in the state of this present life it is impossible to keep Gods Commandements to perfection according to the Law but not to acceptation when we are in Christ. Fourthly that the gate of mercy is not to be shut against any sinner penitently desiring reconciliation but he is to be admitted to the same privately or publikly Fiftly that Praiers are to be made for all that are departed in the true faith of Christ that is first Thankesgiving that they are delivered from the body of death and miseries of this sinfull world Secondly Requests of Gods mercy that they may have their perfect consummation and blisse in body and soule in the kingdome of God at the last judgment Sixtly that Virginity such as the Apostle describeth 1 Cor. 7. 34 37. holy in body and spirit and undertaken to be free from the cares of this world to be carefull for the things that pertaine to the Lord is a more excellent estate then marriage Seventhly that the Saints in heaven pray for the Church on earth and it is lawfull for us to pray to God to heare their praiers but they know not our hearts neither may we aske grace or glory of any but God onely Eightly that images of God are unlawfull The images of Christ and the Saints may be used in way of history or remembrance and with reverent respect not to be worshipped with incense vowes or praiers Loe here our Doctrine for which never any man was cut off from the Primitive Church nor any counted a Rebell till the Pope began to play the masterly servant in the house of God and to strike his fellow-servants and cast out whom he list out of the family Objection The fourth Councell of Carthage at which Saint Augustine was present decreed according to the ancient practise of the Church and Apostolicall tradition that the faithfull may neither pray nor sing Psalmes with hereticks See what a sin it is to perswade a Catholick man to goe to heretical service forbidden by holy Scripture by Generall Councells and observed by all sects who doe at this day repell from their service all those that be of a contrary Religion THis authority of the Councell of Carthage was reserved for the last place and is graced with Saint Augustines name and Apostolick Tradition of likelihood because it mentions singing of Psalmes which the Church of England and other reformed Churches doe use It might seem odious if he should have said Yee may not sing a Psalme with a Protestant and some body might have replyed May I sing a Catch or a merry song and not one of Davids Psalmes may I eate with him and not give God thankes May we sleepe together and not say the Lords prayer together To this it seemed hard to make a handsome answer with reason therefore the Councell of Carthage and Saint Augustine and the ancient practise of the Church and Apostolicall Tradition are brought in to beare it downe by meer authority But for Tradition even by their owne description expounding it of doctrine not written he must give up his plea from Scripture if he claime by Tradition unlesse he will acknowledge that he as many times the ancients doe meanes by this word The same thing that was written The practise of the Church is yet to shew neither can it I beleeve be shewed ever delivered holden or practised that such as had one God one Faith one Baptisme one Lord one Spirit one hope of salvation might not have one Prayer sing one Psalme together Especially these same Psalmes that we are speaking of calling Iewes and Gentiles old and young all that have breath yea the bruit and senselesse creatures to the joynt performance of this duty The praising their Creator Did the Councell then forbid that which God commands Did Saint Augustine consent to it I think not But the Author of this Collection whether wittingly or ignorantly God knowes goeth about to beguile the simple with a cunning Translation and wrong application of this Canon to make feare where there is no feare The word which he Englisheth To sing Psalmes is more generall To sing any Ditty or Song whether it be out of the Book of Psalmes as we doe use the terme or composed by any other Author Such Psalmes had the Hereticks in their assemblies both the Arrians and the Donatists wherein they inserted such things as made to the advancing of their owne Sect yea as tended to increase contention which mooved Saint Chrysostome at Constantinople and Saint Ambrose at Milane and by their example many other Churches in the world to take up the like use of singing also besides the Psalmes of David which long before were wont to be sung in the Church The Churches in