against the Canons of the blessed Apostle then this who did he liue in these our dayes and would bend his speech against the vse of a language not vnderstood in Gods seruice could not speake more directly more punctually then hee doth to his Corinths How doth hee tell vs that the speaking in a strange tongue edifies not the Church profits not the hearers produces a necessarie ignorance of the thing spoken Makes mee a Barbarian to him that speaketh and him that speakes a Barbarian to me How doth hee require him that speaketh in an vnknowne tongue to pray that hee may interpret And if hee must pray that hee may doe it how much more must he practice it when he can doe it How doth hee tell vs that in a strange languaged prayer the vnderstanding is vnfruitfull That it is better to speake fiue words with vnderstanding that wee may teach others then ten thousand words in an vnknowne tongue That those which speake with strange tongues are but as mad men to the vnlearned or vnbeleeuers SECT III. Against reason IN which Scriptures besides authoritie the Apostle hath comprized vnanswerable and conuincing reasons against this Romish abuse Amongst the rest is intimated that vtter frustration of the vse of the tongue in Gods seruice For it is a true rule which Salmeron cites out of Lactantius Nihil valet ex se c. That thing is to no purpose which auailes not vnto the end whereto it serues Silence doth as much expresse the thought as a language not vnderstood In this sense is that of Laurentius too well verified Sacerdos imperitus mulier sterilis A Priest vnable to expresse himselfe is as a barren woman vncapable of bringing forth children to God As good no tongue as no vnderstanding What good doth a Well sealed vp as Ptolome sayd of the Hebrew Text. Wherefore doe we speake if we would not bee vnderstood It was an holy resolution of Saint Augustine that hee would rather say Ossum in false Latin to be vnderstood of the people then Os in true not to be vnderstood This practice howeuer it may seeme in it selfe sleight and vnworthy of too much contention yet in regard of that miserable blindnesse and mis-deuotion which it must needs draw in after it it is so hainous as may well deserue our vtmost opposition The vnauoydablenesse of which effects hath carried some of their Casuists into an opinion of the vnnecessarinesse of deuotion in these holy businesses so as one sayes He that wants deuotion sinnes not Another Though it bee conuenient that the Communicant should haue actuall deuotion yet it is not necessarie Alas what seruice is this which poore soules are taught to take vp with which God must be content to take from hood-winkt suppliants This doctrine this practice thus new thus preiudiciall to Christians we blesse God that we haue so happily discarded and for our iust refusall are vniustly eiected CHAP. XIII The newnesse of forced Sacramentall Confession THe necessitie of a particular secret full Sacramentall Confession of all our sins to a Priest vpon paine of Non-remission is an Act or Institution of the Romane Church For as for the Greeke Church it ownes not either the doctrine or practice So the Glosse of the Canon Law directly Confessio apud Graecos c. Confession is not not necessary amongst the Grecians vnto whom no such Tradition hath beene deriued That Glosse would tell vs more and so would Gratian himselfe if their tongues were not clipt by a guiltie expurgation But in the meane time the Glosse of that Canon hitherto allowed plainly controules the Decree of that late Councell For if the Necessitie of Confession be only a Tradition and such a one as hath not beene deduced to the Greeke Church then it stands not by a Law of God which is vniuersall not making differences of places or times like an high-eleuated Starre which hath no particular aspect vpon one Region That there is a lawfull commendable beneficiall vse of Confession was neuer denied by vs but to set men vpon the racke and to straine their soules vp to a double pin of absolute necessitie both praecepti and medij and of a strict particularitie and that by a screw of Ius diuinum Gods Law is so meere a Romane noueltie that many ingenuous Authors of their owne haue willingly confessed it Amongst whom Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe yeelds vs Erasmus and Beatus Rhenanus two noble Witnesses Whose ioynt-Tenet he confesses to be Confessionem secretam c. That the secret Confession of all our sinnes is not only not instituted or commanded Iure Diuino by Gods Law but that it was not so much as receiued into vse in the Ancient Church of God To whom he might haue added out of Maldonates account omnes decretorum c. all the Interpreters of the Decrees and amongst the Schoolemen Scotus We know well those sad and austere Exomologesis which were publikely vsed in the seuere times of the Primitiue Church whiles these tooke place what vse was there of priuate These obtayned euen in the Westerne or Latine Church till the dayes of Leo about 450. yeares In which time they had a graue publike Penitentiarie for this purpose Afterwards whether the noted inconueniences of that practice or whether the cooling of the former feruour occasioned it this open Confession beganne to giue way to secret which continued in the Church but with freedome and without that forced and scrupulous strictnesse which the later times haue put vpon it It is verie remarkable which learned Rhenanus hath Caeterum Thomas ab Aquino c. But saith hee Thomas of Aquine and Scotus men too acute haue made confession at this day such as that Ioannes Geilerius a graue and holy Diuine which was for many yeeres Preacher at Strasburgh had wont to say to his frends that according to their rules it is an impossible thing to confesse Adding that the same Geilerius being familiarly conuersant with some religious Votaries both Carthusians and Franciscans learned of them with what torments the godly mindes of some men were afflicted by the rigour of that confession which they were not able to answer and thereupon he published a booke in Dutch entitled The sicknesse of confession The same therefore which Rhenanus writes of his Geilerius he may well apply vnto vs Itaque Geilerio non displicebat c. Geilerius therefore did not dislike confession but the scrupulous anxietie which is taught in the summes of some late Diuines more fit â—â—deed for some other place then for Libraries Thus he What would that ingenuous Author haue sayd if hee had liued to see those volumes of Cases which haue beene since published able to perplex a world and those peremptorie decisions of the Fathers of the Societie whose strokes haue beene with Scorpions in comparison of the rods of their Predecessors To conclude This bird was hatched
Against reason 122 CHAP. XIII The newnesse of a full forced Sacramentall Confession 124 SECT II Not warranted by Scripture 129 SECT III. Against reason 132 SECT IV. The noueltie of absolution before satisfaction 134 CAAP. XIV The newnesse of the Romish Inuocation of Saints 136 SECT II Against Scripture 140 SECT III. Against reason 146 CHAP. XV. The newnesse of seuen Sacraments 148 SECT II Besides Scripture 152 SECT III. Against reason 154 CHAP. XVI The newnesse of the Romish Doctrine of Traditions 156 SECT II Against Scripture 162 SECT III. Against reason 66 CHAP. XVII The newnesse of the vniuersall Headship of the Bishop of Rome 169 SECT II The newnesse of challenged Infallibilitie 177 SECT III. The newnesse of the Popes superioritie to Councels 179 SECT IV. The new presumption of Papall Dispensations 182 SECT V. The new challenge of Popes domineering ouer Kings and Emperours 185 CHAP. XVIII The Epilogue both of Exhortation and Apologie 190 An Aduertisement COurteous Reader I shall entreat you where you finde some few either â—iterall or verball faults to haue recourse to this following Errata committed by the Printer which will bee verie vnpleasing to the Reuerend Authour who is many miles distant from the Presse which errors if you shall vouchsafe to pardon in this Impression they shall be more carefully amended in the next N. B. Errata PAg. 5. in margine for Probant read Prolaeus pag. 9. in marg for Pierius read Prierius p. 10. l. 8. for angry part read angry to part pag. 11. lin 7. for professe read professeth p. 15. in marg for Haeresia read Hereses p. ibid. in marg for Bellidanus read Bellidauus p. 22. in marg for Pushius read Pighius p. ibid. for Turrectsm read