the merits of Saints and Martyrs you pray unto God not only through the merits of Jesus Christ but through the merits of Saints whose Reliques are under your Altars your devotoes affirm that the holy Virgin saves us and brings us to heavenly glory not only by her prayers but by her merits and the Roman Divinity saith plainly that there are some Saints and Martyrs that have suffered more then their sins did deserve and that their superabundant satisfactions are put into the Treasury of the Church and distributed by the Popes Indulgence They after cry By the prayers and by the Merits of the holy Virgin Mary of Michael the Archangel of S. John Baptist of the holy Apostles Peter and S. Paul and of all the Saints without making any mention at all of Jesus Christ and his merits And Tenthly and lastly for I should tire you if I should proceed to farther Instances the Papists do profess to believe with us that the blood of Jesus Christ purgeth and cleanseth us from all our sins Why then have they invented the fire of Purgatory If all sins are washed away and purged by the blood of Christ what then remains to be purged in this Imaginary fire They mock the world in calling of it pugatory for according to Romish Doctrine it serves not to purge but to punish souls and to satisfie Gods Justice so that it is not a purging but a pain and a punishment and what resemblance can there be betwixt this subterranean fire and the blood of Jesus Christ Is the grace and pardon of a King applied to a man by breaking him on a Wheel or by burning of him quick But the most torturing Wheels and the most ardent fires are nothing in comparison to this pretended Purgatory if it be true which those of your party say that it is ten times hotter then our fire and that it differs from hell fire in duration only Open then your eyes and see the Sun of truth which shines so bright in the Gospel Jesus Christ hath by himself purged our sins Heb. 1. And the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all iniquity 1 John 1. And that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus Rom. 8.1 That they pass from death to life And when they put off this body of flesh they have a house eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5. They then are over with the Lord And blessed they are who die in the Lord so saith the Spirit They rest from their labors and their works follow them Rev. 14. But what rest or comfort can there be in such dreadful torments Do they not manifestly contradict the words of Wisdom which say the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God and no torment shall touch them I could make the like observations upon all the other controverted points of that Religion And therefore had not our forefathers reason to separate the pure and simple Christian Doctrine from this prodigious medly of so many humane Inventions and Traditions Did they not well in shaking off the yoke of so many Ceremonies and Superstitions borrowed the most part from Paganism Judaism Of which yoke we may truly say as S. Peter did of the Jewish It is a yoke the which neither we nor our fathers have been able to bear In vain do they tell us of the writings of their Fathers and the distinctions of their Doctors we are resolved to hearken to no other proof then what can be alleged out of the word of God or by consequence deduced from it for what concerns our salvation and the service of God We will trust him alone who is our Lord our God he hath merited heaven for us and he alone can shew us the way thither while we follow the light of his word we are sure we shall not go astray Let not then the Papists trouble themselves to force us to their abominable fooleries For the most eloquent discourses imaginable the most plausible humane reasonings the most authentick Authorities of the Fathers The subtilest distinction of the Schools are not sufficient to make us believe either adoration of Creatures the Invocation of Saints the worshipping of Angels the Veneration of Images the power of the Pope the merit of works their most unreasonable Doctrine of Transubstantiation the pretended Sacrifice of the Mass the imaginary fire of Purgatory or the like Nothing is capable to make us acknowledge any other Mediator any other Saviour and Redeemer then Jesus Christ Any other sacrifice then that of his Cross any other Purgatory then his blood nor any other merit then his obedience Nor any other Infallible guide then the holy Scripture And therefore though we are by the uncharitable Papists damned for Hereticks that we have no reason to fear that God Almighty will condemn us because we have trusted to his Divine Word and holy Ordinances we have fashioned our service according to that pattern he hath left us in the Scriptures we have closely adhered to the purity and simplicity of the Christian Doctrine We cannot give that honor and glory to the creatures which is due only to the Creator We content our selves in Worshipping of one only God in Spirit and in truth we put our whole trust and hope in him alone and we put up all our petitions to him in the name only and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. We cannot believe those false Priests who tell us that Christ is here and there we admit of no other sacrifice then that of the Cross nor any other purgatory than that of his blood we admit of no more Sacraments then those which Christ did Institute and we celebrate them no otherwise then the Apostles have done before us we pray to no Saints worship no Angels nor bow down to any Image Crucifix or Picture and therefore we hope through the infinite merits of God in Christ Jesus because we have been faithful in his service obedient to his commands and observed his Ordinances we shall not be condemned or eternally rejected from his presence But we hope to hear from our Saviours own mouth These words of eternal Consolation Because you have kept the words of my patience been faithful in my service to the death you shall receive the Crown of Life You have been good servants enter you into the joy of your Lord Inherit the Glorious Kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the World Which God Almighty grant us for our Lord Jesus Christ his sake Amen A PILL TO PURGE OUT POPERY OR A CATECHISM FOR ROMISH CATHOLICKS Shewing that Popery is contrary to the grounds of the Catholick Religion and that therefore Papists cannot be good Catholicks The Speakers A weak Christian A Minister DIALOGUE I. Christian AMong the diversities of opinion that are in the world how may I know which is the truth whereto I must cleare and who are the true Church and true Catholicks Minister a Believe not every spirit
