not be done say they by Faith assuring us of our Salvation but only by hope in likelyhood and conjectural Here you may see that great point in the Mystery of Iniquity for by this wavering hope and uncertain application of the promise of Salvation to our selves they overturn half the doctrine of the Gospel for as in coloured words they seem to agree with the true Christian Church in the doctrine of Faith so indeed they deny and abolish the substance thereof that is the particular and certain application of Christ crucified unto our selves Obj. How then do Papists believe the Truths of Faith Ans. Papists believe the truths of Faith not distinctly in themselves but in their common principle wherein all things to be in this manner believed are as they hold contained and that not so much to be the holy Scriptures but absolutely their Church Now their Church to affirm it self cries up their traditions and these not Gods word do they give for the Rule of their creatures and yet these Traditions must stand and fall at the pleasure of the Pope Thus their Church flies to their invented Traditions for bottom and their Traditions Church and Faith fly to the Pope to center all in his personal Infallibility and notwithstanding one Pope can condemn another for an Heretick and yet every Pope must be still Infallible and as Dr. Harden avouches can dispense with all things against the Law of Nature against the Apostles Creed against the New and Old Testament and above General Councils So that the Pope exalts himself above all that is called God for God in the Creation made but creatures but the Pope can make as many Gods as he list Secondly he make himself of more authority then God because he will not have Gods word to be authentical without his allowance but what he saith however contrary to the Text must be ipsissimum Dei verbum Beside this head of Antichristian Heresies assumes to himself the Title of Universal Pastor Rex regum Dominus dominantium Admirabilis Leo de Tribu Judae Radix David His doctrine is also that Papa habet Imperium in Angelos Daemones and is not this to make himself a God Is not this that Beast full of the names of Blasphemy And as his Majesty of blessed memory observed most prudently that there is no Church State nor Man that hath been since the penning of the Revelations to whom those things foretold by the Apostle from the mouth of the Lord Jesus can in any reasonable fort agree but the Church and Pope of Rome alone I might add much but will only instance the sayings of Pius Quintus recited by Cornel à Lap. in Numb 11.11 When I was first in Orders I had some good hopes of salvation when I was made a Cardinal I doubted but now that I am made a Pope I do almost despair And that saying of Pope Marcellus the Second wherein he seems to be pretty ingenious for striking his hand upon the Table he uttered these words Non video quomodo qui hunc locum altissimum teneant salvari possunt I see not how any Pope can be saved Now let us cast our eyes upon Gods word and promise and firmly believe if Agag be to be slain God is raising up some Samuel to do it yea let us cast our eyes upon Gods work already and we shall see him gone a great way in the accomplishing of his word whereby we may strengthen our Faith in that which remaineth For how hath the word preached discovered him to be that man of sin detected his frauds and impostures with which for many Ages he deluded the blind world How are his Bulls and Excommunications esteemed as wind How do all Reformed Churches detest his Antichristian usurped power over the Scripture Churches and Mens Consciences How do many Princes despise his claws over them How weak are all their Popish endeavours to prevent final ruine viz. Sophistry knotty distinctions to hide and delude the plain sense of Scripture threatnings treacheries Machivilian contrivances wars treasons murders massacres powder-plots firing of Towns and Cities c. Lo these are the inseparable marks of Popery and the brands of their devillish Religion And these do but hasten their incurable destruction rendring them odious to Christian States Princes and People yea and to Turks and Infidels Certainly the date of her reign is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both she and her King Abaddon shall be laid in the dust That man of sin the son of perdition c. who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he is as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess. 2. 3 4. The Gospel now being so restored and that Antichrist of Rome so clearly manifested wo be unto them that delight in the whore They shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and the Lamb and the smoke of their torment shall ascend for evermore and they shall have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his Image Seeing then the followers of Antichrist shall be damned let not our souls enter into their secret As the wicked man shall not meddle with a Christians joy so let not a good man meddle with Antichristian wo. But what are the Doctrines of the Church of Rome that are against the Foundation of Truth and Salvation They are all those which draw from Jesus Christ that honour that is due unto him as Saviour of the World Which are Papal Monarchy this undermines and opposes