finne against the Holy-Ghost shall not be forgiven neither in this world nor in the world to come But I answer that this world to come cannot be Purgatory for they say that Purgatory is now already but by this world to come is truly meant the day of judgement and our Saviours meaning is that he that sinneth against the Holy-Ghost shall be punished both in this life and also after this life eternally in hell-sire Likewise to that in the 3d. Chapter of the 1. Epistle to the Corinthians where it is spoken of gold wood precious stones hay stubble c. I answer that it is also an Allegoricall speech and that it is not meant of the torment of the soule after death So then we see plainly that this their Purgatory is but imaginary and and cannot be proved out of the word of God wherein there is not so much as any mention made thereof only forged by them to maintaine and uphold the Popes dignity who by this invention finds quicke sale for his pardons and Indulgences CHAP. IX Of merits and justification by Works THe Church of Rome teacheth that a man by his good works may merit eternall salvation and that a man is justified before God by the workes of the Law and thereupon to make the Protestant Religion seeme the more odious they lay to our charge that we teach that good workes are altogether unprofitable and no way conducing to salvation and that it is faith alone that justifieth without any need at all of performing any other duties of Christianity An abhominable doctrine it is indeed and worthy of most severe punishment as abolishing all honesty and vertue and setting loose the reines to all manner of wickednesse and impiety To the contrary we of the Protestant Religion purged from Popery hold that good works are absolutely necessary to salvation and that there is no other way to obtaine everlasting life that faith without works is dead and cannot justifie that good works serve to glorifie God to edifie our brethren and to bring us to eternall salvation onely we deny that good workes can merit salvation they are the way indeed whereby we come to everlasting happinesse but not the price whereby we purchase it which is already sufficiently purchased by the free redemption of our Lord Christ Jesus We say moreover that although faith alone and without good works cannot justifie yet faith hath the propriety to justifie us before God as the eyes cannot see without the help of the eares and yet the eyes alone have the gift of seeing Now that we cannot merit any thing at Gods hands I shall plainly prove by these five reasons following First because it is our duty to doe any good worke whatsoever we doe as our Saviour himselfe telleth us Luk. 17. When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded say we are unprofitable servants we have done all that which was our duty to doe Secondly the good which we doe comes from God and consequently cannot merit any thing for us at Gods hands for we doe but give him that which is his owne already Thirdly our good works profit him nothing he hath no need of our service although we have great need of his grace Fourthly our good works at the best are but imperfect and have alwayes some infirmity in the performance of them Fifthly and lastly there is no proportion at all betwixt our good works and the kingdome of heaven To gaine such an excellent purchase there needs a price insinitely excellent such as the merits of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus Likewise the holy Scripture saith that eternall life is the gift of God and not to be purchased by mans merits as the Apostle witnesseth in the 6 h Chapter of Rom. The wages of sin saith he is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Jesus Christ our Lord and Ephesians the 2d Chapter by grace we are saved through faith and that not of your selves It is the gift of God not of workes lest any man should boast Wherefore God calleth us his children and by consequent heires Rom. 8. to the end that we may know that we can lay no right to the kingdome of God as a purchase which we have merited by good works but as children and in Jesus Christ lawfull heires hereunto Surely then those that goe about to purchase eternall salvation in a mercinary way by their owne merits renounce the title of being Gods children and consequently lose their labours Some there be who to sweeten this their hodge-podge say that we merit by the grace of God who gives us grace to merit a tenet altogether as false as hypocriticall and absurd for the chiefe and principall cause why our good workes are not meritorious is because they proceed from the grace of God I pray what doth that man merit of me that gives me that which is mine owne already I confesse indeed that the holy Scripture saith that God doth recompence our good workes and that our reward is great in heauen and that even for a cup of cold water we shall not lose our reward but this reward is no way merited by us as a father gives his childe some reward it may be for writing a line or two out of a Copy or