we have nothing we have less then nothing to pay Luke 17.10 Fourthly the work must be done to the benefit and profit of him from whom we look to be repayed But no man by any work of his can bring any profit unto God John 22.2 3 5 7. Psal 16 2.50.12 We may benefit men but we cannot benefit our Maker from whom we have received life and limb soul and body and all that we have we can give him nothing and therefore can deserve nothing from him Rom. 11.35.36 Lastly the work and the reward must be in proportion equal for if the reward be more than the work it is not then a reward of desert but a gift of good will But there iâ—â—o proportion between our works which arâ— altogether unperfect and the excellency of those great blessings and benefits which the Father giveth us freely in his Son Rom. â— 18. And therefore in this and the former respects there can be no merit in any meer man wherefore it is no less absurd to say that we merit salvation at Gods handâ— by good works then if one should say Thou hast given me an hundred pounds therefore thou oughtest to give me a thousand C. Was not this Doctrine of merit taught in the times of Ancient Fathers M. Merit being taken in his proper sense for due and just desert was never allowed of the sound Professors for a thousand years after Christ Perkins 1. Vol. 574 575. second Vol. 535 536. Such therefore as will be justified and saved by their own works and challenge eternal life by their merits do shew themselves to be most proud and unthankful persons and deserve most justly to be condemned eternally C. The Papists at their end do renounce their own merits and profess that they look to be saved only by the merits of Christ M. If there were nothing else but this it were enough to prove their doctrine of merit to be a false doctrine for if it were a truth then a man is not only in his life time to profess it and maintain it but also in his death yea rather to die for it then to deny it But seeing they in their life profess it and maintain it but at their death renounce it it is a manifest argument that even they themselves do know that it is not a true but a false Doctrine C. If they know that it is not a truth what makes them then in their life-time so stiffly to maintain it M. It serves greatly to maintain and uphold the Popes Kingdom for they teach that the over plus of Christs merits and of the merits of Saints and Martyrs is the treasure of the Church which being gathered together and put into a store chest is in the Popes custody and he alone hath the plenary opening and shutting of this Chest and the ordering and disposing of these merits by vertue whereof he gives out Indulgences and Pardons when and to whom he will So that such as have not merits â—now of their own may have them from thence And so hereby he maintains and upholds his Kingdom for hereby comes in infinite wealth and revenues Perkins 3. vol. 1. part pag. 165. 2. D. 2. Vol. 590. 2 a. In these and many other particular points the Papists teach contrary to the Articles of the Creed and therefore are no true Catholicks neither do they belong to the Catholick Church as is thus proved Whosoever have not the Catholick Faith do not belong to the Catholick Church but the Papists have not the Catholick Faith therefore they do not belong to the Catholick Church That they have not the Catholick Faith is plain by that aforegoing DIALOGUE 6. C. Do they teach any thing contrary to the Doctrine of the Sacraments M. Yes many things Christ ordained but only two Sacraments The Church of Rome hath added to them five more namely Confirmation Penance Matrimony Orders and Extream Unction C. Are not these Sacraments indeed M. No surely for there are four things necessarily required to make a Sacrament First the Authority of Christ commanding it Secondly the element or outward sign as the matter of it Thirdly the word of institution as the form Fourthly the end and use to be a seal of our faith for remission of sins These four things are not to be sound in their five latter Sacraments and therefore they are no Sacraments indeed Master Attersol on the Sacraments pag. 119 to 150. Synopsis Papis Controv. 