. and fourth article in the conclusion Crux Christi c. which conclusion the foresaid doctour prooues by this that wee giue the supreme worship to him in whom we put the hope of our safetie but in the crosse of Christ This is the crosse of wood whereon hee was nailed we put our hope of safetie So the Papists obiect of faith according to his doctrine is an Image of stocke and stone And therefore Suarez sayes in expresse tearmes Per hanc 45. disp 4. sect adorationem c. I shall faithfully translate the words By this adoration a man not only professeth that which hee adoreth to represent God but also to bee God and his supreme Lord and Redeemer otherwise it would not be a true and supreme worship The common people their case in this Idolatrie is deplorable but somewhat more excusable albeit they be involued in that same guiltinesse who must beleeue by an implicite faith whatsoeuer their Church beleeues for their great doctours doe expresly admonish their Readers that their Preachers let not the people vnderstād in their sermons that this Soueraigne worship of God should bee giuen to Images by the principles of the Roman catholicke faith for it might readily skarre them of catholick Romans make them become Calvinist hereticks See Bellarmine of the Jmages of Saints at these words Quantum ad c 22. chap. giues the same watchword in the place forsaid And this 25. ques 54. dis 4. article because as they both acknowledge in the forsaid places the common people can not be capable of these sublime distinctions wherby the foresaid doctrine must be maintained yea skarsly saith Bellarmine our great doctoures themselues Some of them for eschueing the inconvenience of this foresaid doctrine do use these tearmes directly and indirectly but any that pleaseth to examine at more length this defence they shal find it indirect enugh to giue to the creature any way a worship due to the Creator Further for backing of this doctrine their best reason that I could perceiue they euer broght was their blotting out of the second command of the Lords Law for giuing and not graunting that the second command were one with the first yet wherfore do they scrape out so great a part of that command if their best defence stood not in cancelling the Law of God which is opposite to their adoration of Jmages CHAP. 15. Of their new beliefe satisfaction purgatorie IN this place their large addition to their beliefe represents it selfe to my mind as may be seen in the bull of Pope Pitis the 4. concerning the oath taken of their Church-men containing their Trent creed wherein beside the Articles of the Apostles creed they haue ingrossed many other Articles of their most grosse and absurde heresies I can not also omitte heere their idle repetition of Prayers ascrybing merite and satisfaction to the number of them for I my self haue been enioyned to say such a number of Aues Pater nosters by waye of pennance or for the reliefe of Soules and
parts and by the space of foure yeares what by trauells what by conference what by studying in the Colledges of Jesuites made my selfe as able as I could to defend Poperie and oppose true Religion and when I returned home did what I could to pervert others and to confirme them that were seduced and convoyed Jesuits oftentimes where their purpose was to further their designes sometimes beeing disaguised with them for feare of discouerie to the hurt of many Souls the Lord forgiue mee for whose cause I doe write this my declaration if possiblie it comming to their handes might bee a meane to cause them considder their wayes and repent and forsake their Idols and turne to seeke the Lord Jesus who will teach all them James 1. 5 John 14 16. the true way who seekes the same by prayer of God through Christ alone and so the woundes might bee healed in Gods mercie which I helped to giue these Souls in my blind zeale the recouerie againe of whose Souls without any detriment to their bodilie estate worldly is and shall bee euer my desire only the Lord giue them Repentance and make my Repentance dayly more fruitfull that J may bee as truelie zealous for the trueth as euer I was blinde forward against the same CHAP 2. The Iustice of God giuing those ouer to beleeue lyes who will not learne the trueth TO show then the whole matter from the beginning to the glory of God and edification of all who pleases to peruse these presentes without prejudice J was brought vp in the Colledge of Glasgow and did passe my course vnder learned godly Masters who did their diligence to instruct both me and others in human Learning and Religion as time wold suffer but I in my youthlinesse did not lay Religion to heart and therfore was justly punished thereafter for within halfe an yeere after I ended my course in the Colledge I was infected with the errours of Poperie so iust a thing it is with God to punishe the neglect of trueth