Africk were more slack herein as Saint Augustine relateth so as the Donatists blamed them because they sung soberly the divine Songs of the Prophets in the Church When themselves saith he inflame their drunken fits with singing of Psalmes composed by mans wit like a Trumpet encouraging to the fight And thus did Saint Augustine stirred up perhaps with their example compose a Ditty for the common people against the Donatists which he calls a Psalme the first Verse and under-song whereof I will set downe and apply to our present case Omnes qui gaudetis de pace modo verum judicate All you that in peace delight What is truth now judge aright Iudge I pray you all that be the children of peace whether the case be like of the blasphemous and seditious songs of Arrians and Donatist and the sacred Psalmes of the Prophets And for the application of this Canon to the reformed Churches judge whether there be no ods betweene the assemblies of true Catholick and charitable Christians and the Conventicles of desperate Hereticks and cut-throats denying the Lord that bought them or the Catholick Church that brought them forth confining it to Africk as some doe now to Rome re-baptizing those that come from others to them burning Churches and the holy Scriptures risâ—…ing houses pulling out the eyes cutting out the tongues and off the hands of those that dissented from their madnesse and setting upon them by the high-waies to kill or to be killed upon hope of becomming Martyrs Certainly these manners of the ancient hereticks doe more plainely decypher the massacres and barbarities of the holy League in France lately renewed also amongst the Grisons or not to goe so farre of our Powder Traitors here in England and generally of the Romish then the reformed Catholicks Iudge againe whether that be likely to be true which the Author of this Collection would perswade by his wresting the Scriptures forgeing and framing to his purpose the opinions of ancient hereticks slandring his even-Christians making them to hold that which it is marvell if his owne conscience did not tell him is otherwise Whether it be likely to be a Sect which as himselfe observes is different from all Sects in that according to another Canon of the selfe same Councell which he cites it prohibites none to come into the Church and heare Gods Word Gentile Heretick or Iew at least till such be dismissed as receive not the Communion And according to Saint Augustines rules Corrects that which is crooked approoves that which is right gives what is lacking acknowledges what is present according to the Apostles precept Followes peace with all that call upon the Name of the Lord. Iudge lastly and see what a sinne it is for any Catholick to disswade or be disswaded from such meetings wherein the Catholick Faith is confessed the blessed Trinity worshipped the holy Scriptures reverently read the Psalmes sung to Gods praise Praiers made for all estates in a knowne and understood language where there is admission into the Church by Baptisme instruction touching our misery through sinne by the Law our remedy in Christ by the Gospel the remembrance of whose perfect Sacrifice is celebrated his blessed Body and Blood distributed according to his institution where penitent sinners are reconciled the Dead reverently recommended into the hands of God the Living informed according to the teaching of the Apostles to live Soberly Iustly and Godly and above all if that be not all Charitably I say againe with Saint Augustine Omnes qui gaudetis de pace modò verum judicate FINIS Answer Vulgat edit quae 〈◊〉 ista religiâ—… 1. 2. 3 4. 5. Object 1 Answer Object 2. Answer Object 3. Answer Epâ—…s 2. 12 13. Act. 1. 19. See Ioseph Aâ—…t l. 9. c. 14. l. â—…1 â—…hap 8. l. 12. cap. 7. Object 4. Answer Object 5. Answer Revel 17. 9. Chap. 11. 8. Chap. 18. 23. Vers. 4. Chap. 13. 17 Object 6. Answer Object 7. Answer Stapleton Orat. 30. Object 8. Answer 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Object 9. Answer * Ireneus lib 3. cap. 3. Yet Epiphanius saith it of â—…bion Ob. 10. Answer Ob. 11. Answer Ob. 12. Answer Can. 84. Can. 8. Ob. 13. Answer Ob. 14. Answer Ob. 15. Answer Tim. 3. 15 Ob. 16. Answer See Mornay of the Eucharist l. 1. c. 3. B. Iewell in his Sermon at Pauls Crosse upon 1 Cor. 11. 23 1. 2. 3. Interrog 3. 4. 5. 1568. 1570. 6. Aliena incerta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ob. 1. Answer Lib. 1. c. 20 Ob. 2. Answer Ob. 3. Answer Ob. 4. Answer Object 5. Answer Ob. 6. Answer 〈◊〉 â—…m casâ—…ram atqâ—…e 〈◊〉 meriâ—… ad â—…avit Ob. 7. Answer * Ergò cineres suos amant animae Martyrum circumvolitant eos semperque praesentes sunt ne fortè si aliquis precator advenerit absentes audire non possint Object 8. Answer Object Answer I. Rom. 3. 24. 28. II. Act. 22. 16. Col. 2. 12. Rom. 4. 11 20. Act. 11. 16. See Saint Ambrose orat de obitu valent S. Aug. de Bapt. cont Don. l. 4. c. 22. 25. III. IV. V. VI. VII VIII Answer Bellarm. de verbo Dei l. 4. c. 2. Psallere Sâ—…zomen l. 8 c. 8. Aug. confes 〈◊〉 9. c. 7. Aug. Epla 119. c. 18. Aug. Tom. 7. De unitate Eccle.
