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 Writers what may be expected from the Charity of their Popish Priests what an unlucky tool Auricular Confession is in 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. c. 3. 19. 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 poen 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 Ioh. 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 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 Disswasive Part 1. Ch. 2. Sect. 2. F. White against Jesuite Fisher p. 189. Concerning the Marriage of the Clergy see Bishop Iewel '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 Iames I. and King Charles the Martyr of ever-blessed Memories and the Royal Grandfather and Father of our present Gracious Sovereign to determin the Case of Protestant's Loyalty and Popish Rebellion King Charles I. in his Excellent Book entituled ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 chap. 27. to our late Gracious King and then Prince of Wales saith The best Profession of Religion I have ever esteemed that of the Church of England in which you have been educated 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 I have tried it and after much search and many disputes have concluded it to be the best in the World keeping the middle way between the pomp of Superstitious Tyranny and the meanness of Fantastick Anarchy King Iames I. in His Works p. 504. saith As on one part many honest Men seduced with some Errors of Popery may yet remain good and faithful Subjects so on the other part none of those that truly know and believe the whole grounds and School-conclusions of their Doctrines can ever either prove good Christians or good Subjects Ibid. Scarce any one who hath been a beginner or prosecutor of this late War against the Church the Laws and Me was or is a true Lover Embracer or Practiser of the Protestant Religion established in England To which I add Solatii ergô that excellent Expression in His Majesty's first and most Gracious Speech to His Privy Council I know the Principles of the Church of England are for Monarchy and the Members of it have shewed themselves good and faithful Subjects therefore shall I always take care to defend and support it King Charles I. in his Solemn Declaration October 23. 1642. saith That there was a greater number of Papists in the Rebels Army than in His. To which may be added That then they are guilty of this mortal Sin of Obedience to a Protestant Prince when they are not strong enough to manage a Rebellion Watson's Quodlibets p. 255. These words deserve to be written in Letters of Gold however they are written in large Characters in good Protestants Hearts Now Unto Him who is able to keep us from falling and to present us faultless before the presence of his Glory with exceeding Ioy To the only Wise God our Saviour be Glory and Majesty Dominion and Power both now and ever Amen FINIS Books lately printed for Richard Chiswell A Dissertation concerning the Government of the Ancient Church more particularly of the Encroachments of the Bishops of Rome upon other See's By WILLIAM CAVE D. D. Octavo An Answer to Mr. Serjeant's Sure Footing in Christianity concerning the Rule of Faith With some other Discourses By WILLIAM FALKNER D. D. 4o. A Vindication of the Ordinations of
THE Protestant's Companion OR 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 Ancient 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 S. Paul's Church-Yard M DC LXXXV 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 Matth. 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 Iames Learnedly defending it by his Pen and thereby justly meriting the glorious Title of its Defender His Excellent 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 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 Controversie 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 verifie that Remarque of 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 defendants reject the Scripture though given forth by Divine Inspiration and do say it is no more to be believed in saying it is from God than Mahomet's Alcoran c. And good reason why because her Doctrines are repugnant to the Holy Scriptures What then will she trust to Tradition that she equals with the Scriptures themselves And yet her great Annalist Cardinal Baronius who was once as it were a living Library while he kept the Vatican 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 skilful 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 Cardinal Bellarmin who affirms that to be a true Tradition which all former Doctors mind that or 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 Universal 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
