that I may not say further that to be set on the right hand of God is to haue a like power and equall glory with God himselfe Againe that the Romish Church is an idolatrous assembly I proue it out of the Romish Masse booke where in the Seruice appointed for Good Friday it is said that the Priest so soone as hee hath put off his shooes and then approcheth to adore the Crosse shall kneele three times before he kisse the Crosse and then afterward the Ministers of the Altar they must also kneele and three times adore the Crosse. II. Arg. That Church which approueth manifest crimes is not the pure Church but the Church of Rome is such Ergo. The Proposition is herein manifest for that the Papists themselues do yeeld sanctity and holinesse of manners to be a note of the Church The assumption I confirme for that the Pope doth dispence for Incest Sodomy and other most grieuous crimes See the Taxes Fines or Nundinations of the Court of Rome described at large in Musculus his Common Places 2. It is confirmed out of Costers Enchiridion where you shall find it written that a Priest committing fornication or keeping a concubine in his house does not so grieuously sinne as he that doth marrie This doth Gretzer allow of in his History of the Iesuiticall order pag 115. Most truly wrote our Coster that a Priest should not so grieuously offend if hee should commit Fornication then if hee should marrie And hee addeth Yea it is truly spoken that a Priest doth lesse sin in committing Adulterie then in marrying a Wife Bellar. 2. lib. de Monach. cap. 30. It cannot be truly said of a Nun that hath vowed continence that it is better to bee married then to burne for both in her is euill to bee married and to burne yea worse it is to bee married then to burne whatsoeuer our aduersaries say to the contrarie that it is written 1. Cor. 7. It is better to marry then to burne Here that is worthy marking which Sleidan sets downe in his first booke that a certaine Italian Bishop Casa by name hath written a whole booke in the praise of filthy Sodomy where we may note for a conclusion that although al those things be granted to the Papists which they most gloriously dispute about the Church yet they can gaine nothing hereby because they ought to make it plaine first vnto vs that the Popedome is the true Church which in that they haue not as yet prooued nor shall euer bee able to prooue it they do but delude themselues with a vaine title of the Church And whereas they say that it is absurd before the point of the Church bee discussed to take in hand to dispute of any of the Articles of faith that also can little auaile them because wee doe dispute and iudge of doctrine and faith by the word of God and it may so bee disputed although that point of the Church be not before handled for the Word of God is before the Church and aboue the Church neither hath the Church any authoritie to wrest the Scripture as we haue formerly proued in the common place of Scripture But here I would haue noted the exceeding fraud of the Popish Writers that when they haue made a great stirre about the Church and stood long vpon it at length they conclude the Church to be a Councell consisting of the Pope the Cardinals and Bishops and so exclude all other which are neither Cardinals nor Bishops from the Church at least remouing them so farre that they shall not make vp the Church properly so called and principally that hereby they might the more establish the insolent pride of their Spiritualtie against the manifest Word of God You haue made plaine the Doctrine of Redemption vnto mee now it followes that you instruct me in the matter of Iustification of man before God wherfore shew me I pray you what is Iustification It is the absoluing of sinfull man from his sinnes or it is a forgiuing of sinnes by the meere grace and fauour of God for the merits of Christ imputed and applied vnto vs by faith What are to bee considered about Iustification Foure things 1. the principall cause 2. the instrumentall cause 3. the effect and fruite and lastly the necessary adiunct What is the principall cause of Iustification before God The principal cause is either primarie or secondary the prime cause is the grace and mercy of God the other cause is the merit of Christ or the death and passion of Christ made ours imputed vnto vs or appropriated vnto vs so truely that the Passion of Christ should besteede vs as much as if we our selues had hanged on the Crosse and had died for our owne sinnes Hereof wee haue manifest testimonies of the Scripture Rom. 5. vers 8. As by one man many were made sinners c. Rom. 4. vers 5 6. Blessed is that man vnto whom God imputeth righteousnesse without the workes of the Law 2. Cor. 5. vers 8. He made him which knew not sin to be sinne for vs that we might bee made the righteousnesse of God in him Gal. 3.15 Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law whilest hee was made a curse for vs. Philip. 