Quitiliane colorem You are all forgers of lyes but of all Eudaemon Edaemon his Iob 13 4. tongue like Tarquins Rasor will cut a Whet stone Val. Max. l. 1. c. 4 in pieces such a strong delusion is sent on that man to beleeve a lye To conclude Some it may be will extenuate their crime terme these Pias fraudes popish policies to terrifie the papists from turning protestants and though they urge them yet doe they not beleeve these imputations And therefore we cannot conclude them to be Antichristians because the members of that Monster goe one degree further They beleeve lyes I say these impudent slanderers goe on deceiving and being deceived So long have their learned Priests taught the ignorant people these horrible lyes that they beleeve them themselves also To shew this to bee true let their owne protestations testifie it if lying be not to them become naturall and that these also bee false and untrue that they have them printed in their bookes this is some probability that they are printed in their hearts that they doe in good earnest beleeve them I will produce Malvenda our first witnesse Haec nos omnia Malv 2. 6. quia vera narramus c. All these things because we know them to be true we doe not whisper them in darke and obscure corners but publikely and in the middest of the world and if we were able we would proclame them with Trumpets and Stentorean voyces to the teeth of the Lutherans Calvinists with a wonderfull constancy doe we object them parati pro veritate millies mortem oppetere being prepared to dye a thousand deaths in testimony of the truth And what is the cause wherein the good Fryer is so confident and couragious that he will live dye in it Nothing but this That we have annihilated omnes Articulos fidei omnia capita Christianae religionis quicquid sacrum est aut politicum That wee have disturbed all things Ecclesiasticall or Civill in the Common-wealth and destroyed all the Articles of the Creed and all the grounds of Christian Religion In witnesse wherof he doth set to his hand and will seale it with his blood To testifie this he protesteth that he will dye a thousand deaths As sure as death he doth beleeve them Lest that a Fryer should bee more fervent then a Iesuite let Lessius speake his saith Thus Less de Ant. part 2. he beginneth the last part of his Treatise Let none suspect me that I write these things covitiandi causa to disgrace the Protestants Deum testor qui me judicaturus est I call God to record who must judge me And thus he endeth Farre be it Less ib. pag. 278. from me that I should falsty charge any man etiam Haeretico although he were a Heretike either concerning their lives or Doctrine ita mihi Christus sit propitius so Christ helpe me who doth know my thoughts and shall judge my actions and I know that the mouth which belyeth slayeth the soule Wisd 1. 11. Well! what hath he inserted betwixt these fearfull protestations attestations imprecations besides a Catalogue of calumnies in generall nothing but the premised persecutions of England in particular To wit that all Anabaptists Libertines Familists and Atheists live amongst us with leave and liberty Onely all Papists dye for their Religion that judgements are forged false proclamations publshed false witnesses suborned to take away their lives and before they die their Children are violently taken away from their parents All these he avoucheth by the judgements of God and mercies of Christ Verily wee may beleeve that hee doth beleeve these lyes and persecutions Right sorry should I bee if our English should lagge in this race of confidence Dare any tell God what he beleeveth not Remember then the forecited Psalmist they deplore their persecutions in the presence of God And what is their complaint A toy a credible trifle that we persecute them like Tigers and Vnicornes like Sauls and Lyons and that like Iewes Aegyptians and Pagans our persecutions fall on them as thunder Lightning Notwithstanding we may beleeve that they beleeve all this unlesse their new Art of Equivocation have a trick that they can equivocate even with God himselfe Notwithstanding all this there is one behind who goeth before all these in a confident dreadfull imprecation It is the Author of the dutifull considerations dedicated to his Majestie If that man be either here or alive if hee either heare this sermon or heare of this sermō let him take it into his second Considerations what he hath delivered in his second Considerations His syllables are these If this be not so in their owne conscience let me never see the face of God And what is the cause that this man also is so resolute to renounce God if hee lye Alas I can hardly beleeve mine eyes that any heart dare pen such desperate depositions and selfe-damning execrations I will not tie him to the Concometants of his protestation that wee are willingly guilty that our whole religion is nothing but absolute heresies blasphemies loosnesse liberty rejecting the Fathers Councils and the Church But I will urge him with the same words in the same lines thus execrably hee protesteth The Protestants use the Scripture for a Visard if this be not so in their owne Consciences let me never see the face of God I thinke there is no moderate Papist so uncharitable to suppose that we doe it and I know there is no true Protestant so damnable as to doe it to make the Scripture a Visard and to fight against a knowne truth Where then is the face of that man who doth renounce the face of God and our owne Consciences must be the Iudges that we know our selves to abuse the Scripture and live in heresie I want words to expresse my wonderment Loe thus shall it be to the man whom Antichrist hath seduced and God delivered into strong delusion to beleeve a lye Of him and them and all these shamelesse lyers I will conclude with Luthers words concerning that Popish Pamphlet which published him to bee dead and caryed away by the Devill when he lived to subscribe to it I cannot but laugh at the Devils malice wherewith he and his lying rout pursue us and God convert them from this devillish malice and lying But if this my prayer be for the sinne unto death that it cannot be heard then God grant they may fill up the measure of their sinne and with such lying Libels let them delight themselves one with another to the full For us since lyes are the Badge of Antichrist the Lord preserve our soules from that lying Religion SERMON XXV 2 THESS 2. 11. That they should beleeve a lye The Pope may erre Hath erred In his Trāslations Canon Lawes Papa credens docens that distinction examined Of implicite faith YOu have already heard it inforced to the ful how the Romanists doe beleeve a lye