with giuing ouer to errour that they may belieue lyes who will not take paines to vnderstand the trueth for an Papist of my acquaintance who had beene out of the Countrie a Scholler sharpe enough began to deale with mee and put mee in question and doubt concerning the Religion professed in Scotland so much the more easilie as I vnderstood it not at that time Then when J should haue sought satisfaction of my doubts at those who vnderstood the trueth before J had giuen any more eare to him that seduced mee J lent my eare still and gaue credite to all that hee spake without examination according to the Scriptures so dangerous a matter is it to admit any grounds of Religion without trying them by the rule of Gods Word whether they bee divine or not and so he possessed mee what by himselfe what by Books what by conference with Priests and others of these erroneous positions following First that the Romane Church was the mother Church only true Catholicke and Apostolicke 2. That the Scriptures did not containe all things needfull for Saluation but was an vnperfect rule of Religion 3. And that traditions must bee ioyned therewith which were of equall authoritie with the Scripture 4. That the Scripture was obscure and dangerous to be read by laickes 5. That to the Church of Rome belonged to giue the sense of it and that their exposition was as good as Scripture 6. That the Church of Rome was iudge of all contraversies of Religion 7. That the Church of Rome could not erre 8. That Saint Peter was Pope of Rome 9. And that all the Popes since were his lawfull successours Christs Vicars heads of the Church and had authoritie aboue the Scriptures and that he bare the Keyes of Heauen and could not erre in doctrine and no Saluation without the Roman Church for any Soule and such like Those grounds I drunke in supposing them all to bee true wherevpon my minde was casten open to belieue euery thing which they commanded mee to belieue and whatsoeuer the Church did belieue without any further examination So J was receiued amongst Papists and admitted to their Masse heere at home Then beeing desirous to haue further insight in the Romish Religion J went ouer to France and stayed there a season conversing with Jesuits in their Colledges Therafter J went to Rome to the head spring of that Religion and stayed there some eight Monthes but was forced to leaue it through sicknesse and retiering to West-Flanders J stayed in a seminarie and studied in a Colledge of Jesuites some two yeares all which time I remained obedient to all their injunctions giuen vnto mee and albeit many things occurred in my trauells which perplexed my minde making me doubt of the course I was entered into yet I smothred all downe by the weight of these groundes which J had laid downe in the beginning and namelie of this that the Church of Rome could not erre CHAP. 3. The power of Delusion I Obserued their Church-men of greatest account and Wisedome among them to lay heauie burthens and grieuous to bee borne vpon others but they themselues tooke litle paines in the businesse They professed for the most parte voluntarie pouertie one by one but the yearely Rents and common Purse whereof euery man was furnished as he had to doe was verie rich I saw some of their Orders liue by begging and Almes who would shortly haue forsaken the craft if there had beene any danger in that course either of hunger or cold more than they pleased to take vpon themselues and make show of Yet I thought their Church coulde not erre They professed to bee so retired from the Worlde as they could thinke of nothing but Heauen and yet tooke the most wittie courses that could bee to vnderstand all mens effaires designes and disposition and then made use of them all as best serued their owne ends They professed humilitie but laboured in effect to bee in honour and estimation by all and were as impatient to bee despysed as any man their speciall paines beeing imployed to bring moe and moe vnder their subiection vnder pretence of making them religious Yet J thought still their Church could not erre I saw the Pope who calls himselfe Peters successour and his Cardinals busked in the greatest riches and worldly honour that can bee in the Earth and in the meane time casting the glory of the Apostles the preaching of the Gospell at their heeles as vnbeseeming their Grandour When the Pope came abroad hee was carried in a gorgeous Chaire vpon foure mens shoulders and all men as he went by kneeled direct to the ground in effect adored him as one invested with Christs power and preheminence in the earth and owner of Christs honour in the World as his Legat and Lieutenant and so I honoured him amongs others my selfe And yet I thought all well for this presumption that the Church could not erre I saw the Church
