Dispensations to marry in the second Nay which is most abominable the tolerate Stewes publick Whore-houses even in Rome it self where every Whore pays a Julian penny to his Holiness weekly which amounts to yearly as some think 50000 l. Child What doth the eighth Commandment contain Thou shalt not steal Father It contains a charge of our own and our Neighbours Goods that we shew Love and faithfulness therein and not only not impeach or hinder but by all means preserve and further the the same Let him that stole steal no more but rather let him labour working with his hands the thing that is good that he may have to give him that needeth Eph. 4.28 Child How do the Papists keep this Command Father The Pope makes sale of all things of Heaven Hell and the Earth of Pardons for Sin and delivering men from Purgatory which is flat Robbery and most gross Deceit and Cozenage By the fulness of his Power the Pope can dispense in all things where there is cause and in many things where there is no cause under a greater price so saith the Tax of the Datary or the Book of Rates where the price of the Dispensations are set down to a farthing for the basest and vilest Sins that can be imagined Child What is the scope and end of the ninth Command Thou shalt not bear false Witness c Father The main scope and end at which God aimeth is the conservation of Truth amongst men and of our own and our Neighbours Fame and good Name Put away lying speak every man Truth with his Neighbour for we are Members one of another Eph. 4.25 Child How do the Papists keep this Command Father They allow Equivocation and mental Evasions and teach that 't is lawful to lye or deceive the Question of the Magistrate to conceal their Names and to tell a false one and to elude all Examinations Nay they hold it not onely lawful but meritorious to dye with Lyes in their Mouths if it be for the good of the Pope's Cause Child What is the summ and drift of the tenth Commandment Thou shalt not covet c Father Gods People must not harbour in their hearts any thoughts or motions against their Neighbours though the Will consent not but content themselves with that Estate that God allots them So St. Paul expounds it I had not known Lust except the Law had said Thou shalt not covet Rom. 7.7 Child How do the Papists expound this Command Father They hold Concupiscence before consent to be no sin If it be any they say 't is less than any venial sin which deserveth not damnation Whereupon they have forged a Limbus for such Infants as dye in Original Sin Thus they expound and keep the Commandments Child If this be their way of keeping the Commandments of God the Lord deliver me from them and their wayes and incline my heart to keep his Commandments according to the Exposition of the Protestant Doctors But are there no more Commandments but these Father No Child He declared unto you his Covenant which he commanded you to perform even ten Commandments and he wrote them upon two Tables of stone Deut. 4.13 Child Have the Papists any more Commandments Father Yes Child They have six Commands more which they call the six Commandments of the Church which are 1. To keep all Sundays and such Holy-days as are appointed by hearing Mass and forbearing to work 2. To keep Abstinence and Fasting-days appointed that is to fast Lent such Vigils as are commanded Ember-days Fridays and Saturdays 3. To confess our Sins once a Year to a Priest 4. To communicate once a year and that about the time of Easter 5. To pay Tiths 6. Not to solemnize Marriage at forbidden times and to these they say as well as unto Gods is promised the Reward of eternal Life Child Sir you have shewed me the true Doctrine of Faith which I must profess and in some measure opened and expounded the ten Commandements the Rule of Life I pray Sir proceed and instruct me how to perform the Duty of Prayer And first pray tell me Have we any Rule for Prayer Father Yes The Lord Christ hath given us a full one When you pray say Our Father c. Luc. 11.2 Wherein there is a Preface or Entrance into Prayer in the first words Our Father which art in Heaven A Body of Petitions containing the Matter of Prayer in the words following A Conclusion for confirmation and close of Prayer in the last words For thine is the Kingdom c. Child What doth the Preface put us in mind of Father Of him to whom we pray teaching us that God and God onely is to be prayed unto Call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Psal 50.15 Child How many Petitions be there in the Lord's Prayer Father Six equally divided as it were into two Tables whereof three do concern God as doth the first Table of the Law three do concern our selves and our Neighbours as doth the second Table for in the three first we make Requests for those things that concern God's Majesty whose Glory and Service we are to prefer before our own Good In the three latter for those things that concern the Necessity of man and our own Welfare which we must must refer to the former Child What is the Conclusion of this Prayer Father For thine is the Kingdom c. The sum whereof is that we ground our Assurance of obtaining our Prayers in God from whom all things we ask do come and to whom therefore all Glory must return Child You have shewed me the Protestant Doctrine of Prayer do not the Papists teach the same Father No Child They teach that Prayers themselves ex opere operato or by the natural Work it self do prevail for it is not say they essential to Prayer for a man to think particularly of what he says nay 't is not necessary to the Essence of Prayer that he who prays should think of the speaking it self so that Prayers in the mouth of a Papist are like the words of a Charmer they prevail even when they are not understood so that with them Attention to or Devotion in Prayer is not necessary If the outward work be done the Church in satisfied and yet this the Lord Christ sharply reproves in the Jews This People draweth nigh unto me with their Mouths and honoureth me with their Lips but their Heart is far from me But in vain do they worship me c. Mat. 15.8.9 So that between the Protestants and the Papists the difference herein is this They pray with their Lips we with the Heart we pray with the Understanding they with the Voice we pray and they say Prayers Child Do they teach any other Doctrines concerning Prayers Father Yes They teach the People to pray with Beads and they have Books to direct them the Psalter of our Lady is 150 Ave-maries and at
