AN IMPARTIAL SURVEY AND COMPARISON OF THE Protestant Religion As by Law Established With the main Doctrines of Popery Wherein is shewn That Popery is contrary to Scripture Primitive Fathers and Councils and that proved from Holy Writ the Writings of the Antient Fathers for several Hundred Years and the Confession of the most Learned Papists themselves Whereby the Papists vain pretence to Antiquity and their reproaching the Protestant Doctrines with Novelty is wholly overthrown By a True Son of the Protestant Church of England as established by Law LONDON Printed for Richard Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXV ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction in righteousness 2 Tim. 3. 16. In vain they do worship me teaching for doctrines the commandments of men Matt. 15.9 But from the beginning it was not so Matth. 19.8 Non audiatur haec dico haec dicis sed haec dicit dominus Augustin de unit Eccles contr Petil. c. 3. Id verius quod prius id prius quod ab initio ab initio quod ab Apostolis Tertullian advers Marcion l. 4. c. 5. Id esse verum quodcunque primum id esse adulterinum quodcunque posterius Idem advers Praxeam c. 2. THE PREFACE TO THE Protestant Reader AS we have immortal Souls of infinite more value than all transient glories and sublunary advantages so ought we both in obedience to the tender and compassionate advice of our Blessed Redeemer who purchased them with his own dear Blood and out of a true concern for our Eternal Welfare to live such lives here as we may be happy hereafter Pursuant to this excellent design We ought carefully attend to that Holy Religion we have so long professed which teaches no Doctrines that are not agreeable to the Holy Scriptures and to the practice of the best and purest Ages of Christianity A Religion which neither robs God of his Honour nor the King of his due a Religion whose venerable Rites keep a just medium betwixt vain Popish Pomp and Fanatical Indecency a Religion that not only teaches us how to be good but obliges us so to be that is a Religion truly Christian and a Copy of that perfect Original which our Lord and Saviour hath left us for our direction And therefore as nothing ought to be dearer to us so we cannot be sufficiently thankful to his Sacred Majesty whom God preserve for the Gracious assurance he has given that he will support it and defend us in the profession of it A King whose Royal Progenitors of Immortal Memory for above 100 years have not only been the Ornaments but the supports too of the Protestant Religion His fam'd Grandfather King James Learnedly defending it by his Pen and thereby justly meriting the glorious Title of its Defender His Excellent (c) For so doth Mons Militere in his Epistle to His late Majesty confess Father dying a Glorious Martyr and his late dearly beloved Brother being a long time Exile for our Reformed Religion Let us then strive to shew that we are not unworthy of so Illustrious and Valiant a Protector by our Loyalty to him not unworthy of such a Religion by our conformity to its Principles in Holiness Sobriety and Charity and a stedfast adherence to it in opposition to any other that will destroy that which our Church hath built upon so sure a foundation And that we may rightly understand what this Religion is and the difference betwixt that which is established in our Church and what is owned in the Church of Rome I have made the following Collection wherein is demonstrated how contrary the Popish Religion is to our Church and how inconsistent with Scripture the practice of the Primitive and best Ages of Christianity and that prov'd not only from the Writings of the Apostles and choice Records of Antiquity but even granted to be so by the most (d) Vives de Instrumentis probab learned and no less impartial Papists themselves which as it is the testimony of one Friend against another is lookt upon as an undenyable Evidence Before I conclude I must admonish the Reader that I have not rendered the Authors at large but so quoted them that the Learned may examine them nor have I drawn Arguments as usually from them because that would have made this Book design'd for a Pocket-companion to have swell'd into a great Volume yet to make requital for that just omission I have at the conclusion of each Section directed the Reader to other Writers of our Religion which treat of that particular Controversy at large May then the All-wise God by whose Divine permission thus much hath been perform'd so bless this poor labour of his unworthy Servant that it may be instrumental to the good of his Church and the confirming of all our weak Brethren in our most Holy Faith which was the principal design of its publication THE INTRODUCTION THE Church of Rome though she talk aloud of the Antiquity of and an universal consent in her Doctrines is so far from either That therein she will be tied to no Rule nor observe any Law as if she would verify that Remarque of (1) Crantzius Metropol 7.45 Crantzius upon her in another Case Nunc ad se omnium Ecclesiarum jura traxit Romana Ecclesia That she hath engrossed to her self all the priviledges or rights of other Churches Her greatest (2) Bellarmin de verbo dei l. 4. c. 4. Pighius Eccles Hierarch l. 3. c. 3. Pool de primatu Romanae Ecclesiae fol. 92. defendants reject the Scripture though given forth by (*) 2 Tim. 3.16 Divine Inspiration and do say it is no more to be believed in saying it is from God than Mahomet 's Alcaron c. And good reason why (3) Concil de stabilienda Rom. sede p. 6. because her Doctrines are repugnant to the Holy Scriptures What then will she trust to Tradition that she equals with (4) Concil Trident. Sess 4. decret 1. the Scriptures themselves And yet her great Annalist Cardinal Baronius who was once as it were a living Library while he kept the Vatican (5) Dr. James his Corruption of the Fathers Part 4. p. 26. (6) Anno 44. Sect. 42. confesseth That he despaired to find out the truth even in those matters which true Writers have recorded because there was nothing which remained sincere and incorrupted This blow given by so skilfull an Artist dashes all the Characters wherein the defence of Oral Tradition should be legible And if Tradition in true Writers be so difficult to preserve how can it be expected to be safe from spurious ones or without any Writers at all However though the Papists do not grant that this ruins their Tradition I am sure it cuts off that definition of it by (†) Bellar. de 〈◊〉 cap. 9. Cardinal Bellarmin who affirms that to be a true
in the Apostles Creed and explain'd in those others call'd the Nicene and Athanasian which may be prov'd by the Scriptures and have been approved by the Universal Church by the Decrees of the first General Councils and Writings of the Fathers The Popish Church especially that part of it which is called the Court of Rome obtrudes and imposes new Articles of Faith making (44) Bellar de Eccles l. 3. the Bishop of Rome the Infallible Judge and Arbitrator of all Doctrines enjoyning an implicit faith and blind obedience to his Dictates wherein we must renounce (45) M. Cressie in his Appendix c. 7. Sect. 8. saith That the Wits and Judgments of Catholicks he means Papists is to renounce their Judgment and depose their own wit I will make no Application let the Reader do it himself our very Reason so that (46) Exercitia Spiritualia Ign. Loyolae Tolosae 1593. p. 173. Reg. 1. if he call that white which we see to be black we are to say so since he hath as (47) Turrecremata summae de Ecclisia l. 2. c. 103. Petrus de Ancorano de Haerit n. 2. Augustinus Triumphus de Ancona p. 59. a. 1. art 2. And this knack of making new Creeds is very agreeable to that fancy of Salmeron Non amnibus omnia dedit Deus ut quaelibet aetas suis gaudeat veritatibus quas prior atas ignoravit Dis 57. in Ep. ad Rom. they say the power of making new Creeds Contrary to Scripture Gal. 1.8 9. Contrary to St. Augustin de Vnit Eccles contr Epist Petil. c. 3. and all the Fathers who shew an esteem for the Scripture Confess'd By Cardinal Bellarmine That till above a thousand years after Christ the (48) Bellar. de Rom. Pontif. l. 4. c. 2. Sect. Secunda opinio Popes Judgment was not esteemed Infallible nor his (49) Id. de Concil lib. 2. c. 13. Authority above that of a General Council much less then is it above that of the Holy Scriptures Hence must it necessarily follow That it is a new Article of the Creed to believe that the Pope can make new Creeds Consult Dr. Stillingfleet's Discourse concerning the Idolatry practised in the Church of Rome Chap. 4. SECT V. Our Church useth the same (50) Article 25. Sacraments which our Saviour Christ left in his (51) Mat. 28.19 Luk. 22.19 20. Church and no other to wit Baptism and the Lord's Supper which both the (52) Article 30. Laity and Clergy in our Communion receive intire without mutilation according to our Blessed Saviour's Institution (53) Mat. 26.27 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. the practice of the Apostles and of the Latin Church for (54) Concil Constantiese Anno Dom. 1414. Sess 13. fourteen hundred years after our Saviour's Incarnation and of the (55) Apud Chytrae de Statu Eccl. Orient Primum Patriar Resp p. 149 c. The Greek Patriarch Hieremias's Letter to the Tuling Divines bearing date May 15. 1576. Greek Church in the last Age if not until this day The Church of Rome doth not only clogg its members with the number of (56) Concil Trident. Sess 7. seven Sacraments which precise number of Sacraments was not held for Catholick even in the Roman Church till above a thousand years after Christ and therefore far from Primitive Christianity but deprives the Laity (57) Concil Constant Sess 13. of the Cup in the Eucharist contrary to our Saviour's Institution which is at once the highest presumption and withal not one degree remov'd from Sacriledg The number of Seven Sacraments Contrary to the Fathers Justin Martyr Apol. 2. whom even Bellarmine himself confesses to have mentioned but two Sacraments de effect Sacram. l. 2. c. 27. Sect. venio Tertullian advers Marcion l. 4. c. 34. Id. de coronâ militis c. 3. Cyril of Jerusalem in his Catechisms S. Ambrose in his Books de Sacramentis Augustin de Doctr. Christi lib. 3. c. 9. Id. de Symbolo ad Catech. Tom. 9. Id. Epist 118. ad Januar. Tom. 2. Junilius in Genes Confess'd That Peter Lombard Master of the Sentences who liv'd Anno Dom. 1144. was the first Author that mentioned the precise number of Seven Sacraments and the Council of Florence held Anno Dom. 1438 was the first Council that determined that number By Cardinal Bellarmin de Sacram. lib. 2. c. 25. and Cassander Consult de num Sacram. Communion in one kind Contrary to Scripture Matt. 26.26 27 28. Luk. 22.19 20. 1 Cor. 11.26 27 28. Contrary to the Fathers Dionysius Areopagita Eccl. (58) Although some Learned men in our own Church will have Apollinaris who liv'd in the fourth Century to be the Author of that Book See Dr. Stillingfleet's Answer to Cress Apolog c. 2. §. 