14 15 16. C. May not the Church then institute and ordain Sacraments M. None may ordain a Sacrament but only the Lord. As none may put a sign and seal to a mans last Will and Testament but only the maker of the Testament so none may ordain Sacraments which are signs and seals of the New Testament and Covenant of Grace but only the Lord which made the Covenant And therefore the Church of Rome in doing the contrary proves her self not to be the true Church of Christ but rather the Church of Antichrist They do also in many other things teach contrary to the Doctrine of the Sacraments As First that the Sacraments do give grace and namely remission of sins ex opere-operata by the work wrought Rhem. Acts 22. Sect. 1. Secondly that not only faith doth justifie but the Sacraments also Them Rom. 6 Sect. 5. Whereas Sacraments are Signs and Seals of Justification Rom. 4.1 Thirdly that Infants dying without Baptism cannot be saved Rhem. Joh. 3. Sect 2. They have also added many idle ceremonies to Baptism as Cream Tapâ—â—s Salt c. with an opinion of salvation and worship annexed unto them yea in times past they baptized bells but now they began to be ashâ—â—â—d of it and say that they were but only hallowed and consecrated to holy uses â—elar l. 4 de Pant. Rom. cap. 12. Synops s Papisâ— Contrâ— v. 12. Quest 5. Concerning the Lords Supper they have likewise most grâ—sly abused it in many things First they take away the Cup from the Laity whereas the Church of Rome for above a thousand years after Christ used both signs in the Communion The Communion under one kind was decreed and determinated as a publick Law in the Council of Constance about the year 1114. Perk. 2. Vol. 554.2 b. Secondly they reserve the Bread in boxes pixes and other vessels of the Church for days weeks and months They shew it to the people the Priest lifting it over his head and going with it in procession All this is contrary to the Sacrament for it is no Sacrament unless there be a giving receiving eating and drinking M. Attersol on the Sacraments 386 387. The reservation of the Sacraments was not allowed of but rather found fault withal by the Fathers Perk. 2 Vol. 557. Thirdly they adore fall down and honor the Sacrament with Divine Worship calling it their Lord and God A thing never heard of among the heathen Idolaters namely to worship a piece of Bread or rather a thin Water The adoration in
vertues of the heathen but splendida peccata glittering dross and beautiful deformities C. Do they teach any thing contrary to the moral Law and to the Doctrine of good works M. They do both teach and practise many things directly contrary to Gods Commandments They teach for good works such things as are not commanded but rather forbidden in the Law of God as namely to go on Pilgrimage to vow single life to fast forty days and forty nights c. First concerning set Pilgrimages unto certain Images there was none of the Fathers did so much as dream of them for Six Six hundred years after Christ at the least Perkins 2 Vol. pag. 541 542. Secondly the necessity of the vow of continency was established first and annexed unto Orders about Three hundred and eighty years after Christ and that by Pope Siricius But it had no universal admission until the time of Pope Hildebrand in the year 1070. Perk. 1 Vol. 583. to 587. 2 Vol. 575 576. Acts and Monuments 1151. Thirdly their Doctrine of single life was never commanded of God nor known in the Primitive Church but hath sprung up since and is indeed the very Doctrine of Devils 1 Tim. 4.13 So as is also the forbidding of meats for Religions sake They teach also that a man may fulfil the Law yea do works of supererogation that is more than the Law doth require and that men of their abundance may allot to others such works of supererogation Rhem. on 1 Cor. 9. sect 6. 2 Cor. 8 sect 3. This Doctrine of theirs makes the Law of God to be unperfect and is directly contrary to the words of Christ Luke 17.10 And it was not know of the Ancient Fathers They spake indeed sometimes of Sepererogation but in a far other senâ—e then Papists do There are no such works to be found in the person of any meer man or Angel but only in the person of Christ God and man Perk. 1 Vol. 598 599. 2 Vol. 540 541. DIALOGUE 8. C. Shew me I pray you in particular what things they teach contrary to the Commandments M. I could plainly prove unto you that they do both teach and practise many things contrary to every one of the Commandments but I will only set down the chiefest and such as most men know to be true The first Commandment concerns the inward worship of God the ground of which worship is the true knowledge of God and without which none can truly worship and serve him for such as our knowledge is such is our worship 1 Chron. 28 9. Psal 9.20 Jer. 9.24 The Papists teach that Ignorance is the mother of devotion but the truth is it is the mother of superstition and Idolatry Gal. 4.8 The Papists therefore being ignorant and without the true knowledg of God cannot truly worship him but must needs be Idolaters worshipping they know not what The first Commandment requireth that we have the true Jehova for our only God They make Christs body to be God because they hold that it may be in many places at once which thing is proper only to God They make the Pope to be God and that in plain words Christopher Marcellus said to the Pope Thou art another God upon earth and the Pope took it to himself Concil Later Sess 4. They give the power to the Pope which is proper to God and so make him to be God As that he can make holy that which is unholy pardon sins c. Perkins 1 Vol. 400. 1. and they give Divine Worship to creatures and so make them their Gods The second Commandment concerneth the outward worship of God or the form and manner of his worship This Commandment they have clean put out of the Decalogue and to fill up the number they divide the last into two The scope of this Commandment is that no Image is to be made of God nor any worship performed to him him in an Image Deut. 4.15 16. But they teach it lawful to make Images of the true God and to worship him in them and that there is a Religious worship due to them Belarm de imag sanct lib. 2. cap. 21. And in the second Nicen Council it was decreed that the Image of God should be worshipped with the same worship that is due unto God Their practice is answerable to their Doctrine for they worship the Images of God of Christ the Saints the wooden Cross yea a piece of bread C. They say that they do not worship the images but God Christ and the Saints in the image M. Suppose that this were true yet in so doing they commit gross Idolatry and the same that the people of