Rom. 3. v. 8. that good may come of it and therefore much lesse is the greatest of evils to be done such as is the renouncing of the Catholique faith and swearing of a contrary Religion against the light of a mans conscience Secondly she condemned the Helchesits in the primitive times Euseb lib 6. cap. 31. as Heretiques for affirming that it was lawfull to Christians to deny Christ externally in the time of torments persecution Thirdly the Popes of whom the Puritans think no sin to lie are so far from stirring vp Catholiques to do the forsaid abominations that they earnestly dehort them from approaching to the least degree of such impiety Which to pâ—sse by other Instances may be known by the Breviat of Pope Paul the fift directed to the English Catholiques in October 1606. Where he saith We have vnderstood that you are compelled by the threatnings of most grievous paines to go vnto the Temples of Heretiques to frequent their Meetings to be present at their Sermons Truly we vndoubtedly beleeve that those who with so great Constancy and courage have suffered most fierce persecutions and almost infinit miseries will never trespasse so as to be defiled with the society of the desertors of the Divine Law Neverthelesse We being stirred vp by the zeal of our Pastoral charge and out of the Fatherly care we have of the Salvation of your soules are forced to admonish and earnestly beseech you that by no means you would go vnto the Temples of Heretiques or heare their Sermons or communicat with them in Rites least you incurre the wrath of God For it is not lawfull for you to do these things without the dammage of the Divin worship and of your own Salvation If the Pope dehorts so earnestly the Catholiques from going to the heretiques Temples how much more doth he dehort them from abiuring the Catholique faith and from receiving the Puritans Sacraments If the Pope only connived at such actions it would be a lie and calumnie great enough to say he stirred vp Catholiques to do them But it is a monstrous lie and calumnie to say he stirres vp men to do such abominations when he stirres them vp to the contrary Neither can the Covenanters ever shew that any Pope did otherwise since ever the Protestant religion began The Catholiques beleeve that God has such a care of his Church that it needs not by periuries dissimulations or any false wayes to be advanced and they know also that all hereticall Churches need not by such vniust means to be by them subverted For by their own divisions they are sufficient to subvert themselvs as long experience hath shewed Lastly it is false that these Catholiques who against their consciences renounce their religion do it vpon hopes of the Popes Dispensation For all Catholiques know that the Pope as he himself professeth cannot dispence in any thing that is intrinsecally evil and against the eternal Law of God as that action is in the highest degree All which may be known to moderate Protestâ—nts even by the Confession of Apostat Catholiques Therefore these being so groundlesse lies and malitious calumnies the Covenant did well to begin them with the Father of lies for thus it speaks And seing many are stirred vp by Satan the Roman Anti-Christ c. But it had been no lie if the Ministers had been yoaked with the Devil in that work For they have concurred oftentimes with him to draw and force diverse Catholiques to renounce their faith against their consciences as has been known by many late experiences since the Covenant began But it is strange to see famous Protestants yea and the very same Accusers guilty of the same Crimes which they falsly lay to the charge of others which may be shewed by their own Monuments Who is esteem'd a more famous Protestant then Queen Elizabeth the Foundresse of the Late English Church And yet she is taxed by M. Knox for faigning her self to have been a Papist for bowing to Idolatry Knox Chron. pag. 226 and going to Masse all the time of her Sister Queen Maries reigne It is known also how shortly after her sisters death she subverted all that in her lay the Catholique religion albeit she sware to maintain it at her Coronation Who gave her Dispensation to vse such dissimulation in religion Surely it was not the Pope but rather she as head of her own Church which is now also subverted did dispence with her self It is yet fresh in all mens memorie how many of the Puritans did swear obedience to their Bishops and conformity to the late English Churches orders and yet when time served they subverted both who gave them Dispensations for such hypocrisies and periuries That is one of their rare privileges that they all and every one of them by more then Papal power can dispence with themselvs as Becan shewes in a special Treatise of their Privileges The third grosse vntruth of the Covenant followeth in these words We therefore willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy and of such double dealing with God and his Kirk protest and call the Searcher of all hearts to witnesse that our Minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession oath and subscription so that we are not moved for any worldly respect but are perswaded only in our Consciences c. As theÌ„ the foundation was false so is this fabrique which is raised on it For the most rigid Covenanters know that many thowsand Protestants were made to put their hands