such like which he doth not because the worke deserves it but because it is his childe So God accepteth of us freely in Christ Jesus not for our works sake but rewards our works though never so imperfect and unworthy only because we are his children It is no marvell then if those of the Church of Rome professe that they doubt of their salvation for it is impossible to build a stedfast assurance thereof on so weake a foundation as our owne merits whereas indeed we ought to ground it onely on the immoveable foundation of Gods promise in Christ Jesus Let us conclude then with the Apostle Saint Paul in the 3 Chapter to the Romanes that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law and that we are iustified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ I doe not say but that before men we are justified by workes that is to say knowne to be just for men cannot judge of our faith because they cannot discerne it And thus Saint James chap. 2. teacheth that Abraham was justified by works but he was not justified by that meanes before God As Saint Paul teacheth in the 4th Chapter of his Epistle to the Romanes If Abraham saith he were justified by workes he hath whereof to glory but not before God Heare likewise what the same Apostle saith in the 2d Chapter to the Galathians verse the 16th We have beleeved in Jesus Christ that we might be iustified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the works of the Law shall no flesh be iustified And in the 2d Tim. Chap. 1. God hath saved us and called us
all which is a thing most necessary in every sacrifice and more especially in a sacrifice newly instituted for a president and example for the future Moreover the Apostle Saint Paul in the 10th Chapter to the Hebrewes saith that we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Iesus Christ once for all We see then plainly that the death of our Lord and Saviour Christ Iesus is the onely sacrifice which he himselfe offered up unto God for all our sinnes so that it is meere foppery in us to presume to sacrifice that body againe in such a tragicomaediall manner as that of the Masse which hath already been received as a sufficient sacrifice for all our sins Likewise in every sacrifice that which they sacrifice ought to be consecrated that which they pretend to sacrifice is the Lords body which cannot be consecrated for who can consecrate the Sonne of God so likewise the thing consecrated which they sacrifice in the Masse cannot be the bread for they say that it is no more bread after the consecration and although they should say that it were bread after the consecration yet so it is that neither bread nor any other creature can be thought a reasonable sacrifice for our redemption Certainly this was invented onely for the maintenance of a company of lazie lubbers which they call Priests for take away the sacrifice of the Masse and they have no imployment and truly by this meanes I thinke they get as much as might competently maintaine them were it not for the Popes bawdy houses which consume most part of their revenues CHAP. XIV Of the taking away the cup in the Sacrament THere are yet many errours in the Church of Rome but the most abusive and injurious errour in my opinion is the taking away of the cup in the Sacrament from the Laity contrary to our Saviours institution and to the practise of the Apostles who gave the people the holy Communion under both signes The first institution of the Sacrament was when our Saviour tooke the cup and blessed it and gave it to his Disciples saying drinke ye all of this Now if in these words drinke ye all of this our Saviour speaks to none but the Pastors or Ministers of the Church it must consequently follow that the commandement to eat which is in the aforegoing words appertaine also to the Pastors onely and then there is no commandement at all whereby the Laity is commanded to receive the bread And it is cleare that the Apostles receiving the Sacrament of our Saviour received it not then as Pastors but as Sheep and Disciples And though they had received it as Pastors and Ministers of the Church did not our Saviour thanke you when he said unto them doe this as oft as ye doe it in remembrance of me intimate unto them that they ought to administer it unto the people in the same manner as he did administer it unto them The Apostle Saint Paul understandeth it so as you may see by that commandement which he gives the Corinthians in his 1. Epistle Chap. 11. Let a man examine himselfe and so let him eat of that bread and drinke of that cup. It is manifest that this commandement both to eat of that bread and drinke of that cup is made unto those that ought to examine themselves but every one ought to examine himselfe before he come to receive that holy communion therefore every one ought to receive both that bread and that cup whereof Saint Paul speaketh And in the beginning of that same 1. Epistle to the Corinthians it appeareth that Saint Paul did write to all the people of Corinth excepting none