the Church of England in Answer to a Paper written by one of the Church of Rome to prove the Nullity of our Orders By GILBERT BURNET D. D. Octavo An Abridgment of the History of the Reformation of the Church of England By GILB BURNET D. D. Octavo The APOLOGY of the Church of England and an Epistle to one Signior Scipio a Venetian Gentleman concerning the Council of Trent Written both in Latin by the Right Reverend Father in God IOHN IEWEL Lord Bishop of Salisbury Made English by a Person of Quality To which is added The Life of the said Bishop Collected and written by the same Hand Octavo The Life of WILLIAM BEDEL D. D. Bishop of Kilmore in Ireland Together with Certain Letters which passed betwixt him and Iames Waddesworth a late Pensioner of the Holy Inquisition of Sevil in Matter of Religion concerning the General Motives to the Roman Obedience Octavo The Decree made at ROME the Second of March 1679. condemning some Opinions of the Iesuits and other Casuists Quarto A Discourse concerning the Necessity of Reformation with respect to the Errors and Corruptions of the Church of Rome Quarto A Discourse concerning the Celebration of Divine Service in an Unknown Tongue Quarto a For so doth Mons. Militere in his Epistle to His late Majesty confess b Vives de Instrumentis probab 1 Crantzius Metropol 7. 45. 2 Bellarmin de verbo dei l. 4. c. 4. Pighius Eccles. Hierarch l. 3. c. 3. Pool de primatu Romanae Ecclesiae fol. 92. * 2 Tim. 3. 16. 3 Concil de stabilienda Rom. sede p. 6. 4 Concil Trident. Sess. 4. decret 1. 5 Dr Iames his Corruption of the Fathers Part 4. p. 26. 6 Anno 44. Sect. 42. †Bellar. de Tradit cap. 9. 7 Coster Enchirid Controvers cap. 2. Constat manifeste c. Campian rat 3 Seculis omnino quindecim c. rat 10. Testes resomnes 8 Baronius ad 〈◊〉 34. 9 Bellarmin de Concil autorit l. 2 c. 12. Sect. Respondeo 10 How the Papists contemn and condemn the Fathers See Dr. Iames's Corruption of the Fathers part 4. 11 Salmeron in Ep. ad Rom. cap. 5. disp 51. p. 468. 12 Corn. Muss Episc. Bitont in Rom. 14. p. 468. 13 Apolog. adv Rufin l. 2. p. 219. tom 2. 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. 15 Lud. Vives in Aug. de civit Dei l. 20. c. 36. 16 See Dr. Iumes's Corruption of the Scriptures Fathers and Councils Printed 1611. Part 4. 17 Joh. 5. 31. 18 Capitul Carol. Mag. c. 88. 19 Anaclet Epist. ap Bin. Tom. 1. Part. 1. p. 43. 20 Gelas. decr de Confec dist 2. cap. 12. 21 Binius in notis Tom. 1. part 1. p. 64. 22 P. Gelas. Ep. 4. 23 Neminem velim sic 〈◊〉 mea omnia ut me sequatur nisi in eis quibus me non ertare perspexerit August de persever Sanct. cap. 21. tom 27. Solis eis Scripturarum libris qui jam Canonic appellantur didici hunc timorem honoremque de erre ut nullum eorum autorem Scribendo aliquid errasse firmissime credam August Epist. 19. 25 Cusan de Concil Cath. 2. 3. 26 Aen. Sylvius de gestis Concil Basil. 27 De Rom. Pont. l. 4 c. 4. 28 Idem de Pontif. l. 2. c. 29. 29 Id. de Rom. Pont. l. 4. c. 2. Sect. Secunda Opinio 30 Idem de Concil l. 2. cap. 13. 31 Barns's Catholico-Romanus Pacificus MS. Sect. 31. 1 Articles of the Church of England published Ann. Dom. 1562. for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and for the establishing of consent touching true Religion Article 6 20. 2d Book of Homilies Hom. 2. 2 2. Tim. 3. 15. 3 Concil Trident. Sess. 4. Decret 1. 4 Pighius Eccles. Hierarch l. 3. c. 3. 5 Bellarmine de verbo Dei l. 4. c. 4. 6 Pool de Primatu Romanae Ecclesiae sol 92. 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. 8 Peter Sutor Translat Bibl. c. 22. 9 Consul 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 Judge yet are they not agreed among themselves who that should be These Learned Romanists following contend that the priviledge 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. 10 Cusanus Concord Cathol l. 2. c. 3. Antoninus Sum. Summarum p. 3. Tit. 23. c. 2. §. 6. Panormitan Decret p. 1. l. 1. Tit. de Elect. Cap. significasti Mirandula de fide ordine credend Theor. 4. 11 In fine Concil Trident. Reg. 4. 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 13 Artic. 6. 14 Concil Trident. Sâ—ss 4. 15 Witness the two Learned Iews Philo Iudaeus apud Euseb. de Praeparat Evangel l. 8. and Iosephus apud Euseb. Histor. Eccles. l. 3. c. 9. alias 10. and this is fully confessed by Bellarmine de Verbo Dei l. 1. c. 10. 16 Rom. 3. 2. 17 As for the third pretended Council of Carthage alledged by some Papists S. 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 De Dogm Eccles. l. 1. c. 4. which neither would have done if the Church Catholick had declared the Apocrypha Canonical 18 Rycaut's Present State of the Greek Church pag. 372. 19 Catharin Opâ—sc de Script Canonicis Quod autem Apostoli c. 20 Stapleton de autoritat S. Script l. 2. c. 4. § 14. Sapientiam Ecclesiasticum c. 21 Bellarmin de Verbo Dei c. 10. Itaque fatemur Ecclesiam nullo modo posse 〈…〉 non Canonico nec contra 22 Article 1 -2 Book of Homilies Hom. 2. 23 Artic. 22. 24 Concil Trid. Sess. 25. Bulla Pii 4. 25 1 Cor. 2. 11. compared with Isai. 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. 26 Brev. Rom. Antw. 1663. p. 984. 27 Bellarmin de Indulgentiis c. 4. sub finem
were true as they are wholly the contrary they can make it appear That the Bishop of Rome was the Successor of S. Peter and not the Bishop of Antioch and whether ever he was at Rome or no 5. Whether they can make it appear That our Blessed Saviour when on Earth exercised such a temporal Monarchy as the Pope now challengeth Confessions of the Popish Doctors in this Case To the first and second Queries it is Confessed by Cardinal Cusanus That S. Peter received no more Authority and then he could not exercise any Authority over his Fellows than the rest of the Apostles To the third and fourth Queries it is Confessed by Aeneas Sylvius afterwards Pope by then ame of Pius II. That the Pope's Succession is not revealed in Scripture and then it cannot be proved jure divino positivo And by Bellarmin That neither Scripture nor Tradition habet allows then farewell Papal Supremacy That the Apostoliok Seat or Chair was so fixed at Rome which I really believe as well as he that it could not be taken from thence And then why might it not be at Antioch or Jerusalom as well as Rome Confessed by him further That as long as the Emperors were Heathen the Pope