3. vers 8. That I may bee found not hauing my owne righteousnesse but that which is by the faith of Christ. Now there is no opposition in this wee say that a sinner is iustified by the meere grace of God and yet by the merit of Christ because it was brought about by the meere mercie and grace of God that Christ performed that meritorious worke for vs for Christ was in no wise bound vnto vs to die for vs but hee out of his meere grace and mercy did vndergoe death for vs. What is the instrumentall cause of Iustification Onely faith in Christ insomuch as by faith euen as by a hand and instrument we lay hold on and apply vnto vs the merit and satisfaction which Christ hath performed for vs. What is faith Faith is not onely a bare knowledge of the Historie of Christ but it is also a sure confidence of the heart whereby we set downe in our selues for certainty and be perswaded that our sinnes are forgiuen vs of God for the death and passion of Christ. Note here two maine errors of Poperie whereof the first is that faith is onely a certaine Historicall knowledge and no true and sure confidence of the heart whereunto the Scripture it selfe directly speaketh Rom. 8.20 where faith is called a sure trust and perswasion See my Gymnasium logicum wherein you haue this in that Theame Fides somewhat opened The second errour is that we come by the remission of sinnes not by faith alone but also by the merit of good workes contrary vnto those sayings in the Scripture Ephes 2.8 By the grace of God you are saued through faith and not of your selues Rom. 4. Abraham belieued and
wee professe any other Religion then that which they bequeath'd vnto vs and which we wil liue and dye in too We our forefathers customs still obay Doe as they did and follovv their blind vvay Not striuing busily our vvits to approue By searching doubts but rather shevv our loue By louing euen their errours that are gone Or reuerendly belieuing they had none True it is like enough you will doe so whatsoeuer be said to the contrary For as the wise King saith of a foole Bray a foole in a morter and hee will neuer be the wiser The holy Spirit hath branded those people with black who practiz'd that long since which you plead for now So those nations feared the Lord and serued their images too So did their children and their childrens children as did their fathers so doe they vnto this day It was but a Pagans argument to Theodosius the Emperour Seruanda est tot saeculis fides nostra sequendi sunt maiores nostri qui secuti sunt foeliciter suos And the Emperors Letter to the States of Germany assembled at Wormes against Luther sounds and runnes in the same tenour Our predecessours were obedient to the Romish Church and therefore wee cannot without great infamy and staine of honour degenerate from the examples of our elders but will maintaine the ancient Faith and giue ayd to the See of Rome But here first of al we desire no better Aduocate for our selues then Gratian I will set downe his owne words Si consuetudinem fortassis opponas duertendum quod Dominus dicit ego sum via veritas Non dixit ego sum consuetudo sed veritas Et certe vt beati Cypriani vtamur sententia quaelibet consuetudo quantumuis vetusta quantumuis vulgata veritati omnino est postponenda vsus qui veritati contrarius est abolendus Secondly M. Caluins note on the fourth of Iohns Euangell and the 20. Verse is here worth the noting Verae pietatis desertoribus solenne est vt patrocinium sibi ex Patrum exemplis quaerant It 's a very ordinary thing with Sectaries and Apostates from religion to vrge for their doings their Fathers examples Oh ye Apostaticall generation which doe as much as in you lies to resist the Holy Ghost as your Fathers haue done so will you do too But your tame-blind obedience vvell befits Such earth-bred doâ—eish dull and sluggish vvits But ayerie Spirits acquainted vvith the light VVill not be led by custome from the right No loue no friends no predecessors shall Peruert their iudgements they examine all Your Fathers haue stepp'd awry in some points of doctrine and you hauing once entred their by-paths will needs runne into the desert of errour your Fathers liuing in the stinking ayre of Popery could not choose but be tainted with some infection of Heresie What then Dare you say they died in their pollution Did God reueale vnto you the time the houre of their conuersion Do you not know that God might haue his secret working performed vpon them euen at the very last gaspe Doe you not acknowledge that God can saue such as are not pertinacious in their Heresies euen Inter pontem fontem When there is no sensible hope When there is no sensible hope When their soule is at the pits brinke hee can call it backe againe that the pit shall not shut its mouth vpon it I haue often greatly wondred saith M. D. Luther how that in all the time of that tyrannizing Sect of the sonne of perdition for so many hundreths of yeres together the Church should