that did call upon the name of the Lord Jesus These are the words Vnto the Church of God which is at Corinth to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be Saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. And surely it is somewhat considerable that the Church of Rome seemeth by this meanes to labour to deprive the people of eternall life For the Doctors of the Church of Rome conceive those words of our Saviour in the 6th of Saint Johns Gospell Except ye eat the flesh of the sonne of man and drinke his bloud ye have no life in you to be spoken of the Sacrament of the Eucharist And if it be so it is manifest that in taking away the cup from the Laity they deprive them of eternall life Their excuse for this is that the bread is in the body so that in eating the body they drinke the bloud also To the which I answer that to receive the bloud so in the Sacrament is not to drinke it but our Saviour saith expresly Except ye drinke c. And if in eating the body they drinke also the bloud the Priest doth by this reckoning drinke twise once when he swallowes downe the body and againe when he drinks off the cup. They produce likewise certaine passages of the Scripture wherein it is spoken of the breaking of the bread without mentioning the cup I answer that in those passages as it is not said that the people should receive the cup so neither is it said that the Priests should receive it If then by these passages they will gather that the people are not obliged to take the cup I may also from thence gather that the Priests are not obliged for there is no more spoken of the one then of the other Besides we reade in the 2d of Sam. chap. 9. that Mephibosheth did eat bread at Davids table may we conclude from thence that he never dranke because it is not expressed The manner of the celebration of the Lords Supper ought to be taken from our Saviours first expressed institutions and formall commandement The originall spring of this grosse abuse proceedeth from pride and ambition for by this meanes those of the Clergy raise their dignity farre above the people whom they exclude from one halfe of the Sacrament and doe hereby make themselves in this respect equall unto Kings who together with them receive the Sacrament under both signes And the Pope hath a prerogative above all men else in that he doth sucke the wine out of the Calice with a quill Thus have we briefly discovered the manifold and great abuses of the Church of Rome and how strangely they delude the common people with their imaginary and idolatrous services how absolutely contrary to Gods holy word are all their tenets and how through the whole profession of their Religion they seeke infinitely Gods dishonour and are wholly bent for the advancement of the Popes dignity I beseech Almighty God to give us his blessed Spirit to discern betwixt good and evill and so to relye upon the merits of our Saviour Christ Jâ—sus by a lively faith that at length we may obtaine that immortall crowne of glory prepared fâ—r all faithfull persons in Christ Jesus our Lord to whom with the Father Almighty and the glorious Spirit be ascribed and given all possible praise thanksgiving and obedience for ever and ever Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS
THE TRVE PROTESTANT SOVLDIER Fighting valiantly under Truths Banner AND By the glorious light of Gods Word overthrowing the strongest Bulwarkes and subtle Stratagems of the Church of Rome By HAMNET WARDE ANCHORA SPEI LONDON Printed by G. M. for William Lee at the Signe of the Turks-Head in Fleet-street 1642. TO THE HONOVRABLE AND TRVLY VERTVOVS THE LADY BRIDGâ—T BRIANT all Happinesse in CHRIST IESVS Madam THe true zeale which you have for the maintenance of the Truth together with those many favours which your Ladiship hath been pleased to bestow on me my deceased and surviving friends hath encouraged me or rather inforced me to present this little Manuall being the first fruits of mine endeavours to your Ladiships acceptance In that short stride of the World which I have travelled having found many strong oppositions from our adversaries of the Church of Rome as well at home as beyond Sea touching the Protestant Religion I began somewhat to doubt of the truth thereof But by Gods providence lighting on this short Treatise after the perusall thereof I found the Religion of the Church of Rome if I may so call it so sleightly poasted upon the quicksands of mens frivolous opinions and contrariwise the Protestant Religion so soundly founded on the true and lively rocke of our salvation Christ Iesus that by Gods grace asâ—isting me neither the bewitching charmes of their devillish temptations nor the fiery darts of their hottest persecutions shall ever be able to divert me from the profession thereof Wherefore having received so great comfort thereby my selfe I have laboured with as much as in me lyeth to translate it verbatim out of French into English that others also may have benefit therby humbly beseeching your Ladiship to accept thereof as