every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbour that had committed idolatry by worshipping God in the golden Calfe Fourthly civill society with men of a false religion or wicked life to whom we are necessarily bound by the Law of God or man must be holden and cannot bee broken without sinne as that of the subiect and the Prince Rom. 13. the husband and the wife 1. Cor. 7. 10. servant master 1. Pet. 2. 18. yea Iew Samaritane Luk. 10. 37. Fiftly civill society such as is unnecessary with men of a false religion or wicked life albeit sometimes it be turned to good yet it is hazardous to the professours of the truth as 2. Chron. 18. 31. and Chap. 19. 2. where Iehosaphat hardly escaping with his life is thus reprooved Shouldest thou helpe the ungodly and love them that hate the Lord And Gen. 19. 15. Lot is sent out of Sodome in haste with this terrour Lest thou be consumed in the 〈◊〉 of the city And Peter while he would associate himselfe with the servants of the high Priest needlesly fell into the snare of the Devill and denied his master Matth. 26. 58. 70. And 1. Cor. 10. 27. If any of them that beleeve not bâ—… you to a feast and ye will goe c. Hee doth not absolutely forbid it but implies the danger in going to the feasts of Idolaters And 2. Cor. 6. 14. expresly forbids entermarrying with such Bee not unequally 〈◊〉 with unbeleâ—…vers c. But let us examine his proofes In the law of Nature the ruine of all mankinde in Noah his flood came of this That the children of God kept not themselves apart from the society of the wicked Gen. cap. 6. vers 2. THis is very true but nothing to our present purpose for neither doth it appeare by the text that these wicked people were of a contrary religion and the children of God entermarried with them which was to hold unnecessary fellowship with them whereby they were drawn away to their corruptions vers 11 12. The professours of true religion did so farre avoid the followers of errours that they would not after their death bee buried in the same Church-yard therefore Abraham bought a speciall place for the buriall of Sara and himselfe Gen. 23. 20. THe professours of true religion never esteemed much where their bodies were buried after death as being assured whatsoever became of them they should have a glorious resurrection Neither were there in Abrahams time Churches or Church-yards to be buried in nor was it the use to be buried all in one place every man was buried in his owne possession So that the burying of Sara in a field purchased by Abraham is very fondly attributed to a desire of separation from the Canaanites Abraham had not till then a foot of land in the countrey And whereas Iacob and Ioseph gave charge of their buriall in the land of Canaan it was to confirme their posterity in the faith of Gods promise that he would give it them for an inheritance Gen. 50. 25. Conformably to this the Israelites imployed the money of Iudas to buy a field for buriall of strangers Matth. 27. 7. Thus Gods people both alive and dead refused in religious actions the society of those who were of contrary religion The true Israelites would in no wise communicate with the schismaticke Samaritanes Ioh. 4. 9. 3 Reg. 12. and this because they put away the true Priests and set up a new service to withdraw men from the right service which was ordained in Ierusalem THe strangers for whose buriall a field was bought with the money which Iudas received for betraying our Lord for any thing in the text might be Proselyâ—… and not of a contrary religion Howsoever the wicked murtherers of Christ if there had been any religion to bee put in the not burying the strangers with Gods people would not of likelyhood have been the â—…st nor are the most commendable Authors of this practise Let them glory in this president that dig up the bodies of the dead and cast them out into the fields or bury them in dunghills or burne them to ashes How much more likely is it that the holy Ghost would typically set forth by this story that the price of our Lords blood should procure to the Gentiles who were strangers from the Common-wealth of Israel a place of sleep and rest though the Priests purchase was to them and Iudas a field of blood As touching the Samaritans and the Israelites separation from them first the originall of the Samaritanes is not rightly referred to the time of Ieroboam 3. Reg. 12. Samaria it selfe was not then built nor the ten Tribes carried away captive in whose place the 〈◊〉 came above two hundred yeares after Ieroboams reigne These Samaritanes were not onely Schismatickes but Idolaters also 2. King 17. 