subsist in the midst of such great darknesse and in the throng of so many errours Afterward I conceiued that there were certaine called of God by the Word of his Gospel and Baptisme who walked in the simplicitie and humilitie of their heart thinking the Monkes only and such as were anointed of Bishops to bee holy men and religious but themselues to bee profane and irreligious and in no wise to bee compared with the other Whereupon finding themselues emptie of all good workes and merits which they might oppose to the displeasure and rigour of Gods iustice they clung close to the passion and death of Christ and so in that simplicitie were saued Neither was this the case of simple ones onely but euen of their deepe Doctors their holy Hermites there sanctified Monkes of whom I may truely say That howsoeuer they liu'd among them yet were they not of them Which assertion though it might haue beene doubted of all their life time their habits and cooles and manner of liuing colouring it out to the world that they were Papists yet the point of death approaching put the matter out of question when for all their regularities and obseruances as Monkish as euer for all their comport and carriage as superstitious as euer for all their meanes and maner of liuing as Popish as euer could bee deuised they will bee found to haue dyed true Protestants casting from them all trust and relyance on their owne works and putting their whole trust and affiance in the mercies of God through Christ Iesus Such was that good Hermit Agatho good in name and in truth good Such was that blessed Saint Bernard the best Monke that euer was Both which on their Death beds to haue renounced themselues vtterly and to haue had recourse onely vnto Christ you may reade in that worthy Author afore cited And I thinke verily saith Luther that Ierome and Gregory and many other Fathers and Hermites were after the same manner saued and the ground of this his thus reasoning is for that wee are not to doubt but that euen in the Old Testament many of the Kings of Israel and other Idolaters likewise were saued for because it pleased God euen in the houre of death to turne their hearts causing them to cast away all their vaine confidence they put in their Idols and to apprehend that promise of God as concerning that seed of Abraham which was to come to wit Christ in whom all the nations of the world should bee blessed Hence proceed our charitable censures of such of your Fathers who liuing in the darkenesse of superstitionâ— could not so well see the way to heauen and to reformation in their life time as their meek hearts could haue wished But as for those obstinate wretches furious spirits branded with the marke of the Beast and therefore firebrands of hell too too heady in the pursuit of errour and too too headstrong in their erroneous opinations as the Lord gaue them vp to a reprobate sense that they should not receiue the loue of the truth and so bee saued and they now fry for it So assure your selues if yee insist in their steps and resist all good admonitions you can neuer flye their punishment For it is iust with God that those which haue beene pares culpa shall be also
the Apocryphall VVhat is the first proprietie of the holy Scripture The first proprietie is that it deriues all its authority from God alone not from the assembly of godly men which is called the Church How prooue you this I prooue it by these reasons first the testimony of God hath not any authoritie from men The Scripture is the testimony of God alone Ergo It hath none authority from men yea the most holy men that be and consequently not from the Church which is nothing else but a company of godly and sanctified men The force and pith of the argument you shall find 1. Ioh. 5. If we receiue the witnesse of men the testimony of God certainely is greater Secondly that must needs be before the Scripture in naturall order of which the authoritie of the Scripture dependeth But the Church is not before the Word of God Ergo. The Maior proposition is euident because that which dependeth of another must needs come after that on which it dependeth The Minor is thus prooued That which is gathered gouerned regenerated by the Word or by the Scripture that is in order after the Scripture But the Ch. Ergo. The Maior is plaine the Minor is prooued by 1. Pet. 1.23 VVee are regenerated borne a new by the word of God Iames 1.18 Hee hath begotten vs by the word of truth Ioh. 17.20 VVhich by their word shall belieue in me Thirdly the foundation of any building depends not on the roofe or vpper roomes which are built vpon the foundation but contrarily those same vpper roomes and the roofe depend vpon the foundation but the Word of God is the foundation Ergo. The Maior is plaine in it selfe The Minor is confirmed by that Ephes. 