your leisure could allow you to walke along with me a while thorow these sweet and flowrie Meades of Vnity and happy conspiration of thoughts And yet I shall not so much bend the residue of my speech to the praise of vnity to what purpose were that waste as to the necessary vindication of it from the vniust challenges of the enemies of peace It is an heauy crime and of all other the most hainous wherewith we are charged by the Romanists That we are fallen off from the Catholick Church that we haue rent the seamlesse coat of Christ yea broken his bones and torne his very body in peeces whereof if we were indeed guilty how vnworthy were we to breathe in this aire how most worthy of the lowest Hell But we call heauen and earth to record how vniustly this calumny is cast vpon vs yea we protest before God and men that the enuie of this so foule a crimination lights most iustly vpon the heads of the accusers May it please you to heare a short Apologue A certaine man inuited to a feast one or two of his friends entertained them bountifully They sate together louingly they are together and were merry one with another In the second course as the custome is the Master offereth them wine sets before them an apple now a worme had somewhat eaten the apple and a spider by chance had falne into the cup The guest sees and balks it The Master vrgeth him Why doe you not eat quoth he why drinke you not I dare not saith the other t' is not safe to doe either seest thou not this vermine in the cup and that in the apple Tush saith the Master what so great matter is this It was I that set this before thee It was I that began to thee in the other Drinke it eat it at least for my sake But suffer me first replies the guest to take out this spider to cut out this worme the wine the apple likes me well enough the spider the worme I cannot away with Away with such ouer-nine and curious companions quoth he againe Fy vpon thee thou vngratefull fellow that dost so little regard my friendship so contemne my cheere and with that in a rage throwes the platters and pots in the very face of his guest and thrust him out of doores all wounded Tell me now I beseech you worthy Auditors whether of these violates the lawes of hospitality I dare say you haue easily applied it before me There was a time when we sate together in a familiar manner with these Romanists and fared well The spider in the cup The worme in the apple what else be they but superstition in their worship rotten and vnwholsome traditions in their faith without these the Religion pleaseth vs well But they will needs importunately thrust these vpon vs and we refusing are therefore scorned spit vpon beaten and cast out Had they but giuen vs leaue to take out this spider this worme we had still eaten and dranke together most gladly They obstinately resisted and prefer'd their owne headstrong will to our good and safety nay they repell vs with reproaches strike vs with their thundering Anathemaes condemne vs to the stakes what should we doe in this case Heare oh heauens and hearken oh earth and thou Almighty God the Maker and Gouernor of them both suffer thy selfe and thy glorious spirits to be called to the testimony of our innocencie We are compelled we are driuen away from the Communion of the Church of Rome They forced vs to goe from them who departed first from themselues We haue willingly departed from the communion of their errors from the Communion of the Church we haue not departed Let them renounce their erroneous doctrine we embrace their Church Let them but cast away their soule-slaying Traditions we will communicate with them in the right of one and the same Church and remaine so for euer But alas I must be forced to complaine and that not without extreme griefe of heart how that it cannot be determined whether those that boast themselues for Catholikes be greater enemies to Truth or to Charity To Truth in that they haue of late forged new errors and forced them vpon the Church To Charity in that they haue not stuck to condemne the aduerse part and to brand them with the black marke of Heresie I will speake if you please more plainly Three manner of waies doe these Romanists offend against Charity First that they will not remit any thing either of their most conuicted opinion or vitious practice no not for peace sake Secondly that for Articles of Christian faith they put vpon the Church certaine opinions of their owne false doubtfull and vncertaine peculiar onely to the schooles which doe no whit touch the foundation of Religion And lastly that if they meet with any faithfull and sound monitors which doe neuer so little gainsay these new Articles they cruelly cast them out of the bosome of the Church and throw them headlong into Hel Away with these Schismaticks Hereticks Acheists Iwis the Protestants haue no Church no faith no saluation Good Lord what fury what frenzy distempers Christians that they should be so impotently malicious against those who professe themselues to be redeemed by the ransome of the same most precious bloud At length At length O yee Christians be wise and acknowledge those whom the God and Father of mercies holds worthy of his armes yea of his bowels Let frantick error bawle what it list we are Christians we are Catholicks the vndiuided members of one holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Let vs meet at this barre if you please Leâ— who will maintaine the plea What is it which maketh a Church What is it which maketh that Church One holy Catholick Apostolick Is it not one holy Catholick Apostolick saith But which is that Is it not the same which was deliuered by Christ and the Apostles to the whole world and was alwaies and euery where approued through all Ages euen vnto our times Wherefore are the Scriptures wherefore the Creeds wherefore were the primitiue Councells but that there might bee certaine markes whereby Catholicks might be vndoubtedly discerned from Hereticks You know the Epilogue of the Athanasian Creed This is the Catholick Faith If we may beleeue Leo the heads of all heresies are quite cut off with this one sword of the Creed How much more then with that two-edged sword of the Scriptures and of the Fathers their Interpreters What then Those that then were Catholicks can they in any age be condemned for Hereticks No Faith is alwaies constant to it selfe and so is the Church that is built vpon that Faith Did we euer deny or make doubt of any Article or clause of that Ancient Diuinity Either then Christ himselfe the Apostles Councells Fathers erred from the Catholick truth or wee yet remaine Catholicks What euer other opinions we meet withall concerning Religion neither make nor marre it Say they be false
if our Traueller meet not with some one that shall claime kinred or Country of him in a more intire fashion The Society welcomes him with more than ordinary curtesie neither can he refuse except he will be vnciuill to be their guest He cannot mislike the loue of his Country men he cannot fault their carriage And now that they haue mollified the stiffenesse of his preiudice and with much tempting fitted him for their mold he is a tasâ—e meet for one of their best workmen who willingly vndertaking it hath learned to handle him so sweetly as if he would haue him thinke it a pleasure to be seduced Do we thinke this Doctor will begin first with the infallibility of their great Master and perswade him that a Necromancer an Heretike an Atheist cannot erre in Peters Chaire or tell him that hee may buy off his sinnes as familiarly as hee may buy wares in the market or teach him that a man may and must both make and eat his God to his breakfast This hard meat is for stronger mawes He knowes how first to beginne with the spoone and to offer nothing to a weake stomacke but discourse of easie digestion As first that a Catholike so liuing and dying by our confession may bee saued That there is but one Church as but one Christ and that out of this Arke there is no way but drowning That this one Church is more likely to be found in all the world than in a corner in all ages than in the last Century of yeeres in vnity than in diuision And now comes in the glorious brag of the Roman Vniuersality their inuiolate Antiquity their recorded successions their harmonious vnity their confessed magnificence That there is the mother Church as to the rest of Christendome so especially to the English How well a Monarchy the best forme of gouernment beseemes the Church How vnlikely it is that Christ would leaue his Spouse in the confusion of many heads or of none And now that we are but a rag torne from their coat and where was our religion before Luther lay with Bora And what miserable subdiuisions are there in our Protestancie and what a gleaning are we to the haruest of Christendome with infinite suggestions of this nature able as they are plausibly vrged to shake an vngrounded iudgement which if they haue so farre preuailed as that the hearer will abide himselfe hood-winkt with this vaile of the Church how easily shall time leade him into those hatefuller absurdities SECT XVII IN all which proceeding these impostors haue a double aduantage First that they deliuer the opinion of their Church with such mitigation and fauour as those that care to please not to informe forming the voice of the Church to the liking of the hearer not the iudgement of the hearer to the voice of the Church wherein it is not hard to obserue that Popery spoken and written are two things In discourse nothing is more ordinary than to disclaime some of their receiued positions to blanch others It is the malice of an aduersary that mis-reports them they doe not hold that images should bee adored that the wood of the Crosse should be worshipped with the very same deuotion that is due to Christ himselfe that the Church is the Iudge of Gods writings that Paul the fift cannot erre that a man may merit of his maker much lesse supererogate that a mouse may run away with that which either is or was God Almighty that it is lawfull to kill an hereticall King and all other those monsters of opinion which their most classicke Authors haue both hatcht and shamelesly thrust into the light of the world They defie those ridiculous Legends which we father vpon their Church how much do they scorne S. Francis his Bird or his Wolfe or his wounds or his Apostles of Assise Pope Ioane was but a fancy Neuer Pope was an hereticke If now we cry out of impudence and call their allowed Writers to witnes Loe euen they also are forged by vs and are taught to play booty on our side Thus resolued to out-face all euidence they make faire weather of their foulest opinions and inueigh against nothing so much as the spightfulnesse of our slanders It is not possible that any wise stranger should be in loue with the face of their Church if he might see her in her owne likenes and therefore they haue cunningly masked one part of it and painted another so as those features of hers which are vgly and offensiue shal not appeare to any but her own eyes And because bookes are dangerous blabs and will be telling the generations to come how strangely that face is altered with Age and Art therefore their tongues are clipped also and made to speake none but her owne words Out of this licence Exemplar Esist scriptae ad Dominum Paulinum quondam datarium sub Clementis 8. beatae memorie Pontificatu Ibid. Ibid. and hope to winne they can fit their dishes to euery palate and are so sawcy as to make the Church belie it selfe Hence it was that a Spanish Father could teach that it is not of the necessity of faith to beleeue that the present Pope is the Vicar of Christ and the successor of Peter That Hostius the Iesuite could say that the Pope abused his keyes and the authority of the Church in receiuing Henry the fourth That another of his fellowes in a discourse with a French Bishop could disparage the decision of his Holinesse in comparison of a Generall Councell That Menas the Reader of Diuinity at Valledolid following Salas the Iesuite could affirme the lawfulnesse of the mariage of religious persons vpon a doubtfull reuelation That more than one of that Order haue dared to broach Confession by letters against the Bull of Clement the 8. And if these men bee not sparing of their contradictions to that Vice-God of theirs whose vassals they are by peculiar profession how much more boldly will they swimme against the streame of any common opinion that may concerne the bodie of that head SECT XVIII THeir second aduantage is that they regard not with what vntruths they make good their own assertions It is all one with what morter or rubbish they build vp a side From hence flow the confident reports both of their miracles to conuince vs and their slanders to disgrace vs. Father Hayndius a Iesuite of 33. yeeres standing amongst 52. complaints which out of an honest remorse he put vp against his owne Society to their Generall Aquaviua findes this not the least that his fellowes shamed not to seeke the honour of their Order by cogging of miracles What packets flie about daily of their Indian wonders Euen Cardinall Bellarmine can abide to come in as an auoucher of these couzenages who dares auerre that his fellow Xauier had not only healed the deafe dumbe and blinde but raised the dead whiles his brother Acosta after many yeeres spent in those parts can pull him by