this place signifie a multitude the Church malignant as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the woman in another Rev. 12. 6. doth signifie a multitude the Church militant Next every Schoole-boy can tell that the article doth not alwayes signifie one particular person Againe it seemeth there is no such signification thereof in this place for the old translation so authenticall with them absolutely omitteth it And in Scripture the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used foure wayes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Elegance Demonstration Difference and Eminence First 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Elegance as Luke 4. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Man shall not live by bread alone Matt. 4. 4. the same sentence is rendred without the article 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Secondly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Demonstration pointing at some particular person as Iohn 1. 29. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Behold the Lambe of God Thirdly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Difference to distinguish the whole kinde as Marke 2. 27. The Sabbath was made 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for man Fourthly it is used 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Eminence and emphasie to signifie a thing that is noble and notable in that kind as 2 Tim. 3. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The man of God meaning not any man but the Minister yet not one particular person but the whole calling So here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth not all impious men but emphatically the Principall Antichrist yet Him not one particular person but a whole vocation Notwithstanding yeeld them this conclusion neverthelesse from hence they can conclude nothing against ours or for their owne cause Though Antichrist be one man yet may the Pope be Antichrist For supposing a personall yea a Trienniall Antichrist and the persecutors and Heretikes to have beene Harbingers to prepare his way Notwithstanding the See of Rome may be the Seat of Antichrist and the succession of Popes may be the Series of those persons out of whom one Monster may arise who shal succeed and exceed all his predecessours in breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Disciples of the Lord in making havocke of the Church and in being drunke with the blood of the Saints and with the blood of the Martyrs of Iesus This seemeth to be the conjecture of learned Zanchius and to the same Zanâ—h miscâ—l lib. 3. p. 25 de fine sac 85. discept cum Marbachio 474. Mr. Mountagues Appeale part 2 cap. 5. pag. â—19 conjecture seemeth our no lesse learned Countriman to incline in these words It may bee probable that one notorious singular mischievous Antichrist may arise towards the finall consummation of the world who in fraudulent colluding malicious craftinesse in impious execrable and transcendent wickednesse through hereticall impostures and lying miracles shall goe beyond all other that ever lived in the world Surely if the Generall of the Iesuites should once come to be Pope I would vehemently suspect him to bee the party designed For out of what nest that accursed bird should rather come abroad than out of that Seraphicall Society I cannot guesse But indeed that Antichrist should be one particular person it is improbable and plainly impossible which I will make appeare by six arguments In the sixt seventh verses 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which with-holdeth he which letteth that is the Empire and the Emperor by their owne doctrine doth signifie not one man but a successioÌ„ if the article doth not restraine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the person hindering no more can it restraine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the person hindered vnto the singular number In this verse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Antichrist is termed a man to bee Reuealed but in the seuenth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he was working euen then though in a Mysterie and the same man is said to be destroyed at the comming of Christ in the eight verse Antichrist therefore was in Saint Pauls time to be revealed in the after times and to be destroyed in the last times All which cannot concurre in one particular man This also may be confirmed from the drift of the Apostles discourse in this place Which was to foretell the most notable Apostasie and most importing the waste of the Church which could not bee in the age onely of one man Farre fitter therefore it had been to haue foretold the Heresie of Arius which indured many yeares and extended to many places Miratur orbis se factum Arianum Hieron Dial. ad Lucif Saint Hierom saith the whole world was infected with Arianisme To this Sunne-shine of Saint Paul St. Iohn may adde one Candle Reu. 18. 7. Sedeo Regina 1 sit a Queene and shall see no sorrow which are the words of one not newly sprung up by an usurped authority but of one established in a long and rooted tyrannie But to lay the axe to the root of the tree Matth. 16. 