to the Covenant whose hearts were far from it and when they could shew both their hearts hands against it And they were so far from being moved without worldly respects that for these only they were induced to take the Covenant and so soone as these failed they abandoned it By all which it is evident that this Covenant which containes so many grosse lies and Calumnies against very sense and experience cannot be the Covenant of God who Loves truth and hates lies SECTION II. That the Covenant is not a Confession but a Denyal of the Faith THE Covenant carieth this Title in print The National Covenant or Confession of Faith c. But it appeared very soon to vs not to deserve that Title but rather that it ought to be called a Confossion or Denyal of the faith which it deny's not simply but with many horrible execrations and blasphemies All heresies are of a Malignant Nature consisting in denyal of some points of the Catholique faith But there are some which deny fewer and others more points of it In the primitive times some heresies were cast out of the Church for one word only against the faith But the Covenant and Presbyterian religion deny almost al the points of the Catholique faith For they run through heaven earth the Church Triumphant and Militant they leave neither God nor man the Angels nor the Saints the living nor the dead vntouched but they rob every one
Tim 3.13 what the first Reformers who could not on a suddaine deny all truths left vntouched your second Presbyterian Reformers haue abolished as they haue done here the hymne of Glory which was said in praise of the holy Trinity and for which you haue got the noble exchange of cōtinual praises of the Covenant Presbytery But as the great Councel of Nice did add vnto the ancient hymne of Glory to the Father c. that clause As it was in the beginning c. For confusion of the Arian heresy So also it hath by the same addition prophetically foretold the continuance of it for ever to the confusion of this new sect called Presbytery which is most consonant to that of S. Paul To God be glory in the Church and in Christ Iesus to all generations world without end Amen Ephes 3.21 That Church which hath triumphed over the Arians who corrupted this glorious hymne will also triumph over the Presbyterians who have abolished it Yea this hymne shall not only continue to the worlds end in the Church Militant but it shall be also the exercise of the Church Triumphant which shall never cease for all eternity to sing praise glory vnto the most holy Trinity Thus ended my Catholique friend whose words I found to be more waighty a good space after then they appear'd to me at the time when he spoke them Moreover I remember he desired me to consider that these innovations against our Lords prayer and the hymne of Glory were such blacke actions that the prime Presbyterians who introduced them were ashamed to make acts to forbid them as they had done for abolishing of Episcopacy and some other points but only brought them in by a desuetude as they speake and so wore them out of vse Which sheweth said he that they would gladly haue some things done covertly which they are asham'd to avow publickly CHAP. X. Of the Apostles Creed denyed to be Apostolical by the Presbyterians THERE was hardly any thing that the Presbyterians did which made me stumble so much as their Innovation concerning the authority of the Apostles Creed They were not content with their Reformation or rather abrogation of the Apostolique governement vnlesse they also did deny the Creed to be made by the Apostles and so weare it out of vse as they had done our Lords prayer At the end of of their new Catechisme they speake thus of the Creed Shore Cat. Vvest in fine Albeit the substance of the doctrine comprised in the Abridgement commonly called the Apostles Creed be fully set forth in each of the Catechismes so as there is no necessity of inserting the Creed it self yet it is here annexed not as though it were composed by the Apostles c. In which words they reach covertly two things 1. That the Creed it self is not necessary if we have the substance of it as it is explain'd in the new Presbyterian Catechisme 2. that it needs not be esteemed to be composed by the Apostles But their practise did shew more evidently their meaning For they did not only declare it not to be Apostolical and therefore to be only a humane collection but also they did no more say it neither did they require it to be said any more of others as the custome was formerly at Baptismes And by these means they put it out both of estimation and vse This innovation gave great scandal to many who thought iustly they could thereafter be sure of nothing since their Creed was called in question This was vniversally esteem'd before the Covenant began the badge or mark of a Christian and the principal foundation of the Christian religion The authority of it was held so sacred that it was an ordinary proverbe in mens mouth 's when they would give great assurance of performing any thing they had promised that before they failed They would as soone deny their Creed As it was called the Apostles Creed so it was taught for such so it was believed and esteemed to be It was publickly said in the Church by parents at the Baptisme of their Children and it was required to be said by the people when they were Catechized But all these