men that knew not him it is enough comfort to a good man wheresoeuer he is that hee is acquainted with God we are neuer out of our way while we follow the calling of God Neuer any man lost by his obedience to the Highest because Abraham yeelded God giues him the possession of Canaan I wonder more at his faith in taking this possession then in leauing his owne Behold Abraham takes possession for that Seed which hee had not which in nature he was not like to haue of that Land whereof hee should not haue one foot wherein his Seed should not be setled of almost fiue hundred yeares after The power of faith can preuent time and make future things present If wee be the true sonnes of Abraham we haue already while wee solourne here on earth the possession of our Land of Promise while we seeke our Countrey we haue it Yet euen Canaan doth not afford him bread which yet hee must beleeue shall flow with milke and honey to his Seede sense must yeeld to faith woe were vs if we must iudge of our future estate by the present Aegypt giues reliefe to Abraham when Canaan cannot In outward things Gods enemies may fare better then his friends Thrise had Aegypt preserued the Church of God in Abraham in Iacob in Christ God oft-times makes vse of the world for the behoofe of his though without their thankes as contrarily hee vses the wicked for scourges to his owne inheritance and burnes them because in his good they intended euill But what a change is this Hitherto hath Sarah bin Abrahams wife now Aegypt hath made her his sister feare hath turned him from an husband to a brother No strength of faith can exclude some doubtings God hath said I will make thee a great Nation Abraham saith the Aegyptians wil kill me He that liued by his faith yet shrinketh and sinneth How vainely shall we hope to beleeue without all feare and to liue vvithout infirmities Some little aspersions of vnbeliefe cannot hinder the praise and power of faith Abraham beleeued and it was imputed to him for righteousnesse He that through inconsideratenesse doubted twise of his own life doubted not of the life of his Seed euen from the dead and dry wombe of Sarah yet was it more difficult that his Posteritie should liue in Sarah then that Sarahs husband should liue in Aegypt This was aboue nature yet he beleeues it Sometimes the beleeuer sticks at easie tryals and yet breakes through the greatest temptations without feare Abrahams was old ere this promise and hope of a sonne and still the older the more vncapable yet God makes him waite twenty fiue yeares for performance No time is long to faith which hath learned to deferre hopes without fainting and irkesomenesse Abraham heard this newes from the Angell and laughed Sarah heard it and laughed they did not more agree in their desire then differ in their affection Abraham laughed for ioy Sarah for distrust Abraham laughed because he beleeued it would be so Sarah because she beleeued it could not be the same act varies in the manner of doing and the intention of the doer Yet Sarah laught but within her selfe and is bewrayed How God can finde vs out in secret sinnes how easily did shee now thinke that he which could know of her inward laughter could know of her conception and now she that laughed and beleeued not beleeueth and feareth What a liuely patterne doe I see in Abraham and Sarah of a strong faith and weake of strong in Abraham and weake in Sarah She to make God good of his word to Abraham knowing her owne barrennesse substitutes an Hagar and in an ambition of Seed perswades to Poligamy Abraham had neuer looked to obtaine the promise by any other then a barren wombe if his owne wife had not importuned him to take another when our own apparent means failes weake faith is put to their shifts and proiects strange deuices of her owne to attaine her end Shee will rather conceiue by another wombe then be childlesse when shee heares of an impossibilitie to nature shee doubteth and yet hides her diffidence and when she must beleeue feareth because she did distrust Abraham heares and beleeues and expects and reioyces he saith not I am old and weake Sarah is old and barren where are the many Nations that shal come from these withered loynes It is enough to him that God hath said it he sees not the meanes he sees the promise Hee knew that God would rather raise him vp seed from the very stones that be trod vpon then himselfe should want a large and happy issue There is no faith where there is either meanes or hopes Difficulties and impossibilities are the true obiects of beliefe Herevpon God addes to his name that which he would fetch from his loynes and made his name as ample as his posteritie neuer any man was a looser by beleeuing Faith is euer recompenced with glory Neither is Abraham content onely to wait for God but to smart for him God bids him cut his owne flesh he willingly sacrifices this parcell of his skin and blood to him that was the owner of all How glad hee is to carie this painfull marke of the loue of his Creator How forward to seale this couenant with blood betwixt God and him not regarding the sorenesse of his body in comparison of the confirmation of his soule The wound was not so grieuous as the signification was comfortable For herein he saw that from his loynes should come that blessed Seed which should purge his soule from all corruption Well is that part of vs lost which may giue assurance of the saluation of the whole our faith is not yet found if it haue not taught vs to neglect paine for God and more to loue his Sacraments then our owne flesh Of ISAAC sacrificed BVt all these are but easie taskes of Faith all ages haue stood amazed at the next not knowing whether they should more vvonder at Gods command or Abrahams obedience Many yeares had that good Patriarch waited for his Isaac now at last hee hath ioyfully receiued him and that with this gracious acclamation In Isaac shall thy seed be called and all Nations blessed Behold the sonne of his Age the sonne of his Loue the sonne of his Expectation he that might not endure a mocke from his brother must now endure the knife of his Father Take thine onely sonne Isaac whom thou louest and get thee to the Land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering Neuer any gold was tryed in so hot a fire Who but Abraham would not haue expostulated with God What Doth the God of mercies now begin to delight in blood Is it possible that Murder should become Piety Or if thou wilt needs take pleasure in an humane sacrifice is there none but Isaac fit for thine Altar none but Abraham to offer him Shall these hands destroy the fruits of mine owne loynes Can I not be
bidden If we will be vnseasonable in our good actions we may hurt and not benefit our selues Euery liuing thing in Iericho man woman child cattell must die our folly would thinke this mercilesse but there can bee no mercy in iniustice and nothing but iniustice in not fulfilling the charge of God The death of Malefactors the condemnation of wicked men seeme harsh to vs but we must learne of God that there is a punishing mercy Cursed be that mercy that opposes the God of mercy Yet was not Ioshua so intent vpon the slaughter as not to be mindfull of Gods part and Rahabs First he giues charge vnder a curse of reseruing all the treasure for God Then of preseruing the family of Rahab Those two Spyes that receiued life from her now returne it to her and hers They call at the window with the red cord and send vp newes of life to her the same way which they receiued theirs Her house is no part of Iericho neither may fire be set to any building of that City till Rahab and her family be set safe without the host The actions of our faith and charity will be sure to pay vs if late yet surely Now Rahab findes what it is to beleeue God whiles out of an impure idolatrous Citie she is transplanted into the Church of God and made a mother of a royall and holy posteritie Of ACHAN WHen the wals of Iericho were falne Ioshua charged the Israelites but with two precepts Of sparing Rahabs house and of abstaining from that treasure which was anathematized to God and one of them is broken As in the entrance to Paradise but one tree was forbidden and that was eaten of God hath prouided for our weaknesse in the paucity of commands but our innocency stands not so much in hauing few precepts as in keeping those we haue So much more guilty are wee in the breach of one as wee are more fauoured in the number They needed no command to spare no liuing thing in Iericho but to spare the treasure no command was enough Impartialitie of execution is easier to performe then contempt of these worldly things because we are more prone to couet for our selues then to pitie others Had Ioshua bidden saue the men and diuide the treasure his charge had been more plausible then now to kill the men and saue the treasure or if they must kill earthly minds would more gladly shead their enemies blood for a bootie then out of obedience for the glory of their Maker But now it is good reason since God threw downe those wals and not they that both the blood of that wicked Citie should be spilt to him not to their owne reuenge and that the treasure should bee reserued for his vse not for theirs Who but a miscreant can grudge that God should serue himselfe of his owne I cannot blame the rest of Israel if they were vvell pleased with their conditions onely one Achan troubles the peace and his sinne is imputed to Israel the innocence of so many thousand Israelites is not so forceable to excuse his one sinne as his one sinne is to taint all Israel A lewd man is a pernicious creature That hee damnes his owne soule is the least part of his mischiefe he commonly drawes vengeance vpon a thousand either by the desert of his sinne or by the infection Who would not haue hoped that the same God which for ten righteous men would haue spared the fiue wicked Cities should not haue beene content to drowne one sinne in the obedience of so many righteous But so venemous is sinne especially when it lights among Gods people that one dram of it is able to infect the whole masse of Israel Oh righteous people of Israel that had but one Achan How had their late circumcision cut away the vncleane foreskin of their disobedience How had the blood of their Paschal Lambe scoured their soules from couetous desires The world was well mended with them since their stubborne murmurings in the Desart Since the death of Moses and the gouernment of Ioshua I doe not find them in any disorder After that the Law hath brought vs vnder the conduct of the true Iesus our sinnes are more rare and our liues are more conscionable Whiles we are vnder the Law we do not so keep it as when wee are deliuered from it our Christian freedome is more holy then our seruitude Then haue the Sacraments of God their due effect when their receit purgeth vs from our old sinnes and makes our conuersation cleane and spirituall Little did Ioshua know that there was any sacriledge committed by Israel that sinne is not halfe cunning enough that hath not learned secrecie Ioshua was a vigilant Leader yet some sinnes will escape him Onely that eye which is euery where findes vs out in our close wickednesse It is no blame to authoritie that some sinnes are secretly committed The holiest congregation or family may be blemisht with some malefactors it is iust blame that open sinnes are not punished wee shall wrong gouernment if wee shall expect the reach of it should be infinite Hee therefore which if he had knowne the offence would haue sent vp prayers and teares to God now sends Spyes for a further discouery of Ai They turne with newes of the weaknesse of their aduersaries and as contemning their paucity perswades Ioshua that a wing of Israel is enough to ouershadow this city of Ai. The Israelites were so fleshed with their former victory that now they thinke no wals or men can stand before them Good successe lifts vp the heart with too much confidence and whiles it disswades men from doing their best oft-times disappoints them With God the meanes can neuer bee too weake without him neuer strong enough It is not good to contemne an impotent enemy In this second battell the Israelites are beaten It was not the fewnesse of their assailants that ouerthrow them but the sin that lay lurking at home If all the Host of Israel had set vpon this poore village of Ai they had beene all equally discomfited the wedge of Achan did more fight against them then all the swords of the Canaanites The victories of God go not by strength but by innocence Doubtlesse these men of Ai insulted in this foyle of Israel and said Loe these are the men from whose presence the waters of Iordan ran backe now they runne as fast away from ours These are they before whom the wals of Iericho fell downe now they are falne as fast before vs and all their neighbours tooke heart from this victory Wherein I doubt not but besides the punishment of Israels sinne God intended the further obduration of the Canaanites Like as some skilfull player loses on purpose at the beginning of the game to draw on the more abetments The newes of their ouerthrow spred as farre as the fame of their speed and euery City of Canaan could say Why not we as well as Ai But good