2.20 You are built vpon the foundations of the Prophets and Apostles The Papists obiect to vs that place 1. Tim. 3.15 VVhere the Church is said to be the pillar and ground of truth Whereto we answer that this argument is sophisticall or a fallacie commonly called a Dicto secundum quid ad dictum simpliciter For the Church is not called the piller and ground of truth in regard of it selfe but in regard of Christ the head who is that corner stone And further it is so called in regard it is the keeper of the Scripture forsomuch as God hath made the Church onely to haue to doe with the treasurie of his Word and in the Church as on the pillar and doore of his house or pallace he hangeth those holy Tables which euery man must go thither to reade No otherwise then the Magistrate hangeth vp on pillars and gates of his Court Tables containing in them his Lawes and Decrees to the end that his subiects may there reade them as in a publike place Lastly the Church is called the Pillar of truth in this respect because that God vseth the testimony of the Church as his instrument and meanes for the proposing teaching and expounding of the holy Scripture vnto men for the Ministers of the Church are the conseruers of truth and the interpreters of the Scriptures yet not so as if the authority of the Scripture did depend on them but because God vseth them as his seruants and Ministers to propound and to beate into the memories of men his holy Scripture euen as a Prince vseth a Cryer for the promulgation of his lawes vnto his subiects And here take this similitude with you a man goeth to the Vniuersitie as vnto the very shop and store-house of learning yet herevpon it followeth not that the truth of that learning we are taught there in the Vniuersitie doth depend on the authoritie of the Vniuersity Besides this must also bee obserued that whatsoeuer the Papists say touching the authoritie of the Church aboue the Scripture doth nothing at all profit them but that they manifestly begge the point in question whilest they thus argue The Church hath authoritie aboue the Scriptures The Pope of Rome is the Church Ergo. For suppose wee grant them their Maior which notwithstanding is false as wee haue manifestly prooued yet they are neuer able to proue their Minor as shal be showne anon more distinctly VVhat is the second propriety of the Word of God or the holy Scripture That it be entire perfect and sufficient to saluation which is proued by that Ioh. 20.30 Many other signes did Iesus which are not written in this Booke but these things are written that you may belieue that Iesus is the Christ that Sonne of God and that you belieuing might haue life by his name Out of which place I thus reason That which is so written that by it wee may belieue in Christ Iesus and so obtaine eternall life that I say is sufficient to life eternall But the Scripture is so written Ergo. Againe thence I thus argue The holy Scripture was written to this end that wee might belieue in the Sonne of God and get eternall life Ergo Whatsoeuer Word is not written profiteth or auaileth vs nothing to faith and to eternal life which must diligently be noted against the errour of the Papists which say there are two words of God the one written the other vnwritten vpon which pretence they will needs obtrude vnto vs Traditions which they call Apostolicall the Decrees of the Popes and the custome of the Church Of which the Councell of Trent in the fourth sessiō thus speaketh VVhosoeuer doth not with like affection of mind reuerence the Traditions of the Church as he doth the holy Scriptures let him be accursed But against these Traditions first note the sufficiency of the Scriptures Secondly this argument The Traditions of the Church either agree with the holy writ or they dissent from it If they be consonant to it then they say the selfe same thing the Scripture saith and so they are Scripture for that ought not in all reason to be done by moe which may be performed by fewer Or they dissent from the Scripture as all the traditions of the Popes as namely that tradition whereby the Cup in the Lords Supper is prohibited to be administred vnto the lay people and such like And if they disagree with the Scripture they cannot fill vp the Scripture for that which is repugnant to any thing doth not fil vp but rather quite ouerthrow it Another testimony of the perfection of the holy Scripture is most manifest in the 2. Tim. 3.6 The whole Scripture is giuen by inspiration from God and is profitable to teach to reproue to correct to instruct that the man of God may be perfect and perfectly instructed to euery good worke From whence wee may frame these arguments First the Scripture is a totum an entire thing Ergo it is perfect for a totum is that which wanteth no necessary parts Secondly that which sufficeth vs for doctrin for reproof for correction and instruction that is full and compleate for there is none that can shew any thing besides wherunto the