Israel did for which God plagued them greatly Exod. 32.5 28. I think there is none so very a Calf as to think that they did worship the Calf it self The Calf was but a representation of God and yet they sinned greatly in making it and worshipping God in it The Heathen in times past could say as much for themselves concerning their worshipping of Images as the Papists now do and yet as they were Idolaters so are the Papists for as touching their superstition and Idolatry blood cannot be more like to blood or an egg to an egg then the one of them is to another The Heathen had for every Nation and Province some peculiar god Among them the Elements had their several gods to rule over them The Heathen had a certain god assigned to their cattel The Heathen had peculiar gods for learning and learned men and for handy-crafts men And all these have the Papists likewise The Heathen erected Altars ordained Priests to offer Sacrifices fell down before their Idols c. So the Papists deck and adorn their Images go on Pilgrimage to them fall down upon their knees before them and make their prayers unto them And what is all this but to worship the very images themselves the which is most gross Idolatry Musculus on Psal 16. verse 4. pag. 139 140. Virels grounds pag. 87. to 92. Attersol on Philemon pag. 63 64. C. They say that there be degrees of Religious Worship the highest is Latria and this is due unto God the lowest is Dulia proper to Saints c. Bellar. de imag Sanct. lib. 2. cap. 25. The Scripture acknowledgeth one only kind of Religious Worship and that due only to GOD Matth. 4.10 Revel 22.9 And this distinction of theirs was not known and received into the Church till Four hundred years after Christ Perk. 1 Vol. pag. 696. 2 Vol. 530. C. Was not the making and worshipping of Images approved of by the Ancient Fathers M. There was no use of Images among Christians especially in their Churches for Three hundred seventy years after Christ Adoration of Images was never publickly authorized till Seven hundred eighty eight years after Christ in the second Council of Nice Perk. 1 Vol. page 696. 2 Vol. 421. If you be disposed to see more at large when Images first came up how they
A CATHOLICK PILL To Purge POPERY WITH A Preparatory Preface OBVIATING The growing Malignity OF POPERY AGAINST Catholick Christianity By a true Son of the Catholick Apostolick Church Useful for all private Families Imprimatur G. Jane LONDON Printed for J. Coles in Vine-street near Hatton-garden and Will. Miller at the Gilded Acorn in S. Paul's Church-yard near the Little North Door 1677. A CATHOLICK PILL TO PURGE POPERY THere is no Subject for these few years last past that hath more exercised the Pen and the Press than the Controversies between the Protestants and Papists And he that hath taken the pains seriously to examine both their Arguments and hath had competent abilities to weigh the strength of their Allegations must needs without flattery give the glory of the conquest to the renowned and victorious writings of the late famous assertors of the Protestant Religion professed in the Church of England Never was such strength of Reason brought to convince Never such sound Arguments from Scripture Fathers and Councils never such pure discovery of the Falseness Novelty Idolatry of that vain idle false worship practised in the Roman perswasion as hath of late been published among us to the Immortal Honor of those Famous Authors 'T is impossible for the wit and learning of man to add any thing de Novo to what hath been said proved and wrote upon that voluminous Subject Yet because many of those writings may be above the Vulgar capacity many likewise so dear that a poor Mans purse cannot purchase them unless the sixpeny book published as I take it By that Reverend Divine D. Floyd of Reading called the book with the Blew Cover whose Title is A Seasonable Discourse shewing the necessity of maintaining The established Religion in opposition to Popery Unless I say those discourses I find none of that worth or Cheapness of that condescension to the meanest Capacities as this Pill to purge out Popery put forth with general approbation and cum privilegio in the year One thousand six hundred twenty four What need every one hath to furnish himself with good preservatives against the Poyson and Infection of that Soul and Body destroying Religion none will question but such as care for neither Debauch'd and loose Creatures who live as if there were no God and die as if they should become like the beast that perish 'T is upon such as these the Popish Priests do prey And where these Carcasses are thither the Roman Eagles do resort But to men of reason and understanding to persons of civility learning and good manners there they are shie how they make their approaches There they tremble and quake for fear of a Bastle to such as these they only insinuate plausible stories And tell them there is no difference between us in Fundamentals they believe the same Creeds with us and Worship the same God and the Lord Jesus Christ as we do The matter is only in some circumstantial things which the Church hath power from Christ to enjoyn the performance of Wherein they say we differ But who doth not see the vanity of this Allegation For if the difference between us indeed were only in things Circumstantial and Ceremonial we might be blame worthy to have withdrawn our selves from their Communion for surely it cannot be lawful to separate from the Church for enjoyning some Ceremonies though perhaps they seem to us but useless and vain Were there nothing but that to hinder us from their Communion We should not refuse to be Roman Catholicks to morrow But if we make it appear that the things we differ in are of the substance and foundation of Religion which to comply with themin is not only to deny the Faith but