of this subiect and furnisht my selfe accordingly in that Region of wonders but that I feared to surcharge the nice stomacke of our time with too much Neither would my length haue ought auailed you whose thoughts are so taken vp with so high seruiceable cares that they can giue no leisure to an ouer-long discourse May it please you therefore to receiue in short what I haue deliberately resolued in my selfe and thinke I can make good to others I haue noted foure ranks of commonly-named miracles from which if you make a iust subduction how few of our wonders shall remaine either to beleefe or admiration The first meerely reported not seene to be done the next seeming to bee done but counterfaited the third truly done but not true miracles the last truly miraculous but by Satan The first of these are bred of lies and nourished by credulity The mouth of Fame is full of such blasts For these if I listed a while to rake in the Legends and booke of Conformities an ingenuous Papist could not but blush an indifferent Reader could not but lay his hand on his spleene and wonder as much that any man could bee so impudent to broach such reports or any so simple to beleeue them as the credulous multitude wonders that any should be so powerfull to effect them But I seeke neither their shame nor others laughter I dare say not the Talmud not the Alcoran hath more impossible tales more ridiculous lies Yea to this head Canus himselfe a famous Papist dares referre many of those ancient miracles reported and by all likelihood beleeued of Bede and Gregory The next are bred of fraud and cozenage nourished by superstition The Rood of grace at Boxley-Abbey Who knowes not how the famous Kentish Idoll moued her eyes and hands by those secret gimmers which now euery Puppet-play can imitate How Saint Wilfreds needle opened to the penitent and closed it selfe to the guilty How our Lady sheds the teares of a bleeding Vine and doth many of her daily feats as Bel did of old eat vp his banquet or as Picens the Eremite fasted forty dayes But these two euery honest Papist will confesse with voluntary shame and griefe and grant that it may grow a disputable question whether Mountebanks or Priests are the greater cozeners Vines beyond his wont vehemently termes them execrable and Satanicall impostors The third are true works of God vnder a false title God giues them their being men their name vniust because aboue their nature wherein the Philosopher and the superstitiously-ignorant are contrarily extreame while the one seekes out naturall causes of Gods immediate and metaphysicall workes the other ascribes ordinary effects to supernaturall causes If the violence of a disease cease after a vow made to our Lady if a souldier armed with this vow scape gun-shot a captiue prison a woman trauelling death the vulgar and I would they alone cry out A miracle One Load-stone hath more wonder in it than a thousand such euents Euery thing drawes a base minde to admiration Francesco del Campo one of the Arch-Dukes Quiryes told vs not without importunate deuotion that in that fatall field of Newport his vow to their Virgin helpt him to swim ouer a large water when the oates of his arms had neuer before tried any waues A dogge hath done more without acknowledgement of any Saint Feare giues sudden instincts of skill euen without precept Their owne Costerus durst say that the cure of a disease is no miracle His reason because it may be done by the power of Nature albe in a longer time * * * * * Fol. an â—il six cents trois y â—uerent competâ— cent tâ—ente cinque potences iambes de bois de personnes boytrules y apportè es ad scul espace dâ— quatre ou cinque moiâ— Histoire miracles c. 12. p 34. Yeeld this and what haue Lipsius his two Ladies done wherefore serues all this clamor from the two hils I assented not neither will be herein thus much their enemy For as well the manner of doing as the matter makes a miracle If Peters handkerchiefe or shadow heale a disease it is miraculous though it might haue beene done by a potion Many of their reconciles doubtlesse haue bin wrought through the strength of Nature in the PatieÌ„t not of vertue in the Saint How many sick men haue mended with their physicke in their pocket Though many other also I doubt not of those cures haue fallen into the fourth head which indeed is more knotty and require a deeper discourse Wherein if I shall euince these two things I shall I hope satisfie my Reader and cleare the Truth One that miracles are wrought by Satan the other that those which the Romish Church boasteth are of this nature of this author I contend not of words wee take miracles in Augustines large sense wherein is little difference betwixt a thing maruellous and miraculous such as the Spirit of God in either instrument cals 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Perhaps it would bee more proper to say that God workes these miracles by Satan for as in the naturall and voluntary motions of wicked men so in the supernaturall acts of euill spirits as they are acts there is more then a meere permission Satan by his tempest bereaues Iob of his children yet Iob looking higher saith The Lord hath taken No sophistry can elude this proofe of Moses that a Prophet or dreamer may giue a true signe or wonder and yet say Let vs go after strange Gods nor that of our Sauior who foretels of false christs Deut. 13â— false Prophets that shall giue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signes and wonders and those great There are some too great I grant for the hand of all infernall powers by which our Sauiour inuincibly proues the truth of his deity These neuer graced falshood neither admit any precedent from our times As to the rest so frequent and common for me I could not beleeue the Church of Rome were Antichristian if it had not boasted of these wonders All the knot lies then in the application of this to Rome and our imaginary Lady How shall it appeare that their miracles are of this kind Ludouicus Vines giues six notes to distinguish Gods miracles from Satans Lipsius three Both of them too many as might easily be discouered by discussing of particulars It is not so much the greatnesse of the work not the beleefe of witnesses nor the quality nor manner of the action nor truth of essence that can descry the immediate hand which worketh in our miracles That alone is the true and golden rule which Iustin Martyr if at least that booke be his prescribes in his Questions and Answers How shall it bee knowne that our miracles are beter than the Heathens although the euent countenance both alike Resp Ex fide cultu veri Dei By
nature veniall and not worthy of death more that our originall sinne is but the want of our first iustice no guilt of our first fathers offence no inherent ill disposition and that by Baptismall water is taken away what euer hath the nature of sinne that a meere man let mee not wrong Saint Peters successor in so tearming him hath power to remit both punishment and sinne past and future that many haue suffered more then their sinnes haue required that the sufferings of the Saints added to Christs passions make vp the treasure of the Church that spirituall Exchequer whereof their Bishop must keepe the key and make his friends In all these the gaine of Nature who sees not is Gods losse all her brauery is stolne from aboue besides those other direct derogations from him that his Scriptures are not sufficient that their originall fountaines are corrupted and the streames runne clearer that there is a multitude if a finite number of Mediators Turne your eyes now to vs and see contrarily how we abase Nature how wee knead her in the dust spoiling her of her proud rags loading her with reproaches and giuing glory to him that sayes he will not giue it to another whiles we teach that we neither haue good nor can doe good of our selues that we are not sicke or fettered but dead in our sinne that we cannot moue to good more then we are moued that our best actions are faulty our satisfactions debts our deserts damnation that all our merit is his mercy that saues vs that euery of our sinnes is deadly euery of our natures originally depraued and corrupted that no water can entirely wash away the filthinesse of our concupiscence that none but the blood of him that was God can cleanse vs that all our possible sufferings are below our offences that Gods written Word is all-sufficient to informe vs to make vs both wise and perfect that Christs mediation is more then sufficient to saue vs his sufferings to redeeme vs his obedience to inrich vs. You haue seene how Papistry makes Nature proud now see how it makes her lawlesse and wanton while it teacheth yet this one not so vniuersally that Christ dyed effectually for all that in true contrition an expresse purpose of new life is not necessarie that wicked men are true members of the Church that a lewd mis-creant or infidell in the businesse of the Altar partakes of the true body and blood of Christ yea which a shame to tell a brute creature that men may saue the labour of searching for that it is both easie and safe with that Catholike Collier to beleeue with the Church at a venture more then so that deuotion is the seed of ignorance that there is infallabilitie annexed to a particular place and person that the bare act of the Sacraments confers grace without faith that the meere signe of the Crosse made by a Iew or Infidell is of force to driue away Diuels that the sacrifice of the Masse in the very worke wrought auailes to obtaine pardon of our sinnes not in our life onely but when we lye frying in purgatory that we need not pray in faith to be heard or in vnderstanding that almes giuen merit heauen dispose to iustification satisfie God for sinne that abstinence from some meats and drinkes is meritorious that Indulgences may be granted to dispense vvith all the penance of sinnes afterward to bee committed that these by a liuing man may be applyed to the dead that one man may deliuer anothers soule out of his purging torments and therefore that hee who vvants not either money or friends need not feare the smart of his sinnes O religion sweet to the wealthy to the needy desperate who will now care henceforth how sound his deuotions be how lewd his life how hainous his sinnes that knowes these refuges On the contrary we curbe Nature we restraine we discourage we threaten her teaching her not to rest in implicit faiths or generall intensions or external actions of piety or presumptuous dispensations of men but to striue vnto sincere faith without which we haue no part in Christ in his Church no benefit by Sacraments prayers fastings beneficences to set the heart on worke in all our deuotions without which the hand and tongue are but hypocrites to set the hands on worke in good actions without which the presuming heart is but an hypocrite to expect no pardon for sinne before we commit it and from Christ alone when wee haue committed it and to repent before we expect it to hope for no chaffering no ransome of our soules from below no contrary change of estate after dissolution that life is the time of mercy death of retribution Now let me appeale to your soule and to the iudgement of all the vvorld whether of these two religions is framed to the humour of Nature yea let mee but know vvhat action Popery requires of any of her followers which a meere Naturalist hath not done cannot doe See how I haue chosen to beat them with that rod wherewith they thinke we haue so often smarted for what cauill hath beene more ordinary against vs then this of ease and liberty yea licence giuen and taken by our religion together with the vpbraidings of their owne strict and rigorous austerenesse Where are our penall workes our fastings scourges haire-cloth weary pilgrimages blushing confessions solemne vowes of willing beggery and perpetuall continencie To doe them right we yeeld in all the hard workes of will-worship they goe beyond vs but lest they should insult in the victory not so much as the Priests of Baal went beyond them I see their whips shew me their kniues Where did euer zealous Romanist lance and carue his flesh in deuotion The Baalites did it and yet neuer the wiser neuer the holier Either therefore this zeale in workes of their owne deuising makes them not better then we or it makes the Baalites better then they let them take their choise Alas these difficulties are but a colour to auoid greater No no to worke out stubborne wils to subiection to draw this vntoward flesh to a sincere cheerefulnesse in Gods seruice to reach vnto a sound beliefe in the Lord Iesus to pray with a true heart without distraction without distrust without mis-conceit to keepe the heart in continuall awe of God These are the hard tasks of a Christian worthy of our sweat worthy of our reioycing all which that Babylonish religion shifteth off with a carelesse fashionablenesse as if it had not to doe with the soule Giue vs obedience let them take sacrifice Doe you yet looke for more euidence looke into particulars and satisfie your selfe in Gods decision as Optatus aduised of old Since the goods of our father are in question whither should we goe but to his Will and Testament My soule beare the danger of this bold assertion If we erre wee erre with Christ and his Apostles In a word against all staggering our Sauiours rule
which thou hatest Satan hath no Dart I speake confidently that can pierce this shield Christians are indeed too oft surprized ere they can hold it out there is no small policy in the suddennesse of temptation but if they haue once setled it before their brest they are safe and their enemy hopelesse Vnder this head therefore there is sure remedy against sinne by looking vpwards backwards into our selues forwards Vpwards at the glorious Maiestie and infinite goodnesse of that God whom our sinne would offend and in whose face wee sinne whose mercies and whose holinesse is such that if there were no hell wee would not offend Backwards at the manifold fauours whereby we are obliged to obedience Into our selues at that honorable vocation wherewith hee hath graced vs that holy profession we haue made of his calling and grace that solemne vow and couenant whereby wee haue confirmed our profession the gracious beginnings of that Spirit in vs which is grieued by our sinnes yea quenched Forwards at the ioy which vvill follow vpon our forbearance that peace of conscience that happy expectation of glory compared with the momentarie and vnpleasing delight of a present sinne All these out of loue Feare is a retentiue as necessarie not so ingenuous It is better to be wonne then to be frighted from sinne to be allured then drawne Both are little inough in our pronenesse to euill Euill is the onely obiect of feare Herein therefore we must terrifie our stubbornnesse with both euils Of losse and of sense that if it be possible the horror of the euent may counteruaile the pleasure of the tentation Of losse remembring that now we are about to lose a God to cast away all the comforts and hopes of another world to rob our selues of all those sweet mercies we inioyed to thrust his spirit out of dores vvhich cannot abide to dwel vvithin the noisome stench of sinne to shut the doores of heauen against our selues Of sense That thus we giue Satan a right in vs power ouer vs aduantage against vs That wee make God to frowne vpon vs in heauen That we arme all his good creatures against vs on earth That we doe as it vvere take Gods hand in ours and scourge our selues with all temporall plagues and force his curses vpon vs and ours That we wound our owne consciences with sinnes that they may wound vs with euerlasting torments That we doe both make a hell in our breasts beforehand and open the gates of that bottomlesse pit to receiue vs afterwards That we doe now cast brimstone into the fire and lest wee should faile of tortures make our selues our owne fiends These and vvhat euer other terrors of this kinde must be laid to the soule vvhich if they be throughly vrged to an heart