things were altered and overturned by the Presbyterians The authority and esteem of the Creed was dash't by their denying it to be Apostolicall and the custome of saying it both publikly privatly was taken away so that it was soone worne out both of vse and request If they did this so easily with our Lords prayer which is contain'd in Scripture how much more easily would they do it with the Creed which is not in Scripture and which they pretend to be a meer humane collection And so in a short time they would get it to be altogether slighted as a humane invention and banished out of the memories of men Wherefore being desirous to penetrat this matter more inwardly I found after some diligence that the same grounds which can be brought for the Apostolique authority of the Scriptures are also brought and that in an eminent degree for the like authority of the Creed And therefore if we receive the one we cannot reiect the other I shall briefly collect what I found or hath been shewed vnto me for the Apostolique authority great excellency frequent laudable vse of this diuine Symbol Baron tom 1. Annal. an 44. n. 15. seq Cardinal Baronius in the 1. tome of his Annals doth shew by the testimony of the holy ancient Fathers that the Creed was composed by the holy Apostles a little before they were to part and goe into several Countries to preach the Gospel vnto the Gentils to the end there might be a certaine short clear rule of faith in which they all agreed wherein they were to instruct all persons and by which as by a certaine badge all Christians might he knowen For this cause it was not committed to writing but was delivered by lively voice and imprinted in the hearts of Christians by the faithfull diligence of the Apostles This S. Hierom Hier. epist 61. and S. Augustin do testify The first saith The Symbol of our faith hope which was delivered by the Apostles is not written in paper or inke but in the fleshly tables of the heart The other affirmeth Aug. ser 119. de temp Idem ser 69. de expos Symb. that the Creed was not written that it might be retain'd in the hearts of the faithfull And againe he saith The holy Apostles did deliver a certaine rule of faith which being comprehended in tuelve articles according to the number of the Apostles they called a Symbol by which the faithfull may hold Catholique vnity and tread vnder feete heretical impiety To these two great Doctours Ambro. ser 38. epist 81. agrees also S. Ambrose who saith The holy faith is contain'd in the Symbol of the tuelve Apostles who as skiful Artificers meeting together haue made a key by common
Augustin saith God who is good would not permit evil vnlesse he being omnipotent could also do good of evil The Arausican Council saith Concil Arausican c. 25. We do not only not beleeve that some are predestinate vnto evil by the divine power but if there be any who beleeve so great a wickednesse we accurse them with all detestation The same holynesse might be shewed of the Catholique doctrin concerning free-will and the possibility of keeping the commandments with the assistance of Gods grace of Iustification of the Sacraments which all tend to holynesse to the exaltation of Gods goodnesse to the killing of sin to the advancement of piety of all good works as the holy Fathers have shown of all the points of the Catholique Church and particularly S. Augustin who saith truly in the Churches of her Communion Aug. lib. 2. de Civit. Dei c. 8. nothing filthie and wicked is proposed to be seen or followed Where either the Commandments of the true God are explained or his Miracles related or his gifts praised or his benefits desired Besides in the Catholique Church are many holy houses dedicated and consecrated to Gods service holy altars Ornaments holy vessels holy solemn worship service with many holy rites ceremonies manifesting the Maiesty magnificence of God breeding respect reverence in man And in a word this Church Militant here on earth is a true representation of the Church Triumphant in heaven still adoring praising and magnifying God Therefore holynesse of doctrin belongs rather to this Catholique Church than to the Protestant Then for holynesse of life I never knew any Iudicious Protestant but acknowledged that the Catholiques had too much the better of them Luther the first Apostle professeth that whilst he lived among the religious of S. Augustins order he observed chastity Luth. in cap. 1. ad Galat obedience and poverty that he did all things with a single heart for the glory of God fearing the last iudgment c. But after his fall from the Catholique Church he changed not only miserably his faith but also his life For thus he proclaimes his own shame Luth. tom 5. wit ser de Matrim f. 119. Et tom 1. epis fol. 334. Zuingl tom 2. in resp ad confes Lutheri f. 878. As it is not in my power to be no man so it is not in my power to be without a woman I am burned with the great flammes of my vntamed lust c. And to make himself more infamous he having vowed his chastity to God married a profest Nun named Katherin Bore who had made the like vow He is charged also by his fellow Protestants with arrogancy insolency intolerable pride which he exercised against persons of greatest quality as against the Emperour Charles the fifth and Henry the eight King of England His bitter railings his fowle and filthy expressions have