Turrecremat p. 24. l. 6. for censures read censurers p. 4â— l. 23. for by And read by faith And p. 43. l. 22. for muddle read muddie p. 48. l. 3. for habita read habitatio p. 48. l. 3. for them yeelding read them yeelding p. 62. l· 5. for Barengarius read Berengâ—rius p. 118. dele that p. 124. l. vlt. dele not p. 140. l. 14. for practices read practicers p. 148. l. 5. read mirrour p. 150. l 14. for vnnecessarie read necessarie p. 163. l. 18. for Salonons read Salomons THE OLD RELIGION CHAP. I. The extent of the differences betwixt the Churches THe first blessing that I dayly begge of my God for his Church is our Sauiours Legacie Peace that sweete Peace which in the verie name of it comprehends all happinesse both of estate and disposition As that mountaine whereon Christ ascended though it abounded with Palmes and Pines and Mirtles yet it caried onely the name of Oliues which haue beene an ancient Embleme of Peace Other graces are for the beautie of the Church this for the health and life of it For how so euer euen Waspes haue their Combes and heretickes their assemblies as Tertullian so as all are not of the Church that haue Peace yet so essentiall is it to the Church in Saint Chrysostomes opinion that the very name of the Church implyes a consent and concord No maruel then if the Church labouring here below make it her dayly suite to her glorious Bride-grome in heauen Da pacem giue Peace in our time O Lord The meanes of which happinesse are soone seene not so soone attained euen that which Hierome hath to his Ruffinus Vna fides Let our beleefe be but one and our hearts will be one But since as Erasmus hath too truely obserued there is nothing so happie in these humane things wherein there is not some intermixtures of distemper and S. Paul hath told vs there must be heresies and the Spouse in Salomons Song compares her blessed husband to a yong Hart vpon the mountaine of Bether that is Diuision Yea rather as vnder Gensericus and his Vandals the Christian Temples flamed higher then the Townes so for the space of these last hundred yeeres there hath beene more combustion in the Church then in the ciuill state My next wish is that if differences in Religion cannot bee avoided yet that they might bee rightly iudged off and be but taken as they are Neither can I but mourne and bleede to see how miserably the World is abused on all hands with preiudice in this kinde whiles the aduerse part brands vs with vniust censures and with loude clamours cries vs downe for heretickes On the other side some of ours doe so sleight the errours of the Romane Church as if they were not worth our contention as if our Martyrs had beene rash and our quarrels trifling Others againe doe so aggrauate them as if we could neuer bee at enough defiance with their opinions nor at enough distance from their communion All these three are dangerous extremities The two former whereof shall if my hopes faile me not in this whole discourse be sufficiently conuinced wherein as wee shal fully cleare our selues from that hateful slander of heresie or schisme So we shall leaue vpon the Church of Rome an vnauoydable imputation of many no lesse foule and enormious then nouell errours to the stopping of the mouthes of those Adiaphorists whereof Melancthon seemes to haue long agoe prophesied Metuendum est c. It is to be feared saith he that in the last age of the world this errour will raigne amongst men that either Religions are nothing or differ onely in words The third comes now in our way That which Laertius speakes of Menedemus that in Disputing his very eyes would sparkle is true of many of ours whose zeale transports them to such a detestation of the Romane Church as if it were all errour no Church affecting nothing more then an vtter opposition to their doctrine and ceremonie because theirs Like as Maldonate professeth to mislike and auoide many faire interpretations not as false but as Caluins These men haue not learned this in Saint Austens Schoole who tels vs that it was the rule of the Fathers well before Cyprian and Agrippinus as since that whatsoeuer they found in any schime or heresie warrantable and holy that they allowed for its owne worth and did not refuse it for the abettors Neither for the chaffe doe we leaue the floore of God neither for the bad fishes doe we breake his nets Rather as the Priests of Mercurie had wont to say when they eate their Figs and Honie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. All truth is sweet it is indeed Gods not ours wheresoeuer it is found the Kings coyne is currant though it be found in any impure channell For this particular they haue not well heeded that charitable profession of zealous Luther Nos fatemur c We professe saith hee that vnder the Papacy there is much Christian good yea all c. I say moreouer that vnder the Papacie is true Christianitie yea the very kernell of Christianitie c. No man I trust will feare that feruent spirits too
Repaired not made new There is not one stone of a new foundation laide by vs Yea the old wals stand still Onely the ouer-casting of those ancient stones which the vntempered morter of new inuentions displeaseth vs. Plainely set aside the corruptions and the Church is the same And what are these corruptions but vnsound adiections to the ancient structure of Religion These we cannot but oppose and are therefore vniustly and imperiously eiected Hence it is that ours is by the opposite stiled an Ablatiue or negatiue Religion for so much as wee ioyne with all true Christians in all affirmatiue positions of ancient faith onely standing vpon the deniall of some late and vndue additaments to the Christian beleefe Or if those additions bee reckoned for ruines It is a sure rule which Durandus giues concerning materiall Churches applyable to the spirituall that if the Wall be decayed not at once but successiuely it is iudged still the same Church and vpon reparation not to bee reconsecrated but onely reconciled Well therefore may those mouthes stop themselues which loudly call for the names of the Professors of our faith in all successions of times till Luther look't forth into the World Had wee gone about to broach any new positiue Truths vnseene vnheard of former times well and iustly might they challenge vs for a deduction of this line of doctrine from a pedigree of Predecessours Now that we only disclayme their superfluous and nouell opinions and practices which haue beene by degrees thrust vpon the Church of God retayning inuiolably all former Articles of Christian faith how idle is this plea how worthy of hissing out Who sees not now that all we need to doe is but to show that all those points which wee cry downe in the Romane Church are such as carrie in them a manifest brand of newnesse and absurditie This proofe will cleerely iustifie our refusall Let them see how they shall once before the awfull Tribunall of our last Iudge iustifie their vncharitablenesse who cease not vpon this our refusall to eiect condemne vs. The Church of Rome is sicke Ingenuous Cassander confesseth so nec inficior c. I deny not saith he that the Romane Church is not a little changed from her ancient beautie and brightnesse and that shee is deformed with many diseases and vicious distempers Bernard tels vs how it must bee dieted profitable though vnpleasing medicines must bee poured into the mouth of it Luther and his associates did this office as Erasmus acknowledgeth Lutherus porrexit Luther saith hee gaue the World a potion violent and bitter what euer it were I wish it may breed some good health in the bodie of Christian people so miserably foule with all kinds of euils Neuer did Luther meane to take away the life of that Church but the sicknesse Wherein as Socrates answered to his Iudges surely he deserued recompence in steed of rage For as Saint Ambrose worthily Dulcior est sweeter is a religious chastisement then a smoothing remission This that was meant to the Churches health proues the Physitians disease so did the bitternesse of our wholsome draughts offend that we are beaten out of doores Neither did wee runne from that Church but are driuen away as our late Soueraigne professeth by Casaubons hand Wee know that of Cyrill is a true word Those which seuer themselues from the Church and communion are the enemies of God and friends of Deuils and that which Dionysius said to Nouatus Any thing must rather be borne then that we should rend the Church of