18. wee read 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that Christ will build his Church upon a rocke Now according to their Popish exposition if the Papists must expound the article to signisie the singular number and by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The rocke to vnderstand Peter alone and not the whole succession of Popes then sarewell to the Romish Supremacy and infallibilitie And I thinke the Romanists had as liefe yeeld the Pope to bee Antichrist as not to be the supreme head of the Church and not to be the infallible iudge of Controuersies Finally Bellarmine himselfe delivereth these Bell. de P. R. lib. 3 c. 1â— five things Antichrist must 1 vsurpe the kingdome of the Iewes 2 vanquish Egypt Libia and Ethiopia 3 conquer seuen other kingdomes 4 subdue the whole world 5 raise an universall persecution Now how Antichrist shall ever be able to poste over these expeditions on the wings of a whirle-wind in the reigne of one man especially in the space of three yeares and a halse as the Papists fancie I appeale to the conscience of any indifferent person Protestant or Papist and they will conclude with me Antichrist cannot be one singular man Neither can any justly oppose that argument from the opposition Christ is one man therefore Antichrist shall be one man For Christ the Head of the Church liveth for ever himselfe and therefore is one person But Antichrist the Head of Babel is mortall and continuing to the end of the world must therfore be perpetuated by successioÌ„ we haue instances in this kind The High Priest was the Type of Christ The High Priest that Type of Christ was not one Person but the succession The Pope is called the Vicar of Christ not one Person but the succession Quoad officium Papatus omnes Papae qui fuerunt aut erunt non sunt nisi Vnus Papa All the Popes which over were or shall be in regard of the Function of the Papacy are
into one Church triumphant is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an aggregation or a Congregation of Congregations The second the affection to this gathering together in the word our appeareth to bee an allusion in that Proverbe Matt. 24. 28. Wheresoever the carkeise is there will the Eagles be gathered together For Nature doth not make the Eagle so to sent out and to hunt out the carkeise as Grace doth make the Faithfull to hunger and thirst after that comming The sense then thus I set down in more and more plain termes As Christ will joine you to him effectually and as you long after that conjunction affectionately even so by the gathering together 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by our gathering together unto him wee beseech you brethren not to bee moved from the truth by any false seducers From these premises let us conclude this Doctr. doctrine Gods blessings doe binde Gods children to be constant in the truth Thus wee see in this Text that Christs comming is urged as an argument to confirm the Thessalonians in Christs doctrine Rom. 9. 31. and 32. the grievous fault and punishment of Israel was this God gave them righteousnesse by faith but they fell to their workes and therefore lost all Luke 12. 32. God giveth his servants a kingdome therefore they should not feare to serve him And indeed this is the maine end wherefore God giveth us his blessings to incourage us in his truth The man who hath his head held up by a skilfull swimmer meriteth drowning if in a fond feare he forsake him to lay hold on some floating staffe So let him sinke in errour that will bee affrighted even with an Ocean of temptations if Gods blessings support him Alexander the great Iust hist l. 11. saith Iustine made choice of the stipendiary his Pensioners for his prime souldiers in his Persian expedition So such as are Gods Pensioners that is inriched with his continuall favours ought to be his Triarij that is his most courageous souldiers and most constant professors in the Church militant And finally as in 2 Sam. 12. 7 8. Nathan said unto David Thus saith the Lord God of Israel I have anointed thee King over Israel and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul and I gave thee thy masters house and thy masters wives into thy bosome and gave thee the house of Israel and of Iudah and if that had been too little I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things As I say David was here argued from Gods benefits because he fell into carnall adultery so shall wee bee condemned also from Gods benefits if we fall into Spirituall adultery We shall finde the Lord a jealous God if his mercies move us not to keepe his Commandements Hence therefore it may appeare that the Vse assurance of Gods blessings that is the certainty of salvation is not the naturall mother of Presumption No that Bastard is filius populi presumption proceedeth from mans corruption accidentally and not necessarily from that sweet Consolation But if Blessings doe binde then are we bound to God in infinite bonds Remember that blessed uniting of the two Roses the white and the red Yorke and Lancaster Remember the uniting of the two Lyons in gold and gules England and Scotland By the first dissention the two Houses might have ruinated this Kingdome by the second the two Kingdomes might have ruinated this Iland had they not beene united Yet can wee not bee haled to Vnion in the Church but still we nourish a fatall dissention Remember moreover Gods blessings of protection in 88 God delivered us from water and in 1605 from fire And yet some of us love that Religion which hatched those hatefull machinations Consider his present blessings such a plenty for three yeares and such a peace for three score yeares as this Land enioyed not in three hundred before And yet remaine we unmindfull unthankfull Now that we may be sensible of this sin God withdraweth some of them This City doth see and the Country doth feele the abundance of unseasonable raine so that some cannot end their harvest and others cannot beginne their