Christs Kingly Office Traditions as the object of Faith Papal Infallibility c. these undermine and oppose Christs Prophetick Office Justification by Merits Adoration of the Mass and all other Idolatrizing points of Antichrist these undermine and oppose Christs Priestly Office To take pleasure in and to be obstinately given over unto these things cannot stand with Salvation Come hither and I will shew thee the judgment of the great whore c. Rev. 17.1 Babylon the great is fallen c. cap. 18.2 Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues v. 4. Epigramma G.B. de Roma Papa Non ego Romulea miror quod pastor in urbe Sceptra gerat Pastor conditor urbis erat Quumque lupae gentis nutritus lacte sit Autor Non ego Romulea miror in urbe lupos Haec tantum superat nostrum admiratio captum Quomodo securum praestet ovile lupus The same Translated It is not strange a Shepherd reigns in Rome For he that built it was a Shepherds Groom Nor is it strange that Wolves in Rome abound He suck't a Wolf that did the City found But this is strange and far above my skill How Wolves should keep the flock secure from ill FINIS Quinquecclesiae is a City in Hungary called in German Funskirchin in Turkish Periâ—hen or Petschen Object Ans. Object Ans. Popish abuse of Lords Prayer Obj. Ans. 2. Of the Creed 3. Of the Decâ—… Obj. Ans. 4. Of the Holy Scriptures â—… abuse of â—uity â—…e no Mother â—…e eldest sister 〈◊〉 neither Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Papists the first Separatists Popish guiltineâ—… Protestant Ministers have a calling Popish Pâ—… have no calling Popish Mass nâ—â—… â—…r Sacrament 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ish Religion â—â—…hes vice and â—â—â—ish abuse of â—â—â—riage â—heir abuse of Civil Law â—â—â—ish lies Whether a Papist may be saved Romes destruction Papists no true Catholicks Papish gross Idolatry Popish presumptions and impudencies Popish blasphemies Colos. 2. Gal. 4.9 10 11. Papists no true Christians The difference between Christianity and Popery Popery a cheat upon Christianity The marks of Popish Antichristians Marks to know Christian Catholicks from Roman Catholicks Popish deceits The Pope the bottom of Romish Faith The Pope Anichrist Popish doctrines against the Foundation of Truth and Salvation
people But the Church of Rome endeavours to keep the people in ignorance especially in the business of Religion and therefore forbids them the use of the Scriptures giving them service in an unknown tongue amusing them with Images exterior ornaments and addresses the people to where they know nothing giving them undiscernable marks as the succession of Chairs whereof some are more antient than that of Rome and their successions imbroiled with many interruptions and contradictions in History The Ministers of the Reformed Church will be judged by the word of God but the Priests of the Romish Church will be judges of the word of God which argues their guilt for when they are accused of Heresies and Blasphemies they will be themselves judge of this question and consequently will be both judge and party The Protestant Ministers have a charge and calling the institution whereof is found in the holy Scripture for the word of God speaks oftentimes of Pastors Doctors and Ministers This being as clear as the day the calling of the Priests of Rome falls necessarily to the ground and is of no use for in the Ordination of their Priests they are not charged to preach the Gospel But they are expresly established to be sacrifiers of the body of Jesus Christ which is an Imaginary Charge never established by Jesus Christ nor practized by the Apostles and whereof there is not any one word in all the New Testament And yet these are they which question others concerning their Calling whereas there is not any word of the sacrifiers of the body of Christ. The Reformed Church in the Sacrament of the Eucharist indeavours to raise up mans heart to Jesus Christ which is in heaven But that of Rome abaseth Jesus Christ and puts him into the hands of men they make their breaden God adore and then eat him up And according to their doctrine Christ did eat his whole self and drink his own body for they will have the body to be in the Cup which is highly scandalous both to Jews and Turks And note in all sacrifices that which is offered must be consecrated and they pretend to sacrifice the body of our Saviour which cannot be consecrated For who can consecrate the Son of God who is he alone that doth consecrate us So then the sacrifice of the Mass doth in this appear to be null And as to their Objection Take eat this is my body It must be either cibus animae vel corporis if bodily food how can it nourish the soul if spiritual how can it enter into the body Besides Deus non potest facere qua naturae suae sunt contraria Now Ambrose resolves this with us and says That Corpus nutritur pane symbolice anima vero corpore Christi Which agrees with the whole scope of the Scripture speaking of it every where in a spiritual sense and â—â—guratively Moreover if Christs Body be really present in the Sacrament as Papists affirm where is the outward visible sign And the Institution of the Eucharist being but to last usque quo venerit until I come If Christ be really corporeally and substantially