God Farre far was it from our thoughts to teare the seamelesse coate or with this precious Oyle of Truth to breake the Churches head We found iust faults else let vs bee guiltie of this disturbance If now choler vniustly exasperated with an wholsome reprehension haue broken forth into a furious persecution of the gainesayers the sinne is not ours If we haue defended our innocence with blowes the sinne is not ours Let vs neuer prosper in our good cause if all the water of Tyber can wash off the bloud of many thousand Christian soules that hath beene shed in this quarrell from the hands of the Romish Prelacie Surely as it was obserued of olde that none of the Tribe of Leui were the professed followers of our Sauiour so it is too easie to obserue that of late times this Tribe hath exercised the bitterest enmitie vpon the followers of Christ Suppose wee had offended in the vndiscreet managing of a iust reproofe it is a true rule of Erasmus that generous spirits would bee reclaymed by teaching not by compulsion and as Alipius wisely to his Augustine Heed must bee taken least whiles wee labour to redresse a doubtfull complaint wee make greater wounds then we find Oh how happy had it beene for Gods Church if this care had found any place in the hearts of her Gouernours who regarding more the entire preseruation of their own honour then Truth and Peace Were all in the harsh language of warre 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 smite kill burne persecute Had they beene but halfe so charitable to their moderne reprouers as they professe they are to the fore-going how had the Church flourished in an vnterrupted vnitie In the old Catholike Writers say they wee beare with many errours wee extenuate and excuse them wee find shifts to put them off and deuise some commodious senses for them Guiltinesse which is the ground of this fauour workes the quite contrarie courses against vs Alas how are our Writings racked and wrested to enuious senses how misconstrued how peruerted and made to speake odiously on purpose to worke distaste to enlarge quarrell to draw on the deepest censures Woe is mee this cruell vncharitablenesse is it that hath brought this miserable calamitie vpon distracted Christendome Surely as the ashes of the burning Mountaine Vesuuius being dispersed farre and wide bred a grieuous Pestilence in the Regions round about so the ashes that flie from these vnkindly flames of discord haue bred a wofull infection and death of soules through the whole Christian World CHAP. IIII. The Church of Rome guiltie of this Schisme IT is confessed by the President of the Tridentine Councell that the deprauation of discipline and manners of the Romane Church was the chiefe cause and originall of these dissensions Let vs cast our eyes vpon the doctrine and wee shall no lesse find the guilt of this fearefull Schisme to fall heauily vpon the same heads For first to lay a sure ground Nothing can be more plaine then that the Romane is a particular Church as the Fathers of Basil well distinguish it not the vniuersall though we take in the Churches of her subordination or correspondence This truth we might make good by authoritie if our very senses did not saue vs the labour Secondly No particular Church to say nothing of the vniuersall since the Apostolike times can haue
falne into errours and heresies Either all stories mocke vs or else this parasiticall dreame of impeccancie in iudgement is a meere stranger and his disguise is so foule that it is no maruell if Errare non possum I cannot erre seemed to Eberhardus Bishop of Saltzburgh no other then the suit of an Antichrist SECT III. The newnesse of the Popes Superioritie to Generall Councells HOw bold and dangerous a noueltie is that which Cardinall Bellarmine and with him the whole Societie and all the late Fautors of that See after the Florentine Synode sticke not to auouch Summus Pontifex c. The Pope is absolutely aboue the whole Church and aboue a Generall Councell so as hee acknowledges no Iudge on earth ouer himselfe How would this haue relished with those well neere a thousand Fathers in the Councell of Constance who punctually determined thus Ipsa Synodus c. This Synode lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost making a Generall Councell representing the Catholike Church militant vpon earth hath immediately power from Christ whereunto euery man whosoeuer he be of what state or dignitie so euer although he be the Pope himselfe is bound to obey in those things which pertaine to faith or to the extirpation of schisme And fifteene yeeres after that the Generall Councell of Basil wherein was President Iulianus Cardinal of Saint Angelo the Popes Legate defined the same matter in the same words It is no maruell if Cardinall Bellarmine and some others of that strain reiect these as vnlawfull Councels but they cannot deny first that this decree was made by both of them Secondly that the Diuines there assembled were in their allowance Catholique Doctors and such as in other points adhered to the Roman Church in so much as they were the men by whose sentence Iohn Husse and Hierome suffered no lesse then death and yet euen so lately did these numerous Diuines in the voyce of the Church define the superioritie of a Councell aboue the Pope What speake we of this when wee finde that the Bishops of the East excommunicated in their assembly Iulius the Bishop of Rome himselfe amongst others without scruple as Sozomen reporteth How ill would this doctrine or practice now bee endured In so much as Gregorie of Valence dare confidently say that whosoeuer he be that makes a Councel superior to the Pope fights directly though vnawares against that most certaine point of faith concerning Saint Peters and the Romane Bishops primacie in the Church SECT IV. The new presumption of Papall Dispensations FRom the opinion of this supereminent power hath flowed that common course of Dispensations with the Canons and decrees of Councells which hath beene of late a great eye-sore to moderate beholders Franciscus à Victoria makes a wofull complaint of it professing to doubt whether in the end of the the yeere there bee more that haue leaue by this meanes to breake the lawes then those that are tied to keepe them Thereupon wishing for remedy that there were a restraint made of those now-boundlesse Dispensations and at last obiecting to himselfe that such a decree of restriction would bee new and not heard of in any former Councell hee answers Tempore Conciliorum antiquorum c. In the time of the ancient Councels Popes were like to the other fathers of those Councells so as there was no need of any act for holding them backe from this immoderate licence of dispensing yea if wee doe well turne ouer the lawes and histories of the Ancient wee shall find that Popes did not presume so easily and commonly to dispense with decrees of Councels but obserued them as the Oracles of God himselfe Yea not onely did they forbeare to doe it ordinarily but perhaps not once did they euer dispense at all against the Decrees of Councels But now saith he by little and little are we growne to this intemperance of dispensations and to such an estate as that wee can neither abide our mischiefes nor our remedies Thus that learned Spanyard in an honest confession of the degenerate courses of the late Popes from the simple integritie of their Predecessours What should I adde vnto these the presumptuous Dispensations with Vowes and Oathes with the Lawes of God himselfe with the Law of Nature A priuiledge ordinarily both yeelded and defended by flattering Canonists and that which meets with vs at euerie turne in Hostiensis Archidiaconus Felinus Capistranus Triumphus Angelus de Clauasio Petrus de Ancorano Panormitan as is largely particularized by our learned Bishop of Dery SECT V. The new challenge of Popes dominering ouer Kings and Emperours I May well shut vp this Scene with that notorious innouation of the Popes subducing himselfe from the due obedience of his once-acknowledged Lord and Soueraigne and endeuouring to reduce all those Imperiall powers to his homage and obedience The time was when Pope Gregorie could say to Mauritius Vobis obedientiam praebere desidero I desire to giue you due obedience And when Pope Leo came with cap and knee to Theodosius for a Synod to be called with Clementia vestra concedat as Cardinall Cusanus cites it from the historie The time was when Nemo