bred such a stench in all his writings that they purchased to him the Title of Propheta Stercorarius or the Dunghill Prophet Shlus in Theo. Calvin lib. 2. fol. 72. These qualities are very far different from Saints vertues Concerning Calvin it is affirmed by Conradus shlusselburg a famous Lutheran that he was guilty of Sodomie and other abominable vices for which he was branded on the shoulder by the Magistrate of Noyon with a hote iron That he was striken also a little before his death by the hand of God with Herods desease and that he dyed in despaire cursing and blaspheming No lesse vices also are layd to Beza his charge who did celebrate his own shame and filthy lusts with most lascivious Epigrammes All which are not alleadgeances of Catholiques but testimonies of Protestants against themselvs Neither are these Reformers commonly even by Protestants esteemd Saints As for the common multitude which followed the Reformers Luther himself confesseth that the world is become seven times worse Luth. in postill sup Euang. Domin pae Adventus then it was before in the Papacy yea it is generally observed that Catholiques who become Protestants change their life into worse And albeit the Presbyterians during the late troubles did vsurp to themselvs very ridiculously the name of Saints yet both in the iudgment of other Protestants and in the truth of the matter they were very far from deserving that title For if we will beleeve the old Protestants avarice pride tyranny cruelty impudent railing sedition periurie and many such other vices are the Presbyterians greatest vertues and who are most exorbitant in these enormities are their greatest Saints as they instance in some chief Apostles of the Covenant in whom they affirm these vices to be palpably evident Neither have the Presbyterians any better opinion of the old Protestants whom they call Malignants as appear'd by their Excommunication thundered out against the Bishops at the Assembly of Glasgow for very horrible crimes And albeit the Bishops at least some of them were not guilty of these crimes yet there was no wise man even amongst those who loved them most that thought any of them a Saint or eminent for holynesse Neither can the Presbyterians be Saints even in their own principles vnlesse they would make their lives not only better then their belief but also contrary to it For they teaching that the Commandments are impossible to be kept even with Gods grace how can they pretend to keep them And if they keep them not how can they pretend to be Saints These are poore Saints who break every day Gods Commandments and much more who commit a mortal sin in all their actions as the Presbyterians commonly teach Their actions also which need not to be here recounted and ought to be better beleeved than their words shew that they were not Saints A late Author who had occasion to know well both sorts of Protestants gives this verdict of them Lost sheep p. 192. Amongst the legal Protestants there are many stored with moral goodnesse but the devotion and zeal is amongst the Puritans but it has eaten vp almost all morall honesty among them So the qualities which were too evident and sensible in the Presbyterians even of the greatest estimation shew clearly that they fell so far short of Saints perfections that they had not so much as Moral vertues Neither did God ever testify either the holynesse of any of their lives or of their doctrin by any miracle Vpon the other part I find the lives of Roman Catholiques especially of those who were Converters of Nations and Foundators of religious Orders Calvin Instit c. 10. par 17. to be highly extolled To speak nothing of more ancient Saints S. Bernard whom all the world knowes to have been most addicted to the Pope and Roman faith is called esteemed a Saint by Calvin and by diverse other Protestants The holynesse of S. Dominick Cent. Magd. cent 13. col 11. 79. Hacluite 2. parte 2. volum p 81. Luther cont Anabaptistas Breirly Proâ— S. Francis
of them of some excellent privilege For they spoile God of his goodnesse by making him the Author of sin Christ of his merits by denying he dyed for all and the holy Trinity of Glory They spoile the Angels and the Saints of their felicity and of all respect and reverence from men They rob the Church of the continual assistance of the Holy Ghost Man of his free-will the living of the prayers of the Saints and the faithfull departed of the suffrages of the living They rob the Sacraments of Grace and the Commandments of obedience Yea what have they left vntouched in the Church They have taken away many books of the Scriptures almost all the Sacraments all Traditions Priesthood Sacrifice Vowes set Fasts Festival Dayes Altars Reliques Holy Images all Monuments of Piety all the antient Ecclesiastical Lawes all Order and Disciplin all Comlinesse and beauty from the House of God They have abolished the Apostolique Government denyed the Apostles Creed subverted the Divine Commandments and abiured all the Evangelical Counsels and many more points have they destroyed as we shall see in the progresse of the Covenant so that never any heresy deserved more the title of Destroyer never any heretical Confession of Faith deserved so much the Title of the Negation of Faith as the Covenant For never any heresy or negative Confession denyed so many points of the Catholique faith