present in the Sacrament as the Church of Rome teacheth her creatures to believe upon pain of damnation their Transubstantiation is a meer cheat for the Sacrament then ceaseth The Council of Trent also determined that there are neither more or less but just seven Sacraments whereas instead of seven the Romish Church hath thirteen For themselves say That the Sacrament which they call Orders is subdivided into seven which have each of them a particular form and different Ceremonies Vid. The Porters Readers Conjurers Acolytes Subdeacons Deacons and Priests But let them justifie if they can their seven or thirteen pretended Sacraments In the mean time the Reformed Church doth as clearly as the Sun evidence that there are but two and that these two are sufficient seeing one of them which is Baptism is the Sacrament of our spiritual birth and entrance into the Church And the other which is the Eucharist is the Sacrament of our nourishment and growth untill we attain unto the measure of the perfect stature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Besides The Reformed Church hath no Rules which teach Vice But the Romish Religion hath many Rules which teach to disobey God in doing evil Such is the Rule of the Council of Constance That no faith is to be kept with Hereticks Such is the Doctrine which saith The Pope may dispense with Oaths and Vows i. t. may give a man leave to forswear himself and not make good what he hath promised to God Such is the disobedience of Children to their Parents authorized by the Church of Rome when a child enters into a Monastery or Nunnery against his or her Fathers will Such is the allowance of Bawdy-houses for which the Pope receives a Tribute out of Rome it self Such is the revolting of Subjects against their Prince when the Pope dispenseth with them for the allegiance they have sworn to their King Such are the Taxes in the Popes Chancery wherein Letters for absolution are given for every sin at a certain price But offences done against the Pope are always rated higher then sins against God Such is their calling Marriage a great Sacrament that it might appertain to the Church and thus take from secular Judges the cognizance of cases matrimonial Such is the order of Canonists and Scholasticks which they have set up against the power of the Civil Law which antiently maintained the power of the Emperor and Princes and they have confirmed those Canonists and their Decretals to be unquestionable thus as much as in them lies to annihilate the authority of the holy Scriptures Such are their plae fraudes pia mendacia their aequivocations their godly deceits and lies as are made and told for the advancement of Religion and to stir up Devotion Hence they bely their Adversaries in their Lives Doctrine and Deaths as we know in Luther Calvin Beza Bishop King and others Hence they counterfeit false Fathers and by their Index Expurgatorius make the true ones speak as they list and thrust thousands of lies on the poor people as the history of Loretto the Dalmatian Priest who having his bowels plucked out of his body by the Turks took his guts in his hand if we will believe it and went many days to Loretto and there was cured They also abuse the credulous people by their Legends in Latin English and other Languages That the power of St. Patricks prayer as they write made a sheep bleat in the belly of him that stole it and of an Heretick who was converted by seeing St. Anthonies horse worship the Host with innumerable like ridiculous fopperies Obj. But may not bad actions happen in a good Religion Ans. This of the Church of Rome is not only a malady of manners and these examples are not only bad actions but they are prescribed Laws and
Apostle So the Pope pretends to be the Vicar of Christ though his enemy and the more wicked because he pretends to be Christ's Vicar So the Church of Rome is a Church and the Pope Antichrist who hath impudently pearched and with all ungodliness erected his seat therein As the Scripture teacheth us that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God But it is not possible that such should belong to the mystical Church which is the whole Company of Gods Elect in Heaven Earth and not yet born In which Invisible or Universal Church alone is Salvation Because that only consists of the true Servants of Christs and such as are Christians indeed Obj. But what is the main difference betwixt Christianity and Popery Ans. Christian Religion doth most honour God and most humble man but the sum of Popery is to disenthrone God and to deifie man Obj. Wherein doth Popery principally consist Ans. In merit mediation satisfaction supererogation and pardon which is an humane invented Religion or an Antichristian superstructure to undermine and as much as possible to overthrow all that is truly Christian. This Popery the very word of a Mediator doth sufficiently refute for if a man can merit mediate satisfie supererogate pardon and do all himself what needs he either Saviour or Mediator Beside the Holy Scripture gives us a general Rule which is alone sufficient to make us reject the Mass Purgatory Papal Indulgences Invocation of Saints Veneration of Reliques Adoration of Crosses and all Humane Invented Traditions For it tells us That they worship God