Apostolicae c. No man did offer to take vpon him the steering of the Apostolike Barke till the authoritie of the Emperour had designed him as their Balbus out of their owne Law That of Pope Gregorie is plaine enough Ecce serenissimus c. Behold saith he speaking of his owne aduancement to the Bishopricke of Rome our gracious Lord the Emperour hath commanded an Ape to be made a Lion and surely at his command it may be called a Lion but it cannot be one so as hee must needs lay all my faults and negligences not vpon mee but vpon his owne pietie which hath committed this Ministerie of power to so weake an Agent The time was when the Popes of Rome dated their Apostolique letters with the style of the raigne of their Lords the Emperours now euer since Pope Paschal they care onely to note the yeere of their owne Apostleship or Papacie The time was when the holy Bishops of that See professed to succeed Saint Peter in homely simplicitie in humble obedience in pietie in zeale in preaching in teares in sufferings now since the case is altered the world sees and blushes at the change for now Quanta inter solem lunam c. Looke how much the Sunne is bigger then the Moone so much is the Papall power greater then the Imperiall Now Papa est Dominus Imperatoris The Pope is the Emperours Lord saith their Capistranus and the Emperour is subiect to the Pope as his minister or seruant saith Triumphus and lest this shold seem the fashionable word of some clawing Canonist only heare what Pope Adrian himselfe saith Vnde habet c. Whence hath the Emperour his Empire but from vs all that hee hath hee hath wholly from vs
and seduction And if any of our people loath this Manna because they may gather it from vnder their Feete let not their palates be humourd ic this wanton nauseation They are worthy to fast that are wearie of the Bread of Angels And if herein we bee curious to satisfie their rouing appetite our fauour shall be no better then Iniurious So wee haue seene an vndiscreete Schoole-master whiles he affects the thankes of an ouerweening Parent marre the progresse of a forward Child by raysing him to an higher forme and Author ere he haue wel learned his first rules whence followes an emptie ostentation and a late disappointment Our fidelitie and care of profit must teach vs to driue at the most sure and vniuersall good which shall vndoubtedly bee best attained by these safe and needfull ground-workes From these tender pastures let mee leade you and you others to the still Waters Zeale in the Soule is as naturall heat in the body there is no life of Religion without it but as the kindliest heat if it bee not tempered with a due equalitie of moysture wasts it selfe and the body So doth zeale if it be not moderated with discretion and charitable care of the common good It is hard to bee too vehement in contending for maine and euident truthes but litigious and immateriall verities may soone be ouer-striuen for in the prosecution whereof I haue oft lamented to see how heedlesse too many haue beene of the publike welfare Whiles in seeking for one scruple of truth they haue not cared to spend a whole pound-weight of precious Peace The Church of England in whose motherhood wee haue all iust cause to pride our selues hath in much wisdome and pietie deliuered her iudgment concerning all necessary points of religioÌ„ in so compleat a body of Diuinitie as all hearts may rest in These wee read these we write vnder as professing not their truth onely but their sufficiencie also The voice of God our Father in his Scriptures and out of these the voyce of the Church our Mother in her Articles is that which must both guide and settle our resolutioÌ„s Whatsoeuer is besides these is but either priuate or vnnecessarie and vncertain Oh that whiles we sweat and bleed for the maintenance of these oracular truthes we could be perswaded to remit of our Heat in the pursuit of opinions These these are they that distract the Church violate our peace scandalize the weake aduantage our enemies Fire vpon the Hearth warmes the body but if it be mis-placed burnes the house My brethren let vs bee zealous for our God Euery heartie Christian will powre Oyle and not Water vpon this holy flame But let vs take heed least a blind selfe loue stiffe preiudice and factious partialitie impose vpon vs in stead of the causes of God Let vs be suspicious of all New verities and carelesse of all vnprofitable And let vs hate to thinke our selues either wiser then the Church or better then our superiors And if any man thinke that he sees further then his fellowes in these Theologicall prospects let his tongue keepe the counsel of his eyes Least whiles he affects the fame of deeper learning he embroyle the Church and rayse his glory vpon the publike ruines And ye worthy Christians whose soules God hath entrusted with our spirituall Guardianship be ye alike minded with your teachers The motion of their tongues lyes much in your eares your modest desires of receiuing needfull and wholsome truthes shal auoide their labour after friuolous and quarrelsome curiosities God hath blessed you with the reputation of a wise and knowing people In these diuine matters let a meeke sobrietie set bouÌ„ds to your inquiries Take vp your time and hearts with Christ and Him crucified with those essentiall truthes which are necessarie to saluation Leaue al curious disquisitions to the Schooles and say of those problemes as the Philosopher did of the Athenian shops How many things are here that we haue no need of Take the neerest cut yee can yee shall finde it a side way to heauen yee need not lengthen it with vndue circuitions I am deceiued if as the times are yee shall not find worke enough to beare vp against the oppositions of professed hostility it is not for vs to sqander our thoughts and houres vpon vse-lesse janglings Wherewith if we suffer our selues to be still taken vp Satan shal deale with vs like some craftie cheater who whiles he holds vs at gaze with trickes of iugling pickes our pockets Deare brethren what euer become of these worthlesse driblets bee sure to looke well to the free-hold of your saluation Errour is not more busie then subtile Superstition neuer wanted sweet insinuations make sure worke against these plausible dangers Suffer not your selues to bee drawne into the net by the common stale of the Church Know that outward visibilitie may too well stand with an vtter exclusion from saluation Saluation consists not in a formalitie of profession but in a soundnesse of beliefe A true body may be ful of mortall diseases So is the Romane Church of this day whom we haue long pitied and laboured to cure in vaine If she will not bee healed by vs let not vs be infected by her Let vs bee no lesse ielous of her Contagion then she is of our Remedies Hold fast that precious Truth which hath been long taught you by faithfull Pastors confirmed by cleare euidences of Scriptures euinced by sound reasons sealed vp by the bloud of our blessed Martyrs So whiles no man takes away the Crowne of your constancie yee shall be our Crowne and reioycing in the day of the Lord Iesus To whose all-sufficient grace I commend you al and vow my selfe Your common Seruant in him whom we all reioyce to serue IOS EXON The Contents CHAP. I. THe extent of the differences betwixt the Churches Fol. 1. CHAP. II. The Originall of the differences Fol. 7. CHAP. III. The Reformed vniustly charged with noueltie heresie schisme 14. CHAP. IV. The Roman Church guiltie of this schisme 22 CHAP. V. The newnesse of the Article of Iustification by inherent righteousnesse 27 SECT II This doctrine proued to be against Scripture 36 SECT III. Against reason 42 CHAP. VI. The newnesse of the doctrine of merit 45 SECT II Against Scripture 48. SECT III. Against reason 50 CHAP. VII The newnesse of the doctrine of Transubstantiation 53 SECT II Against Scripture 62 SECT III. Against reason 67 CHAP. VIII The newnesse of the Halfe-Communion 71 SECT II Against Scripture 75 SECT III. Against reason 77 CHAP. IX The newnesse of the Missall Sacrifice 79 SECT II Against Scripture 81 SECT III. Against reason 84 CHAP. X. The newnesse of Image-worship 87 SECT II Against Scripture 94 SECT III. Against reason 98 CHAP. XI The newnesse of Jndulgences and Purgatorie 100 SECT II Against Scripture 108 SECT III. Agaiâ—st reason 112 CHAP. XII The newnesse of Diuine Seruice in an vnknowne tongue 114 SECT II Against Scripture 120 SECT III.