17. p. 133. and Dr. Cave in the Life of Dionysius Areopagita p. 73 74. Hierarch c. 3. which Author I quote in the front of the Fathers because the Papists would have him to live in the first Age though it is more probable that he liv'd later albeit not so late as Monsieur Daillé would have him Ignatius Ep. ad Philadelph Justin Martyr Apol. 2. in fine p. 162. Clemens Alexandrin Stromat l. 1. p. 94. Id. Paedagog l. 2. c. 2. p. 35. Tertullian de Resurrect c. 8. Id. l. 2. ad Vxorem c. 6. Origen Hom. 16. in Num. Cyprian Epist 54. Tom. 1. l. 1. Epist 2. Gregor Nazianzen Orat. 11. in laud. Gorgon Orat. 40. in Sanctum Baptism Tom. 1. Athanasius Apol. 2. contra Arrianos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Ambros in Orat. ad Theodos apud Theodoret. Hist Eccles l. 5. c. 18. Hieronymus Epist ad Rusticum Tom. 1. Id. sup Sophon c. 3. Tom. 6. Chrysostom in 2 Cor. Hom. 18. Tom. 3. Edit Savil. p. 646. Augustin 4 Qu. 57. in Levit. Leo Ser. 4. de Quadrages Gelasius Decret 3. part de Consecrat dist 2. cap. Comperimus Hincmar in the Life of the Archbishop Rhemes who converted King Clovis of France to the Christian Faith reports that the Archbishop gave a Chalice or Cup for the peoples use with this Motto Hauriat hinc populus vitam de sanguine sacro Injecto aeternus quem fudit vulnere Christus Remigius domino reddit sua vota sacerdos è Cassandri Liturg. c. 31. Pamelii Liturgic p. 618. Tom. 1. Gregorius Magnus Dial. l. 1.4 c. 58. Id. Dial. l. 3. c. 36. Tom. 2. Id. in Sab. Paschae Homil. 22. Tom. 2. Confess'd That Communion in one kind is against the practice of the Apostles by Paschasius Radbertus de corp sang domini c. 19. Confess'd That it was a General Custom for the Laity to Communicate in both kinds by Salmeron Tract 35. Confess'd By Cassander (59) Consult Sect. 22. That it was receiv'd in both kinds for above a thousand years after Christ by (60) In tertiam partem S. Thomae tom 3. Quaest 80. Disp 216. Art 12. cap. 3. nu 38. Vasquez and Thomas (61) In
was that damnable Treason designed by Gunpowder against the Person of King James the First of blessed Memory and the two Houses of Parliament to which the Pope himself as we (100) Delrio disq Magic l. 6. c. 1. are credibly informed was not only privy but its director too Pursuant thereof that Pope Clement VIII a little before that time gave order That no Priest should discover any thing that came to his Knowledg in Confession to the benefit of the Secular Government I think there needs no better evidence of the Pope's good intentions towards the Secular Government nor what ill effects the practice of this sort of Confession can and may produce than this And that it still may be used as an Instrument in procuring the ruine of Princes and subversion of Kingdoms Let us hear their i. e. the Popish Doctors opinion of its virtue and use One of them then tells us That the Seal of Auricular Confession which they hold to be of Divine Institution is so Sacred that it may not be broken open to save (101) Tolet. Instruct Sacerd l. 3. c. 16. the Lives of Princes or of the whole Commonwealth Another (102) Henriquez de poenit l. 2. c. 19. n. 5. goes further and saith That the Seal of Confession is not to be broken no not to save all the World Here the Reader may see for this is not only the opinion of one or two private men but runs with the stream of their (103) See Eudemon Joannes in his Apology for Garnet Binet Suarez c. Writers what may be expected from the Charity of their Popish Priests what an unlucky tool Auricular Confession is in (104) And yet they can say that it is of Divine Right See Biel l. 4. dist 17. Q. 1. Scotus ibid. Bonaventure ibid n. 72. which if it had been the Fathers would never have writ against it nor would it have been disanhull'd For private Confession of crimes was a rogated a out An. Dom. 396. upon the discovery of a Whoredom committed betwixt a Deacon and a Noble Woman Histor Tripartit l. 9. c. 35. And though it was practised several years before yet was it not enjoyn'd as a necessary Act of Salvation before the Council of Lateran An. Dom. 1215. under Pope Innocent III and therefore far from true Antiquity their hands Besides to how great an awe of and respect for their Confessor to whom they are bound as I have already said to discover all their Sins under pain of Eternal Damnation To what Pride and Insolence to what Lust and Revenge to what Avarice and Rapine are not only the meanest Men but even Persons that make the greatest figure exposed unto by Auricular Confession in Popish Churches It is a slavery so great and intollerable that the Israelitish Tasks in Egypt were a pleasure or at least a divertisement in comparison of it Auricular Confession to a Priest under point of Salvation and Damnation and that people cannot be saved without it is Contrary to Scripture Isai 55.7 Acts 2.38 and c. 3.19 and c. 16.30 31. Rom. 10.3 Contrary to the Fathers who when they did speak of the necessity of Confession generally meant Confession before God only or a publick acknowledgment of some publick crimes incurring the censure of Excommunication and that in an Ecclesiastical Assembly Origen in Psal 37. Hom. 2. Cyprian de lapsis Serm. 5. Chrysostom Hom. 4. de Lazaro Id. Hom. 2. in Psal 50. Homil. 