men take direct courses that the common-People should never vnderstand what they or themselues were doing for their Masses and publick services all was done in an vnknown language to the People and for their ordinare Prayers they inioyned for the most part to say them in Latine though they vnderstood not the same Indeed heere in Scotland because such proceeding hath giuen distaste to sundrie by appearance libertie is giuen to those who please to haue them in the vulgare language else where J haue not seene this so ordinarly practised Next by all meanes they laboured that the common-People either had not the Bible in their vulgare language or else that they red it not or if any read it that they should not presume to take any part of it in any sense contrare to the doctrine and practise of the Roman Church but instead thereof J saw they filled their heads and hands with Jmages and Beads Agnus Deis meddals and reliques and bookes of Prayer to this Saint and to that Saint and the office of our Lady as they call the Virgine Mary and the legends of such and such miracles done by Saints departed as they alledge Such stuffe as these a man trauelling will finde in mens houses but seldome or neuer the Bible and oftner mention will he heare of the Virgine Mary than of our Lord and Sauiour and the fairest Churches and Chappels you shall finde dedicate to the Virgine Mary and to Saint Peter and Saint Paul others some hee some shee Saints to whose Chapells and Churches you shall finde dayly numbers going in Pilgrimage or visitation and offering their offerings and Prayers before such an Altar to one Saint to keepe them from the Pest to another to keepe them from the Ague to this Saint for their Kyne to that Saint for their Horses in such varietie as I cannot number for there are particulare Saintes for all diseases whom to at seuerall times by Prayers and offerings ordinarly they haue their recourse to bee helped Yet I thought all well thinking the Romish Church could not erre At Rome it selfe I remarked a Church whose Patrone if I remember is commonly called in vulgare speach Saint Aloy and hath power as they say to heale Horses or keep them from their diseases To this Church once in the yeere all the Horses of Rome the Popes horses and Cardinals Counsellours and Citizens horses are brought and when they come to the Fount where the holy water stands I saw one of the Priests sprinkle holy water on the horse forehead and another Priest receiue the offering that vseth to be giuen at that time by which meanes that Church and all these that waite vpon it are vpholden and thus it is done in other places and for seuerall diseases of men and beastes All this J approued supposing the Church of Rome could not erre Neither doe I speake these things without pittie of the estate of the poore Soules so abused for J my selfe who had seene better thinges and should haue had better vnderstanding as a scholler by tying my selfe without further warrand to beleeue as the Church beleeues and beleeuing the Church of Rome could not erre for that time allowed or forced my minde to allow of all these abominable Idolatries and multitude of false Gods and was as busie to pray to all the Saints as any man and said my Prayers Pater noster Ave Marie and Confiteor vpon my beids as carefully as the most ignorant old Wife among them J keeped constantly the Matines and Vespers and Salute said the office of the dead my long letanies and my 〈◊〉 I approued their making of holy water consecrating of meddals beads Agnus Deis c. Also that there was some divine vertue in making the signe of the Crosse before my breast for expelling the Deuill for the time from me I beleeued I was as cleane as glasse when the Priest did shrive and absolve mee I haue come with others to meete a procession of sundrie sorts of Church men carying a consecrated hostie which they did relate was Christ himselfe carried throughout the streetes J haue fallen downe before it worshiped and adored it with many others supposing it was Christ bodilie present when I was present at Masse I did the same vpon the same presumption J beheld the bread of the hostie before it was consecrate as they call it I beheld it when it was consecrated and when it was lifted vp I saw bread as clearly as J saw the Priests hand that held it vp J opened my mouth and the Priest put it in my mouth I saw btead with my eyes I smelled it J felt it I tasted and discerned it as sensiblie as ever I did bread in my life yet I beleeued that it was not bread but Iesus Christ corporally present put in my mouth and going downe my bellie though all senses which God hath euer made the faithfull witnesses of all miraculous changes whereof we read in Scripture did testifie the contrare I gaue them all the lye because I beleeued as the Church beleeued and belieued that the Church of Rome could not erre Thus I who would not beleeue the Trueth was giuen ouer to such fearefull