a token of my ever bounden duty and your Ladiship shall thereby encourage me to pray for your long and happy life here on earth and your eternall happinesse with God in heaven Madam Your Ladâ— ps most humble and truly devoted Servant Hamnet Warde To the READER Christian Reader MOnsieur Pierre Monginot a Gentleman as well learned as truly noble forsaking the Church of Rome and turning to the Protestant his friends being much discontented thereat wrote this short Treatise to satisfie them shewing them the causes which moved him to change his Religion Which I have translated for thy good out of French into English take but as much heed in reading it as I did labour in the translating it and God grant thee as much benefit by the Copy as I had comfort by the Originall Thine in Christ Iesus Hamnet Warde CHAPTERS 1. Of the true Church 2. Of the Popes power 3. Of the worshipping of Images 4. Of Prayer and Service in an unknowne tongue 5. Of the Invocation of Angels and Saints departed this life 6. Of Abstinence from Meats 7. Of Abstinence from Marriage 8. Of Purgatory 9. Of Merits and Justification by Works 10. Of works of Super-erogation 11. Of the superaboundant satisfactions of Saints and Monkes which the Pope distributes by Indulgences 12. Of the reall presence of the Lords body in the Sacrament and of Transubstantiation 13. Of the Sacrifice of the Masse 14. Of the taking away the cup in the Sacrament Decemb. 1â— 1641. Imprimatur THO. WYKES THE TRVE PROTESTANT SOVLDIER CHAPTER I. Of the true Church THe holy Scripture tels us of diverse kindes of Churches There is that Church which is spoken of in the Creed which the Apostle S. Paul calleth the body of Christ against which saith our Saviour Mat. 16. The gates of Hell shall not prevaile which is the Assembly of the truly faithfull and elect people of God wherof part doe already injoy the heavenly pleasures of Gods kingdome part now live here on Earth among sinfull men and infidels and cannot be discerned by the eyes of man Others not yet borne But besides this Church of Gods elect there is another universall and visible Church which is the Assembly of all such as professe themselves Christians and to believe in Jesus Christ This is that Church which Saint Paul 1 Tim. 3. cals the pillar and ground of the truth as being bound to defend and maintaine the truth against all those who labour to corrupt or suppresse it This universall visible Church is composed of divers particular Churches such as were in the Apostles time the Church of Jerusalem the Church of Corinth the Church of Rome and that of the Galatians c. Of these particular Churches some are puter than others nay and there may be some so corrupted as that it is impossible for them to be saved namely as where Idolatry reigneth and where the benefits of Jesus Christ are abused The Church of Rome is one of these particular Churches wherin reigneth Idolatry First in that they call God a Sacrifice made by men Secondly because the honour appertaining to God is by them attributed to Saints in that they say the Saints know the hearts of all men and because they give them and their reliques and Images a religious worship and adoration Lastly because they call the Virgin Mary Queen of Heaven and Earth for the Soveraigne Royalty of the world is not communicable to the creature Likewise the benefits of Jesus Christ are therin abus'd in that they teach that Jesus Christ by his death delivers us from sinnes committed before Bapisme but as for sinnes committed after Baptisme he hath left us to satisfie Gods justice for them by satisfactory pains as well here as in Purgatory Thus then let it be that the Church of Rome be a particular visible Church and it more corrupt than any other although she terme her selfe the universall Church as if there were no other Church besides whereas indeed the Churches of Syria Greece Armenia and Affrica be more pure and mor◠… cient then the Roman and no way subject therunto All th 〈…〉 h the holy Scripture and the Creed attribute to the universall Church of Gods elect or the universall visible Church the Church of Rome by an intolerable abuse and usurpation attributes unto her self as if in the holy Scripture there were no other Church spoken off but the Church of Rome or as if shee alone were the pillar and ground of the truth And when Jesus Christ Mat. 18. sends two Brothers being at strife to the judgement of the Church saying Tell it the Church and if he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as an Heathen man and a Publican these Gentlemen would needs make us beleeve that he sends such as doubt in matters of Faith and Doctrin to the judgment of the Church of Rome which they call universall but reade the passage and you shall see that our Saviour speaks not there of doubts touching Religion but of quarrels and broyles which happen betweene man and man and consequently he speaks not of the Church universall but of the Ministers of some particular Church for to appease a quarrell between two Neighbours men doe