31. in Epist ad Hebraeos Hom. 5. de incomprehensibili nat Dei Hom. 8. de paen Hom. de poenit Confessione Augustin Confession l. 10. c. 3. Auricular Confession acknowledged not to have been Instituted by our Saviour and that it is not of Divine Institution by these Learned Papists Cardinal Cajetan in Joh. 20. Scotus in sent 4. dist 17. Q. 1. Maldon in summa Qu. 18. Art 4. Bell. de poenit l. 1. c. 4. Acknowledged by others That it is better to say that it was Instituted rather by the Tradition of the Universal Church than by the Authority of the Old and New Testament And yet it is denyed That this Tradition is Universal and that it is not necessary amongst the Greeks because this Custom i.e. of private Confession sprung not up among them de poenit dist 5. in principio Gloss Again it is Confessed That the Fathers scarce speak of it as of a thing commanded by Rhenanus in admonitione de Tertullian Dogmat. Lastly It is Confessed That we may obtain Pardon though our Mouths be silent then we do not confess And our Lord doth shew that a Sinner is not cleansed by the Judgment of the Priest but by the Bounty of Divine Grace Gratian dist 1. cap. Convertimini What clashing and enterfering is here Is this the pretended solid Union of the Popish Church in matters of Salvation and which she enjoyns under pain of Damnation Have they no better Grounds for their Articles of Faith than these Can Auricular Confession be of Divine Institution and yet neither be Instituted by our Blessed Saviour nor mentioned by the Fathers as a Divine Precept nor imposed by an Universal Tradition of the Church And lastly can it be necessary to Salvation and yet we can obtain pardon of Sins without the use of it Let any Papist reconcile me these erit mihi magnus Apollo Consult herein Bishop Taylor 's Dissuasive Part 1. ch 2. Sect. 2. F. White against Jesuite Fisher p. 189. Concerning the Marriage of the Clergy see Bishop Jewel's Defence of the Apology of the Church of England Part 2. p. 180. and Part 5. p. 456. Bishop Hall's Honour of the Married Clergy SECT X. As I have all along shewed the vast difference in Doctrines betwixt the Protestant Church of England and the Church of Rome so will I put a Period to this Discourse after I have done the like in that of Obedience Which I shall not as I have hitherto argue from the Articles and Homilies of our Church the Decrees of their Church the Writings of the Fathers and from Ancient Councils because that hath been sufficiently canvassed of late years but only subjoyn the undenyable Testimonies of King James I. and King Charles the Martyr of ever-blessed Memories and the Royal Grandfather and Father of our present Gracious Soveraign to determin the Case of Protestants Loyalty and Popish Rebellion King Charles I. in his Excellent Book entituled Εικον Βασιλικε chap. 27. to our Late Gracious King and then Prince of Wales saith King James I. in His Works p. 504. saith The best Profession of Religion I have ever esteemed that of the Church of England in which you have been educated (105) Yea it was but two days before his death that he told the Princess Elizabeth That she should dye for maintaining the true Protestant Religion In this I charge you to persevere as coming nearest to God's Word for Doctrine and to the Primitive Example for Government I tell you
Tradition which all former Doctors mind that for then will the Fathers come in for a share have successively in their Ages acknowledged to come from the Apostles and by their Doctrine or Practices have approved and which the Vniversal Church owns as such Moreover Bellarmin 's Definition of Tradition gives us this encouragement and liberty to try Antiquity by Fathers Councils and Papal Decrees For the Fathers I hope the Romanists who boast so much of their being on their party will not refuse to be try'd by them when (7) Coster Enchirid Controvers cap. 2. Constat manifeste c. Campian rat 3 Seculis omnino quindecim c. rat 10. Testes res omnes Coster and others make such a fine flourish in their pretensions to Antiquity No the Fathers shall not be Judges of the Papists the Romanists will not be controlled by the Fathers For Cardinal (8) Baronius ad annum 34. Baronius saith The Catholick Church and this they would have you to believe is their own Church but against all Reason and Sense doth not in all things follow the interpretation of the Fathers This is a fair but modest Confession But Cardinal (9) Bellarmin de Concil autorit l. 2. c. 12. Sect. Respondeo Bellarmin goes further The Writings of the Fathers saith he are not rules to us nor have the Authority to bind us This is an (10) How the Papists contemn and condemn the Fathers See Dr. James's Corruption of the Fathers Part 4 home thrust and yet (11) Salmeron in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 5. disp 51. p. 468. Salmeron is more incivil with those Ancient Doctors when he saith That the latter Doctors are sharper sighted than they and therefore pronounces of many of them at once That we must not follow a multitude to deviate from the Truth I am afraid he gave his own Church a rude blow there for we may turn that Argument of his against the Church of Rome which ever and anon is pleading her great number of Professors To which let us add what another Romanist saith in this point And (12) Corn. Muss Episc Bitont in Rom. 14. p. 468. he tells you That he believes the Pope in matters of Faith before a thousand Augustines Jeromes or Gregories This indeed is plain dealing and no mincing of the matter But then again it is wholly opposite to their vain Pleas for Antiquity and wholly different from the modest procedure of (13) Apolog. adv Rufin l. 2. p. 219. tom 2. S. Jerome who thinks it great rashness and irreverence presently to charge the Ancients with heresy for a few obnoxious terms since when they erred they erred perhaps with a simple and honest mind or wrote things in another sense than they were afterwards taken But if this be all the esteem the Papists have for the Ancient Doctors then adieu to the Authority of the Fathers in the Church of Rome Moreover even the Councils fare no better in the Papists hands For it is usual in their Editions of the Councils to have some Printed with this Title Reprobatum or disallowed others Ex parte Approbatum (14) Vid. Bin. not ad 2. Concil Constant tom 1. part 1. p. 541. Item not ad Concil Chalced tom 2. par 1. p 410. accordingly as they agree or disagree with their Opinions and Interest at Rome Which verifies that (15) Lud. Vives in Aug. de civit Dei l. 20. c. 36. smart Censure of Ludovicus Vives That those are accounted Decrees and Councils which make for their purpose and all others are no more valued by them than the meetings of some tatling Women in a Weaving Shop or at the Baths But although they reject both Fathers and Councils when they are pressed by the Protestants with their Authorities yet to take away all testimonies of the Fathers from us the politick Council of Trent set up their Indices Expurgatorii which they referred to Pope Pius 4. whose Bull for that end bore date March 24. 