4. The cause of the Iewes separation from them even after they had a Priest of Aarons line and a Temple and service like to that of Ierusalem erected by Sanballat for Manasses his sonne in law upon mount 〈◊〉 was the expresse commandement of God appointing Ierusalem the place of worship besides many other respects religious and civill But our Lord Iesus Christ even in the place here alleadged communeth with a woman of Saâ—…ria asketh drinke of her and after giveth to her and the men of the Citie water of life And elsewhere impersonateth in a Samaritane the duty of mercy which a Priest and Levite had neglected And rebukes the preposterous zeale of Iames and Iohn which would have called fire from heaven upon the Samaritanes that received them not giving us rather an example of meeknesse and gentlenesse towards all howsoever exasperated against us then of further enraging and setting off those that are separated Korah Dathan and Abiram made a schisme against the Priests of God presuming to worship the true God as the Priests did whereas it was not their office see the event Numb 16. 26 30. The earth opened and they went alive to hell with all that were in their company THe rebellion of Korah and his company against Moses and Aaron is very plainly referred to the seeking the Priest-hood vers 10. As for the offering incense it was by the commandement of Moses vers 17. I see not what this example makes to the purpose unlesse it teach men not to rend themselves from the Church of God or joyne in the despising of government with them that seek worldly glory and not the glory of God Heresie for the confusion and dissention in the doctrine is called Babylon The Prophet Ieremy saith of it Fly from the midst of Babylon goe out from her my people lest you be partaker of her sinnes and receive of her plagues Apoc. 18. 4. cap. 14. 9. To be with her in the act of her rebellion in the service of God which she hath set up
to pull downe the true service of God is to beare her marke ROme for her holding the people of God in captivity for her pride cruelty answerable to the old Babylon wherout Ieremy called Gods people in his time is the mysticall Babylon whereof Saint Iohn speakes in his Revelation Which is plaine from her scituation upon seven hills her rule over the kingdomes of the earth The great city where our Lord also was crucified viz. by the authority of a Romane Deputy and a Romane death Her merchants are the great men of the earth her merchandize is not onely slaves but also soules of men whether wee take it of mens lives which the court of Rome sets to sale or the soules deceased which they chaffâ—…r by indulgences and pardons Out of this Babylon Gods elect people are exhorted to come these are properly the Church of Rome not the faction which beareth the name of it over which the Pope is now styled Monarch To receive his Agnus Deâ—…s hallowed Pictures Beads Medalls is to receive his marke in token of speciall devotion to him and his Court and not to bee content to bee a Christian Catholick unlesse ROMANE be added to it is to beare the number of his name The Heretick because hee will not obey the Church must be avoided no lesse then a heathen in his service to false Gods So saith Christ Matth. 18. 17. and Saint Paul 1. Cor. 10. 21. You cannot be partakers of the table of our Lord and the table of Devils the like 2. Cor. 5. 14. 17. THe place of S. Matthew doth not speake of an Heretick but of a brother wronging his brother and after private admonition refusing to obey the Church which may bee understood of an assembly as well Civil as Ecclesiasticall As for the avoiding him no lesse then a 〈◊〉 in the service of his false gods it is a very false exposition of the text as is piaine by the word beâ—…hen the Publican For the Publicanes being such Iewes as farmed the publick toles and customes of the people of Rome came to the service of God in the Temple as is evident by the Text Luk. 18. 