the Church to be a glorious appearing company which may by the very senses bee pointed out and acknowledged by the externall pompe of ceremonies as Bellarmine affirmeth The Church is as visible as the common wealth of Venice Contrary whereunto our Sauiour speaketh Luk. 17.20 The kingdome of God commeth not with obseruation where it is apparent enough out of the text hee speaketh of the Church in this world namely that it shall bee no such glorious company as should be knowne by externall ceremonies and obseruations or by solemnities apparrelling of Senatours of Counsellors and other such like What are to bee considered about the Church The Head the Members and the Proprieties Who is the Head of the Church Christ alone is the Head of the Church aswell of the Millitant as of the Triumphant which is confirmed first by a apparāt testimonies of holy writ Eph. 1.22 God hath put all things vnder the feete of Christ and hath appointed him ouer all to bee the Head to the Church which is his body And Eph. 4.15 Christ is the Head by whom the whole body is coupled and knit together Col. 1.18 Christ is the head of his body the church A like place there is Col. 2.19 It is proued secondly by reason because euery head ought to infuse vigor and liuely vertue into all the mēbers as our head for instance infuseth vitall spirits into euerie part of our bodie for sence and motion but Christ alone can infuse that liuely vigour into the members Ergo. True say the Papists Christ is the head of the Church but he is the inuisible Head therefore there is neede of another visible Head who must be Christs Vicar on earth and Peter the Apostles successor to wit the Pope of Rome Whereunto we answer that in this strange doctrine of the Papists there are contained many puddles of errour The first errour is that Christ hath need of a Vicar or Deputie in earth whereunto wee oppose these arguments First there is no Vicar but implyeth the weaknesse of the principall Regent or Gouernor for therefore Kings haue their Deputies because they be but weake men not able to looke vnto all their subiects by themselues but Christ is an omnipotent King Secondly He needeth a Deputie who cannot vpon all occasions be euery where present with his subiects but Christ is alwaies euerie where present with his members as hee promiseth Matthew 28. Wheresoeuer two or three are gathered together in my name there am I in the midst of them that is immediately am I present with them as the Hebrew phrase teacheth The second error is that they thinke it a righteous thing for some one man and hee a Bishop or Minister of the Church to attribute vnto himselfe this power to bee the vniuersall Head and Governour of the whole Church whereunto wee oppose these arguments First because Christ doth plainely forbid primacie in the Church Matth. 20. Luk. 22. Secondly because the Apostles themselues diuided the Office of the Apostleship among themselues for that they saw that one man could not be ouer all Churches as the Scripture witnesseth Gal. 2.7 8 9. where Paul saith When they saw that the Gospell of Vncircumcision was committed vnto me as the Gospell of Circumcision vnto Peter and when Iames and Cephas and Iohn which were counted Pillars knew of the grace giuen vnto me they gaue vnto me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship that we should doe the Office of the Apostles among the Gentiles and they execute the same Office among the Iews 3. Moses who was a far greater mā thē Pope could not beare the burden of iudging the people of Israel alone but was constrained to part it as it is Exod. 18. much lesse therefore can the Pope gouerne the whole Church The third errour is that they faine Peter to haue bin head of the church whereas notwithstanding 1. Christ flatly forbiddeth Peter and his other Apostles to seek after this headship and 2. Paul to the Gal. 2.7 in plaine termes saith that Iames and Peter and Iohn were counted or thought to be pillars that is by an erroneous conceit they were taken to be such by thē who might by the abuse of that title deceiue the Galath They obiect that place Mat 16. Thou art Peter and vpon this Rock super hanc Petrā will I build my Church Whereunto we answer that he saith not and vpon thee Peter will I build my Church but we say this is the intention and scope of Christs speech namely to commend the confession of Peter which hee setteth out by a Paranomasie or allusion vnto the name of Peter as if he said I rightly set vpon thee the name of Peter see the first Chapter of Iohn where Christ gaue Peter his name because thou in the name of the other Apostles hast made such a confession and vttered such a doctrine as vpon which as it were on a Rocke my Church shall bee builded First then Christ commendeth Peter and in the person of Peter all the Apostles for that they belieued Christ to be the Son of God Secondly he sheweth the profit and fruit of that confession to wit for that this doctrine and confession was to be the foundation whereupon Christs Church should bee built so that it should neuer bee