superstition and strong delusion that J might beleeue lyes CHAP. 4. No end in erring except the Lord reclaime THese things were common to mee and all others of the Romish Religion but J went yet further than the common course and was yet more besotted by this delusion for I haue beene clark to the masse helped the Preist to the saying of it lifting the masse Booke now from the right hand to the left now from the left to the right backe againe Now kneeling now standing now bowing and bending the body now knocking on my breast now making the signe of the crosse at the eleuation I haue born vp the Priests taile with the one hand hauing a burning torch in the other hand sometimes giuing him Wine and water in a Chalice sometimes one thing sometimes another as such like service did require I entred my self yet further in their snare and became one of the sodalitie of our Lady This sodalitie tyes none to any Ecclesiasticall order for therein with their approbation all Rankes of Persons may be so they use their particular devotion to our Lady which is an ordour wherein especiallie all devout students in Colledges by a solemne oath and invocation of the Virgine Mary are tyed to vse speciall deuotion all their dayes to her and to defend her name where euer they come and to depend vpon her as their Lady Patronesse and lady aduocate with God for them O fearefull Idolatrie and yet I swalowed it then beleeuing as the Church beleeued and that she could not erre and obeying as diuine truth what their Church commanded Last of all J was in tearmes with the Iesuits to haue rendred my self of that order and to haue taken on their threefold vow the third whereof which is of a blind
guiltie of so manifold dishonoring of the sonne of God CHAP. 11. The Masse drawes men from the true Christ to adore and belieue in a false Christ THe third reason why J call the Masse and their pretended transubstantiation in it an errour is this Because it hath drawne mee and doth drawe all that beleeues it from the true Christ Jesus described in the holy Scripture to a false Christ forged in their fantasie and braines of men giuen ouer for the time to the spirit of delusion in all things contrare to the true Christ our Sauiour the sonne of God for the true Christ is so described to vs in holy Scripture that if an Apostle or Angell from Heauen teach another Gospell especially Gal. 1 8. about the person of Jesus Christ let him bee accursed as the Apostle sayes Well then the Scripture giues vs to vnderstand that the true Christ hath assumed not the nature of Angels but the seed of Abraham Heb. 2. 14 16. euen our nature of the virgine Mary Partaker of flesh and blood in substance properties like to vs in all things except sinne who himselfe hath giuen vs warrand to account of any obtruded in his name as a false Christ But the doctrine of the Masse drawes vs to a pretended Christ the substance of whose bodie is made of the substance of bread changed by the force of fiue latine wordes said by a Romish Priest Hoc est enim corpus meum Secondly the true Christ his bodie is sensible might be seene touched handled and felt as sensibly as any mans body not only before his death when hee bare our infirmitie but also after his resurrection when he had laide downe our infirmities made vp of flesh and bones the verie same that hang vpon the crosse fastned with nails as himselfe testifies Behold my hands and my feete that it Luc. 24. 39. is I my self handle mee and see mee for a Spirit hath not flesh and bones as yee see mee to haue sayth hee wherein hee giues vs all to vnderstand that he wil not haue vs to think that hee hath another body or substance now after his resurrection than he had before his crucifying Next to proue the veritie of his reall and corporall presence he appeales to the true testimony of all their senses being contented that they shuld not esteem him bodily present except they saw and felt him to haue flesh and bones but the Doctours of the Masse teach men to beleeue in and to adore a Christ whose body is borne vp betwixt the Priests finger and his thumbe which neither can be seen nor felt nor any wayes is sensible a false Christ who may not abyde the proof and rule which the true Christ hath set downe in his word to try the trueth of his body and bodily presence by Thirdly the true Christ grew vp from a childe to the ordinarie stature of men before his death and beeing dead his body took vp proportionall rowm in the Sepulchre so that when hee was now risen the Linnings wherein his body was wrapped were found in the sepulchre some of them at the part where his feete lay and some at the part where his head lay and after his resurrection hee shewed his hands and feete in the owne due proportion distant one from another in place but the Papists are made to worship a Christ in the Masse whose head and feete and all the