there is no truth in vs. The latter is the summe of Saint Pauls Sermon at Antioch Bee it â—nowne vnto you Men and brethren that through this man is preaâ—hed to you forgiuenesse of sinnes and â—y him all that beleeue are iustified They are iustified but how Freely â—y his Grace What Grace Inherent in vs and working by vs No â—y Grace are yee saued through faith â—nd that not of your selues it is the â—ift of God Not of workes least any man should boast Workes are ours â—ut this is righteousnesse of God which 〈◊〉 by the faith of Iesus Christ to all â—hem that beleeue And how doth this become ours By his gracious imputation Not to him that worketh but beleeueth in him who iustifieth the wicked is his faith imputed for righteousnesse Loe it is not the act not the habit of faith that Iustifieth it is he that iustifies the wicked whom our faith makes ours and our sinne his He was made sinne for vs that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him Loe so were wee made his righteousnesse as he was made our sinne Imputation doth both It is that which enfeoffes our sinnes vpon Christ and vs in his righteousnesse which both couers and redresses the imperfection of ours That distinction is cleere and full That I may be found in him not hauing mine owne righteousnesse which is of the law but that which is through the faith of Christ the righteousnesse which is of God by faith Saint Paul was a great Saint he had a righteousnesse of his owne not as a Pharisee only but as an Apostle but that which hee dares not trust to but forsakes and cleaues to Gods not that essentiall righteousnesse which is in God without all relation to vs nor that habit of iustice which was remayning in him but that righteousnesse which is of God by faith made ours Thus being iustified by faith we haue peace with God through our Lord Iesus Christ. For what can breake that peace but our sinnes and those are remitted For who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that iustifies And in that remission is grounded our reconciliation For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himselfe not imputing their sinnes vnto them but contrarily imputing to them his owne righteousnesse and their faith for righteousnesse Wee conclude then that a man is iustified by And blessed is hee to whom the Lord imputes righteousnesse without works Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiuen and whose sinnes are couered Let the vaine sophistry of carnall minds deceiue it selfe with idle subtilties and seeke to elude the plaine truth of God with shifts of wit we blesse God for so cleere a light and dare cast our soules vpon this sure euidence of God attended with the perpetuall attestation of his ancient Church SECT III. Against Reason LAstly Reason it selfe fights against them Nothing can formally make vs iust but that which is perfect in it selfe How should it giue what it hath not Now our inherent righteousnesse at the best is in this life defectiue Nostra siqua est humilis c. Our poore Iustice saith Bernard if we haue any it is true but it is not pure For how should it be pure where we cannot but be faultie Thus hee The challenge is vnanswerable To those that say they can keepe Gods Law let mee giue Saint Hieromes answere to his Ctesiphon Profer quis impleuerit Show mee the man that hath done it For as that Father else-where In thy sight shall none liuing be iustified Hee said not no man but none liuing not Euangelists not Angels not Thrones not Dominions If thou shalt marke the iniquities euen of thine Elect saith Saint Bernard Who shall abide it To say now that our actuall iustice which is imperfect through the admixtion of veniall sinnes ceaseth not to bee both true and in a sort perfect iustice is to say there may be an vniust iustice or a iust iniustice that euen muddie water is cleare or a leprous face beautifull Besides all experience euinceth our wants For as it is Saint Anstens true obseruation Hee that is renued from day to day is not all renued and so much as he is not renued so much he must needs bee in his olde corruption And as hee speakes to his Hierome of the degrees of Charitie there is in some more in some lesse in some none at all but the fullest measure which can receiue no increase is not to bee found in any man whiles hee liues here and so long as it may bee increased surely that which is lesse then it ought is faulty from which faultinesse it must needs follow that there is no iust man vpon earth which doth good and sinneth not and thence in Gods sight shall none liuing be iustified Thus he To the very last houre our Prayer must be Forgiue vs our trespasses Our very daily indeuour therefore of increasing our renouation conuinceth vs sufficiently of imperfection and the imperfection of our Regeneration conuinceth the impossibilitie of Iustification by such inherent righteousnesse In short therefore since this doctrine of the Roman Church is both new and erroneous Against Scripture and reason we haue iustly refused to receiue it into our beliefe and for such refusall are vniustly eiected CHAP. VI. The newnesse of the doctrine of Merit MErit is next wherein the Councell of Trent is no lesse peremptory If any man shall say that the good workes of a man iustified doe not truly merit eternall life let him bee Anathema It is easie for errour to shroud it selfe vnder the ambiguitie of words The word Merit hath been of large vse with the Ancient who would haue abhorred the present sense with them it sounded no other then Obtayning or Impetration not as now earning in the way of condigne wages as if there were an equalitie of due proportion betwixt our Workes and Heauen without all respects of pact promise fauour according to the bold Comment of Sotus Tollet Pererius Costerus Weston and the rest of that straine Farre farre was the gracious humilitie of the Ancient Saints from this so high a presumption Let Saint Basil speake for his fellowes Eternall rest remaynes for those who in this life haue lawfully striuen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. not for the Merits of their deedes but of the grace of that most munificent God in which they haue trusted Why did I name one when they all with full consent as Cassander witnesseth professe to repose themselues wholly vpon the meere mercie of God and merit of Christ with an humble renunciation of all worthinesse in their owne workes Yea that vnpartiall Author deriues this Doctrine euen through the lower Ages of the Schoolemen and later Writers Thomas of Aquine Durand Adrian de Traiecto afterwards Pope Clictoueus and deliuers it for the voyce of the then present Church
And before him Thomas Waldensis the great Champion of Pope Martine against the miscalled Hereticks of his owne name professes him the sounder Diuine and truer Catholique which simply denies any such Merit and ascribes all to the meere grace of God and the will of the giuer What should I need to darken the ayre with a cloud of witnesses their Gregorie Ariminensis their Brugensis Marsilius Pighius Eckius Ferus Stella Faber Stapulensis Let their famous Preacher Royard shut vp all Quid â—gitur is qui Merita praetendit c. Whosoeuer he be that pretends his Merits what doth hee else but deserue Hell by his Workes Let Bellarmines Tutissimum est c. ground it selfe vpon Saint Bernards experimentall resolution Periculosa habita est Perilous is their dwelling place who trust in their owne Merits perillous because ruinous All these and many more teach this not as their owne doctrine but as the Churches Either they and the Church whose voyce they are are Hereticks with vs or we orthodoxe with them and they and wee with the Ancients The noueltie of this Romane Doctrine is accompanied with Errour Against Scripture against Reason SECT II. Against Scripture THat God doth graciously accept and munificently recompence our good workes euen with incomprehensible glory we doubt not we denie not but this either out of the riches of his mercy or the iustice of his promise but that we can earne this at his hands out of the intrinsecal worthines of our acts is a challenge too high for flesh and bloud yea for the Angels of Heauen How direct is our Sauiours instance of the seruant comne out of the field and commanded by his Master to attendance Doth hee thanke that seruant because hee did the things that were commanded him I trow not so likewise yee When yee shall haue done all things which are commanded you say we are vnprofitable seruants Vnprofitable perhaps you will say in respect of meriting thankes not vnprofitable in respect of meriting wages For to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace but of debt True therefore herein our case differeth from seruants that wee may not looke for Gods reward as of debt but as of Grace By grace are yee saued through faith neither is it our earning but Gods gift Both it cannot be For if by grace then it is no more of workes euen of the most renued otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of workes then it is no more grace otherwise worke should bee no more worke Now not by workes of righteousnesse which we haue done at our best but according to his mercie he saueth vs Were our saluation of workes then should eternall life be our wages but now The wages of sinne is death but the gift of God is eternall life through Iesus Christ our Lord. SECT III. Against Reason IN very reason where all is of meere dutie there can bee no merit for how can wee deserue reward by doing that which if we did not we should offend It is enough for him that is obliged to his taske that his worke is well taken Now all that wee can possibly doe and more is most iustly due vnto God by the bond of our Creation of our Redemption by the charge of his royall Law and that sweet Law of his Gospell Nay alas wee are farre from beeing able to compasse so much as our dutie In many things we sinne all It is enough that in our glory we cannot sinne though their Faber Stapulensis would not yeeld so much and taxeth Thomas for saying