1564. (16) See Dr. James's Corruption of the Scriptures Fathers and Councils Printed 1611. Part 4. And in these Tables they set down what Books were by them forbidden and in which to be purged and what places ought to be left out Thus design'd they that both Fathers and Councils should lisp their Language But though it be contrary to that Rule by which (17) Joh. 5.31 Christ himself was willing to be tried If I bear witness of my self my witness is not true and contrary to all equity and the old (18) Capitul Carol. Mag. c. 88. Laws viz. That they which are brought out of our own House ought not to be witnesses for us yet since they have disowned when pressed with strength of Reason and oppressed with Truth the Scriptures the Fathers and Councils We will pursue them to their last fort to wit to the Decrees of their Popes which they so much adore If they gain-say these then Conclamatum est their Case is desperate Well then it must be so for they have rejected the Traditions of old Popes for those of new ones One would have thought that old Friends and old Divines had been the surest and foundest but it is not so at Rome For they have slighted and contradicted that Decree of (19) Anaclet Epist ap Bin. Tom. 1. Part 1. p. 43. Anacletus That all who are present at Mass shall communicate That of (20) Gelas decr de Consec dist 2. cap. 12. Pope Gelasius of not taking the Bread alone which honest-man he called Sacrilege and (21) Binius in notis Tom. 1. part 1. p. 64. That of Alexander 11. of celebrating but one Mass in one day Which abominable practice of the Roman Church make good that saying of their own Pope (22) P. Gelas Ep. 4. Gelasius Quaero ab his judicium quod pretendunt ubinam possint agitari an apud ipsos ut iidem sint inimici testes Judices Which signifies in short that they would be both Enemies Witnesses and Judges in their own Cause as being Conscious to themselves of such Errors as will not bear the test nor can be defended without such foul play Who then can safely trust the conduct of his Salvation to that Church of Rome which refuseth to be tried by the Word of God by the Ancient Fathers by General Councils and even by the Decrees of her pretended Spiritual Heads But because in the following Book I have produced the Testimonies of the Fathers voting against Popish Doctrines it will not I judge be unnecessary to subjoin That although we highly esteem and respect the Fathers and especially those of the first Three hundred years after Christ and make use of their Writings as explaining the sense of the Scriptures and handling to us the Opinions of the Ages they liv'd in yet we never receive any of them with the same respect and esteem that we do the Word of God And that with good reason For
Scriptures have no authority but for the Decree of the Church they mean the Roman Church by whom it (7) Caranza Controvers 1. And no marvel when another affirmeth that the Scripture hath no more authority than Aesop's Fables V. Bailly Tract 1.9.17 ought to be regulated and not the Church be regulated by it and the reason is because as it is (8) Peter Sutor Translat Bibl. c. 22. confess'd that the people would easily be drawn away from observing the Church's i.e. Romish Institutions (9) Consil de Stabilienda Rom. sede p. 6. And though the Papists do cashier the publick use of the Holy Scriptures and fly to as they pretend an Infallible Judg yet are they not agreed among themselves who that should be These Learned Romanists following contend that the priviledg of Infallibility belongs only to the whole Church militant and neither to the Pope nor General Council nor to the Body of the Clergy Occam Dial. p. 1. l. 5. c. 25 29 3. when they should perceive That they are not contained in the Law of Christ and that their i.e. Popish Doctrines are not only different from but repugnant to the Holy Scriptures Hence doth the Church (10) Cusanus Concord Cathol l. 2. c. 3. Antoninus Sum. Summarum p. 3. Tit. 23. c. 2. § 6. Panormitan Decret p. l. l. 1. Tit. de Elect. Cap. significasti Mirandula de fide ordine credend Theor. 