in vain who teach for doctrines the commandements of men Mat. 5.9 and to such as add or detract from Gods commandments Cursed be he that addeth or detracteth from the least of these sayings Rev. 22. And to such as create new Articles of Faith praeter quam or contra quam beside or contrary to the doctrine of the Scripture if an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel then that you have received let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 Obj. How came this Popery to be so greatly confirmed Ans. To establish this mock Religion or cheat upon Christianity the Popes at last forged that Council or rather Conventicle of Trent and there added numbers of new Articles of Faith having these Pillars to prop her sandy foundation viz. allurements and all vain-glorious enchanting enticements on the one hand and all manner of prodigious tortures by fire sword c. on the other Trent for Romes last support was forced to borrow of Lucifer his main engins and for executioners the Jesuites and the prati de l'inferni as they are termed in Spain i.e. The holy Fathers of the horrid Inquisition these are the perpetrators of Romes bloody Bulls This Popery is that which is generally preached in Spain Italy c. vide Sands Survey of the Western Religion and seldom is Christianity except on certain days and then with that mixture of Popish vanities enough to destroy the good seed of the Gospel of Christ. For refusing and denying this Trentine Popery but for denying nothing of Christianity have so many thousands of Orthodox Christians been massacred drowned burned in all parts of Europe by that Antichristian Romish Hierarchy Obj. How is it that the World could be so long deceived by Rome Ans. Because the Lambs horns were upon the head of Antichrist and if a Traytor carry the colours of a Prince in War all the common Souldiers stock to him and fight under his Banner till the Traytor be known and the Treason be discovered So the Popes of Rome pretending the common principles of Faith and Manners and giving themselves out to be colour-bearers to Jesus Christ without which they could not so easily have insinuated themselves into the hearts of the world most of the Western Churches whom they had wrought by policy and power flocked unto them But when their pretences were discovered and we would no longer take their parts against Christ then the Popes made a faction and head against us in that Council of Trent and Excommunicated us as if it were our fault that would not drink their poison and not theirs who were so trayterous and wicked to force it upon us Obj. What are the marks of Antichristian Papists Ans. They are such as have their heads and hearts poisoned rejecting the word of God and taking pleasure in falshood which is manifested two ways First by an over-eager pursuit of the things of Antichrist without examination as if they should say we will be thus because we will be thus doting upon a spirit of Infallibility Secondly by cruel killing and sacrificing all opposers with fire and sword Idolatry being naturally cruel of such the Apostle saith They shall be damned Obj. Have all Papists been and shall be damned Ans. When the Church was low in the eyes of the world then as God gave his people less so he required less at their hands and such as had the knowledge of the Belief the Ten Commandments the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments these being speciously in the Church of Rome though with hideous corruptions as is before-mentioned and having hearts willing to be informed in the truth when our provident God should offer opportunities with purposes and indeavours to know and do aright and holy obedience to what was known and being ignorant or at least not so fully stated in the pernicious errors of the Popish corruptions though they have been in that Church yet were not of it as many of our Fathers from age to age have been Such in these qualifications might be saved but such are not acknowledged by the Pope to be right Catholicks Here note Gods power and faithfulness in all Ages in singling out his servants in the very tents of Antichrist and delivering them from the power of hell and darkness But such as worship the Beast and his Image and are in inward fellowship and mystery with him being by wilfulness and resolution as it were embowelled in that state Of such the Holy Ghost saith They shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God These latter only are owned by the Pope to be his true Catholicks and not the former You may here see the difference between the antient Christian Catholicks and the new Roman Catholicks and withall consider how vigilant and careful Satan is to distinguish and appropriate his own Vassals that they may also partake with him of his just reward Obj. But do not Papists believe in Christ and hold it the surest way to put their confidence in God for Salvation Ans. Yes but withall that men may put their confidence also in their own and in other mens works Bellar. 5. c. 7. de Justificat And by this confidence in the creature they presently overturn all true confidence in the Creator Beside they teach that we must not only believe but apply to our selves the promise of everlasting life But mark the deceit in applying all for this must