and so overturn'd the Christian Religion both in doctrin disciplin in all the Monuments and helps of Piety As the matter of the Covenant is very large containing so many points of the Catholique Faith which it deny's so the manner how it doth renounce them which is as it were the life and forme of the Covenant is very considerable For it doth not only deny these articles but it detests and abiures them yea and blasphemes them adding a blasphemous Epithet almost to every point For thus it speaks We renounce and detest the Vsurped authority of the Roman Anti-Christ his wicked Hierarchie his Devilish Masse Blasphemous Priesthood Profane Sacrifice Bastard Sacraments Doubtsome Faith Desperat Repentance c. Behold said the Catholique to me what a Rapsodie of lies and calumnies against manifest sense and experience against the ancient faith and true religion was fathered vpon God the Author of truth and was called his Covenant Behold what a blasphemous Negation of the Faith was entitled the Confession of Faith Behold what a monstrous Idol of lies execrations blasphemies the Covenanters did so highly honour reverence as if it had been Gods vndoubted truth and not only did Idolatrize it themselv's but with furious zeal and rigour enforced others to adore it against their Consciences S. Cyptian affirmes that the Devil Cypr. de simâ—l Praelator Hieron in EsaiaÌ„ c. 21. in place of the old Pagan Idols has invented the deceits of Errors Heresies and S. Hierom saith that all Heretiques are Idolaters adoring their own fictions and imaginatio s as divin truths According to this doctrine if the Covenant containe heresies as we shall see it containes not a few the Covenanters have been great idolaters The old Pagans did indeed adore false Gods and the works of their own hands but never any carying the name o Chr stians did more Idolatrize the fancies of their own braines then the Covenanters have done The prosperity of the Covenant for a time did blind many but now the Visitation which God has sent vpon it has opened the ey 's of a great part so that the Covenant which was before the obiect of their greatest reverence respect is now become the subiect of their laughter sport The Prophet Ieremy foretells that these miseries should befalls to all Idols They are vain things Ieremy 10.15 Hieron â—u hunc loâ—um saith he and a work worthy to be laughed at in time of their Visitation they shall perish Which words S. Hierom applies excellently to Heresies Who would not laugh saith he when he considers the Idols of Heretiques c. Heresies prevaile only for a time that these who are chosen may be made manifest and be approved But when the Visitation of God comes and his eys do behold their fooleries then all are quyet and siâ—e it And so now is the Covenant silent and fallen asleep But enough for our intended brevity of the false Titles of the Covenant and of the grosse vntruths in it against sense We shall now run brieflâ— through the Spiritual vntruths of it against Faith SECTION III. Of the Covenantes vain pretext of the word and Spirit of God and of the marks by which they describe their Relâ—gion THAT this matter may proceed more clearly we shall set down in order the words of the Covenant and then subioyn the Observations we made vpon them The Preface then of it goes thus Covenant Wee all and every one of vs vnderwritten protest that after long due examination of our Consciences in matters of true false religion Wee are now throughly resolved of the truth by the word Spirit of God And therefore we beleeve with our hearts confesse with our mouths subscribe with our hands and constantly affirme before God the whole world that this only is the true Christian faith and Religion pleasing God and bringing salvation to man which now is by tho mercy of God revealed to the world by the preaching of the blessed Evangel and received beleeved and defended by many and sundry notable Kirks Realms but chiefly by the Kirk of Scotland the Kings Maiesty and the three Estates of this Realm as Gods eternal Truth and only ground of our Salvation as more particularlâ— is confessed in the Confession of our faith established and publickly confirmed by Sundry Acts of Parliament and now of a long time hath been openly professed by the Kings Maiesty and whole body of this Realm both in Burgh and Land To the which Confession and forme of Religion we willingly agree in our Consciences in all points as vnto Gods vndoubted Truth and Verity grounded only vpon his written word To passe by the first sensible vntruth about the long and due examination of their consciences which was lately touched they pretend next that they are fully perswaded of the truth of their Religion by the word and Spirit of God But this is no new song neither is it only peculiar to them All sects although never so monstrous which receiv'd the Scriptures have made and do make the same pretexts And this they must all do or else they would get few followers But that the Covenanters make this pretext as falsly as any other sects is very evident For first they falsly pretend to be perswaded of the truth of their Religion by the word of God seing they beleeve diverse points as principal articles of their religion which are expresly against the word of God Which may be shown by many Instances but we shall be content with two or three The Covenanters beleeve as