incur to our selves Everlasting Damnation Then we hope we have reason and Religion on our side to continue in that way we are in And utterly detest the damnable Doctrines of the Romish perswasion And that I may make it appear as plain as the light of the Sun Do but consider with me these few instances And I will detain you no longer from the Romish Catholick Catechism First They say indeed that they believe the holy Scripture to be the Word of God and that they have not taken away any Institution of the Gospel But is it not apparent that they esteem Humane Traditions not only equally with But many time above whatsoever is written either in the Old or New Testament under the pretence of an unwritten Word which increases every age and changeth it's face every day and is made to speak whatsoever they will have it They introduce into Religion whatsoever their Popes and his Creatures have a mind to And all must pass as currant Coyn that comes from their fingers But our Lord Jesus Christ doth not condemn those only who reject the Commandments of God but those who make them of none effect by their Traditions And he professeth that they Honor God in vain who teach for Doctrines necessary to be believed upon pain of Damnation the Traditions of Men c. Secondly They adore God I confess And who would not adore the Creator of the World but do they not adore divers Creatures likewise Not only those which they suppose to be changed into the Substance of the Body of our Creator as the Bread and Wine in the Sacrament but also divers others Which they confess to be but meer Creatures as Saints Reliques Images and the Cross which as many of their Doctors say positively ought to be adored with the worship of Latria that is to say with the Sovereign Adoration wherewith they adore God but God Almighty commands us not only to adore and serve him with all possible Reverence and Veneration But worship him only and solely Matth. 4.10 And the Scripture doth expresly condemn those who adore worship such as by nature are no Gods Gal. 4.8 And we know and you may know too if you will that the Angel not only exhorts Saint John in the Revel 19.21 To adore God but he refused the adoration which that holy Man being as it were surprised would have given him fee saith he thou do it not Worship God Thirdly You pray unto God I confess and who would not pray unto so good a Father and so gracious and merciful a God but you pray also to the Saints departed though the Scripture afford neither command promise or example Abraham is ignorant of us and Israel knows us not And you worship Angels likewise as Gabriel Michael c. contrary to the command of S. Paul Coll. 2.18 Let no man beguile you in a voluntary humility of worshipping of Angels intruding into those things which he hath not seen Fourthly You say you put your trust and affiance in God but do not you trust also in Creatures what else mean those prayers so frequently in your books O glorious Saint in whom I put my trust And it is very ordinary with the devoutest person among you to call the
the Sacrament belongeth unto Christ sitting in Heaven and is an inward worship of the heart or lifting up of the mind being stirred up with the outward signs Pope Honorius the third in the year 1220. was the first that ever instituted the adoration of the Sacrament And after him Vrban the fourth ordained a Feast in honor of the body of Christ Perkins 2 Vol. 564. Attersol on the Sacraments 388 389. Fourthly they turn the Sacrament into a sacrifice for the quick and the dead abolishing the fruit and remembrance of the death of Christ disannulling his Priesthood giving him to his Father whereas the Father hath given him to us c. ib. p. 309. Fifthly they maintain Transubstantiation These are their very words If any man shall say that there remaineth the substance of Bread and Wine in the Sacrament after the words of consecration or shall deny that the whole substance of Bread and Wine is changed and converted into the body and blood of Christ the forms and shews only of Bread and Wine remaining which singular and miraculous conversion the Church calleth Transubstantiation let him be accursed Con. Trid. Sess 13. Can. 2. This their Doctrine of Transubstantiation is a very fable to mock fools withal and it overturneth both the nature and use of the Sacraments pag. 45 46. pag. 365. to 369. If there were a miraculous conversion as they say there is of the Bread and Wine it would appear to the outward senses For all true miracles are wrought openly cleerly and evidently to mens senses John 6.26 But the Bread and Wine by the judgment of all the senses remaineth and appeareth to be the same in substance which it was before of the same quality quantity colour taste handling smelling vertue and nourishment there is not any one sense or all the senses together that can judge otherwise of it then it did before If a man should be called in when the Bread and Wine is set on the Table and bidden to consider well what he there seeth smelleth and tasteth and then is willed to go forth and to come in again after the Consecration is ended by the Priest and to do the like and then is asked what he thinketh of it he no doubt will answer unless fear of persecution make him to conceal the truth I see feel smell and taste the same wafer-cake and wine that I did before I can perceive no natural and substantial change therein And therefore it followeth that there is no miracle wrought and consequently no Transubstantiation at all The difference that is is in the end and use only Before consecration it was common Bread and Wine ordained for the nourishing of our bodies After consecration it becometh holy Bread and Wine sanctified by the Lord not so much to feed the body as the soul C. Did not the Ancient Fathers hold this Doctrine of Transubstantiation M. They knew