not altogether incredulous vvell may a man aske himselfe how he dare sinne But if neither this Sunne of mercies nor the tempestuous windes of iudgement can make him cast off Peters cloake of vvickednesse hee must be clad vvith confusion as vvith a cloake according to the Psalmist I tremble to thinke how many liue as if they vvere neither beholden to God nor afraid of him neither in his debt nor danger As if their heauen and hell vvere both vpon earth sinning not onely vvithout shame but not vvithout malice It is their least ill to doe euill Behold they speake for it ioy in it boast of it inforce to it as if they would send challenges into heauen and make loue to destruction Their lewdnesse cals for our sorrow and zealous obedience that our God may haue as true seruants as enemies And as vve see naturall qualities increased vvith the resistance of their contraries so must our grace vvith others sinnes vvee shall redeeme somewhat of Gods dishonour by sinne if vve shall thence grow holy To Mr Doctor MILBVRNE EP. IV. Discoursing how farre and wherein Popery destroyeth the foundation THe meane in all things is not more safe then hard whether to finde or keepe and as in all other moralitie it lyeth in a narrow roome so most in the matter of our censure especially concerning Religion wherein we are wont to be either carelesse or too peremptorie How farre and wherein Popery raceth the foundation is worth our inquirie I need not stay vpon words By foundation we meane the necessary grounds of Christian faith This foundation Papistry defaces by laying a new by casting down the old In these cases addition destroyes he that obtrudes a new word no lesse ouerthrowes the Scripture then he that denies the old yea this very obtrusion denies he that sets vp a new Christ reiects Christ Two foundations cannot stand at once the Arke and Dagon Now Papistry layes a double new foundation the one a new rule of faith that is a new vvord the other a new Author or guide of faith that is a new head besides Christ God neuer laid other foundation then in the Prophets and Apostles vpon their diuine writing he meant to build his Church which he therefore inspired that they might be like himselfe perfect and eternall Popery builds vpon an vnwritten word the voice of old but doubtfull Traditions the voice of the present Church that is as they interpret it theirs vvith no lesse confidence and presumption of certainty then any thing euer written by the singer of God If this be not a new foundation the old vvas none God neuer taught this holy Spouse to know any other husband then Christ to acknowledge any other head to follow any other Shepheard to obey any other King he alone may be enioyed without iealousie submitted to without danger without error beleeued serued without scruple Popery offers to impose on Gods Church a King Shepheard Head Husband besides her own A man a man of sinne He must know all things can erre in nothing direct informe animate command both in earth and Purgatorie expound Scriptures canonize Saints forgiue sinnes create new Articles of Faith and in all these is absolute and infallible as his Maker who sees not that if to attribute these things to the Son of God be to make him the foundation of the Church then to ascribe them to another is to contradict him that said Other foundation can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ To lay a new foundation doth necessarily subuert the old yet see this further actually done in particulars wherin yet this distinction may cleare the way The foundation is ouerthrown two wayes either in flat tearmes when a maine principle of faith is absolutely denyed as the deity and consubstantialitie of the Son by Arrius the Trinity of persons by Sabellius and Seruetus the resurrection of the body by Himeneus Philetus the last Iudgement by S. Peters mockers Or secondly by consequent vvhen any opinion is maintained which by iust sequel ouer-turneth the truth of that principle which the defendant professes to hold yet so as he will not grant the necessitie of that deduction So
garment that is but mended a new house that is repaired Blush if yee haue any shame who thus ignorantly and maliciously cast this in our teeth Goe to now my brethren wee are by Gods grace reformed Let vs take heed lest we be deformed againe by mutuall dissentions This is that which weakens and lames vs and which laies vs open to the insulting triumphs of our Aduersaries Yet lest wee should seeme to giue too much way to a spightfull slander these iarres of our 〈◊〉 so great as our enemies either desire or clamour Certainly what disconâ—â—â—ner hitherto haue troubled vs wee are beholding to none other for them but to these our kinde enemies who vpbraid vs with them For if they had but reacht forth vnto vs an helping hand in due time and ioyntly conferd their endeuours which then behooued them for the reforming of the Church all had run squarely on There had beene no iarres no grudgings no parts takings But they stifly refused and by their frowardnesse and pertinacy caused this so weighty a taske to be cast vpon some few and those both weak vnable and altogether vnfit for such a charge It could not therefore be otherwise but that the opinions of some single men not conferd together in such a businesse must needs somewhat differ But thankes be to thee O blessed God the Author of peace that hast vouchsafed by thy spirit so to bridle the distemperate affections of men that their busie spirits being stirred vp haue not boyled forth into more fearefull diuisions But what are these so great dissentions and blowes of bloudy warre which our aduersaries so cry out vpon Forsooth rather than want they can faine names of sects to themselues And where they can finde the least difference in the paper of any obscure Author of ours presently they cry out New schismes new sects What malice is this what eager desire of multiplying quarrels If it had been so of old so small hides had not serued to containe the volumes of Augustine Epiphanius Philastrius there had not beene fewer sects than teachers since the publishing of the Gospell But let vs passe ouer the number and come to the weight Let the malitious prattle what they will With some of ours the controuersie is not about any solid lims of Christian Faith but onely of the very skin with some others not about the skin but the garment rather nor about the garment it selfe neither but of the very hemme There are certaine scholasticall opinions of a middle ranck meere Theologicall Corollaries or perhaps some outward ceremonies wherein we dissent Principles of Christian Religion there are not And withall these controuersies are but such as that when the heat whether of zeale or anger shall abate and either part shall well vnderstand each other they will easily admit of a Reconciliation Neither haue these very Romanists lesser quarrels amongst themselues They can more hide their enmities not exercise them lesse If they bee more wise they are not more accordant Neither is there I dare say any head of Religion wherein they doe at once differ from vs and agree all with one another Finally our differences are no greater than were those of old among the holy Fathers of the Church whose quarrels notwithstanding are not so odiously blazoned by posterity I let passe the priuate scoldings of the Ancients not without some vnpleasing I had almost said misbeseeming tartnesse I had rather set before your eyes for good luck sake those publique altercations of the Churches and Fathers which afterward shut vp in a blessed concord What quarrels arose at the Councell of Ephesus betweene Cyril of Alexandria and Iohn of Antioch The Churches vnder both stuck not to counterthunder Anathemaes one against another Thereupon Theodoret thrust in his sickle into this haruest against whom Cyrillus by Enoptius instigation makes as strong opposition Theodoret accuseth Cyril of Apollinarisme Cyril accuses Theodoret of Nestorianisme The flame of their rage brake out more and more and almost drew the Christian world to parties so that afterwards when Theodoret would haue entred the Councell of Chalcedon the Egyptian and other reuerend Bishops cryed out We must cast out Cyril if we take in Theodoret The very Canons cast him forth God abhors him The like was done afterwards in the eighth Action The Bishops openly proclaiming He is an Heretick a Nestorian Away with the Heretick But when the matter was well scand and it was found that he willingly subscrib'd to the Orthodox Creeds and the Epistles of Leo The whole Synod with one accord cryed out Theodoret is well worthy of a See in the Church Let the Church receiue her Orthodox Pastor It is worthy of immortality that which Gregory Nazianzan â—â—t ordeth of holy Athanasius The Romans seem'd to the Easterne Churches to follow the heresies of Sobellius in denying three Hypostases The Easterne likewise seemed to the Romans to fauour too much of Arrius in denying three Persons The quarrell grew hot Then came that great dispenser of soules and hauing meekly and mildly calld forth both sides before him he so handled the businesse that granting them the free vse of their termes he tied them close to the matter and shewed them a light whereby they might behold one another vpon this without more adoe finding themselues both in the right they fall to mutuall embracements Neither would it speed otherwise with vs Brethren as I doe verily beleeue if some Athanasius from Heauen would but ioyne our hands together Oh if once the gates of intestine and horrid warres were shut vp and the religious Princes which are the Nursing-fathers of the reformed Churches would command by vertue of their authority a Synod to be assembled as Generall as it might wherein both parts freely and modestly might lay forth their opinions and such common termes might be agreed vpon as wherein both parts might freely rest without preiudice to either How easily then how happily might these grieuous stirs bee quietly pacified Let vs pray for this my brethren let vs pray deuoutly In the meane while let vs all sweetly incline our hearts to peace and vnity Let there be amongst vs as S. Augustine to Ierome pure brotherhood Neither let vs suffer our selues vpon euery slight quirke of opinion to be distracted or torne asunder Let vs forget that there were euer any such in respect of the deuotion of a Sect as Luther Melancton Caluin Zuinglius Arminius or if any other mortall name for what haue we to doe with man Let vs breathe nothing let vs affect nothing but Iesus Christ We Diuines are Pleyades as Gregory saith wittily Let vs therefore shine still together though not without some difference of place In a pomegranate are many graines vnder one rinde You know the mystery Let vs ioyne these pomegranates to our Bells Let vs be loud but consorted Let vs deuote for euer with one heart all our operations ministeries gifts to one God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to
that all the reall brables and suits amongst men arise from either true or pretended iniustice of contracts Let me leade you in a terme morning to the spacious Hall of Iustice What is the cause of all that concourse that Hiue-like murmure that noise at the Bar but iniurious bargaines fraudulent conueyances false titles disappointment of trusts wrongfull detentions of money goods lands coozenages oppressions extortions Could the honesty and priuate Iustice of men preuent these enormities silence and solitude would dwell in that wide Palace of Iustice neither would there be more Pleas than Cob-webs vnder that vast roofe Euery way therefore it is cleare that the worke of Iustice is peace In so much as the Guardians of Peace are called Iusticers This for the Common-wealth If it please you to cast your eyes vpon her Sister the Church you shall finde that the outward Peace thereof also must arise from Iustice Alas thence is our hopelesnesse Neuer may they prosper that loue not that wish not peace within those sacred wals but what possibility of Peace in the peremptory repulses of Iustice What possibility of Iustice in the long vsurped tyranny of the successor of Romulus Could we hope to see Iustice once shine from those seuen hils we would make account of Peace but oh the miserable iniustice of that imperious Sea Iniustice of claime iniustice of practice Of claime ouer Kings Church Scriptures Conscience Ouer Kings there is S. Pauls super-exalted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord of the world His vsuall title is Orbis Dominus Dominus vniuersorum in the mouthes and pens of his flatterers And lest Princes should seeme exempted He is Rex Regum as Paulus 4. saies of himselfe Ouer Emperors and Kings he is super Imperatores reges saith their Antoninus Triumphus Capistranus and who not How much you know the calculation of the magnitude of the two great lights How ouer them As the master ouer the seruant they are the words of their Pope Nicholas The Imperiall throne is vnde nisi à nobis saith Pope Adrian What should I tell you of his bridle Whence but from vs stirrup toe cup canopy Let the booke of holy Ceremonies say the rest These things are stale The world hath long seene and blushed Ouer the Church There is challenged a proper head-ship from whom all influences of life sense motion come as their Bozius why said I ouer He is vnder the Church For he is the foundation of the Church saith Bellarmine Ouer as the head vnder as the foundation What can Christ be more Thence where are generall councels but vnder him as the streame of Iesuites Who but he is regula fidei as their Andradius he alone hath infallibility and indefectibility whether in decretis fidei or in praeceptis morum In decrees of faith or precepts of manners as Bellarmine He hath power to make new Creeds to obtrude them to the Church the deniall wherof was one of those Articles which Leo the tenth condemned in Luther Ouer Scriptures There is claimed a power to authorize them for such A power to interpret them sententialiter Obligatoriè being such A power to dispense with them ex causā though such Ouer the consciences of men In dispensing with their oathes in allowance of their sins It is one head of their Canon Law He absolues from the