with the same Medicine that some have cured sick persons with holy Bread and Oyl which indeed is the most likely of them all as being good Food and good Medicine And although not so much as a Chicken is now a days cured of the Pip by holy Water yet upon all Occasions they use it and the common people throw it upon Childrens Cradles and sick Cows horns and upon them that they think bewitched or blasted and if they recover by any means it is imputed to the Holy-water and so the Simplicity of Christian Religion the glory of our Dependance upon God and the Holiness and mystery of Sacraments are disordered and dishonour'd Thus the Israelites did when they fell to Idolatry they joyned themselves to Baal Peor and eat the Sacrifices of the dead thus they provoked him to anger with their Inventions Psal 106.28 29. and v. 39. Thus were they defiled with their own Works and went a whoring with their own Inventions Child Is there any thing else that they teach of the Sacraments to be observed Father Yes There is yet one great Instance more of their Irreligion they are taught to rely upon the Sacraments with so little of moral and vertuous Dispositions that the Efficacy of one is made to lessen the Necessity of the other and the Sacraments are taught to be so effectual by an inherent Vertue that they are not so much made the Instruments of Vertue as the Supplement not so much to encrease as to make amends for the want of Grace contrary to that of the Apostle Whosoever shall eat this Bread and drink this Cup of the Lord unworthily shall be guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup 1 Cor. 11.27 28. Child By this I suppose they do not think Repentance is needful to fit and prepare us for the Lords-table I pray Sir what do they teach concerning that Duty Father They are so loose in the Doctrine of Repentance that you cannot imagine it I shall therefore shew you what we and they teach concerning that Duty and conclude this Discourse Child I pray Sir first shew me then what we teach concerning Repentance Father Our Protestant Doctors teach that Repentance is an inward and true sorrow for Sin especially that we have offended so gracious a God and so loving a Father together with a settled purpose of Heart and a careful endeavour to leave all our Sins and to live a Christian Life according to all God's Commandments The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps 51.17 Child How is this Grace wrought in us Father 'T is wrought in us partly by the threatning of the Law and the fear of God's Judgments but especially increased by feeling the Fruit of Christ's Death whereby we have power to hate Sin and to leave it Child Wherein doth Repentance properly consist Father In a through changing of our purpose and desires from the Evil which God's word rebuketh in us to the good which it requireth of us Child Can men repent of themselves or when they list Father No for it is the gift of God given to them that are born again Child When is this Repentance to be practised Father The practice of Repentance ought to be a continual abhorring of Evil and cleaving unto that which is good for as much time as remains in the Flesh after our Confusion yet at some times there ought to be a more special practice and renewing thereof as after grievous Falls as we see in David Psal 51. and in fear of eminent Judgments which the Prophet calls for Amos 4.12 Because I will do this unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel Or when we should fit our selves to receive special mercies as when we come to the Lord's Table c. Child You have shewed me the Protestant Doctrine of Repentance I pray God give me Grace to practise it all the dayes of my life But I pray Sir Do not the Papists teach the same Father No. They teach 1. That a Sinner is not bound to repent of his Sin presently if it be done at any time 't is sufficient Some say he is bound by the Precept of the Church to repent upon the great Holidays others say once a year at Easter but 't is the general opinion that by the Law of God they are not tied to so much but only to repent in the danger or Article of Death from whence some conclude that to refuse to repent is but a venial sin but others say 't is none at all Child This seems to me to be intolerable Have they any more such Doctrines Father Alas Child this is but the beginning of sorrows The next thing therefore that I shall mention is their Doctrines concerning Contrition which when it is true and cordial for having sinn'd against God the the Church of Rome does not allow it to be of any value unless it be joyn'd with a desire to confess their Sins unto a Priest and this is decreed by the Councel of Trent contrary to all Scripture to the Doctrine of the Prophets Ezek. 18.30 Repent and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so Iniquity shall not be your ruine to the Doctrine of the Apostles Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out Act. 3.19 But this is not all for as Contrition without Confession will not reconcile us to God so Attrition as they call it proceeding from fear of damnation together with their Sacrament will do as well There is no necessity of Contrition at all If a man live a wicked life 60 or 80 years together yet if in the Article of his Death he be but a little sorrowful for his Sins and though this Sorrow hath in it no love of God but only a fear of Hell if the Priest absolves him he passes him instantly into a state of Salvation The Priest with two fingers and a thumb can do his work for him in a moment Child Vpon these terms it is a wonder that all wicked men in the World are not Papists where they may live so merrily and dye so securely but is not Confession a troublesome thing to them Father Not at all They have an easie formal way of it I confess unto Almighty God to the Blessed V. Mary to blessed Michael the Archangel to blessed Jo. Baptist to the Holy Apostles Peter and Paul to all the Saints and to you my Ghostly Father that I have very much sinned in thought word and deed through my fault through my fault through my exceeding great fault Therefore I beseech thee B. Virgin Mary blessed Michael the Archangel blessed John Baptist the holy Apostles Peter and Paul all the Saints and you my Ghostly Father to pray unto our Lord God for me And when they see Princes and Prelates Women and Boyes do the same every