4. of Rome under severe penalties forbid the Laity the perusal of them and thereby involves every Lay-man in the guilt of being a Traditor which in the (11) In fine Concil Trident. Reg. 4. first Ages of Christianity was a crime (12) Hence comes it to pass that not only the Popish Laity but even the Priests themselves are very ignorant in the Holy Scriptures so that once a Schoolman in the last Age being to preach at Paris where the famous Melancthon was his Auditor took a Text for want I suppose of a better Book out of Aristotle's Ethicks Sixtinus Amama Orat. de Barbarie ex Melancth next door to Apostasie Which Act doth not only imply That the Popish Church refuseth to be try'd by the Test of God's Word but is diametrically opposite to the practice of the Primitive Christians as appears in the following Quotations The Romish Tenet of slighting the Scriptures is contrary to the Word of God Joh. 5.39 2 Tim. 3.16.17 Contrary to the Fathers Clemens Romanus Epist ad Corinth p. 58 61 68. Irenaeus l. 2. c. 47. Idem l. 3. c. 1. c. 2. Tertullian adv Hermogen c. 23. Clemens Alexandrinus Stromat l. 7. Origen in Esai Hom. 2. Idem in Comment in Josh p. 27. Id. Homil. in Leviticum 9. Comment in Matthaeum p. 220. Cyprian Epist 74. Eusebius adv Sabellium l. 2. Constantinus Magnus apud Theodoret. Histor lib. 1. c. 7. Athanasius in Orat. adv Gentes de Incarn Christi Hilarius ad Constant Optatus l. 5. de Schis Donat. Basil de Sp. Sancto c. 7. Id. de verâ ac piâ fide Tom. 2. Op. Graec. Lat. p. 386. Id. in Ethicis Reg. 16. Tom. 2. Id. Hom. 29. de Trinit Tom. 1. Gregor Nyss in Dial. de animâ ac Resurrect Hieronymus in Comment in Esa cap. 19. Id. in Epist ad Laetam Id. adv Helvid Id. Praefat. Comment in Epist ad Ephes Chrysostom 13 Hom. in Gen. Id. Hom. 52. in Joh. Id. Homil. 4. in Lazar. Id. Hom. 34. in Act. 15. Id. Praefat. in Epist ad Rom. Id. Hom. 13. in 2 Cor. 7. Id. Hom. 9. in Coloss 3. Id. Hom. 3. in 1 Thessal Id. Hom. 3. in 2 Thessal 2. Id. Hom. 8. in Epist ad Hebr. c. 5. Augustin Epist 3. Id. de Doctrinâ Christi l. 2. c. 6. 9. Id. de Vnitat Eccles c. 3 4 5 12. Id. Epist 157. Id. de Bapt. c. Donat. lib. 1. c. 6. l. 2. c. 3. 14. That passage in St. Augustin Ego Evangelio non crederem c. contr Ep. fundam c. 5. is interpreted by these Learned Papists following To be meant of the Primitive Church and those men who saw and heard our Blessed Saviour and not that the Fathers should be of more authority than the Scriptures John Gerson de vitâ Sp. Lect. 2. Hic aperitur modus c. Joh. Driedo de Eccl. Script Dogm l. 4. c. 4. Th. Wald. Doctrinal l. 2. c. 21. Sufficiat universali Ecclesiae pro preconio potestatis suae modernae c. who is very smart upon such as held the contrary Idem Epist 48. Tom. 2. Epist 19. Cyril Alex l. 7. adv Julian Theodoret Dial. 2. Id. Qu. 45. in Genes Theophilus Alexand. in 2 Pasch Homil. Cyril Hieros Cat. 4. Vincentius Lirinensis contra Haeres cap. 2. c. 41. Justus Orgelitanus in c. 4. Cantic Gregorius Magnus in Ezekiel l. 1. Hom. 9. Tom. 2. Id. Moral l. 8. c. 8. Id. in Cant. c. 5. Id. Moral l. 16. c. 17. Tom. 1. Id. l. 4. Ep. 40. ad Theod. Medic. Tom. 2. Id. Epist ad Leand. c. 4. Praefat. in Job Tom. 1. That the Holy Scriptures could not be corrupted but those corruptions would have been discover'd See Augustin de util lit credendi c. 3. Id. c. Faustum l. 11. c. 2◠and Confess'd by Bellarmin That the Scriptures could not be corrupted but those Corruptions would be discovered by Catholicks de V. D. l. 2. c. 7. Consult in this point Bishop Jewel's Treatise of the Holy Scriptures who in his excellent Apology handles all the main points in Controversie betwixt us and the Church of Rome and Article 15 against Harding Dr. Stillingfleet's Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion Reprinted in 1681 Part 1. c. 7 8 9. Chillingworth's Religion of the Protestants a safe way to Salvation Part 1. Chap. 2. Lively Oracles by the Author as it 's said of the Whole Duty of Man SECT II. We receive no other Books of Scripture for (13) Article 6. Canonical in the Church of England than (14) Concil Trident. Sess 4. such as of whose authority there was never any doubt in the Church The Church of Rome doth make the Books commonly call'd Apocrypha of equal authority with those of the Old and New Testament which neither the (15) Witness the two Learned Jews Philo Judaeus apud Euseb de Praeparat Evangel l. 8. and Josephus apud Euseb Histor Eccles l. 3. c. 9. alias 10. and this is fully confessed by Bellarmine de Verbo Dei l. 1. c. 10. Jews to (16) Rom. 3.2 whom were committed the Oracles of God nor the Primitive Church nor (17) As for the third pretended Council of Carthage alledged by some Papists St. Austin who was one of the chief therein votes in this point for the Doctrine of our Church de Civitate Dei l. 17. c. ult alibi And though they pretend that the Book of Baruch held by us as Apocryphal was declared Canonical in the Council of Florence yet did
Driedo afterwards deny it to be so D. Dogm Eccles l. 1. c. 4. which neither would have done if the Church Catholick had declared the Apocrypha Canonical any General Council nor any Doctor in the Ages succeeding till about 120 years ago in the Council of Trent nor the (18) Rycaut's Present State of the Greek Church pag. 372. Greek Church to this day did ever receive as Canonical Apocrypha receiv'd as Canonical by the Papists is Contrary to the Fathers Melito apud Euseb Histor Eccles l. 4. c. 25. Graec. 26. Origen in Psal 1. Athanasius Epist 39. in 2 Tom. Oper. Synops Sacr. Scriptur Hilarius in Prol. Explanat in Psalmos Cyril Hierosol in Catech. 4. de Sacrâ Scripturâ Concil Laodic Canon 59. Epiphanius Haeres 8. contr Epicur Haeres 76. contra Anomaeos lib. de mens pond Basil in Philocal c. 3. Gregor Nazianzen de veris genuinis libris S. Scripturae divinit us inspiratae in libro Carminum 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Amphilochius in Epist ad Seleucum inter Canonicas Epistolas à Balsamone not at p. 1082. Gr. Lat. Hieronymus in Prol. Galeato sive Praefat. in lib. Regum Ruffinus in Symbol Apostol Sect. 35 36. Junilius Africanus de part divinae legis l. 1. c. 3. Tom. 6. Bibl. patr part 2. Colon 1618. Gregorius Magnus Moral l. 19. c. 17. Occam who liv'd above 700 after Gregory viz. about Anno Dom. 1320 explains Gregory's Judgment that Judith Tobias the Maccabees Ecclesiasticus and the Book of Wisdom are not to be receiv'd for the confirmation of Faith dial part 3. Tract 1. l. 3. c. 16. Confessed By Cardinal Cajetan who liv'd but Eleven years before the Council of Trent That the Apocryphal Books are not Canonical in libro Esther sub finem Et in hoc loco terminamus c. And afterwards Nam ad Hieronymi limam Scil. in Prol. Galeato where he owns no Books for Canonical but such as we receive in that sense reducenda sunt tam verba Conciliorum quà m Doctorum Confessed by (19) Catharin Opusc de Script Canonicis Quod autem Apostoli c. Catharine who was in the Council of Trent and by (20) Stapleton de autoritat S. Script l. 2. c. 4. §. 