oath of Allegeance A Iuramento fidelitatis absoluit Decret p. 2. Caus 15. qu. 6. And in euery oath is vnderstood a reseruation and exception of the Popes power say his Parasites I am ashamed to tell and you would blush to heare of the dispensation reported to be granted by Sixtus 4. to the family of the Cardinall of S. Lucie and by Alexander 6. to Peter Mendoza Cardinall of Valentia And as there is horrible iniustice in these claimes so is there no lesse in practise Take a taste of all What can be more vniust than to cast out of the lap of the Church those that oppose their nouelties to condemne them to the stake to hell for Heretikes What more vniust than to falsifie the writings of ancient or moderne Authors by secret expurgations by wilfull mis-editions what more vniust than the withholding the remedy of generall Councels and transacting all the affaires of the Church by a pack't conclaue What more vniust than the suppression of the Scriptures and mutilation of the Sacrament to the Laity What more vniust than allowance of equiuocation than vpholding a faction by willing falshood of rumors than plotting the subuersion of King and State by vnnaturall conspiracies Well may wee call heauen and earth to record against the iniustice of these claimes of these practises What then Is it to hope for Peace notwithstanding the continuance of all these So the worke of Iniustice shall be Peace And an vniust and vnsound Peace must it needs be that arises from iniustice Is it to hope they will abandon these things for Peace Oh that the Church of God might once be so happy That there were but any life in that possibility In the meane time let God and his holy Angels witnesse betwixt vs that on their part the Peace faileth we are guiltlesse What haue we done What haue we attempted What haue we innouated Only we haue stood vpon a iust and modest negatiue and haue vniustly suffered Oh that all the innocent bloud we haue shed could wash their hands from Iniustice from enmity to Peace That from them we may returne to our selues For the publike we enioy an happy Peace Blessed be God for Iustice and if in this common harmony of Peace there be found some priuate iarres of discord whence is it but from our owne Iniustice The world is of another minde whose wont is to censure him that punishes the fault not him that makes it Seuerity not guiltinesse in common opinion breakes the Peace Let the question be who is the great make-bate of the world begin with the family Who troubles the house The like discourse to this ye shall finde in Coara Schlusselburgius in his preface to his thirteenth booke Catal. Haeret. Not vnruly headstrong debaucht children that are ready to throw the house out of the windowes but the austere father that reproues that corrects them would he winke at their disorders all would be quiet Not carelesse slothfull false lime-fingred seruants but the strict master that obserues and rates and chastises them would he hold his hands and tongue there would be peace Not the peeuish and turbulent wife who forgetting the rib vsurps vpon the head but the resolute husband that hates to leese his authority in his loue remembring that though the rib be neare the heart yet the head is aboue the shoulders Would he fall from the termes of his honour there would be peace In the Country not the oppressing Gentleman that tyrannizes ouer his cottagers incroches vpon his neighbours inheritance incloses commons depopulates villages scruzes his Tenants to
lewd men from the Church by iust censures You speake confusedly of your owne separation one while of both another while of either single For the first either confesse it done by our Baptisme or else you shall be forced to hold we must rebaptize Charact. of Beast Praef. But of this Constitutiue separation anon For the second of sinners whether in iudgement or life some are more grosse hainous incorrigible others lesse notorious and more tractable those other must be separated by iust censures not these Which censures if they be neglected the Church is foule and in your Pastors word faultie Iohns Inquir and therefore calls for our teares not for our flight Now of Churches faultie and corrupted some raze the foundation others on the true foundation build timber hay stubble From those we must separate from these we may not PETERS rule is eternall Ioh. 6.68 Whither shall wee goe from thee thou hast the words of eternall life where these words are found woe be to vs if we be not found Amongst many good separations then yours cannot be separated from euill for that we should so farre separate from the euill that therefore we should separate from Gods children in the communion of the holy things of God that for some after your worst done not fundamentall corruptions H. Cl. Epistle before Treatise of Sinne against the Holy Ghost we should separate from that Church in whose wombe wee were conceiued and from betwixt whose knees we fell to God in a word as one of yours once said to separate not onely from visible euill but from visible good as all Antichristian who but yours can thinke lesse than absurd and impious Grant we should be cleane separated from the World yet if we be not must you be separated from vs Doe but stay till God haue separated vs from himselfe Neque propter paleam relinquam aream Domini neque propter pisces males rumpimus retia Domini Aug. epist 48 will the wise Husbandman cast away his Corne-heap for the chaffe and dust Shall the Fisher cast away a good draught because his Drag-Net hath Weeds Doth God separate from the faithfull soule because it hath some corruptions her Inmates though not her commanders Certainly if you could thorowly separate the World from you you would neuer thus separate your selues from vs Begin at home separate all selfe-loue and selfe-will and vncharitablenesse from your hearts and you cannot but ioyne with that Church from which you haue separated Your Doctor would perswade vs you separate from nothing but our corruptious Answ Counterpoyson p. 2. you are honester and grant it from our Church it were happy for you if he lied not who in the next page confutes himselfe shewing that you separate from vs as Christ from the Samaritans namely from the Church not the corruptions onely Counterpoyson p. 7. 8. c. and not as he did from the Iewes namely from their corruptions not from their Church His memorie saues our labour and marres his discourse SEP The separation we haue made in respect of our knowledge and obedience is indeed late and new yet is it in the nature and causes thereof as ancient as the Gospell which was first founded in the enmitie which God himselfe put betwixt the seed of the Woman and the seede of the Serpent Genes 3.15 which enmitie hath not onely beene successiuely continued but also visibly manifested by the actuall separation of all true Churches from the World in their collection and constitution before the Law vnder the Law and vnder the Gospell Genes 4.13 14.16 6.1 2. 7.1.7 with 1 Pet. 3.20.12 12.2 Leuit. 20.24.26 Nehem. 9.2 Ioh. 17.14.16 Acts 2.40 19.9 1 Cor. 6.17 SECTION V. YET if not equitie it were well you could plead age The antiquitie and examples of separation This your separation in the nature and causes of it you say is no lesse ancient than the first institution of enmitie betwixt the two seedes you might haue gone a little higher and haue said than our first Parents running from God in the Garden or their separation from God by their sinne But we take your time and easily beleeue that this your late separation was founded vpon that ancient enmitie of the seed of the serpent Euseb Hist Ecc. with the womans That subtle Deuill when he saw the Church breath from the persecutions of Tyrants vexed her no lesse with her owne diuisions seeking that by fraud which by violence he could not effect Hence all the fearefull Schismes of the Church whereof yours is part This enmitie hath not onely beene successiuely continued but also too visibly manifested by the actuall but wilfull separation of Heretikes and Sectaries from the Church in all ages But I mistake you yours is as ancient as the Gospell What Hen. Steph. Apol Herod Fox Act. Monu H. N. his booke Gal. 1.6 Eph. 6.17 Col. 1.5 1 Tim. 1 11. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Euangelium aeteruum of the Friers whose name they accursedly borrowed from Reuel 14.6 Or that Euangelium Regni of the Familists Or that Euangelium aliud whereof Saint PAVL taxeth his Galatians None of all these you say but as that Gospell of Peace of Truth of Glory so ancient and neuer knowne till Bolton Barrow and Browne Could it escape all the holy Prophets Apostles Doctors of the old middle and later world and light onely vpon these your three Patriarchs Perhaps Nonatus or Donatus those Saints with their Schooles had some little glimpse of it but this perfection of knowledge is but late and new So many rich Mines haue lien long vnknowne and great parts of the World haue beene discouered by late Venturers If this course haue come late to your knowledge and obedience not so to others For loe it was practised successiuely in the constitution and collection of all true Churches through all times before the Law vnder the Law after it We haue acknowledged many separations but as soone shall you finde the time past in the present as your late separation Iren. de Valen. l. 1. Innumerabilem multitudinem Scripturarum quas ipsi finxerunt afferunt ad stuporem insensatorum Vid. Preface to M. Iacobs and Iohnson Confer and Barr. pass Description of the true visible Church Nihil autem miram si ex ipsius instrumento aptentur argumenta cum oporteat hereses esse quae esse non possunt si non perperam Scripturae intelligi possunt Tertull. de Resurrect Ibid. So Barrow tearmes Mast Gyffords Refut pag. 102. Si Christianus Iudaicae praeuaricanti carnaliter coniungatur à commuâ—â—ne Ecclesiae segregetur Dist 28. q. 1. Caâ—â— cap. siquis Iudaicae c. 1 Pet. 3.19 2 Pet. 2.5 in the ancient and approued You quote Scriptures though to your praise more daintie indeed than your fellowes Who cannot doe so Who hath not Euen Satan himselfe cites the word against him which was the word of his
parts of that Church or no Was there any other ordination of Ministers than from them Reiect these and all the world will hisse at you Receiue them and where is our Apostasie What Antichristianisme haue we wherof these were freed But you leape backe if I vrge you farre from hence to the Apostles times to fetch our once true Church from farre that it might be deare You shall not carue for vs we like not these bold ouerleapes of so many Centuries I speake boldly you dare not stand to the triall of any Church since theirs Now I heare your Doctor say this Challenge fauours of Rome H. Answorth in his fore-speech to his Count. Inqu into Wh. Tertul. l. de Ora. Tertul. lib. de Praescript So. de Virginib Veland That no continuance of time can preiudice Truth Si me reprehendas errantem patere me quaeso errare cum talibus Aug. Hier. Fr. Iohnson in his Answ to T. Wh. pag. 26. Ans against Brough p. 17. These Dutch churches offend not only in practicall disorders but in their Constitution Gouernment Worship c. Troubl and Excom at Amsterdam p. 10. Browne charged with it by Barr. Letter to Master Egerton G. Iohnson ibid. pag. 194. Fr. Iohns Inqui. Act. 15.38 Departing that is not going with them Barr. pref to the Separation defend In his Obseruations p. 251. We doe not there condemne the Parish-Assemblies as separated from Christ but proue them not as yet gathered to Christ So Confe with Sperin p. 9. Fr. Iohnsons Inquiry pag. 36. H. Barr. Obseruation 242. Antiquitie is with you a Popish plea we haue willingly taken vp our Aduersaries at this by pretence their owne weapon You debarre it in the conscience of your own nouell singularitie Yet your Pastor can be content to make vse of Tertullian alone against all Fathers That such things are iustly to be charged with vanitie as are done without any precept either of the Lord or of the Apostles And the Apostles did faithfully deliuer to the Nations the Discipline they receiued of Christ which we must beleeue to be the tumultuary Discipline of the refined housefull at Amsterdam What all in all Ages and places till now Apostates Say if you can that those famous Churches wherein Cyprian Athanasius Ambrose Hierome Austen Chrysostome and the rest of those blessed Lights liued were lesse deepe in this Apostasie than ours O Apostaticall Fathers that separated not yea say if you dare that other reformed Churches are not ouer the Ankles with vs in this Apostasie What hard news is this to vs when as your Oracle dare say not much lesse of the reformed Churches of Netherlands with whom you liue Thus he writes For not hearing of them in other Congregations in these Countries this I answer That seeing by the mercy of God wee haue seene and forsaken the corruptions yet remaining in the publike Ministration and condition of these Churches if they bee all like to these of this Cittie we cannot therefore partake with them in such case without declining and Apostasie from the truth which we haue our selues alreadie receiued and professed See here to partake with them in Gods seruice is Apostasie If so in the accessories Alas what crime is in the principall It were but Apostasie to heare an English sermon a Dutch is no lesse Wo is you that you dwell still in Meshech Good men it were not more happie for you than the Church that you were well in Heauen No lesse than Apostasie Let no Reader be appalled at so fearefull a word this is one of the termes of Art familiar to this way Finde but any one page of a Dutch printed Volume without Apostasie Excommunication Commingling Constitution and suspect it not theirs Heresie is not more frequent at Rome than Apostasie at Amsterdam nor Indulgences more ordinary there than here Excommunications Common vse makes terrible things easie Their owne Master St. for holding with the Dutch Baptisme and Read-prayers is acknowledged to be cast out for an Apostate yea their Doctor Master Answorth is noted with this marke from themselues There is much latitude as happie is in their Apostasie For when Stanshal Mercer and Iacob Iohnson were to be chosen Officers in their Church and exception was taken by some at their Apostasie answer was made It was not such Apostasie as debarred them from Office it was but a slip Iohn Marke whether as Isichius and Theophylact thinke the blessed Euangelist or some other holy Minister is by the whole Parlour at Amsterdam branded with this lame Apostasie who departed indeed but from Paul in his iourney not from Christ in his faith and therefore his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is expounded by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 15.38 why doe we thinke much to drinke of an Euangelists Cup Yet let this ignorant Epistler teach his censorious Answerer one point of his own that is the Separatists skill and tell him that he obiects two crimes to one poore Church which are incompatible want of Constitution and Apostasie Thus writes your Master of vs If it were admitted which can neuer be proued that they sometimes had beene true established Churches Loe here we neuer had true Constitution therefore we are not capable of Apostasie If we once had it and so were true Churches heare what your Pastor saith As Christ giueth to all true Churches their being so we must leaue it vnto him to take it away when and as he pleaseth And therefore since he hath not remoued his Candlesticke nor taken away his Kingdome in spight of all obiected Apostasies wee still continue so and by consequent your separation vpon this ground is most vniust No faults disanull the being of a Church vntil contempt of Gods Word be added therunto after due coÌ„uiction The faults errors of a Church may be seuerely reproued conuinced according to the qualitie therof and yet the Church not be condemned N. B. Iob 24.19 Vulg. Edit Cypr. Epist ad Cornel. Non est maius peccatum quà m apostatare à Deo Aug. in Psal 18. Prou. 6.12 Iob. 3â— 18 Ezec. 2.3 Apocal. 