seed-time May not this be a prologue to a Famine Againe is it a small thing that we are almost universally smitten with the small poxe May not this be a Rabshekah the Fore-runner of Senacherib May not God tell vs by the small poxe that he hath a greater plague to smite us with To what end is all this Even to urge the same argument upon us which St. Paul here doth upon the Thessalonians that we be constant in our Religion Therefore by all those blessings ye have or hope for by those judgements yee doe deserve and may stand in feare of by the liberty of our Conscience and plentifull preaching of the Gospell by the famine of bread and famine of the word but above all By the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ I beseech you brethren Brethren I beseech you bee constant in the Truth of God And the God of truth make vs carefull cheerfull and joyfull to performe it SERMON II. 2 THESS 2. 2 3. That you be not soone shaken in minde or bee troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by Letter as from us as that the day of Christ were at hand Let no man deceive you by any meanes The comming of Christ may not be defined The errours of the understanding cause terrours to the conscience Meanes to avoid errour Three fountaines of errour Of Enthusiasine Of the use and abuse of Eloquence Of false quotations and corrupting Authors Ten meanes of seducing to Popery THis Text and the former verse containe the short preface premised to the great point of Antichrist In that you heard by what St. Paul did disswade the Thessalonians by the comming of our Lord Iesus Christ In this you shall heare from what he disswaded them from an error concerning the comming of Christ In the text there are two generalls the Heresie and the Fallacy The heresie to which and the fallacy through which they were in danger to be seduced In each generall there are two particulars In the heresie their errour and their terrour The errour in the last words of the first verse as that the day of the Lord were at hand and their terrour in the first words of this verse that yee be not soone shaken in minde or troubled In the Fallacy observe it related in particular in the remnant of the second verse neither by spirit nor by word nor by Letter as from us and finally observe the fallacy repeated in generall in the third verse Let no man deceive you by any meanes The first of the five particulars is their Errour They thought the day of Christ to be at hand But say some those erre who call this an errour For St. Iames saith Iam. 5. 8. The day of the Lord draweth nigh◠and St. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 7. The end of all things is at hand If therefore
Religion to ravish all mens affections and to fit every humour As if Epicurus had beene the pretended successour of Saint Peter or Saint Peters pretended successour had been Epicurus aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This was the practise of Epicurus Lactantius lib. 3. cap. 17. Vt adse multitudinem contrahat oppositis singulis quibusque moribus loquitur Desidiosum vel at literas discere avarum populari largitione liberat qui claritati studet huic praecipiâ—ur reges colere fugienti turbam solitudo laudatur qui nimium parcus est discit aqua polenta vitam posse tolerare qui uxoremodit huic enumerantur bona Caelibatus c. Translate it into English and an ordinary English person would take it to be the Popes ordinary practise That he may draw the multitude unto him he hath positions for every humour of every person If he be a Dullard he giveth him an Indulgence for ignorance as the mother of devotion If Covetous he exempts him from popular taxations the exemption of the Clergy If hee hunt after preferment Kings Courts shall imploy him if hee cannot indure the troubles of the world a solitary life of the Hermites is extolled if he be frugall fasting and such austeritie is assigned him and if he dislike his wife the singular benefits of a single life are preached unto him and a Monastery prepared for him To honor my conclusion I will conclude with the words of him who Relation of the Religion in the West sect 13. is the Honor of Travellers Whatsoever either wealth can sway with the Lovers or voluntarie poverty with the despisers of the world what Honor with the ambitious or obedience with the humble what great imployments with the stirring spirits or perpetuall quiet with the restive bodies what content pleasant natures can take in pastimes and jollities what contrariwise the austere minds in discipline and rigour what love either chastity can raise in the pure or voluptuousnesse in the dissolute what allurements are in knowledge to draw the Contemplative or in action of State to possesse the practicke disposition c. In a word whatsoever any humor can fancy they have some object to feed it And this I call the maine engine to undermine Christian Religion it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the very Mystery of Iniquitie This is their Mystery in undermining their pojects are no lesse in Counterming Five things I observe wherby the protestaÌ„ts have prevailed against the Papists Preaching to men schooling of children catechizing the ignorant writing of Martyrs and calling for Councills In all which they doe now proprijs pennis percellere as Iulian spake they would beat us at our own weapons if plaine Truth did not shield us 1 In our primitive Reformation the industrie of our Preachers and dexterity of our preaching did ravish the multitude who had been so long buried in Egyptian darknesse The politike Papists perceiving the effect used the same meanes and now have provided plenty of excellent Preachers which they send forth especially on solemne times to publike places In Lent and in Cities their pulpits be furnished with men using such diligence in their labours eloquence in their speech making such shew of Reverence towards God of zeale towards their Hearers and of loue to the