nothing hereof for at least Eight hundred years after Christ Afterwards begun the disputations of Transubstantiation but not approved as an Article of Faith The Church for a whole thousand years taught no other then spiritual receiving of Christ In the year One thousand two hundred and fifteen Transubstantiation was decreed and determined in the Council of Lateran under Pope Innâ—cent The third and made a main matter of Faith Perk. 2 Vol. 558 559. C. What say you then of their Transubstantiated or consecrated host as it is called or the bread in the box carried in procession and worshipped M. Surely it is nothing else but a wheaten or breaden god or rather an Idol nothing inferior to Aarons Calf or Jeroboams Calves or the Nehustan and piece of Brass that Ezechias brake in pieces nay as vile and detestable as an Idol among the Heathen And for a conclusion of their doctrine of Transubstantiation I will here set down a witty conceit which one shewed me not long since I have kept the matter but changed the Meeter to make it somewhat the sweeter The Priests do make Christs body and blood Hereof none must once doubt They eat they drink they box him up They bear him all about DIALOGUE 7. C. I am satisfied touching the first point namely that the Papists are not of sound Faith but how do you prove that they are not of good life seeing they do so many good works M. I prove it thâ—â— Where the Doctrine is corrupt the life â—annot be good but their Doctrine as yea have heard is most corrupt therefore then life cannot be good A true saith is the ground of a good life and without which it is impossible to please God Heb. 11.6 yea whatsoever is not of Faith is sin Rom. 14 23. A true saith they have not and therefore their works cannot be good and such as may please God That they have not a true and sound Faith hath bâ—â—n shewed in many particulars and it further appeareth also in this that they do even wilfully reject the means whereby it is wrought namely the preaching hearing and reading the Word of God They have not neither will they have the Scriptures to be soundly preached read and heard in their own tongue That they cannot abide to have them in their own Language appeareth by this one example One Panier a Town clark of London in the time of King Henry the Eighth hearing that the Scriptures should be put into English he spake to this effect and confirmed it with an Oath viz. that if he knew that the Scriptures should be put into English and that the King would have them to be read in the Church rather then he would live so long to see it he would cut his own throat But as Hall saith who heard him speak it he was not so good as his word for instead of cutting his throat he hanged himself C. What is the cause that they cannot abide to have the Scriptures in â—heir own Language M. S. John gives the reason For every one that doth evil hateth the light neither cometh to it lest his deeds should be reproved and discovered John 3.20 If the Owl flieth abroad by day the bâ—dâ—â—â— and by discern him follow him and â—all upon him and therefore he flies abroad in the night and then he is quiet If the Scriptures should be suffered to be expounded and read of all Nations in their own Language thâ—n that Owl of Rome the Pope I mean with all his fooleries and abominations would be discerned and discovered and then the world would hate him follow after him and persecute him even as the small birds do the Owl and therefore they cannot abide the Scriptures in the vulgar tongue but love darkness rather then light because their deeds are evil C. What say you then to their good works as building of Churches giving of alms c M. These and such like works required in the Law of God in themselves are good and to be practised of all but to them they are as the Fathers called the
with all other sound Protestants in Christendom In other things there have been are and will be diversities of opinions and differences to the worlds end They should first pluck out the beam of their own eyes for we can truly charge them with greater differences As namely with that sharp and bloody contention between the Franciscans and the Dominicans and with the late bitter contention between the Jesuites and the secular Priests wherein the Priests did write as bitterly against the Jesuites and namely against Parsons as ever did any Protestant nay there was never any Protestant writer that did lay such foul and odious crimes to their charg as the Priests did And herein they verified the old proverb When thieves fâ—ll by the ears true men come to have their goods For one dissention that is among us they have at least ten among themselves D. Willet in his fourth Pillar of Papistry hath set down at large First the contradictions and divers opinions of old Papists and new Secondly The contradictions of the Jesuites amongst themselves Thirdly that their stoutest Champion Bellarmine is at variance with himself shamefully forgetting himself saying and unsaying now of one opinion by and by of another And no marvel Oportet enim mendacem esse memorem A lyer had need to have a good memory Fourthly he sheweth the repugnances inconveniences and inconsequent opinions which Popish Religion hath in it self And thus you see how they charge us with that wherein themselves are most faulty DIALOGUE 16. C. Are there none among us that maintain any strange and new opinions contrary to the grounds of Religion M. If there be any such our Church doth not approve of them but rather censure and punish them C. There be some that profess the former grounds of Religion as we do and yet say that there is no true Church among us and therefore will not joyn with us in prayers hearing the Word and in the use of the Sacraments but separate themselves from us what say you of such M. I say that they are possessed with the spirit