2.3 Thou hast laboured and not giuen in Tertul. de Pat. Si hominibus placetur Dominus offenditur si vero illud eniâ—mur laboramus vt possimus Deo placere conuitia maledicta debemus humana contemnere Confessed by M. Iohn loc seq Inquir of Th. White pag. 65. Gen. 49.7 Cypr. de simplic prael Quid facit in corde Christiano Luporum seritas Caenum rabies Aug. Confess l. 9. c. 9. Qualia solet eructare turgens indigesta discordia An Apostate had wont to bee the fearefull surname of damned Iulian Tertus was an easie accuser to whom yet we may say with Elihu Nâ—â— dicis Regi Apostata Behold now so many Apostataes as men Holy Cyprian describes him by forsaking Christs colours and taking vp Armes for Gentilisme in life or heresie in iudgement And Augustine tells vs there cannot be a greater sinne than Apostasie
hands of their Bishops so they did to Baal God and our Superiours haue had euer one and the same outward gesture Though here Paulus in vita Ambros not the Agent is so much regarded as the Action if your Ordinary would haue suffered you to haue done this peece of Idolatry you had neuer separated But the true God Bel and Dragon of England is the humane-Diuine-Seruice-Booke Let vs see what ashes or lumpes of pitch this Daniel brings We worship God in and by it as Papists doe by their Images Indeed we worship God in and by prayers contained in it Why should we not Tell me why is it more Idolatry for a man to worship God in and by a prayer read or got by heart than by a prayer conceiued I vtter both they are both mine if the heart speake them both feelingly and deuoutly where lies the Idoll In a conceiued prayer is it not possible for a mans thought to stray from his tongue in a prayer learned by heart or read is it not possible for the heart to ioyne with the tongue If I pray therefore in spirit and heartily vtter my desires to God whether in mine owne words or borrowed and so made mine what is the offence But say you if the Lord Iesus in his Testament haue not commanded any such Booke it is accursed and abominable But say I if the Lord Iesus hath not any where forbidden such a Booke it is not accursed nor abominable Shew vs the place where that we may know it with you Nay but I must shew you where the Apostles vsed any such Seruice booke shew you mee where the Apostles baptized in a Basin or where they receiued women to the Lords table for your 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 11. Passag twixt Caluin and Smith Egyptij vbi lautè epulati sunt post coeâ—â—a â—d sâ—cuint Socrâ— 5. c. 22. will not serue shew me that the Bible was distinguisht into Chapters and Verses in the Apostles time shew me that they euer celebrated the Sacrament of the Supper at any other time than euening as your Anabaptists now doe shew mee that they vsed one prayer before their Sermons alwaies another after that they preached euer vpon a Text where they preached ouer a Table or lastly shew mee where the Apostles vsed that prayer which you made before your last prophecie and a thousand such circumstances What an idle plea is this from the Apostolike times Platin. initio And if I should tell you that Saint Peter celebrated with the Lords Prayer you will not beleeue it yet you know the Historie But let the Reader know that your quarrel is not against the matter but against the Booke not as they are prayers but as stinted or prescribed Wherein all the world besides your selues are Idolaters Behold all Churches that were or are are partners with vs in this crime Oh idolatrous Geneua and all French Scottish Danish Dutch Churches All which both haue their set Prayers with vs and approue them Caluin Epist ad Protest Angl. Epist 87. Quod ad formulam c. As concerning a forme of Prayers and Rites Ecclesiasticall saith Reuerend Caluin I doe greatly allow that it should be set and certaine from which it should not be lawfull for Pastors in their function to depart Iudge now of the spirit of these bold Controlers that dare thus condemne all Gods Churches through the world as idolatrous But since you call for Apostolike examples did not the Apostle Paul vse one set forme of apprecations of benedictions What were these but lesser Praiers The quantity varies not the kinde Will you haue yet ancienter precedents The Priest was appointed of old to vse a set forme vnder the Law Num. 6.23 so the people Deu. 26.3 4 5 c. 15. Both of them a stinted Psalme for the Sabbath Psal 92. Answ to the Minist Counterpoys 327. What saith your Doctor to these Because the Lord saith he gaue formes of Prayers and Psalmes therefore the Prelates may Can we think that Ieroboam had so slender a reason for his calues Marke good Reader the shifts of these men This Answerer cals for Examples and will abide no stinting of Prayers because we shew no patterns from Scripture We doe shew patterns from Scripture and now their Doctor saith God appointed it to them of old must wee therefore doe it So whether we bring examples or none wee are condemned But Master Doctor whom I beseech you should we follow but God in his owne seruices If God haue not appointed it you cry out vpon inuentions if God haue appointed it you cry Wee may not follow it shew then where God euer inioyned an ordinary seruice to himselfe that was not ceremoniall as this plainly is not which should not bee a direction for vs But if stinting our prayers bee a fault for as yet you meddle not with our blasphemous Collects it is well that the Lords prayer it selfe beareth vs companie Counterpoys and is no small part of our Idolatrie Which though it were giuen principally as a rule to our prayers yet since the matter is so heauenly and most wisely framed to the necessitie of all Christian hearts Omnibus arietibus gregis id est Aposiolis suis dedit morem orandi Dimitte nobis c. Aug. epist 89. to deny that it may be vsed intirely in our Sauiours words is no better than a fanaticall curiousnesse yeeld one and all for if the matter bee more diuine yet the stint is no lesse faultie This is not the least part of our patchery except you vnrip this the rest you cannot But might not God be purely and perfectly worshipped without it Tell me might not God be purely and perfectly worshipped without Churches without houses without garments yea without hands or feet In a word could not God be purely worshipped if you were not Yet would you not seeme a superfluous creature speake in your selfe Might not God bee intirely worshipped with pure and holy worship though there were no other Bookes in the World but the Scripture If yea as who can denie it that knowes what the worship of God meaneth What then doe the Fathers and Doctors and learned Interpreters To the fire with all those curious Arts and Volumes as your Predecessors called them Yea let me put you in minde that God was purely and perfectly worshipped by the Apostolicke Church before euer the New Testament was written See therefore the idlenesse of your proofes God may be serued without a prescription of Prayer but if all Reformed Churches in Christendome erre not better with it The Word of God is perfect and admits no addition cursed were we if we should adde ought to it cursed were that which should be added But cursed be they that take ought from it and dare say Ye shall not pray thus Our Father c. Doe wee offer to make our Prayers Canonicall doe we obtrude them as parts of Gods Word Why cauill
c. Bell. de effectu Sacram. l. 2. cap. 25. pag. 300. Omnium Dogmatum firmitas c. So Pigh l. 1. de Hier. et Stapl. l. 9. Princ. doct c. 1. Compertum est ab his damnata vt haeretica in Lutheri libri◠quae in Bernardi Augustinique libris vt Orthodoxa imo vt pia leguntur Erasm Epist ad Card. Mogunt pag. 401. AVSTIN betwixt vs and the Donatists where the Church in What shall we do then shall we seeke her in her owne words or in the words of her Head the Lord Iesus Christ I suppose we ought to seeke her rather in his words which is the Truth and knowes best his own body for the Lord knowes who are his wee will not haue the Church sought in our words And in the same Booke Whether the Donatists hold the Church saith the same Father let them not shew but by the Canonicall Bookes of Diuine Scriptures for neither do we therefore say they should beleeue vs that we are in the Church of Christ because OPTATVS or AMBROSE hath commended this Church vnto vs which we now hold or because it is acknowledged by the Councels of our fellow Teachers or because so great miracles are done in it it is not therefore manifested to bee true and Catholike but the Lord Iesus himselfe iudged that his Disciples should rather be confirmed by the testimonies of the Law and the Prophets These are the rules of our cause these are the foundations these are the confirmations And vpon the Psalmes Lest thou shouldest erre saith the same AVGVSTINE in thy iudgement of the Church lest any man should say to thee This is Christ which is not Christ or this is the Church which is not the Church for many c. Heare the voyce of the Shepheard himselfe which is clothed in flesh c. He shewes himselfe to thee handle him and see Hee shewes his Church lest any man should deceiue thee vnder the name of the Church c. yet CHRYSOSTOME more directly thus Hee that would know which is the true Church of Christ whence may he know it in the similitude of so great confusion but onely by the Scriptures Now the working of miracles is altogether ceased yea they are rather found to bee fainedly wrought of them which are but false Christians Whence then shal he know it but only by the Scriptures The Lord Iesus therefore knowing what great confusion of things would bee in the last dayes therefore commands that those which are Christians and would receiue confirmation of their true faith should flye to nothing but to the Scriptures Otherwise if they flye to any other helpe they shall be offended and perish not vnderstanding which is the true Church This is the old faith Now heare the new contradicting it vs. The Scripture saith ECKIVS a Popish Doctor is not authenticall without the authoritie of the Church for the Canonicall Writers are members of the Church Whereupon let it be obiected to an Heretike that wil striue against the decrees of the Church by what weapons hee will fight against the Church hee will say By the Canonicall Scriptures of the foure Gospels and Pauls Epistles Let it be straight obiected to him how hee knowes these to be Canonicall but by the Church And a while after The Scripture saith hee defined in a Councell it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to vs that you abstaine from things offered to Idols and bloud and strangled the Church by her authority altred a thing so cleerely defined expressed for it vseth both strāgled and bloud Behold the power of the Church is aboue the Scripture thus ECKIVS And besides CVSANVS BELLARMINE saith thus If wee take away the authoritie of the present Church and of the present Councell of Trent all the Decrees of all other Councels and the whole Christian faith may be called into doubt And in the same place a little after The strength of all ancient Councels and the certaintie of all opinions depends on the authority of the present Church You haue heard both speake say now with whom is true antiquitie and on Gods name detest the newer of both It were as easie to bring the same if not greater euidence for the perfection and all-sufficiencie of Scripture and so to deliuer all the bodie of our religion by the tongues and pens of the Fathers that either you must bee forced to hold them Nouelists with vs or your selues such against them How honest and ingenuous is that confession of your ERASMVS who in his Epistle to the Bishop and Cardinall of Mentz could say It is plainly found that many things in LVTHERS Bookes are condemned for Hereticall which in the bookes of BERNARD and AVSTEN are read for Holy and Orthodoxe This is too much for a taste If your appetite stand to it I dare promise you full dishes Let me therefore appeale to you if light and darkenesse be more contrary than these points of your Religion to true Antiquitie No no Let your Authors glose as they list Popery is but a yong faction corruptly raysed out of ancient grounds And if it haue as wee grant some ancient errours falshood cannot bee bettered with Age there is no prescription against God and Truth What we can proue to be erroneous we need not proue new some hundreths of yeeres is an idle Plea against the Ancient of dayes What can you plead yet more for your change Their numbers perhaps and our handfuls You heard all the World was theirs scarce any corner ours How could you but suspect a few These are but idle brags we dare and can share equally with them in Christendome And if we could not this rule will teach you to aduance Turcisme aboue Christianity and Paganisme aboue that the World aboue the Church Hell aboue Heauen If any proofe can be drawne from numbers He that knowes all sayes the best are fewest The Peace of Rome left out because it was but a Translation in this Editiō c. What then could stirre you Our diuisions and their vnity If this my following labour doe not make it good to all the World that their peace is lesse than ours their dissension more by the confession of their owne months bee you theirs still and let mee follow you I stand not vpon the scoldings of Priests and Iesuites nor the late Venetian iarres nor the pragmaticall differences now on foote in the view of all Christendome betwixt their owne cardinalls in their Sacred conclaue and all their Clergie concerning the Popes temporall power Neyther doe I call any friend to bee our Aduocate none but Bellarmine and Nauarrus shall be my Orators and if these plead not this cause enough let it fall See heere dangerous rifts and flawes not in the outward barke onely but in the very heart and pith of your Religion and if so many be confessed by one or two what might bee gathered out of all and if so many bee acknowledged thinke how many