Truth that they seeme to want nothing but a good cause But that such brave abilities should patronize such grosse idolatry Popery this is the secret which in my text is termed The mystery of iniquity In the meane time let our Coate contend with their cunning in countermining us Let us Preachers strive to equall their labours in our painfull and laborious preaching A second point whereby the Protestants prevailed was their schooling of Children especially in the principles of religion whereby they did sow the seed betime Bend those twigges whiles they were yong and quo semel imbuta recens servabit odorem testa diu season them with that love of the truth in their youth which old age could never extinguish The Papists have undertaken us in this also especially the Iesuites Wheresoever they come instantly they open free Schooles which they discharge so industriously that presently they procure a confluence of all children Whom under the pretence of teaching the Arts they artificially instruct them in the principles of Popery infusing withall such a prejudice against our part as maketh them incapable of converting by Protestants and implacable of conversing with Protestants Yea it is said that some Protestants have sent their children to the Iesuites Schooles because of their dexteritie in teaching Where it is to bee feared that they will traine them up like Ianizaries to returne to the confusion of their owne Parents and Countrey This is a Master-peece in their popish policie a great Mystery Here would I exhort our Schoole-masters like our English with the French in the reign of Henry 5 to meet their Counterminers and combate with them in the Mine and to contend with them in the instructing of their Schollers in knowledge both humane and divine whereby they may abate if not defeat this Iesuiticall mysterie of iniquitie to robbe us of our Children and God of his servants A third instrument to inlarge the reformed Religion hath beene catechising whereby the ignorant hath taken heart and ability to defend their owne and to oppose the Popish Religion Herein also the Iesuits are said to equall and outstrippe the Protestants having solemne Catechizing in their Churches on Sundayes and Holydayes To which purpose their Trent Catechisme is published by Pope Pius 5 yet wee must take notice that this serious and solide catechising they exercise principally if not solely where they dwell among or confine upon the Protestants In places and ages distant from them their Catechising is a mystery muffling the miserable ignorant people in another manne About Granata and other Gonsalvius de Inquis praefat Provinces of Spaine where the Spanish Inquisition reigned they taught the simple people their Ave Maria Pater Noster their Credo with salve Regina in Latine But the five Commandements of the Church which they say are necessary to salvation i. the hearing of Masse on Sundayes and Holydayes the going to shrift and Confession the receiving of the Holy Bread the due observing of Fasts and the true paying of Tithes are accurately taught them in the Mother tongue Here againe my tongue speaketh what my heart thinketh for us Ministers I wish that either our Consciences would incite us or authority injoyne us to be more carefull and painfull in Catechising the onely meanes to throw downe their Mine on our Counterminers Heads and to make the meanest capacity able to discerne their Popish Sophistrie A fourth meanes to propagate the Protestants cause at least to procure compassion was composing of Martyrologies the stories of poore persecuted people put to death for the Reformed Religion Whereby they published unto the world the innocence and patience of
Machline spend seven houres every day in solemne prayers And in Italy at the sound of a Bell at one instant three times a day sunne setting sunne rising and at noon Relation of the Religion in the West sect 4. all people in every place street market house fields c. kneele downe and send up their united prayers unto heaven Admirable devotion if it were as it seemeth I argue but foure small frailties in the performance thereof nothing but Ignorance Superstition Pride and Hypocrisie They pray in Latine whereby he that occupyeth the roome of the unlearned cannot say Amen a custome coÌ„demned long since by S. Paul in the Corinthians and yet some 1 Cor. 14 16. will have him at this day to approve it in the Romanes Next they imploy their devotion in Ave Maries to the blessed Virgin and prayers to a creature cannot bee cleared from sacrilegious superstition Thirdly the Devotion of those Hypocrites is as the house of the Spider they place affiance in their Orisons and depend upon their prayers as meritorious Finally they draw neere to God with their mouth and with their lips they honour him but they have removed their hearts farre from him Isay 29. 13. Qui caret devotione non peccat He that hath no devotion in his prayers sinneth not saith a learned Papist This doubling in their devotion Iacob de Gra. Dâ—cis Aâ—r. part 1. lib. 2. cap. 53. nu 16. doth double our detestation of their dissembling Religion Neverthelesse to the simple and the credulous it is perswasive attractive indeed the deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse The last device which they practise to draw men to Popery and to confirme men in Popery is a shew of Discipline Discipline indeed discharged is indeed necessary As necessary to a man as it is to an Army It is to the body of the one as it is to the Souldiers of the other it keepeth it from rebellion Of Discipline the Papists vaunt much to the humble simple and sorrowfull sinner They tell them of their penance and poverty of their sacke-cloth and ashes and of their Lent and fasting And that in our Religion there is nothing but loosenesse and liberty I answer for us the defect of discipline is the fault of our persons not of our Church What person may not give as much to the poore and take as much from his