ouerturned by Satan Otherwise that Peter neuer vnderstood these wordes of himself as if he were that stone vpon which the Ch. is reared he himself professeth openly 1. Pet. 2.4 where he saith that Christ is that very stone vpon the which the Church was to be built The fourth errour is that they take for certaintie that Peter was Bishop of Rome and so consequently that he was at Rome which notwithstanding is vncertaine neither can it be firmely proued that Peter was euer at Rome but the contrary for that place which before wee cited Gal. 2. is very remarkeable namely in that Paul did so deuide the Apostleship and part it with Peter they shaking hands of the motion that Paul should goe to the Gentiles to conuert them and Peter should labour in the conuersion of the Iewes This promise the right hand being giuen vpon it Peter should haue broke if he had gone to Rome to conuert the Gentiles neither doe we reade that two Apostles went into the same Citie especially it being so farre off to preach the Gospell Wherefore sithence by the confession of all it is apparent that Paul preached the Gospell at Rome what neede was there that Peter should come thither especially at the very same time as the Papists say that they were both at Rome in Nero his time II. Out of the last Chapter of the second to Timoth. v. 16. In my first defence saith Paul when I appeared before Nero there was none that stood to me but all forsooke me I pray God it bee not laid to their charge But if Peter had then beene Bishop of Rome as the Papists will haue
people I answere them first that the Pharisies also did run about both by sea and land to draw men vnto their faith and yet for all that their religion was not true Secondly I say that the Papists haue slaine moe in the Indies then they haue conuerted as you may see by a place which I haue cited in my politiques l. 1. c. 4. that in a very short time a hundred fortie thousand men were murdered by them Thirdly I am sure the Diuell also goes a compassing the whole world and seduceth many yet is hee for that neuer a whit the better Fourthly I auerre that our Ministers also haue taught the true Gospell in America inasmuch as Calum sent thither two Ministers of the Church from Geneua the one whereof was Ioannes Lerius who committed that storie to writing And at this day there are Orthodoxe Ministers in the East Indies which do publikely preach the true Doctrine of the Gospell carried ouer thither by the Merchants of the Low-Countries And doubtlesse toward the end of this world the true Religion shall be in America as God now is preparing the way for it by the English and Low-Countrie Merchants that that of Christ may bee fulfilled Matth. 23. The Gospell shall bee preached throughout the whole World that it may bee a witnesse to all Nations For GOD in all his workes is wont to effect a thing successiuely and therefore first hee sends vnto those nations some light of his essence and his truth by the Papists and afterward will make these things shine more clearely vnvnto them by the true and faithfull Ministers of the Gospel The fourth note the Papists say is vnitie and good agreement I answere Consent and vnitie is but so farre a marke of the Church as the consent is in truth and goodnesse and not in euill and falsehood for such an agreement in euill and falsity is among the very Deuils and what greater agreement consent then among robbers so also among the Turkes there is very great consent so that Mahometisme is farre and neare by them propagated yet doth it not hence follow that Mahometisme is the true Church Secondly I answer that in our Church there is great consent in the truth for howsoeuer after Luthers time there arose many Churches the Diuel being alwaies busie to cast his plots against the true Church and to stirre vp in it diuers hearts yet the Orthodoxe Professours are at good agreement about the Articles of Faith as that excellent Booke called the Harmony of Confessions doth testifie wherein it is manifestly prooued that there is exceeding great consent betwixt the Churches of France England Scotland Bohemia and those which are in Germany neere vnto Rhene and in other Prouinces for that disagreement which is betwixt the Lutherans and the Orthodoxe Professours doth not straightway quite dissolue the vnitie which is betwixt the true church Thirdly I deny that there is so great agreement in the Romish Church as they boast of for it can bee easily showne that the popish Writers agree not in any one Article among themselues as it doth appeare out of Bellarmine who ordinarily disputed against other Papists and alleageth their oppositions and contradictions to themselues this may further appeare by Ioh. Pappius and Matthias Iohn his booke of the Sects and Dissentions and contradictions among Popish Doctours printed at Basil 1565 whereunto the Papists haue not as yet answered Andr. Chrastouius likewise hath written a book he cals Bellum Iesuiticum