14 Sapientiam Ecclesiasticum c. Stapleton who liv'd after Catharine That the Apostles never received nor confirmed the Apocrypha And this will quite ruine their Cause when we have produced (21) Bellarmine de Verbo Dei c. 10. Itaque fatemur Ecclesiam nullo modo posse facere librum Canonicum de non Canonico nec contra Bellarmin confessing That the Church hath no power to make a Book Canonical which was not so before Consult the Learned Bishop Cosin's Scholastical History of the Scripture-Canon upon this Subject SECT III. We Worship the only (22) Article 1. 2. Book of Homilies Hom. 2. God as we are taught to believe in him and (23) Article 22. none other The Church of Rome (24) Concil Trid. Sess 25. Bulla Pii a. enjoyns those that live in its Communion to pray to their fellow Creatures who (25) 1 Cor. 2.11 compared with Isa 63.16 S. Augustin saith That the Souls of the dead are there where they see not all things which are done or happen to people in this life Augustin de cura pro mortuis c. 13. know not our thoughts and necessities to Hero's and Saints of whom they feign so many ridiculous Stories and to the Blessed (26) Brev. Rom. Antw. 1663. p. 984. Virgin to whom they use such abominable expressions Yea (27) Bellarmin de Indulgentiis c. 4. sub finem a great Cardinal doth not blush to say That it is not absurd that holy men be called Redeemers after a sort Invocation of Saints or Angels is Contrary to Scripture Matth. 11.27 28. (*) To win them by the expressions of his kindness and to hold them fast bound to his Service by the testimonies and declarations of his goodness saith Peter Chrysol Serm. 147. Joh. 6.37 and 14.13 and 16.23 24. Acts 10.25 26. and 14.13 14 15. Rom. 8.27 Ephes 3.20 Col. 2.18 1 Tim. 2.5 1 Joh. 2.1 2. And Contrary to the Fathers who tho' they might sometimes use Rhetorical Apostrophe's and Poetical flourishes are far from the Popish Tenet of Invocation Fathers against this Doctrine Ignatius in Epist ad Philadelph Justin Martyr Apol. 2. Theophilus Antiochenus ad Autolycum l. 1. Irenaeus l. 2. c. 57. Origen c. Celsum l. 5. p. 233 and 236. Concil Laodicenum Can. 35. Ambrose de obit Theodos Id. de interpellat l. 3. c. 12. Id. in (28) Bellarmin alledgeth in particular this Comment upon the Romans to be St. Ambrose's see Crocus in Censura Scriptorum vet p. 133. Rom. 1. To. 5. p. 174. Jerome To. 7. in Prov. c. 2. Augustin de civit Dei l. 8. c. 27. l. 9. c. 15. c. c. 23. l. 10. c. 1. l. 20. c. 10. l. 22. c. 10. Id. l. 2. de visit infirm Id. Confess l. 10. c. 42. Theodoret in 2. 3. Coloss Dracontius Poetic Hexameron Confessed By some of the most 29 Dominic Bannes in secunda secundae Qu. 1. Art 10. Orationes ad Sanctos esse faciendas venerandasque esse imagines neque etiam expresse nec involute Scripturae docent Other Papists say That there is neither precept nor example for it in Scripture and they give reasons for it for the Old-Testament because the Fathers were not yet admitted to the beatifical Vision and for the New-Testament because that the Apostles were men of such piety and humility that they would not admit of it themselves and therefore mentioned it not in their Writings and withal because in the beginning of Christianity there would have been a suspicion that they had only changed the names of the Heathen Deities and retain'd the same kind of Worship Eckius in Enchirid. c. 5. Salmeron in 1 Tim. 2. disp 8. Feres de Tradit p. 3. Learned Papists That it is a Doctrine neither expresly nor convertly contained in the Scripture (30) Spalatensis often err Spalatensis confesseth That Religious Invocation of Saints is Heathenism and meer Civil Invocation of them tho' not so bad yet dangerous (31) Beatit Sanctorum l. 1. c. 8. Sect. ult Cardinal Perron confesseth That there are no footsteps of it either in the Scriptures or in the Fathers before the first four General Councils none of which were call'd till 320 years after our Saviour's Incarnation Bellarmin (32) Sancti l. 1. c. 18. confesseth That Invocation of Saints was not so much begun by any Law as by Custom This is to the purpose But yet further Wicelius (33) Via Regia de Invocat Sanct. saith That the Invocation of Saints is to be cast out of the Church because it ascribes God's Honour and Attributes to his Creatures and derogates from the Office and Glory of Christ by making Saints Mediators and Intercessors What