delights as his conscience shall perswade him Nay more we know our Church doth injoyne Fasting Lent Penance and other points of Discipline For them I say it is better not to use Discipline absolutely which wee doe not than to abuse it superstitiously which they doe And againe there is no greater liberty in any Religion under heaven than in the Romish I appeale to their magnificent indulgences and indulgent penances But by this you may conceive what arguments and instruments they use to confirme and inlarge the Dominions of Antichrist They will perswade you publikely by their writings and privately in your houses They will blind you with the pretence of sincere devotion and austere discipline The Agents which use these are infinite industrious and learned men but such as the text speaketh of who are set on worke by Satan to draw men to a false Religion But the God of heaven make us all constant and conscionable in the practice and profession of the true Religion SERMON XVIII 2 THEâ—S 2. 9 10. After the working of Satan in all power Of Satan Papists refuse all communion with Protestants Why so many learned turne Papists No reconciliation with Rome I Have shewed you the meanes instrumentall whereby the comming of Antichrist is confirmed Miracles and Oracles I proceed to the principall meanes his person Satan of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Adversarius qui obsistit an enemy who doth resist saith Erasmus Or Satanas quasi Satanachas that is a Serpent or an Impostor as Aretius delivereth it out of Iustine Martyr so both force and fraud shall concurre in the confirming of Antichrist As Christ doth worke mightily in his Ministers Coloss 1. 29. so doth the Devill work mightily in his ministers both in eis per eos in them and by them making them both to teach and beleeve his devillish errors As 1 King 22. 22. the Devill was a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahabs Prophets and the text saith they did perswade and prevaile So according to this text the Devill shall stirre up and inable learned men to confirme the comming of Antichrist and they shall perswade and prevaile And that in an admirable manner as it followeth in the next point his potency 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in all power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when wee cannot expresse the power of an Agent wee terme it in Latine energeticum and energeticall in English here translated the working of Satan The meaning is The Devill shall inable men to spread and perswade the doctrine of Antichrist in a mighty powerfull manner beyond admiration To proceed this mighty power we may perceive exercised on and by the Papists to support Antichrist I insist in one instance The Powerfull agents of Antichrist have so powerfully prevailed with inferiour Papists that they refuse all community with all Protestants in all the exercises of Religion Concerning Religion in generall and Prayer in particular these ought to be the rules of true Christians First to separate in the exercises of the contrary Religion onely in those things wherein they dissent Secondly to refuse to pray with the contrary onely if there bee scandall Thus may they refuse to communicate with us and wee with them because of Transubstantiation a point of difference and scandall to either part But when there is no difference nor scandall there should be no refusall of communion With the Papists it is farre otherwise they with us abhorre all community They reject our Bookes before they reade them our Sermons before they heare them our persons before they see them and our positions before they know them They will not doe us that Christian right which the Bereans did Saint Paul Act. 17. 11. to examine our doctrine by the Scriptures but they wrong us as Demetrius did him Act. 13. 32. making the multitude to cry out against us and yet the most of them know no cause for it For Prayers Our Châ—rches they enter not though our Leiturgy hath nothing offensive to them If by chance they hap into an house where the houshold settle to pray out ruuneth the Romist from a Protestant as Saint Iohn did from Cerynthus as Iren lib. 3. cap. 3. if our very prayers were abominable enough to make the house fall on them or sinke with them At our meales if we thanke God a Papist must not say Amen At their owne meales they will rather eate their meat without Gods blessing than aske it in the presence of a Protestant though for this later some few in England have lately a little refined this fancy I
would demand but this if an Arrian should say the Lords Prayer would they refuse to say Amen If they should eate with a multitude of Turkes and that they should thanke the Creatour for feeding them with his good creatures would a good Christian refuse to joyne with them If they were with Pagans in a ship like Ionah in the shippe of Tarshish would they not pray with them to be delivered from the shipwracke Nay according to their owne Legends of Bellarmine Surius and Francis if horses sheepe and oxen should worship God would they not do what they exhort us to doe to adore God even for the company of those bruit creatures Yet either so miserable are we or so uncharitable are they that they will not vouchsafe that to us which they deny not to Arrians Turkes Pagans and the beasts themselves They will not joyne with us in the worship of our common God The effect whereof is admirable for the strengthning of Popery two wayes First they can never be informed by us Secondly they will ever be inflamed against us By the first they remaine in ignorance of our positions and beleeve as their Teachers slander us that our Preachers are Coblers Tailors Tradesmen Stella in Luc. 9. 16. Stella in Luc. 3. 