partes of his bodye compleet are not only in the boundes of their paper-thin hostie but in euerie preene poynt rowme of the same for this is their expresse doctrine that Corpus Christi est totum in tota hostiâ totum in quolibet puncto that the body of Christ is whole in the whole hostie and whole in euerie poynt or part thereof Fourthlie the true Christ will not haue vs to imagine of his body that euer it was or shall bee in many places at one time for when Ioseph and his mother sought him three dayes they could not find him till they came to the very place where only he was in the Temple disputing with the doctours when he was vpon the mount he was not bodilie any where else when hee was on this side of the Sea he was not on that side when he was in the wildernesse pinnacle of the Temple in the ship in the house there he was and no where else when he was in the graue his body was not risen and when hee rose the Angell sayeth of the graue he is not here hee is risen behold the place where the Lord lay when hee was with his disciples he sayes himselfe hee was not ascended when hee ascended hee left his disciples in regard of his bodilie presence not to come againe in bodily presence vntill hee came to take them to that place which hee went to prepare for them but these doctours tell vs that their Christ in whom they belieue whom they command to be worshipped hath a body which at an instant and poynt of time is in an hundreth places within a Church and in fiue hundreth places of the same Church is not in a word hath a body which is in as many consecrated hosties as are in the World at one time though there will be thousands dayly and which body is in no other place or space betwixt the hosties and yet will avow that such a body is but one single and the same body vndivided which was borne of the Virgin and hang vpon the crosse so peart are they to hold vp their false Christ by calling him the true when hee hath nothing of this trueth that is in our Lord. Fifthly the true Christ once died from his giuing vp the ghost vpō the crosse vntill his resurrectiō but after that he dieth no more but is aliue for euermore he suffers no more bodily his blood is shed no more his soule no more seuered from his body this is the Christ which the Scripture teaches vs to beleeue into and to worship but the Popish doctrine drawes these silly soules that beleeues them to beleeue and adore such a Christ whose verie substantiall body is bathed and swimmes in his owne naturall and true blood dayly for when the Priest consecrateth the chalice then the wine as they say is turned substantially in blood as certainly really as Christ changed water into wine Now when the hostie is broken and a part thereof put in the consecrate chalice among the verie blood as they teach which hostie and every part thereof as they say doth containe the very body of Iesus doe I speake any thing but according to their doctrine when I say that that Christ of theirs swimmes dayly in his owne blood incace they abide at their doctrine teaching that Christs words in the Sacrament are taken literally for these words This is my body taking the wordes literally must haue another sense than these wordes This is my blood and so the words beeing taken literally
as they pretend the hostie being put in the cup the body is put in the blood Sixtly the true and liuing Christ where hee is bodily present can walke alone he needes not to be lifted nor to bee borne or carried in mens hands he is not feared to fall nor that any euill befall him But the Romish Doctours in effect J must now say with griefe deceauers drawe the people to adore for their Lord and Saviour a Christ of the Priestes making in the Masse who is so weake that hee can not rise till he bee lifted hee can not walke but must bee carried and when he is mounted vp in his makers hand except his creator and maker hold him vp or if the Priest himselfe snapper and fall at a procession or in a journey then this Christ goeth to the ground and his maker both and there he lyeth though it were in a myre till hee bee lifted againe What care haue J seene taken to lift this Christ attentiuelie and to lay him downe againe softly for feare of breaking of him and if hee bee not eaten presently but must bee keeped to bee adored vpon the Altar some dayes after then euery night at euen hee is put in ward and keeped fast vnder locke and key ordinarly lest while his maker and preseruer is sleeping the myce or the ratts whom the Worlde can not persuade but the hostie is verie bread indeed should carry him away and vse some short improbation against this their transubstantiation this can not bee but a matter of laughter to those who are fred from the Romish yock but alace for pittie of the Soules that beleeues all is well I know they gull the people by telling them that Christ Iohn 20. 