termes whereof if any be probable some are impossible Oh miserable grounds of Popish faith whereof the best can haue but this praise that perhaps it may be true A Religion that hath bin oft dyed in the bloud of Princes that in some cases teaches and allowes Rebellion against Gods Anointed and both suborneth Treasons and excuses pities honors rewards the Actors A Religion that ouerloades mens consciences with heauy burdens of infinite vnnecessary Traditions far more than euer Moses commented vpon by all the Iewish Masters imposing them with no lesse authoritie and exacting them with more rigor than any of the royall lawes of their Maker A Religion that coozens the vulgar with nothing but shadowes of Holinesse in Pilgrimages Processions Offerings Holy-water Latine Seruices Images Tapers rich Vestures garish Altars Crosses Censings and a thousand such like fit for Children and Fooles robbing them in the meane time of the sound and plaine helps of true pietie and saluation A Religion that cares not by what wilfull falshoods it maintaines a part as Wickliffes blasphemie Luthers aduice from the Deuill Tindals communitie Caluins fained Miracle and blasphemous death Bucers necke broken Bezaes revolt the blasting of Huguenots Englands want of Churches and Christendome Queene ELIzABETHS vnwomanlinesse her Episcopall Iurisdiction her secret fruitfulnesse English Catholikes cast in Beares skins to Doggs Plesses shamefull ouerthrow Garnets Straw the Lutherans obscene night-revels Scories drunken ordination in a Tauerne the Edict of our Gracious King IAMES Anno 87. for the establishment of Poperie our casting the Crusts of our Sacrament to Doggs and ten thousand of this nature maliciously raised and defended against knowledge and conscience for the disgrace of those whom they would haue hated ere knowne A Religion that in the conscience of her owne vntruth goes about to falsifie and depraue all Authors that might giue euidence against her to out-face all ancient truths to foist in Gibeonitish witnesses of their owne forging and leaues nothing vnattempted against Heauen or Earth that might aduantage her faction disable her innocent Aduersarie Loe this is your choice If the zeale of your losse haue made me sharpe yet not malicious not fasle God is my Record I haue not to knowledge charged you with the least vntruth and if I haue wronged accuse mee and if I cleere not my selfe and my challenge let me be branded for a Slanderer In the meane time what spirituall phrensie hath ouertaken you that you can finde no beautie but in this Monster of Errors It is to you and your fellowes that God speakes by his Prophet O yee Heauens be astonied at this be afraid and vtterly confounded saith the Lord for my people hath committed two euils they haue forsaken me the Fountaine of liuing Waters to digge them pits euen broken pits that can hold no water what shall bee the issue Et tu Domine deduces eos in puteum interitus Thou O God shalt bring them downe into the pit of destruction If you will thus wilfully leaue God there I must leaue you But if you had not rather dye returne and saue one returne to God returne to his Truth returne to his Church your bloud be vpon my head if you perish AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER THe Reader may please to take notice that in the former Edition there was added vnto this Discourse a iust Volume of aboue three hundred Contradictions and dissentions of the Romish Doctors vnder the name of The Peace of Rome which because it was but a collection out of Bellarmine and Navar and no otherwise mine but as a Gatherer and Translator I haue here thought good to omit FINIS NO PEACE WITH ROME WHEREIN IS PROVED THAT AS TERMES NOW Stand there can be no Reconciliation of the REFORMED RELIGION with the ROMISH And that the Romanists are in all the fault Written first in Latine by J. H. And now Englished SIC ELEVABITVR FILIVS HOMINIS Io 3. ANCHORA FIDEI LONDON Printed for THOMAS PAVIER MILES FLESHER and John Haviland 1624. TO THE TRVE SOVND AND HOLY CHVRCH OF GOD wheresoeuer warfaring vpon Earth I Present vnto thee deare and holy Mother this poore vnworthy token of my loue and loialtie the not so pleasing as true report of thy future broiles How much gladder should I haue beene if thy Spouse had so thought good to haue beene the messenger of thy Peace and securitie But since the great and wise Moderator of all things hath thought a Palme fitter for thee than an Oliue it is for thee to thinke of victory not of rest Thou shalt once triumph in heauen and rest for all but in the meane time here is nothing to bee lookt for but ambushes skirmishes tumults And how cheerefully must thou needs both beare and ouercome all oppositions that art not more sure of the necessitie of thy warfare than of the happinesse of thy successe whilest thou seest thy glorious husband not onely the leader of this field but a most iust and mercifull crowner of thy Conquest Certainly it is as vnpossible for thee to miscarry as to sit still and not fight Behold all the forces of heauen and earth conspire and reioyce to come voluntaries vnto this holy warre of thine and promise thee a most happy issue addresse thy selfe therefore as thou art wont couragiously to this worke of God But remember first to inquire as thou dost of ABEL Spare no teares to thy desperate Sister now thine enemie and calling heauen and earth to witnesse vpon thy knees beseech and intreat her by her owne soule and by the deare bowels of CHRIST by those precious drops of his bloudy sweat by that common price of our eternall redemption that she would at the last returne to her selfe and that good disposition which she hath now too long abandoned that she would forbeare any more as I feare shee hath hitherto wilfully done to fight against God but if shee shall still persist to stop her eares against thee and to harden her selfe in rebellion against her God forget if thou canst who shee once was and flie mercilesly vpon this daughter of Beliall that vaunts her selfe proudly in the glory of her munition Goe smite destroy conquer and reigne as the worthy partner of thine husbands Throne For mee I shall in the meane time be as one of thy rude Trumpets whose noise shall both awaken thy courage vnto this spirituall battell and whose ioyfull gratulations shall after thy rich spoiles applaud thine happy returne in the day of thy victory J. H. THE SVMME OF THE following Sections SECTION I. THe state of the now-Roman Church SECTION II. The commodities and conditions of Peace SECTION III. The obstinate and Peace-hating disposition of Papists SECTION IV. That the Confession of the same Creed is not with them sufficient to Peace SECTION V. The imputation or corruption of the Roman Church and their impossibility of Reconciliation arising from that wilfull fable of the Popes infallibilitie SECTION VI. That the other Opinions
fauourable report allay the bitter contentions of those ancient Christians of Antioch writes thus Theod. hist l. 3. c. 4. Both parts saith he made one and the same confession of their faith for both maintained the Creed of the Nicen Councell And yet this position is spightfully handled by Cardinall Bellarmine Bell. de laâ—cis lib. 3. c. 19. and can scarce draw breath since his last stripes What care we saith he for the same Creed Faith is not in words but in the sense And indeed I remember what Ruffinus reports done by Arrius That worthy Constantine had charged him to write what faith he held he deliuered him a Creed in words ours in sense his owne and how right his wicked brood tooke after their father in the insuing times of the Church let Histories witnesse sure I am whosoeuer shall read the Creeds of their seuerall Sects shall hardly feâ—ch out any thing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which an Orthodox Censurer would thinke worthy of reproofe How oft doe they yeeld Christ to be God yea God of God and yet perfidiously reserue to themselues in the meane time that absurd conceit That he was created ex non â—â—tibus As therefore Seuerianus the Syrian in Theodoret. spake Greeke as a Grecian but pronounced it like a Syrian so there may be many which may speake truths but pronounce them heretically Iren. l. 1. c. 9. Petr. Chrys Ser. 109. Trinitatem vocabulis mentiuntur Decr. 22. q. 5. humanae For all Heresies saith Irenaeus talke of one God but marre him with their misconceits yea for the most part all Heresies saith Chrysologus set a face of the Trinitie To little purpose It was not ill sayd of Gratian that no man is to care for words since that not the meaning should serue the words but the words rather the meaning Let vs grant all this and more Let it be said of the Creed as Ierome said of the Booke of Iob that euery word abounds with senses Hier. in praef Tert. de prasc There is no Diuine Word as Tertullian speaketh wisely so disolute and deâ—â—sed that onely the words may be defended and not the true meaning of the words set downe To put the Cardinall out of this needlesse feare The proper and natiue sense of the Creed may be fetcht out and I adde yet more except but that one Article of Christs Descension into Hell which Ruffinus confesses he could not find either in the Roman or Easterne Creedes is openly confessed on both parts And yet for all this we are neuer the neerer to peace For from these common Principles of Faith the subtle deuice of Hereticall prauity hath fetcht strange and erroneous consequences which by their sophisticall and obstinate handling are now improued into Heresies and dare now threaten not onely opposition but death vnto those very principles from which they are raysed Of this kind are the most of those Romish opinions which we vndertake to censure in this Discourse But if by the vniuersall consent of all it should appeare that both word and sense are intire that both the principles and necessarie conclusions thence deduced are vndeniably sound Nulla tamen pax cum Lutheranis De Laicis l. 3. 19. Sect. 4. yet saith Bellarmine there can bee no peace with Lutherans Let all the World know this and wonder Our King be it spoken to the enuie of those which cannot emulate him an incomparable Diuine for a Prince yea a Prince of Diuines a King of men and a wonder of Kings mighty both with his scepter and his pen going about in that learned and ponderous Discourse to cleere himselfe from the aspersion of Heresie which that foule hand had vnworthily cast vpon him professes solemnly and holily that whatsoeuer is contained eyther in the Sacred Scriptures or the three famous Creeds or the foure first generall Councels that he embraces with both armes that He proclaimes for His Faith In praefat ad Imper. Princip that He will defend with his Tongue with his Pen with His Sword in that he will both liue and die Yea but this is not enough saith that Great Antagonist of Princes For there are other points of faith wherewith religion is now of late times inlarged Bell. resp ad Regem Non satis est ad haereticum nomen fugiendum illa recipere quae Rex Anglorum recipere atque admittere se dicit pag. 80. Etiamsi nouitia nâ—pâ—ra illa sint si quis tamen ca neget immuâ—â—m ab heresi noÌ„ foâ—e Bell. resp and Regem pag. 98. Bell. l. de laicis 2. c. 19. Dist 22. Omnes Margaritae Decret vel Tabula Mortiniâ— Iâ— verb. Iâ—obediâ—ntia as Transubstantiation Purgatory the Popes Primacie a whole doozen of these goodly Articles hath the Tridentine Councell created in this decayed age of the World lest the Fathers of Italy should seeme to come short of the Apostles and the Pope of Christ any parcell whereof whosoeuer shall presume to call into question is an Heretike presently and smels of the Faggot and how ordinarily is that layd in euery dish that he cannot bee a member of the Church which withdrawes his obedience from their Pope the Head of the Church Neyther is that any whit milder which Gratian cites from Pope Nicholas the Second VVhosoeuer goes about to infringe the priuiledge of the Roman Church or derogates from her Authoritie is an Heretike But that is yet well worse which the allowed Table of the Decree hath peremptorily broched Whosoeuer obeies not the Popes Commandement incurres the sin of Idolatry or as Gregory the Seuenth from whom Gratian would seeme to borrow this which yet is not to be found in his Epistles of Paganisme Whatsoeuer therefore Christ Iesus whatsoeuer the Apostles whatsoeuer the counsels Fathers of the Primitiue Church haue commended to vs to be beleeued shall auaile vs little neither can euer make vs friends vnlesse we will bee content to beslaue our Faith vnto their Popeling And can they thinke wee will looke at peace vpon such a condition That hope were bold and foolish that could expect this Neither doe they more scornfully cast vs out of the bosome of their Church for spetting at these Articles of Straw which their vanitie hath deuised than wee can confidently condemne and execrate their presumption which haue so imperiously obtruded such trash as this vpon the Church of God SECTION V. The impuration or corruption of the Roman Church and their impossibilitie of Reconciliation arising from that wilfull Fable of the Popes infallibilitie BVt to leaue this first head of our Aduersaries indisposition to peace Say that the Papists could be content to hearken to an agreement which I can neuer hope to see whiles Rome is it selfe say they should seeke it yet as things now stand whiles they wil not and we may not stirre one inch from our station of iudgement God forbids the Truth debarres our Reconciliation wee dare not whatsoeuer