11. Artisans and that our Preaching is magnifying Faith onely and then that men may live as they list By the second they are made to hate us worse than the Turkes whereupon their Crusadoes are published as well against the Protestants as against the Sarasins Now that ever Religion should ever worke such an hatred in men towards their Country-men Kinsmen yea Friends and Parents that they will not joyne with them in any thing concerning Gods worship though never so farre from offence or scandall I take this to bee a strange mystery of iniquity perswaded in all power after the working of Satan A feat not of man but of the Devill himselfe Here I take just occasion to satisfie one scruple which is perpetually objected If the Pope be that grand Antichrist and Popery so grossely erroneous how then are so many learned men of the Romish Religion the very phrase of my text is answer sufficient The comming of Antichrist is after the working of Satan in all power and therefore learned men may bee entangled Againe Matth. 24. 24. If it were possible the very Elect should bee deceived therefore for the learned to be deceived is no impossibility Againe Rev. 17. â— 2. Antichrist is termed a Whore which maketh men drunke Now a gracelesse yongster who is corporally inticed by uncleannesse and intangled by drunkennesse how will he defend himselfe and despise the plaine advice of his understanding friends to enjoy his bewitching beauty And hath not spirituall drunkennesse and uncleannesse equall power to beat downe all perswasions Sampson though hee had many gaine-saying strugglings yet could he not deny his Dalilah So am I perswaded that great learned men of the Romish Religion have many checks of conscience but the magnificence of that Synagogue doth extinguish them I will inforce and inlarge this answer in the words of Pope Pius the second with a very little alteration Sciunt Christiani c. The Protestants doe know that Pius 2. Epist ad Morbisan their Religion is sincere holy and saving nor can they be removed from it quamvis aliqui aut libidine ducti aut avaritia tracti aut voluptate illecti aut metu mortis attoniti aut cruciatu superati although some either allured by licentiousnesse or intangled by covetousness or astonished by the feare of death or vanquished by tortures are shaven doe abjure and turne Papists Quorum corda si possis inspicere but if you could search the hearts of those Apostates you should see that there is not one of them who doth forsake the Gospell upon advised motives and serious deliberation In a word this may suffice Antichrist is come after the working of Satan in all power And therefore many learned are of the Romish Religion For suller satisfaction Foure causes I conceive wherefore so many learned are of the Antichristian Roman Religion their Study Prejudice Pride and Gods just judgement to blinde them First they study the Scriptures in generall this prophecy in particular depending upon their wit learning languages and reading of the Fathers These meanes externall I acknowledge to be excellent and pray that all our side may excell in them But these without the meanes internall Humility and Invocation are like the stasse of Elishah without the presence of Elishah they will give no true life to the understanding for it is written I will destroy the wisedome of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent 1 Cor. 1. 19. And the naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can they know them because they are spiritually discerned 1 Cor. 2. 14. A presuming upon their owne learning I conceive to be the first cause that so many learned are ignorant in this point of Antichrist Secondly at the comming of Christ who did or could speake more of his comming than the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 their Scribes and Pharises the Learned and yet who farther from the apprehension of the evident arguments of his comming than those Lawyers than those learned men The reason Prejudice They had beforehand perswaded their expectation to attend a temporall Messias that when Christ came the spirituall Messias all plaine signes which were apparent to Children were riddles to those Rabbies For prejudice had possessed them with a contrary expectation So concerning the comming of Antichrist the Rabbies of Rome their learned men prescribing to their expectation that Antichrist must be a Iew an open Tyrant against the Church and to tyrannize three yeares onely If you now tell them that Antichrist is a Christian a famous Bishop in the Church and that he hath tyrannized therein many hundreds of yeares If now an Angell from heaven should say Oh come out of Babylon yet would hee seeme to their learned as Lot did to his Sonnes in Law Gen. 19. 14. He would seeme as one that mocketh They mocke at all arguments proving the Pope to be Antichrist So potent is preiudice to keep even learned men in ignorance But herein I could wish that all Papists and some Protestants also would practise the advice of a Pope Pius the second Noli falsum dicere nisi Pius 2. Epist ad Moâ—bisan cognoveris esse doe not say that our reasons are false before you know them to be so Deride not our obiections besore you can cleare them by plaine solutions Thirdly in the Iewish Church there were many who did beleeve on Christ Iohn 12. 42 43. but they did non confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue and they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God They would not confesse the truth