so with the same presumption that Origen held the very good Angels might offend Then is our grace consummate Till then our best abilities are full of imperfection â—herefore the conceit of merit is not more arrogant then absurd We cannot merit of him whom we gratifie not We cannot gratifie â— man with his owne All our good â—s Gods alreadie his gift his proprietie What haue wee that we haue not receiued Not our Talent only but the improouement also is his meere bountie There can be therefore no place for Merit In all iust Merit there must needs be a due proportion betwixt the act and the recompence It is of fauour if the gift exceed the worth of the seruice Now what proportion can bee betwixt a finite weake imperfect obedience such is ours at the best and an infinite full and most perfect glory The bold Schooles dare say that the naturall and entitatiue value of the workes of Christ himselfe was finite though the moralâ— value was infinite What then shall bee said of our workes which are like our selues meere imperfection We are not so proud that we should scorne with Ruard Tapperus to expect Heauen as a poore man doth an Almes rather according to Saint Austens charge Non sit capâ—â—turgidum c. Let not the heaâ— bee proud that it may receiue a Crowne We doe with all humilitie and selfe-deiection looke vp to the bountifull hands of that God who crowneth vs in mercie and compassion This Doctrine then of Merit being both new and erroneous hath iustly merited our reproofe and detestation and we are vniustly censured for our censure thereof CHAP. VII The newnesse of the Doctrine of Transsubstantiation THe point of Transsubstantion is iustly ranked amongst our highest differences Vpon this quarâ—ll in the very last age how many â—ules were sent vp to Heauen in â—he midst of their flames as if the Sacrament of the Altar had beene sufficient ground of these bloudie Sacrifices The definition of the Tridentine Councell is herein beyond the wont cleare and expresse If any man shall say that in the Sacrament of the sacred Eucharist there remaynes still the substance of Bread and Wine together with the Body and Bloud of our Lord Iesus Christ and shall denie that maruellous and singular conuersion of the whole substance of Bread into the Bodie and the whole substance of Wine into Bloud the Species semblances or shewes only of Bread and Wine remaining which said Conuersion the Catholike Church doth most fitly call Transsubstantiation let him be accursed Thus they Now let vs inquire how old this piece of faith is In synaxi sero c. It was late ere the Church defined Transsubstantiation saith Erasmus For of so long it was saith hee held sufficient to beleeue that the true Bodie of Christ was there whether vnder the consecrated Bread or howsoeuer And how late was this Scotus shall tell vs Ante Concilium Lateranense Before the Councell of Lateran Transsubstantiation was no point of faith as Cardinall Bellarmine himselfe confesses his opinion with a â—minime probandum And this Councell was in the yeere of our Lord one thousand two hundred and fifteene Let who list beleeue that this subtile Doctour had neuer heard of the Roman Councell vnder Gregory the seuenth which was in the yeere one thousand seuentie
indignation against this practice Wee may well shut vp all with that curse in Mount Geresim Cursed bee the man that maketh any grauen or molten Image an abhomination vnto the Lord the worke of the hands of the craftsman and putteth it in a secret place And all the people shall say Amen Surely their Durandus after he hath cited diuers Scriptures against Idols as Exod. 20. Leuit. 26. Deut. 4. Numb 21. c. at last concludes Ex his similibus c. By these and the like authorities is condemned the too much vse of Images Now because many eyes are bleared with a pretence of worshipping these not as Gods but as resemblances of Gods frends Let any indifferent man but read the Epistle of Ieremie Baruch 6. canonicall to them though not to vs and compare the estate and vsage of those ancient Idols with the present Images of the Roman Church and if hee doe not finde them fully paralleld let him condemne our quarrell of iniustice But wee must needs thinke them hard driuen for Scripture when they run for shelter vnder that Text which professedly taxeth them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. In illicitis Idolorum cultibus saith Saint Peter In vnlawfull Idolatries speaking of the Gentiles Therefore saith Valentia there is a lawfull worship of Idols As if that were an Epithete of fauour which is intended to aggrauation So hee that should call Satan an vncleane Deuill should imply that some Deuill is not vncleane or deceiuable lusts some lusts deceitlesse or hatefull wickednesse some wickednesse not hatefull The man had forgot that the Apostle spake of the heathenish Idolatrie wherein himselfe cannot plead any colour of lawfulnesse May this therefore befrend them to call Idolatrie abhominable the Scripture is theirs neither can they looke for â—â—y other countenance from those sacred monuments SECT III. WHat need wee seeke any other reason of Gods prohibition then his will And yet God himselfe hath giuen abundant reason of his prohibition of Images erected to himselfe To whom will yee liken God or what likenesse wil ye compare vnto him Yee saw no manner of similitude in the day that the Lord spake to you in Horeb. It is an hie iniurie to the infinite and spirituall nature of God to bee resembled by bodily shapes And for the worship of Images erected to himselfe or his creature I am the Lord that is my name and my glorie will I not giue to another nor my praise to molten Images The holy ielousie of the Almightie will not abide any of his honour diuided with his creature and what euer worship more then meere humane is imparted to the creature sets it in riualitie with our Maker The man is better then his picture and if religious worship will not bee allowed to the person of man or Angell how much lesse to his Image Not to man Saint Peter forbids it Not to Angell himselfe forbids it What a madnesse then is it for a liuing man to stoope vnto a dead stocke vnlesse as that Cynicke had wont to speake vnto statues to vse himselfe to repulses This curtesie was too shamefull in the Pagans of old how much more intolerable in Christians And as for that last shift of this vnlawfull deuotion that they worship not the Image but by it the person represented Haec a Paganis afferri solebat This saith Cassander out of the euidence of Arnobius and Lactantius to whom he might haue added Saint Augustine was the verie euasion of the old Heathen Nec valebat tunc illa ratio Neither would this colour then serue how can it hope now to passe and finde allowance The doctrine therefore and practice of Image-worship as late as erroneous is iustly reiected by vs who according to Saint Ieroms profession worship not the reliques of Martyrs nor Sunne nor Moone nor Angels nor Archangels nor Cherubim nor Seraphin nor any name that is named in this world or in the world to come and vniustly are we hereupon eiected CHAP. XI The newnesse of Indulgences and Purgatorie NOthing is more palpable then the noueltie of Indulgences or pardons as they are now of vse in the Romane Church the intolerable abuse whereof gaue the first hint to Luthers inquirie Pope Leo had gratified his sister Magdalene with a large Monopoly of German pardons Aremboldus her Factor was too couetous and held the market too high The height of these ouer-rated wares caused the chapmen to inquire into their worth They were found as they are both for age and dignitie for age so new as that Cornelius Agrippa and Polydore Virgil and Machiauell and who not tells vs Boniface the eighth who liued Anno 1300. was the first that extended Indulgences to Purgatorie the first that deuised a Iubilee for the full vtterance of them The Indulgences of former times were no other then relaxations of Canonicall Penances which were enioyned to hainous sinners whereof Burchard the Bishop of Wormes set downe many particulars about tâ—e 1020. For example if a man had committed wilfull murder hee was to fast fortie dayes together in bread and water which the common people calls a Lent and to obserue a course of penance for seuen yeeres after Now these yeeres of penance and these Lents were they which the pardons of former times were vsed to strike off or abate according as they found reason in the disposition of the Penitent which may giue light to those termes of so many Lents and yeeres remitted in former Indulgences But that there should bee a sacred treasure of the Church wherein are heaped vp piles of satisfactions of Saints whereof onely the Pope keepes the keyes and hath power to dispense them where hee lists is so late a deuice that Gregorie of Valence is forced to confesse that not so much as Gratian or Peter Lombard which wrote about 400. yeeres before him euer made mention of the name of Indulgence Well therefore might Durand Antonine grant it not to bee found either in the Scriptures or in the writings of the ancient Doctours and our B. Fisher goes so farre in the acknowledgement of the newnesse hereof that hee hath run into the censure of late Iesuites Iust and warrantable is that challenge of learned Chemnitius that no testimony can bee produced of any Father or of any ancient Church that either such doctrine or practice of such Indulgences was euer in vse vntill towards one thousand two hundred yeeres after Christ Talium indulgentiarum Some there were in the time immediately foregoing but such as now they were not Besides Eugenius his time which was too neere the Verge for the words of Chemnitius are Per annos fermè mille ducentos Bellarmine instances in the the third Councell of Lateran about the yeere 1116. wherein Pope Paschal the second gaue Indulgences of fortie dayes to those which visited the threshold of the Apostles but it must be considered