10. Such a one was S. Matthew before his calling These were in ill conceit with the Iewes as were also all Gentiles whereto our Saviours words are to be referred A Heathen and a Publican is no more then Publicanes and Sinners Chap. 11. 19. and Mark 2. 15 16. The Iewes did not lodge or eate and drinke with men uncircumcised Act. 11. 3. 18. In the text of Saint Paul I thinke very shame made the Author of these Collections to leave out cleane all the former part of the verse which according to the Remish translation is this Ye cannot drinke the Chalice of our Lord and the Chalice of devils unlesse it were some respect rather lest if hee had set it downe he might seem to have blasphemously called the celebration of the holy Supper of our Lord according to his institution entire with the distribution of the Chalice the Chalice of Devils although the blasphemy is the same if he account the Communion table the table of Devils The Apostle speaketh plainely of the feasts made in honour of Idols and in the 2. Cor. 6. of marriage with Idolaters and Infidels Me thinkes very shame if not charity and the feare of God should restraine men from applying these texts to them which beleeve the Catholick faith and are farther from all shew of Idolatry then themselves 2 Thess. 3. 6. 14. VVe denounce unto you brethren in the name of Iesus that you withdraw your selves from every brother walking inordinately and not according to the doctrine they have received of us THe Apostle speaketh of such as lived idlely busied themselves about those things that pertained not to them as many Iesuites are by Romish Priests and Catholicks said to doe such he would have to be avoided in ordinary conversation yet accounted brethren Uers. 15. But the Romane charity though they cannot lay to our charge that we walk not according to the doctrine we have received of the Apostles accounts their even-Christians Hereticks Schismaticks Dogs Infidels and requires this of those whom they teach To pursue them with all their might as the most certaine and detestable plagues of Christendome and fasre and wide to chase them out of their coasts A man that is an heretick avoid him Tit. 3. 10. Rom. 16. 17. EVen these Texts are misapplied to our present purpose The Apostle in the former place teacheth Titus whom he left to order the Churches in Creet how to behave himselfe towards an heretick that is such as perversly and obstinately overthrow the foundations of religion he bids him forbeare to deale further with him after he had once or twice admonished him and give him up as incorrigible The second Text Rom. 16. speaketh of society in conversation not to be had with those that make dissentions and scandals contrary to Christs doctrine Now let all Christians decline such 1 Ioh. 2. 11. If any come to you and bring not this doctrine receive him not into your house nor salute him He speaketh of all such as revolt and persist not in the doctrine of Christ as in the text vers 9. this he commanded under paine of being guilty of his heresie Thus he practised with Cerinthus and his disciple Policarpe with Marcion and the hereticks of those daies THe doctrine whereof Saint Iohn speakes is not the Popes Primacy or that God is to bee served in Latine or the Scriptures not to be read by the lay-people or that they may not receive the cup in the Lords Supper or Purgatory Indulgences and such trumpery but that which he mentioned in the seventh verse when he saith Many deceivers are entred into the world which confesse not that Iesus Christ is come in the Flesh. Such a one was Cerinthus who said That Iesus was not borne of a Virgin but the son of Ioseph and that after his Baptisme Christ descended into him and that when Christ withdrew himselfe from Iesus then he suffered but Christ suffered not With him as Policarpus reported Saint Iohn would not abide in the same bath for feare lest it should fall downe whiles Cerinthus the enemy of the truth was in it Such â—…n other one was Marcion whom Polycarpus called The siâ—…st begotten of Sathan S. Iohn speakes of such overthrowes of the Gospell With what conscience is this applyed to them whose whole endeavour is to persist in the rejecting the unnecessary additions thereto for which the Court of Rome doth cunningly style them Hereticks If wee will be saved wee must make profession of our faith saith Saint Paul Rom. 10. 10. THis place is very truely interpreted of the profession of our faith And yet the sole Iudge and Interpreter of the Scriptures if wee beleeve the Romish faction expound it of