of pride and singularity and that in so doing they do even deny these Articles of Faith the Catholick Church and the Communion of Saints and are such as the Apostle speaks of Rom. 16.17 Heb. 10.25 39. Master Perkins in his first Vol. pag. 409. calls them a schismatical and undiscreet company and saith that they are full of pride thinking themselves to be full when they are empty to have all knowledg when they are ignorant and have need to be catechised Another saith thus of them The error of those men is full of evil yea of blasphemy who do in such manner make a departure from this Church as if Christ were quite banished from hence and that there could be no hope of salvation to those that abide here And further he saith that if they cannot find Christ here they shall find him no where The errors of these men you may see in a little Treatise set forth by M. Barnard called The Separatists Schism C. I pray shew me some example that they ought not to separate themselves from us and that they do sin in so doing M. In the Church of Corinth the incestuous man was not punished fornication was lightly regarded yea there were some that even denied the Resurrection yet S. Paul doth account and call them the Church and Saints he doth not perswade any to make a separation but doth plainly rebuke them and sheweth how they should punish the evil doer I speak not this to excuse any gross sin that reigneth amongst us for I wish that the same might be severely punished but to shew that where the Word is truly preached and the Sacraments rightly administred as in our Church they are none ought for any cause to separate themselves And that such as do it do sin grievously I will shew you by a familiar example A mother conceiveth and bringeth forth a son and that with great travel and pain She traineth him up to mans estate and that not without great care and labor This son at length espying some spot and blemish or some infirmity in his mother forsaketh her and will not acknowledg her to be his mother what would you now think of him C. Surely I should think such a one to be a very wicked and unnatural son M. Even such are they who for some seeming faults in our Church deny it to be a true Church and do separate themselves from it whereas this Church hath conceived them brought them forth and nourished them For if ever they were truly begotten unto Christ and born a new it hath been by our Church and our Ministery by which likewise they have been trained up and brought to that knowledge which they have C. There are many amongst us that make great profession of Religion but I can see no good works come from them nay they are not only barren in good works but also live in some one gross sin or other Are these the true Church and true Catholicks M. Though they live in the Church yet they are not of the Church they are but Hypocrites and shall if they repent not have the reward of Hypocrites yea it shall be easier in the Day of Judgment for many Papists then for them because by their barren and fruitless yea wicked life they have caused the Name of God his Gospel and the true Professors thereof to be evil spoken of Let all therefore that will be accounted the true Church and true Christians he careful to adorn the Doctrine of God our Saviour in all things and that by a godly conversation and by doing of good works C. The name of God be blessed for this our conference whereby I find my self much edified There remaineth yet one thing more which I will demand of you and that is How I may come to know and be assured that I am indeed a member of the true Church and that I shall certainly be saved M. Be diligent to hear the Word of God preached Read the Scriptures Receive often the Sacrament Acquaint your self throughly with the aforesaid grounds of Religion Joyn hereunto earnest and hearty prayer Set apart some time for these things specially be careful to spend the Sabbath herein And to all these things joyn an holy conversation indevouring above all things to have always a clear conscience toward God and toward men In doing this you shall at length come to that full assurance whereof S. Paul speaketh namely that you are the Child of God and that nothing shall be able to separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Rom. 8.38 Babylon is fallen it is fallen Rev. 14.8 Praise honour glory and power be unto him that sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb for evermore Amen Revel 5.13 FINIS Courteous Reader THese Books following are Printed for and sold by William Miller at the Gilded-Acorn in S. 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March at the Assizes in York Marriage of Arts a play Faithful Shepherdess a play Horatius a play Polyencles a play Combate of love and friendship a play Spanish Gipsie a play Fettiplace the souls narrow search for sin oct English Dictionary or Expositor the twelfth Edition Revised and enlarged by S. C. duod Compleat Bone-setter oct Templum Musicum or the Musical Synop oct The famous game of Chess-play oct Shelton's Tachygraphia Lat. oct Clarks Looking-glass for persecutors oct Printed for F. Coles and William Miller FINIS