that wee must take this vpon the bare word of Conradus Vrspergensis Secondly that this Indulgence of his is no other but a relaxation of Canonicall penance For hee addes which Bellarmine purposely concealeth ijs qui de capitalibus c. to those that should doe penance for capitall sinnes hee released fortie dayes penance So as this instance helpes nothing neither are the rest which hee hath raked together within the compasse of a few preceding yeeres of any other alloy Neither hath that Cardinall offered to cite one Father for the proofe of this practice the birth whereof was many hundred yeeres after their expiration but cunningly shifts it off with a cleanly excuse Neque mirum c. Neither may it seem strange if wee haue not many ancient Authors that make mention of these things in the Church which are preserued only by vse not by writing So he He sayes Not many authors hee showes not one And if many matters of rite haue been traduced to the Church without notice of pen or presse yet let it be showne what one doctrine or practice of such importance as this is pretended to bee hath escaped the report and maintenance of some Ecclesiasticke Writer or other and we shall willingly yeeld it in this Till then wee shall take this but for a meere colour and resolue that our honest Roffensis deales plainly with vs who tells vs Quam diu nulla fuerat de Purgatorio cura c. So long as there was no care of Purgatorie no man sought after Indulgences for vpon that depends all the opinion of pardons If you take away Purgatorie wherefore should wee need pardons Since therefore Purgatorie was so lately knowne and receiued of the whole Church who can maruell concerning Indulgences that there was no vse of them in the beginning of the Church Indulgences then began after men had trembled somewhile at the torments of a Purgatorie Thus their Martyr not partially for vs but ingenuously out of the power of truth professes the noueltie of two great Articles of the Roman Creed Purgatorie and Indulgences Indeed both these now hang on one string Although there was a kinde of Purgatorie dreamed of before their pardons came into play That deuice peept out fearefully from Origen and pull'd in the head againe as in Saint Austens time doubting to show it Tale aliquod c. That there is some such thing saith hee after this life it is not vtterly incredible and may be made a question And elsewhere I reproue it not for it may perhaps be true And yet againe as retracting what hee had yeelded resolues Let no man deceiue himselfe my brethren there are but two places and a third there is none Before whom Saint Cyprian is peremptorie Quando istinc excessum fuerit When wee are once departed hence there is now no more place of repentance no effect of satisfaction Here is life either lost or kept And Gregorie Nazianzens verse sounds to the same sense And Saint Ambrose can say of his Theodosius that being freed from this earthly warfare Fruitur nunc luce perpetua c. hee now enioyes euerlasting light during tranquillitie and triumphs in the troopes of the Saints But what striue wee in this Wee may well take the word of their Martyr our Roffensis for both And true Erasmus for the ground of this defence Mirum in modum c. They doe maruellously affect the fire of Purgatorie because it is most profitable for their Kitchins SECT II. Indulgences and Purgatorie against Scripture THese two then are so late comne strangers that they cannot challenge any notice taken of them by Scripture Neither were their names euer heard of in the language of Canaan yet the Wisedome of that all-seeing Spirit hath not left vs without preuentions of future errours in blowing vp the very grounds of these humane deuises The first and mayne ground of both is the remainders of some temporall punishments to be paid after the guilt and eternall punishment remitted The driblets of veniall sinnes to bee reckond for when the mortall are defraied Heare what God saith I euen I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Loe can the Letter bee read that is blotted out Can there be a back-reckoning for that which shal not be remembred I haue done away thy Transgressions as a Cloud What sinnes can bee lesse then transgressions What can bee more cleerely dispersed then a Cloud Wash me and I shall be whiter then snow Who can tell where the spot was when the skin is rinced If we confesse our sinnes he is faithfull to forgiue our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse Loe he cleanseth vs from the guilt and forgiues the punishment What are our sinnes but debts What is the infliction of punishment but an exaction of payment What is our remission but a striking off that score And when the score is strucke off what remaynes to pay Remitte debita Forgiue our debts is our daily Prayer Our Sauiour tels the Paralitick Thy sinnes are forgiuen thee In the same words implying the remouing of his disease the sinne bee gone the punishment cannot stay behind We may smart by way of chastisement after the freest remission not by way of reuenges for our amendment not for Gods satisfaction The second ground is a middle condition betwixt the state of eternall life and death of no lesse torment for the time then Hell it selfe whose flames may burne off the rust of our remayning sinnes the issues where-from are in the power of the great Pastor of the Church How did this escape the notice of our Sauiour Verify verily I say vnto you hee that heareth my Word and beleeueth in him that sent mee hath euerlasting life and comes not into iudgement as the Vulgar it selfe turnes it but is passed from death vnto life Behold a present possession and immediate passage no iudgement interuening no torment How was this hid from the great Doctor of the Gentiles who putting himselfe into the common case of the beleeuing Corinthians professes Wee know that if once our earthly house of this Tabernacle bee dissolued wee haue a building of God not made with hands eternall in the Heauens The dissolution of the one is the possession of the other here is no interposition of time of estate The wise man of old could say The soules of the righteous are in the hand of God and there shall no torment touch them Vpon their very going from vs they are in peace 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Saint Iohn heard from the heauenly voyce From their very dying in the Lord is their blessednesse SECT III. Indulgences against Reason IT is absurd in reason to thinke that God should forgiue our Talents and arrest vs for the odde farthings Neither is it lesse absurd to thinke that any liuing soule can haue superfluities of
yeelded that no man hath power to set to a seale but he whose the writing is Sacraments then being the seales of Gods gracious euidences whereby hee hath conueyed to vs eternall life can bee instituted by no other then the same power that can assure and performe life to his creature In euerie Sacrament therefore must bee a diuine institution and command of an element that signifies of a grace that is signified of a word adioyned to that element of an holy act adioyned to that Word Where these concurre not there can bee no true Sacrament and they are palpably missing in these fiue Adiections of the Church of Rome Lastly The Sacraments of the new Law as Saint Austen often flowed out of the side of Christ None flowed thence but the Sacrament of water which is Baptisme and the Sacrament of bloud in the Supper Whereof the Author saith This cup is the new Testament in my bloud which is shed for you The rest neuer flowing either from the side or from the lips of Christ are as new and mis-named Sacraments iustly reiected by vs and we thereupon as vniustly censured CHAP. XVI The newnesse of the Doctrine of Traditions THe chiefe ground of these and all other errours in the Church of Rome is the ouer-valuing of Traditions which the Tridentine Synode professeth to receiue and reuerence with no lesse pious affection then the Bookes of the Old and New Testament and that not in matter of Rite and Historie only but of faith and manners also Wherein as they are not vn willing to cast a kind of imputation of imperfection vpon the written Word so they make vp the defects of it by the supply of vnwritten Traditions to which indeed they are more beholden for the warrant of the greater part of their super-added Articles then to the Scriptures of God Both which are points so dangerously enuious as that Antiquitie would haue abhorred their mention Neither is any thing more common with the holy Fathers of the Church then the magnifying the complete perfection of Scripture in all things needfull either to be beleeued or done What can be more ful and cleere then that of Saint Austen In his quae apertè c. In these things which are openly laid forth in Scripture are found all matters that containe either faith or manners Cardinall Bellarmines elusion is not a little preiudiciall to his owne cause He tels vs that Saint Austen speakes of those points which are simply necessary to saluation for all men All which hee acknowledges to be written by the Apostles But besides these there are many other things saith hee which wee haue only by Tradition Will it not therfore hence follow that the common sort of Christians need not looke at his Traditions That commonly men may be saued without them that Heauen may bee attained though there were no Traditions Who will not now say Let mee come to Heauen by Scripture goe you whither you will by Traditions To which adde that a great yea the greater part if wee may beleeue some of their owne of that which they call religion is grounded vpon only Tradition if then Tradition bee only of such things as are not simply unnecessary to saluation then the greater part of their mis-named Religion must needs be yielded for simply vnnecessary to all men And if wee may bee saued without them and bee made Citizens of Heauen how much more may we without them be members of the true Church on Earth As for this place Saint Augustines words are full and comprehensiue expressing all those things which containe either faith or manners whether concerning Gouernours or people