The good agreement the Iesuits haue among themselues who neither is as yet cōfuted That same booke of Chrastouius was printed at Basil in quarto 1593 it contains 205 Iesuiticall contradictions Which is that bare or secondary proprietie of the Church To the Church of the new Testament this propriety doth also agree that it is Catholick that first in respect of places not because it possesseth many kingdoms but because it is scattred ouer the whole world not tied to any certain place to any determinate country or city Secondly in respect of men because it doth consist of men of all sorts gathered out of the conditiō of all men of al nations Act. 10. Thirdly in respect of times because it shall continue all times euen vnto the end of the world as it is said Mat. 28. I will be with you euen vntill the end of the world Fourthly in respect of vnitie because the Catholike Church is at all times but one to wit in vnity of doctrin consent in that doctrine And thus much wee haue spoken of the proprieties of the Church Now if we shall examine and trie the Popish Church by these proprieties it will appeare to be no pure Church but be very corrupt euen as a rotten apple is an apple corrupted and no otherwise then a man that is infected with the plague is a man but no sound man And that the Popish Church is not the pure Church I will prooue it by two manifest reasons the first an idolatrous Church is not the true pure Church but such a one is the Popish Church Ergo The proposition is euident because God doth abhorre nothing more then idolatrie therefore hee saith Flie from idols and No Idolater shall bee saued The assumption I confirme thus That Church which giues that honor which Dauid giues vnto God the Creator in the very same words vnto the creature to wit the Virgin Marie that same Church is idolatrous But the Church of Rome doth so goe now that the Church of Rome doth attribute that honour which is due vnto God vnto the Virgin Marie I proue it by a most euident testimonie out of that same Psalter of Marie the Virgin which was compiled by Bonauentura who liued 250 yeres agoe and canonized of the Pope of Rome so that hee is accounted among the Saints and the title of a Seraphicall Doctour which is more then Angelicall giuen vnto him This same Psalter was by the permission of the higher powers printed in Latin at Brixia and Bononia in Italy eight yeares since being before printed at Ingolstadium in the Dutch tongue some 20 yeares agoe in the Preface wherevnto it is expressely said that it was compiled the holy Ghost inditing and dictating it And further that very Psalter is in speciall vse in the Romish Church but especially is it currant among the Monkes of Saint Bennets Order which are called Cistercians Now in this Psalter all those things which Dauid attributes to the high and most mighty God are by them put vpon the Virgin Marie as Psal. 51. Haue mercy vpon me O Lady and cleanse me from all mine offences But that of all other is most blasphemous which they apply vnto her out of the Psa. 109. according to that distinctiō The Lord said vnto my Lady sit thou mother mine at my right hand where Mary is made the mother of God the Father as though the Father had bin incarnat made man
not in any glasse behold and know the gronings and afflictions of the Church militant on earth and indeed that the Saints departed are not priuie to our affaires done vpon the earth nor know any thing in specialtie what happeneth among the liuing that place in the 2. of Kings Chap. 22. witnesseth where God saith vnto Iosiah a most religious and holy King I will gather thee vnto thy Fathers that thine eyes may not see all the euils which I will bring vpon this place Esay 57. The iust and the righteous are taken away from the sight of the euill that in his yeares he may not behold the calamities which are to be sent vpon the land for wretched impiety Eccl. 9. The dead know nothing any more to wit of those things which are done vpon the earth Hence therefore is it rightly inferred that the Saints cannot be mediators And indeed we haue no need of them to be our intercessours first because God knoweth our afflictions better then they yea better then the Angels secondly because God is more mercifull then any Saint and more desirous that we should liue then any Saint can be Now that we do vse the intercession of some Noble man or great man vnto Kings which is their most plausible argument it is for the great defect and weakenesse that is in man for that Princes are not acquainted with all mens grieuances secondly because Princes are more affected vnto one man then vnto another but no such respect of persons is there with God as it is said Acts 10. The Papists bring vs in a distinction betwixt 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seruice and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 adoration and say that the one to wit Seruice is due to Saints the other that is adoration