that is every doctrine which men bragging of the Spirit do teach but trie them whether they be of God no a Examine all things hold fast that which is good a 1 John 4.1 b 1 Thes 5.21 C. Whereby shall I try them M. By the Scriptures John 5.39 Acts 17.11 C. I am unlearned and the Scriptures are hard to be understood M. There are indeed many things in them hard to be understood 2 Pet. 3.16 but such things as are necessary to be known of all to salvation are plainly set down Prov. 8.9 The meaning of which place is this The Word of God in points necessary to salvation is easie unto all that have a desire unto it Turn to the places of Scripture added to every answer of the Catechism and you shall find this to be most true C. Is there no other way and means whereby to try and know the truth and the true professors M. Yes it may be done even by the aforesaid grounds of Religion Whatsoever Doctrine is agreeable thereunto is true and to be received but whatsoever is contrary to the same is false and to be rejected but whatsoever is contrary to the same is false and to be rejected As many as do sincerely and soundly imbrace profess and practise the same they are the Catholick Church that is parts and members of the Catholick Church and true Catholicks indeed But such as teach profess and practise things contrary thereunto are not the Church nor true Catholicks C. The Papists say that they only are the true Church and true Catholicks and that we are not M. So the Jews cried a The Temple of the Lord b We are the seed of Abraham the children of God a Jerem. 7.4 b John 8.33 41. But Christ told them they were the children of the Devil John 8.44 C. Are not the Papists then good Catholicks M. No but rather gross Hereticks C. What is an Heretick M. One that doth erre in any fundamental point of Christian Religion and doth obstinately teach maintain and defend the same C. Do the Papists erre in the fundamental points of Religion M. They do teach and maintain many false opinions against the very grounds of Religion as by and by shall be shewed in many particulars C. Are all Papists then Hereticks M. No for there are no doubt many of them that do erre of simplicitie and ignorance and which would be brought from their errors if they had the means namely the Scriptures in their own language preaching catechizing and the like We do not therefore account them all Hereticks but onely those before mentioned C. How do you prove that they are not good Catholicks M. I prove it thus They are good Catholicks which are of sound faith and good life Aug. lib. quaest in Mat. cap. 11. but Papists are neither of sound faith nor good life therefore they are no good Catholicks C. How do you prove that they are not of sound faith M. Even by the Apostles Creed which may serve instead of a rule whereunto the faith of all men ought to agree contrary whereunto they teach many things C. Shew me wherein M. The Creed is a confession of faith containing the sum of the Gospell and of such things as are necessary to be believed of all that will be saved They have devised many other new Articles of Faith besides and contrarie to the Articles of the Apostles Creed which they hold necessarily to be believed of all that will be saved As namely Indulgences and a treasurie of Saints merits the reall presence the Popes Supremacie Purgatorie and such like In the Council of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced upon all such as deny these or any of them Master Perkins first vol. Page 621. The Creed teacheth what every one in particular is to know and believe and a true faith cannot stand without certain knowledge The Papists maintain an implicite or an ignorant faith namely that it is enough to believe as the Church beleiveth though they know not what the Church is nor what the Church believeth And they commend this faith by the example of an old devout father a Colliar who being tempted of the Devil and asked how he believed answered That he believed as the Church believed being asked again how the Church believed he answered As I believe whereupon the Devil as they say was fain to depart C. It should seem it was but a simple Devil for if he had been wise he would have asked him this question What if the Church believe that thou art a fool what would the Colliar think you have answered then M. I think he would have said nothing for if he should have said I believe so too the Devil might then have begged him for a food indeed And yet such fools are the simple and ignorant Papists which content themselves with this kind of faith for thus one may reason with them You are to believe as the Church believeth but the Church believes that you are fools therefore you are to believe so too This their implicite faith every one of himself may have The Devils in some fence may be said to have a better saith then this for they know what is contained in the Scriptures and believe it to be true Mat. 4.6 Iam. 2.19 This fond and ridiculous kind of saith is a notable means to nuzzle people in blindnesse superstition and perpetuall ignorance Again Faith is a certain and true perswasion of the heart whereby we are perswaded and in some measure assured of the forgivenesse of our sins and eternall salvation The Papists say it is presumption to be assured of salvation and will have men to doubt thereof the which is contrary to tht nature of true faith They call the certainty of remission of sins a faithless perswasion and the faith of Devils not of Apostles Concil Trid. Sess 6. cap. 9.12 13. Rhem. Annot. 1. Cor. 9. Sect. 9. DIALOGUE 2. C. Shew me I pray you what things in particular they teach contrary to any Article of the Creed M. I could shew you many but I fear that then I should be tedious to you I will therefore set down onely the chiefest In the second and third Article is described and set forth unto us both the person and office of our Mediator namely that he is both God and man a Prophet Priest and King Concerning his Person although in words they confess him to be God and man yet in deed they deny it for they ascribe to him a body invisible and infinite they teach that he is corporally present in infinite places at once which is proper onely to God and contrary to the nature of a true body And so in effect they do even deny his Manhood The Son of God is called Jesus because he is a Saviour yea the onely and perfect Saviour which saveth us from our sins That is hath delivered us not only from the blame or guiltiâ—ses but fully also from the punishment due to our