religion or so mad as to incurre a Praemunire for such a Consecration and the truth is they were all Consecrated by the Archbishop of Canterbury at his Pallace at Lambeth Mr Nowell and Mr Pearson preaching at their severall consecrations But I will not adde a Candle to the Sunne This foule lye is unmasked to the full by the Patterne of Ministers and Patron of our Ministry Master Mason Mason de Min. Angl. l. 3. c. 8. in Append. Bell. de Amiss Grat. l. 3. c. 8. in his most learned Treatise on that theame Onely I will adde out of him Bellarmine might well maintaine officious lyes to be but veniall sinnes otherwise I cannot see how any can spie out not so much as a shadow no not of a Stasse of Reed to support their officious yea pernicious Calumnies In all which against whom doe you sport your selves against Jsay 57. 4. whom make you a wide mouth and draw out your tongue are yee not the Children of transgression a seed of falshood and at length they shall know lying lips are an abomination to the Prov. 12. 22. Lord. Concerning the holy Scriptures they would beare the world in hand that we so trample Eud. de Ant. l. 3. them under our feet as that wee stick not to preferre Luther before all the Apostles Saint Paul onely accepted And our conscionable countryman shameth not to avouch it to our Dut Consid Consid 2. c. 1. Sect. 28. Frar Or. Lov. 1565. King that the Protestants use the Scriptures as a Visard Both being as probable as that prodigious calumnie fastened by the Papists on the Protestants in France that they poysoned all the wels about Lyons to bring innumerable innocents to an inevitable destruction 5. In regard of our obedience to our King their lyes would make us seeme to bee what truth hath showne them to bee very Rebels The Protestants teach saith Campian Christiani liberi Camp Rat. 8. a statut is hominum that Christians are free from the lawes of men And it is the drift of the Calvinist Ministers by their bookes Less de Ant. ep Dedic Frâ—r Or. Lâ—v. 1565. de Antichristo to cause warre and kindle rebellion saith Lessius And Frarinus fathers it upon the French Protestants that they poysoned King Frances 2. and digging up his heart which was buryed in the Church of Saint Crosse at Orleance that they put it on a Gridiroâ— and broyled it to ashes A Popish pamphlet printed at Turnay Monarch part 2 Tit. 3. 1623. termeth our English Ministers Bouteseus that is sowers of sedition because they they say that the Romish Catholikes hold Pag. 410. Protestants as heretikes and Excommunicated But he is told of this loud lye by Doctor Boucher Approbatio calce libeâ—â—i Chancellour of Turnay who licensed this Libell for this cause because he did herein dexterously discover quam perniciosa fuerit Angliae professio Haeresis what a pernicious Heresie was professed in England Accordingly that Author frameth a double Title to that Book terming the first part Babel or Monarchomachia meaning the Protestants and the other Hierusalem order or obedience to wit the Romish Religion Blood and Murther farre be it from our thoughts Happy were we if it were so farre from theirs also 6. Lastly for our obedience to God they report vs meere Libertines and Epicures Nil nisi fidem requirunt Lessius saith that the Protestants Less de Ant. part 2. Comp. 10. Suar. Ap. â— 10. require nothing but faith Suarez more fully and foully too Quocunque modo vivant per solam fidem gloriam sibi promittunt neque mandatorum observationem neque panitentiam esse necessariam praedicant the Protestants preach saith the Iesuite that it is no matter how men live promising glory by faith alone accounting both the keeping of the Commandements and repentance to be unncessary Legem ad salutem nequaquam esse necessariam impiè dicere non veriti sunt their Trent Cat. Trid. de Decalog Catechisme saith that wee are not afraid to say impiously that the law of God is not necssary to salvation Our owne Countreymen are as confident in this shamelesse calumnie Decalogus nil ad Christianos Campian doth charge Camp Rat. 8. us with this prophane paradoxe who may aptly be translated by George Dowly They Dowlie cap. 8. have saith he no other scope of their whole life and religion but meere liberty and sensualitie Against which loud lewde lye wee appeale to our GOD to our Conscience to our Bookes to our Sermons to our Hearers to our very Children in their Catechismes who never were taught one sylable of such damnable Doctrine Lord let their lying lips bee put to silence which cruelly disdainfully dispightfully speak against Psal 31. 20. the righteous Heare all these slanders falling in one breath from the mouth of Malvenda Omnes Malv l. 2. c. 6. fidei articulos omnia capita Christianae religionis sacramenta omnem ordinem usum ac sensum communem ecclesiae loco movit concussit miscuit convulsâ—â—t evertit destruit Nil denique est in republica Christiana seu sacrum seu politicum quod Lutherus per se aut per suas proles non distorserit corruperit ac depravaverit that is All the Articles of the saith all the grounds of Christian Religion the Sacraments all order custome and common sence of the Church is removed shaken confounded plucked downe plucked up plucked in pieces and destroyed In a word there is nothing in the Christian common-wealth neither Ecclesiasticall nor Politicall which Luther hath not either by himselfe or his followers wronged corrupted or depraved I say therefore The Papists like Plinies Camels Plin. 8. 18. which troubled the water with their feet that they might not see their owne ougly shape so they raise mudde by slandering our religion lest in our integrity they should behold their owne deformed impietie and Apostasie But I Nehem. 6. 8. will answere our Adversaries as Nehemiah did Sanballat There are no such things done as thou sayest but thou fainest them of thine owne heart If their foule tongues have thus forced our reputation publishing unto the world that both our persons in particular and our profession in generall are thus impious Defamed England may take up the complaint of defiled 2 Sam. 13. 13. Thamar and I whether shall I cause my shame to goe Neverthelesse they desist not here In regard of our Persons and profession their tongues have wipped us with scourges but with Scorpions in regard of our practice The practice of the Church of England they proclame Gen. 34. 25. to be like Simeon and Levi that the instruments of cruelty are in our habitation that wee have murthered the Papists as they did the Shechemites even under the pretence of religion And they doe this to make England like Israell to make our land stinke among the Cananites For if the phrase of