some kind-hearted Mediators may perswade vs eyther diuide Christ or betray him with a kisse The Truth is on high they may well ascend to vs as Leo sayd of old but for vs to descend to them is neither safe nor honest First of all how too plaine is it Epist ad Euph. Pell cit lib. 3. de Laicis that the Romane Church is palpably declined from that ancient puritie of Religion which she once professed It is not more certaine and sensible that the Citie of Rome is descended from her seuen Hils to the Martian Plaines that lye below them or Euseb Hist l. 3. c. 25. that the spightfull Heathens of old as Eusebius reports turned the Sacred Monument of the Tombe of Christ into the Temple of their Venus An. 1170. Ex lec com Henr. Token Illiric Prophrythmic Vita S. Brig Praefixa Reuela What a cloud of witnesses haue we of this noted decay of that Church yea witnesses of their owne To beginne with the other Sex Hildegardis a Numne and a famous Prophetesse of her time accuses the Apostolicall Order of the vtter extinguishing of Religion amongst them Matilda or Maâ—d who liued in the same Age censures them for common Apostasie from the Christian faith and both of them by some extraordinary Reuelation cleerely and directly prophesied of this Religious and Holy restauration of the Church which our dayes see accomplished Saint Brigit the Foundresse of the Order of Saint Sauiour which was * * Anno 1370. Reuel l. 1. c. 41. cruciare uno crucifigere electorum anim c. Reuel extrau c. 8 Grosse teste in Manusc Anno 1250. Io. Treuisa translated into English Habetur initio Polychron Kanulph in Manuscript Anno 900. Artic. in Concil Constant editu 1535. Anno 1350. lib. Vade mecum Lib. Aduers Ement donat Constant Aeneas Syl. de gest Concil Anno 1416. Ad Pium. 2. lib. Reform Cur. RoÌ„ Anno 1400. Auentin Annal. 〈◊〉 7. Osiand Confut. Thes Coster canonized by Pope Vrban sticks not to teach openly in her Writings that the Pope doth torment yea crucifie the soules of the Elect and boldly foretels that all his Followers and Abettors and whole Clergie shall be cut off and that his Sea shall sinke downe into the bottome of Hell and this shee doth so tartly and vehemently that the Romanists of those times threatned and indeuoured to burne her aliue Robert our Bishop of Lincolne to whom the greatnesse of his Head gaue an homely but famous name whom Illyricus mis-nameth Rupertus a worthy and peerelesse man in his age durst before the Popes owne fare openly accuse the Pastors of his time to be the Spoylers of the Earth the Dispersers and Deuourers of Gods flocke the vtter wasters of the Holy Vineyard of God That Carthusian of Coleyne which is said to haue gathered that Booke of the Bundle of times complaines that Truth was then perished from the sonnes of men Petrus de Aliaco a Cardinall confesses that the ancient Diuines built vp the Church but the then-present Seducers destroyed it And vnto these agree Iohn de Rupescissa a Monke Picus Earle of Mirandula Trithemius the Abbot Laurence Valla And those worthie Lights of the Councell of Basil the Cardinall of Arles and Thomas de Corsellis But Nicholas Clemangis the Archdeacon of Bayeux speakes nothing but stones and bullets who in a whole Volume hath freely painted out the corrupt estate of the Church neither did Dominicus Bishop of Brixia speake any whit more sparingly who euen in those times durst set before his Booke this Title The Reformation of Rome To say nothing of Ioachim of Peter of Ferrara the Lawyer of the three Theodericks of Lyra Petrarch Gerson Euerard the Bishop of Salisburg Erasmus Cassander Espensâ—us the Iury of Cardinalls selected by Paul the Third amongst which Gaspar Cotarenus Iames Sadolet and our Cardinall Poole were as they might of eminent note Aluarus Pelagius * * Io. Mirandula Marsil Fecin CoÌ„ineus report him to haue bin a Prophet Epenc in Tit. Ostand Papa non Papa SAVANAROLA of Florence and whomsoeuer those times yeelded at once both learned and good Euen Pope ADRIAN himself the Sixt of that Name whiles he instructs his Legate in his message censures the Church and ingenuously complaines that all was gone to wracke and ruine What shall we then say to this Can any man be so partiall as to thinke that so many Saints of both Sexes Prophets Prophetesses Monkes Doctors Cardinals Popes should as Ierome speakes of the Luciferian Heretikes meerely deuise these slanders to the disgrace of their holy mother If any man can be so mad he is well worthy to be euer deceiued Indeed Rome was once an holy Citie Mat. 4.5 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gâ—r hadammim Ezek. 21.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Theocrit edyss â—n Hier. de vita Pauli Ruff. l. 1. c. 20. Dum contentionis vitio nimis aguntur c. Hier. aduers Luciferianos but now as no lesse famous the other way she is become a City of bloud This Grape is growne a dry Raisin Neyther did that good Heremite ANTONY so iustly say of his Alexandria as wee may now of Rome Woe to thee thou Strumpetly Citie into which the Deuils out of all the rest of the World haue assembled themselues Certainely therefore so shamefull and generall a deformitie could not but bee discerned by our latter Papists and to auoyd all shifts wee haue gently and louingly laid our finger vpon these spots But in the meane time how haynously haue they taken it and as Ruffinus speakes of Apollinaris the Heretike whiles they are transported with the vicious humor of contention and will bee crossing euery thing that is spoken out of the vaine ostentation of a strong wit they haue improoued their idle brabbles to Heresies HIEROME sayd wittily They vse to winke and deny which beleeue not that to bee done which they would not haue done It is therefore a most lamentable and fearefull case that a Church which of her owne fauourites is iustly accused of many and dangerous errors should blocke vp against her selfe the way whereby shee should returne into the Truth Fr. à Victoria Relect quarta de Potestate Papae Concilij Propos duodecima Sect. vltima Deuentum est ad hunc talem statum vbi nec mala nostra nec remedia pati possumus Iudicij impeccantiam Senec. Ep. 28. and as FRANCIS a Victoria honestly complaines should neyther indure her owne euils nor their remedies For whiles shee stands vpon it that shee cannot erre and stubbornely challenges vnto her Chaire a certaine Impeccancie of Iudgement that wee may borrow a word from TERTVLLIAN what hope can now remaine of recouering the Truth How are we now too sawcie that dare mutter ought against her The first hope of health must needs bee fetcht from the sense and acknowledgement of the disease That of the Epicure is common and true The beginning of recouery is the
the Schisme But first he cannot I hope deny him to haue been their Abbot then their Archbishop As for his red Hat it neuer came from Wittenberge nor Geneua it was of their owne dying Felix the false Pope he sayes gaue it him Reader the famous Councell of Basil consisting of no lesse then foure hundred reuerend Persons Cardinals Archbishops Bishops Doctors gathered and allowed at first by Pope Martin then by his Successor Eugenius the fourth afterwards was vpon some Politike considerations called off by Eugenius The Fathers of the Councell finding their owne strength stood vpon the right of their Superioritie and as they well might censured the Pope hee proceeded to obstinacy those braue spirits vpon ripe consideration iustly deposed him In the roome of this Eugenius otherwise called Gabriel Condulmarius was by iust number of voices elected Amadeus the deuout Duke of Sauoy and named Felix the Fifth a man too good for that See neither had he euer any so great blemish in all his life as the name of a Pope Volateran can tell vs what a Kennell of Hounds he shoued to the Ambassadors namely whole Tables of poore soules dayly fed by him All Histories speake of his Deuotion and Piety This man called from his intended retirednesse must carie the Keyes He makes choice of Archbishop Panormitan for one of his Cardinals What offence is here But he was a false Pope If the Councell of Basil were a true Councell then was Felix a true Pope It is in my Readers choice whether he will beleeue foure hundred Diuines representing the whole Church or a Popes Parasite But Panormitan dyed in the Schisme against Eugenius The World knowes that the greatest blot Panormitan euer had was his violent plea for Eugenius against the Bishop of Argens against eloquent Segouius against the whole streame of that Councell This is the thanke he now caries away Felix scelus virtus vocatur If Eugenius had not dealt vnder hand with the Dolphin of France and Fredericke of Austria then ambitious of the Empire and tryed all his wits both to make new Cardinals and to diuert the Neutrals Eugenius had not beene foelix and Felix had been still Eugenius the true and vndoubted Successor of Peter How-euer if these points should be strictly stood vpon Rome would be at a losse which many a time hath been to seeke for her head But what though it were granted that Panormitan was Cardinalated by an intruding Pope Can this call downe the authority of his iudgement and Writings especially those which he wrote before he was Cardinall or Archbishop being onely Abbot And yet may be cited by vs vnder the name of Cardinall as Bellarmines Dictates and Composures elder then his red Hat yet are fathered vpon that Title Once this I am sure of that f f Bell. de Cleric lib. 1. c. 19. Catholicum alio auin doctum anthorem Cardinall Bellarmine doubts not to stile Panormitan a Catholike and learned Doctor This is the man that stands with his Hat off to this worshipfull Clarke of Doway and tels him that Continency is not of the substance of order nor by Diuine Law annexed to it whereto hee shuffles out a miserable and desperate answer as we shall see in the sequell But in the meane time see the cunning of my Catholike Cauiller This is not the sentence I stood vpon of Panormitan it was not this whereto I proclaimed mine OyeZ but another which he slily smothers not daring so much as to repeat it lest his Romanizing popular ignorant Readers should heare and see and smell that the sacred Celibate of Priests did stinke an hundreth yeares before Luthers time I will therefore here supply for him and hoping hee will in his next take notice of the sentence will represent it here againe Abb. Panorm de Cleric coniugat Cap. Cùm olim The words are these Melius foret et pro bono salute animarum salubrius si vniuscuiusque voluntati relinqueretur ita vt non valentes aut non volentes continere possint contrahere Quia experientia docente experimus contrarium effectum sequi ex illa lege continentiae cùm hodie plerique non viuant spiritualiter nec sint mundi sed emaculenter illicito coitu cum ipsorum grauissimo peccato vbi cum propria vxore esset castitas That is It were better and more wholesome for the good and saluation of soules if it were left to euery mans will so as they which either cannot or will not containe might marry For we find by experience a contrary effect to follow vpon that Law of Continency since the greatest part of our Priests at this day liue not spiritually neither are chaste but are defiled with vnlawfull copulations not without their most hainous sinne whereas with their owne Wiues it should be Chastitie Thus he A sentence worthy of that Epiphonema of mine Is this a Cardinall thinke you or an Huguenot With this my Detector deales as their Inquisition doth with a mis-named Heretike he chokes it vp in secret or if hee bring it forth Refut p. 107. it is not without a gag in the mouth All his answer is We tye not our selues to euery mans opinion and This sentence is censured by Bellarmine as erroneous As if Panormitan were euery body and Bellarmine an Oracle It is enough for vs that one of their owne greatest learnedst zealousest Prelates iustifieth our Mariages and wisheth them in vse rather then their Continency To that other Testimony of Panormitan he answers by a grant yeelding vs freely That if we take diuine Law for that which is expressely determined in Scripture Refut p. 105. it must needs be said that there is no euident proofe set down of continency in Ecclesiasticall men by the Apostles yet that it is so insinuated and the obseruation of it hath beene so ancient as Bellarmine noteth that it may be truely termed Apostolicall Thus he And euen for this are we beholden to him All his friends would not haue beene so liberall His Ioannes Maior his Clictouaeus his Torrensis and all their rigorous Clients would not haue said so As on the other side the old Glosse was not so wise that could onely say which is now expunged Apostoli docuerunt exemplo The Apostles taught this by their example But what are these so pregnant insinuations Good wits haue found them out One was that of g g Decret p. 1. dist 28. Innocentius the second That these men are the vessels and Temples of God therefore they may not Cubilibus immunditiis seruire serue for chambering and wantonnesse Ywis no Lay-men is such therefore he may be allowed to be filthy Another was Luke 21. of Franc. Torrensis Take heed lest your hearts be oppressed with surfetting and drunkennesse and cares of this life Whereof Bishop h h Esâ—enc de cont l. 2. Espencaeus is so ashamed that hee answers it with an Absit God forbid saith he that