26. came in to his Disciples the doore beeing shut And that this could not bee but by rarifying his owne substance to such subtilitie that it might goe through the doore but poore Soules that heareth this they must not dispute nor reply but beleeue as the Church beleeues If they would reply it were greater reason that the doore should yeeld to Christ then hee to it and that it were as easie for him to come in the chamber and the doore shut before and after hee came in keeping still his bodily substance in the owne naturall constitution as it was to Peter to come through the prison and through the yron gate which was shut before and after he came Act. 12 10. out but opened when he went through And no farder can this text affoord them if any J say would replye after this manner this pretext would not saue them They please the people another way also for feare that this might bee answered by distinction of a glorified body and vnglorified for taking away whereof I say Seuenthly the true Christ his body is glorified with such a glory as doth not abolish the substantiall properties of his body but only makes the same more illustrious and conspicuous whereof himselfe gaue a proofe in his transfiguration when hee clothed himselfe with the glorie of the only begotten son of God for a while at which time his glorie made not his body to disappeare but to appeare more conspicuously than before Another proof Act. 9. 3. 26. 13. hee gaue of this at the conversion of Paul when from Heauen there shined a light from him while hee spake downe to Saul brighter than the Sunne at noone day and to put vs out of doubt in this matter the same Apostle Philip. 3. 21. sayth that Christ shall change our vile bodies and make them like to his owne glorious body Wherein he lets vs vnderstand first that our Lord still retaines the same true body which hee assumed and that his body is glorious and bewtifull Next hee showes that Christ Jesus hath such a body now in Heauen as wee shall haue in our owne degre when the resurrection comes but when the resurrection comes our bodyes flesh and bones will rise and bee glorified Therefore our Lord hath such a body in his owne degree of flesh and bones glorified from which glory now his body can not bee seuered But that Christ which is made in the Masse hath a body no ways glorious nor conspicuous but altogether ignominious and subiect to moe personall disgraces then when hee suffered at Hierusalem as that which is said already may cleare Eightly and last of all to be short the true Christ hath forwarned vs not to beleeue any such Christ after his ascension as men shall poynt out on the Earth saying of Mat. 24 23. him Loe heere loe there is Christ For there shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and shall shew great signes and wonders Math. so that if it were possible they should deceaue the very Elect Behold I haue told you before Wherefore if they shall say 24. to you behold hee is in the desert goe not foorth behold he is 25. in the secreete place goe not foorth For as the lightning commeth 26. out of the East and shineth to the West so shall also the 27. comming of the sonne of man bee And again by his Apostle Colos 3 1. 2. declares himself only to be fund in Heauen for his bodily presence discharging vs to set our affection vpon any thing on earth But the Christ in whō the Papists Priests and doctors teaches people to belieue as their God and to worship as their Sauiour on whō they cause them set their affection is corporally present in the earth and his body on the earth all the dayes of the yeare of whom my eares haue heard say times out of number loe heere loe there loe yonder our Lord and Sauiour comming through the street let vs goe and convoy him and in the Masse the Priest lifts him vp and after puts him in the peoples mouth and hee goes ouer the throat What becomes of him then ye will say heare what the true Christ sayeth Perceiue you not that whatsoeuer entereth into the Math 15. 17 mouth goeth into the belly and is cast out into the draught O how farre then are the people deceiued First they beleeue they haue among their hands the true Christ and doe worship him when they worship only an Idoll and a false Christ Next they belieue that howeuer the matter bee that their intention to serue the true Christ will saue them from the sinne and the Iudgment due to such a sinne and then they are againe deceaued for if good intentions could haue any weight with God where the worke is not warrantable then these men should goe free who murther the Prophets and seruants of Jesus thinking they do God good seruice of whō Christ speaks Ioh. 16. 2. Then the Jewes should goe free who beleeued when they were pleading against Christ dishonouring him that they were friends to the promised Messias The Galatians beleeued that they held the true Christ when they joyned justification by works