The true Protestant Religion set forth BY WAY OF DIALOGUE Discovering the Idolatries and abominations PROFESSED and taught in the Church OF ROME By a PRESBYTER of the Church of ENGLAND LONDON Printed for Langly Curtiss c. 1683 THE PREFACE To all Protestant Parents and Masters of Families I Need not tell you how deeply you stand ingaged to provide for the Spiritual as well as Temporal good of your Children and Families The Command of God by Moses is plain These words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart And thou shalt teach them diligently to thy Children and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house when thou walkest by the way when thou liest down and when thou risest up Deut. 6.6 7. The Apostle likewise is as plain Eph. 6.4 And you Fathers provoke not your Children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. If ever you intend to perform this Duty be careful of it now The Priests and Jesuits of Rome swarm amongst us They compass Sea and Land to gain Proselytes and endeavour by all the wayes and Arts imaginable to root out the true Christian Protestant Religion which hath so long flourished amongst us It concerns therefore now most especially all that fear the Lord to consider one another to teach and exhort one another to edifie and build up one another in our most holy Faith and Duties of the Gospel Now to the end you may know the true Christian Faith and the Differences between us and Rome I have composed this little Book which when your Children have learned the Church Catechism and in some measure begin to understand it I conceive will be very useful for them Accept it as candidly as 't is charitably offered to you by one whose onely aim and Design is to do good in his Generation that he may make his Accounts with comfort at the coming of Jesus Christ A PROTESTANT CATECHISM Child SIR By the Grace of God and your help and care I have learned the Church Catechism and have been able to answer the Minister in the Publick Congregation to such Questions as he thought fit to propose to me I have heard him likewise expound the Catechism and shew the usefulness of it from that of Solomon Prov. 22.6 Train up a Child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it And yet for all this I must confess I understand but little of Religion I hear sometimes a great deal of Discourse about it but I see little Practice of it I pray therefore as you have been careful to provide for my Outward man so make some provision for my Inward man also that I may not be always as a Child tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of Doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftiness whereby they lye in wait to deceive as the Apostle speaks Eph. 4.14 Father My good Child I am very glad to see such signs and symptomes of Grace in you to hear you inquire after God and the Gospel of Christ God forbid that I should sin against God in ceasing to instruct you and to bring you up in the Nurture and Admonition of the Lord I will to the utmost of my Power teach you the good and the right way Child I heartily thank you for your Love to my poor Soul and I praise the Name of the Lord who hath given me so good a Father and I hope he will give me Grace to honour and obey you and to remember your words all the dayes of my life And first I pray you tell me what Religion I must profess Father You must profess Child the Christian Religion for we read the Disciples were called Christians first at Antioch Acts 11.26 Child But Sir I meet with some men that call themselves Catholicks are not they Christians Father Yes They are Christians but the worst Christians in the World for they are Idolatrous Christians and have almost destroyed the Christian Religion by their Inventions Child I pray Sir what do you call these men Father The Law calls them Popish Recusants but we usually call them Papists because they believe the Pope of Rome to be the Head of the Church and obey his Commands though contrary to the Commands of God Child And what do these men call us Father When they may speak their mind freely they call us Hereticks And this we confess with St. Paul Acts 24.14 that after the way which they call Heresie so worship we the God of our Fathers believing all things which are written in the Law and the Prophets Child But do they not sometimes call us by the Name of Protestants Father Yes and we do not disown the Name for we do protest against the Errours of the Church of Rome Child Do they call us by any other Names Father Yes They call us Lutherans and Calvinists and what else they please though it be a known truth that the Church of England loves no Nisms We pin not our Faith upon any man's sleeve We honour Luther and Calvin and many others whom God raised up in the darkest times to preach the Gospel and to discover the Errours and Abominations of Rome but we profess no Lutheranism nor Calvinism nor indeed any thing of Mens invention but what we find in the Word of God Neither dare we turn the Faith of our Lord in respect of Persons or cry up one man in opposition to another For while one saith I am of Paul and another I am of Apollo are ye not carnal 1 Cor. 3.4 Is Christ divided was Paul crucified for you were you baptized in the name of Paul chap. 1.13 Child But Sir I have heard some Papists say that the Protestant Religion is a new Religion and therefore not true is it so indeed Father No. The Religion we profess was taught by Jesus Christ and preached by the Apostles to all the World Go teach all Nations and baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you Matth. 28.19.20 Whatsoever Jesus Christ and his Apostles taught we believe if they taught the true Christian Religion we believe and profess it Child But I have heard some Papists put this Question to some Protestants Where was your Religion to be found before Luther what Answer may be given to that Question Father Our Religion was and is now to be found where their 's never was nor will be found in the Word of God Child Is the Scripture then the Rule of Faith and Obedience Father Yes All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good Works 2 Tim. 3.16 17. Child But besides the Scriptures have we not a Profession of Faith