If now they can finde out any thing that belongs not either to beleefe or action wee doe willingly giue it vp to their Traditions but all things which pertaine to either of those are openly comprized in Scripture What can bee more direct then that of holy Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The holy Scriptures inspired by God are in themselues all-sufficient to the instruction of truth and if Chemnitius construe it All truth this needs not raise a cauill The word signifies no lesse for if they bee all-sufficient to instruction they must needs be sufficient to all instruction in the truth intended Tertullian professes openly Adoro Scripturae pleniâ—udinem c. I adore the fulnesse of Scripture Let the skill of Hermogenes show where it is written if it bee not written let him feare that woe which is pronounced against those that adde or detract Thus he Who can but feare that the Cardinall shifts this euidence against his owne heart For saith he Tertullian speakes of that one point That God created all things of nothing and not of a pre-existent matter as Hermogenes dreamed now because this truth is clearely expressed in Scripture therefore the fulnesse of Scripture as concerning this point is adored by Tertullian And for that Hermogenes held an opinion contrarie to Scripture he is said to adde vnto Scripture and to incurre that malediction Now let any reader of common sense iudge whether the words of Tertullian be not generall without any limitation and if the first clause could bee restrained the second cannot Scriptum esse doceat c. Whatsoeuer therefore is not written by this rule may not be oberuded to our beleefe Neither doth he say If it be written against but If it be not written and his challenge is nusquam legi that the words are no where read as if this were quarrell enough without a flat contradiction to what is read So as the Cardinals glosse meerely corrupts the Text How easie were it for me to tire my reader with the full suffrages of Origen Cyprian Chrysostome Basil Cyrill Epiphanius Hierome Ambrose Theodoret Hilarie Vincentius Lirinensis and in a word with the whole streame of Antiquitie which though they giue a meet place to Traditions of Ceremony of historie of interpretation of some immateriall verities yet reserue the due honour to the sacred monuments of Diuine Scriptures Our learned Chemnitius hath freely yeelded seuen sorts of Traditions such as haue a correspondence with or an attestation from the written word the rest we do iustly together with him disclaime as vnworthy to appeare vpon that awfull Bench amongst the inspired Pen-men of God SECT II. Traditions against Scripture IT is not to be imagined that the same word of God which speakes for all other truths should not speake for it selfe how fully doth it display it 's owne sufficiencie and perfection All Scripture saith the Chosen Vessell is giuen by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproofe for correction for instruction in righteousnesse Profitable saith the Cardinall but not sufficient Many things may auaile to that end whereto they suffice not So meat is profitable to nourish but without naturall heat it nourisheth not Thus hee Heare yet what followeth That the man of God may bee perfited and thorowly
furnished vnto all good workes Loe it is so profitable to all these seruices that thereby it perfects a Diuine much more an ordiarie Christian That which is so profitable as to cause perfection is abundantly sufficient and must needs haue full perfection in it selfe That which can perfit the teacher is sufficient for the learner The Scriptures can perfit the man of God both for his calling in the instruction of others and for his owne glorie Thou hast knowne the Scriptures from a childe saith Saint Paul to his Timothy which are able not profitable only to make thee wise vnto saluation through faith which is in Christ Iesus It is the charge therefore of the Apostle not to bee wise aboue that which is written The same with wise Salonons The whole word of God is pure Adde thou not vnto his words lest he reproue thee and thou be found a lier Loe hee saith not Oppose not his words but Adde not to them Euen addition detracts from the maiestie of that Word For the Law of the Lord is perfect conuerting the soule the testimonie of the Lord is sure making wise the simple The statutes of the Lord are right reioycing the heart the Commandement of the Lord is pure enlightning the eyes As for those Traditions which they doe thus lift vp to an vniust competition with the written Word our Sauiour hath before hand humbled them into the dust In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the commandements of men Making this a sufficient cause of abhorring both the persons and the seruices of those Iewes that they thrust humane Traditions into Gods chaire and respected them equally with the institutions of God Cardinall Bellarmine would shift it off with a distinction of Traditions These were such saith hee quas acceperant à recentioribus c. as they had receiued from some later hands whereof some were vaine some others pernicious not such as they receiued from Moses and the Prophets And the Authors of these reiected Traditions hee cites from Epiphanius to be R. Akiba R. Iuda and the Asamoneans from Hierome to bee Sammai Hillel Akiba But this is to cast mists before the eyes of the simple For who sees not that our Sauiours challenge is generall to Traditions thus aduanced not to these or those Traditions And where he speakes of some later hands he had forgotten that our Sauiour vpon the mount tells him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That these faulted Traditions were of old And that he may not cast these vpon his Sammai and Hiliel let him remember that our Sauiour cites this out of Esay though with some more cleernesse of expression who farre ouerlooked the times of those pretended Fathers of mis-traditions That I may not say how much it would trouble him to shew any dogmaticall Traditions that were deriued from Moses and the Prophets in parallel whereof let them be able to deduce any Euangelicall Tradition from the Apostles and we are ready to imbrace it with all obseruance Shortly it is cleere that our Sauiour neuer meant to compare one Tradition with another as approuing some reiecting others but with indignation complaines that Traditions were obtruded to Gods people in a corriualitie with the written word which is the verie point now questioned SECT III. Traditions against reason EVen the verie light of reason showes vs that as there is a God so that he is a most wise most iust God needs therefore must it follow that if this most iust and wise God will giue a Word whereby to reueale himselfe and his wil to mankinde it must bee a perfect Word for as his wisdome knowes what is fit for his creature to know of himselfe so his iustice will require nothing of the creature but what hee hath enabled him to know and doe Now then since hee requires vs to know him to obey him it must needs follow that hee hath left vs so exquisite a rule of this knowledge and obedience as cannot admit of any defect or any supplement This rule can bee no other then his written Word therefore written that it might be preserued entire for this purpose to the last date of time As for orall Traditions what certaintie can there be in them What foundation of truth can be layd vpon the breath of man How doe wee see the reports varie of those things which our eyes haue seene done How doe they multiply in their passage and either grow or dye vpon hazards Lastly we thinke him not an honest man whose tongue goes against his owne hand How hainous an imputation then doe they cast vpon the God of truth which plead Traditions deriued from him contrarie to his written Word Such apparently are the worship of Images the mutilation of the Sacrament Purgatorie Indulgences and the rest which haue passed our agitation Since therefore the authoritie of Romish Traditions is besides noueltie erroneous against Scripture and reason we haue iustly abandoned it and are thereupon vniustly condemned As for those other dangerous and important innouations concerning Scriptures their Canon inlarged their faultie version made authenticall their fountaines pretended to be corrupted their mis-pleaded obscuritie their restraint from the Laitie we haue already largely displaid them in another place CHAP. XVII The newnesse of the vniuersall Head-ship of the Bishop of Rome THose transcendent Titles of Head-ship and Vniuersalitie which are challenged to the Bishop and Sea of Rome are knowne to bee the vpstart brood of noted ambition Simple and holy Antiquitie was too modest either to require or tolerate them Who knowes not the profession of that holy Martyr in the Councell of Carthage Neque enim c. There is none of vs that makes himselfe a Bishop of Bishops or by a tyrannous feare compels his Vnderlings to a necessitie of obedience But perhaps at Rome it was otherwise Heare then with what zeale their owne Pope Gregorie the Great inueighs against the arrogance of Iohn Bishop of Constantinople for giuing way to this proud stile His Epistles are extant in all hands so cleare and conuictiue as no art of Sophistrie can elude them wherein hee calls this title affected by the said Iohn and Cyriacus after him a new name a wicked profane insolent name the generall plague of the Church a corruption of the Faith against Canons against the Apostle Peter against God himselfe as if he could neuer haue branded it enough And least any man should cauill that this stile is only cryed downe in the Bishops of Constantinople which yet might bee iustly claymed by the Bishops of Rome Gregorie himselfe meetes with this thought and answers beforehand Nunquam pium virum c. that neuer any godly man neuer any of his Predecessors vsed those Titles and more then so that whosoeuer shall vse this proud stile hee is the very fore-runner of Antichrist If in a fore-sight of this vsurpation Gregorie should haue beene hired to haue spoken