Protestant could have opposed this vain Doctrine with greater strength of Reason and Argument than these Papists have done Truth will Conquer The Romish Church (34) Concil Trident. Sess 25. Bulla Pii 4. super forma Juramenti ad calcem Concil Trid. Bellarmin de Imag. l. 2. likewise obliges all those in its Communion to Worship Images the Idolatrous practice of the Heathen World and that with the same (35) Azorius l. 9. Instit mor. c. 6. Art 3. Cajetan in Thom. Part. 3. Qu. 25. Art 3. Gregory de Valentia Tom. 3. disp 6. Qu. 11. punct 6. Coster Enchirid. p. 438. worship which is given to him whose Image it is and that I think is far enough so that the Worship may be terminated in the Image (36) Bellarmin de Imag. l. 2. c. 21. prop. 1. If this be not Idolatry I know not what can be such And yet that nothing might be wanting in their Worship to make up the measure of iniquity They deny (37) Index Expurgatorius Madri 1612. in indice librorum expurgatorum p. 39. dele-Solus Deus adorandus That God alone is to be worshipped I suppose they mean he must have sharers with him in that Honour for otherwise it cannot be sence I am sure however it is Blasphemy Image Worship is Contrary to Scripture Exod. 20 4 5. Hence do the Papists often leave the Second Commandment out of their Catechisms as in Vaux's Catechism Ledesma's Catechism Officium B. Mariae Pii 5. Pont. juffu editum Antwerp A. D. 1590. That the Second Commandment was meant of and designed against Images and Idols the following Fathers and Doctors do attest Justin Martyr Dial. cum Tryph. p. 321. Tertullian de Idol c. 3 4. Id. c. Marcion l. 2. c. 22. de spect c. 23. Clemens Alexand. stro l. 3. p. 441. Origen c. Celsum l. 4. p. 182. l. 7. p. 375. Id. in Exod. Hom. 8. Athanasius in Synops Nazianzen in vers de decal Ambrose Jerome in Ephes c. 6. Augustin Ep. 119. c. 11. Procopius Rupertus in Exod. c. 20. Contrary to Scripture Lev. 26 1. Deut. 4.15 16. and 5.7 8 9. Isa 40.18 19 20. Micah 5.13 Matt. 4.10 Joh. 5.21 Rev. 19.10 Contrary to the Fathers Justin Martyr Apol. 2. p. 65 66. Theophilus Antiochenus ad Autolycum l. 1. p. 77. 110. Clemens Alexandrinus strom l. 6. in paraenetico Tertullian adv Hermogen init Minutius Felix p. 33. who saith Cruces nec colimus nec optamus Origen c. Celsum l. 7. 8. The Council of Eliberis in Spain at An. D. 310. Can. 36. Lactantius lib. 2. cap. de Orig. error dubium non est c. Optatus l. 3. Epiphanius Epist ad Joh. Hieros Augustin de morib Ecclesiae Cath. l. 1. c. 34. de fide symbolo c. 7. Id. contr Adimant c. 13. Id. Tom. 3. de consens Evangel l. 1. c. 10. Id. de civit Dei l. 9. c. 15. Fulgentius ad Donatum Gregorius Mag. l. 9. Epist 9. Imagines adorare omnibus modis devita Moreover the (38) Concil Trident. Sess 13. Church of Rome would oblige us to adore the Consecrated Host or Bread in the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and with the same Worship which is due to the true God Which by the (39) Coster Enchirid. Controv c. 8. de Euch. p. 308. Fisher c. Oecolampadium l. 1. c. 2. Confession of some of their Learned men is an Idolatry if (40) That the Apparitions which as the Papists pretend have appear'd upon the Altar instead of the Sacrament may and have been the Illusions of the Devil is Confessed by two Learned Schoolmen viz. Alexander de Hales sent 4. Qu. 11. Biel 51. Lect. upon the Canon of the Mass Transubstantiation cannot be made out which if it can we ought no more to believe our own Eyes more stupid than the sottish Heathens were guilty of Though this practice is so far from being Ancient That elevation of the Host accompanied with the ringing of a Bell at the consecration thereof that all who heard it might kneel and joyn their hands in adoring the Host was instituted but about An. Dom. 1240. (41) Naucler ad An. 1240. Krantz sex l. 8. c. 10. The Fathers were so far from worshipping the Host that some of them are sharp in reproving those who reserved the Reliques of it as appears by Clement's Epistle to St. James Origen in Levit. Hom. 5. and by the 11th Council at Toledo c. 14. And in Jerusalem they us'd to burn the remainders thereof Hesychius in Levit. l. 2. c. 8. Concerning Invocation of Saints Angels c. see Archbishop Laud's excellent Book against Jesuit Fisher so much commended by King Charles I. Dr. Stillingfleet's Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion c. Part 3. Ch. 3. Dr. Stillingfl Discourse concerning the Idolatry practised in the Ch. of Rome c. 2. Bishop Taylor 's disswasive from Popery Part 1. Ch. 2. Sect. 9. F. White against Jesuit Fisher pag. 289. Dr. Brevent's Saul and Samuel at Endor Bishop of Lincoln's Letter to Mr. Evelyn Concerning Image-worship and the Adoration of the Host see Bishop Jewel's Article 14 against Harding Archbishop Laud against Jesuit Fisher Dr. Stillingfleet's Discourse concerning the Idolatry practised in the Church of Rome and his Defence of it His Rational Account of the Grounds of Protestant Religion Part 3. Chap. 3. Bishop Taylor 's Disswasive from Popery Ed. 3. C. 1. Sect. 8 9. Ch. 2. Sect. 12. Monsieur de Rodon's Funeral of the Mass c. 5. Confessed By these Learned Popish Doctors hereafter mentioned That the making of Images was prohibited in the old Law and not to be found in Scripture Aquinas 3. Sent. Dist 9. Q. 2. ad 1. Prohibitum est Alexander Hales p. 3. Q. 30. m. 3. ar 3. Albertus 3. d. 9. ar 4. Bonaventure 3. d. 9. Marsilius 3. q. 8. ar 2. Rich. media villa 3. d. 9. Q. 2. Gerson compend tr 2. d. 10. Praecept Abulensis Exod. 20. Q. 39. Et Dominic Bannes in 2a 2ae Qu. 1. art 10. That the Fathers condemn'd Image-worship is Confess'd by Polydore Virgil de Invent. l. 6. c. 13. where he saith Sed teste Hieronymo omnes ferè veteres sancti Patres speaking of Images damnabant ob metum Idololatriae For fear of Idolatry And by Cassander Consult d. Imag. Quantum veteris initio Ecclesiae ab omni imaginum adoratione abhorruêrunt declarat unus Origenes And That for the first four Ages after Christ there was little or no use of Images in the Temples or Oratories of the Christians is Confess'd By Petavius Dogmat. Theol. To. 5. l. 15. c. 13. S. 3. c. 14. S. 8. SECT IV. Our Church contends for and embraces that faith which was (42) Jude 3. once delivered to the Saints and admits and professes that same which all true Christians have made the badge of their Holy Profession which (43) Articles and Jewel's Apology is briefly comprehended