is due to God Against which distinction you may reade a most cleare disputation in the exposition of Vrsins Catechisme pag. 739. where it is proued by holy Scripture that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both the one and the other agrees vnto God and neither of them both vnto Saints Onely this one thing I will not let passe that the Papists themselues break downe their owne distinction which I proue by this reason All those things which Dauid in the Psalmes giues vnto God he giues them all by the way of adoration but all those very things which Dauid giues vnto God are attributed vnto the Virgin Marie in Bonauentures Psalter Ergo. The other errour of the Papists is about the worshipping of Images and so also of that worship which they make vnto the Reliques of the Saints And first of all the Papists hold that those prayers which are made in or at certaine set Chappels and Churches and before the Images of the Saints are of greater efficacie and greater worth then those which are in other places powred forth before God quite against the holy Word of God Ioh. 4. The time shall come when the true worshippers shall neither be at Ierusalem nor in this mountaine but in spirit and truth worship the Father Matth. 6. Christ bids goe into our chamber and there the doores being shut to powre out our prayers 1. Tim. 2. The Apostle willeth men to pray in euery place lifting vp pure hands Now against reliques and images let that place bee well obserued Esay 24. My glory will I not giue vnto another nor mine honour vnto the grauen images But we say the Papists doe not worship images and we know that it is said in the second commandement Thou shalt not how downe thy selfe vnto them c. To this what shall we answere but that they say one thing and doe another for we haue already prooued that they fall downe and worship the crosse Behold the signe of the Crosse come and let vs worship it Againe it is impossible that ones whole affection should bee bent and settled on an image and yet that hee should not direct some deuotion vnto the Image as one of the Ancients hath well said It cannot possible be that the affection should be withdrawne from that where on our whole sense is fixed and fastned Therefore Lactunirus saith that there can bee no true worship performed where it is done with respect vnto images Thirdly we say that both these are equally forbidden of God namely the worshipping of the image it selfe and the worshipping of God at or before an image For this you haue a plaine place Leuit. 26. 1. You shall make you none idols nor grauen image neither reare you vp any pillar neither shall you set vp any stone or image within your land to worship before it for I am Iehouah the Lord your God But images say they are Lay-mens Bibles and therefore they may bee borne with as certaine historicall documents for the good of lay people whereto I answere first that it is no little blasphemy to affirme that images are Bibles that is the Word of God for the authoritie of Gods Word and of the Bible is the greatest that may bee and it is vnspeakable But who dare say that the authoritie of images is as diuine and eternall as that of God himself Secondly Images cannot be Lay-peoples Bibles because the Bible containes the true doctrine of God but Images are deceitfull and lying Teachers teaching lyes as it is manifestly written by Ier. 10. and by Habb 2.18 19. Further wee ought not to be wiser then God who hath instituted that his Church should be taught not by dumbe Pictures and Images but by the liuely preaching of his Word and the lawfull vse of the Sacraments And these things be spoken also as touching the adoration of Reliques for the worshipping of them is confuted by those very same places of Scripture by which the worshipping of Images hath been ouerthrowne You haue led mee by the hand through all Diuinitie and so haue holpen mee to some generall knowledge whereby I may insome sort be prepared vnto the holy Supper of our Lord now it remaines that you furnish me with some particular knowledge about the same Supper of the Lord whereunto I desire to prepare myselfe You say well indeed and I will doe it very willingly so be that before all you note that the word Sacrament is no where extant in holy Scripture but there are diuers words aequiualâ—nt vnto it as Romans 4. the word Signe or Seale where Paul calleth Circumcision the seale of the righteousnesse of Faith A Sacrament then is a holy signe or seale annexed to the word of God as vnto tables and letters wherein God promiseth vnto vs his fauour and the forgiuenesse of sinnes by the death and suffering of our mediatour Iesus Christ. Now signes be of three sorts Some there bee which are onely Significatiue and noting out somewhat as the Meare-stone signifieth the fields which it parts to be diuers Some are Memoratiue representing vs the memory of somewhat and exciting our affection and will thankefully to thinke on it