was subject to them in all civil Causes And That for above One thousand years his Judgment was not esteemed Infallible nor his Authority above that of a General Council Where was then the exercise or acknowledgment of this Supremacy and Infallibility of the Popes Was all the World a-sleep or ignorant so long of this Power which they now challenge to themselves Jure Divino No but the Pope I warrant you had not yet the opportunity to usurp and challenge it as he hath done since To four of these you see they have plainly yielded and the last they can never make good either from Scripture or Ecclesiastical History Add to these the Confession of that Learned Papist Father Barns That allowing the Bishop of Rome to have Supremacy elsewhere yet the Pope hath no Supremacy in Britain Insula autem Britanniae gavisa est olim privilegio Cyprio ut nullius Patriarchae Legibus subderetur And afterwards Videtur pacis ergô retineri debere sine dispendio Catholicismi absque Schismatis ullius notâ What can the Papists say to this so plain an acknowledgment But not designing to treat at large upon the Pope's Supremacy I have not as in the following subjects produced the Testimonies of Fathers and Councils against this Doctrine of Rome but shall advise the Reader to consult herein Bishop Jewel against Harding Article 4. Archbishop Bramhall's Schism Guarded against Will. Serjeant Dr. Barrow of the Pope's Supremacy and the Bishop of Lincoln's Brutum Fulmen who will give him full satisfaction in that point THE CONTENTS Of the following TREATISE SECT I. OF the Scriptures Sufficiency Page 1. SECT II. Of the Scripture-Canon 5. SECT III. Of Invocation of Saints and of the Blessed Virgin 7 Of Image Worship 10. Of Adoration of the Host. 11. SECT IV. Of the Three Creeds and how the Pope imposes new Articles of Faith upon his followers 13. SECT V. Of the number of Sacraments and of Communion in one kind Page 15 SECT VI. Of Transubstantiation 19 SECT VII Of Purgatory 23 Of Indulgences 25 Of the Sacrifice of the Mass. 26 Of Justification by Faith 27 Of Merits Ibid. SECT VIII Of Prayers in an unknown Tongue 30 SECT IX Of the Marriage of Priests 33 Of Auricular Confession 39 SECT X. Of Obedience to Governors 4◠THE Protestant's Companion SECTION I. THE Protestant Church of England our Holy Mother admits of no other Rule for Faith and practice than the Holy Scriptures which according to the Apostles are able to make us wise unto Salvation The Church of Rome doth equal unwritten Traditions with the Holy Scriptures whom some of that Church do call a nose of Wax Another and that no less Man than a Cardinal affirms That the Scripture is no more to be believed in saying that it comes from God than Mahomet's Alcoran because that saith so too Another Cardinal saith That the Scriptures have no authority but for the Decree of the Church they mean the Roman Church by whom it ought to be regulated and not the Church be regulated by it and the reason is because as it is confess'd that the people would easily be drawn away from observing the Church's i. e. Romish Institutions 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 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 first Ages of Christianity was a crime 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 Ioh. 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 Iosh. 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 verà side ac pià 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 Ioh. 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 Unitat. 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 S. 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 Ioh. Gerson de vitâ Sp. Lect. 2. Hic aperitur modus c. Ioh. 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 Iulian 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. Iustus 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 Iob. Tom. 1. That the Holy Scriptures could not be corrupted but those corruptions would have been discover'd See Augustin de utilit 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 Iewel '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 Canonical in the Church of England than 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 Iews to whom were committed the Oracles of God nor the Primitive Church nor any General Council nor any Doctor in the Ages succeeding till about 120 years ago in the Council of Trent nor the 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 divinitus 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. Iunilius 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 Iudith 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 ws receive in that sense reducenda sunt tam verba Conciliorum quà m Doctorum Confessed by Catharine who was in the Council of Trent and by 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 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 God as we are taught to believe in him and none other The Church of Rome enjoyns those that live in its Communion to pray to their fellow Creatures who know not our thoughts and necessities to Hero's and Saints of whom they feign so many ridiculous Stories and to the Blessed Virgin to whom they use such abominable expressions Yea 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. Ioh. 6. 37 14. 13. 16 23 24. Acts 10. 25 26. 14. 13 14 15. Rom. 8. 27. Ephes. 3. 20. Col. 2. 18. 1 Tim. 2. 5. 1 Ioh. 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 Iustin Martyr Apol. 2. Theophilus Antiochenus ad Autolycum l. 1. Irenaeus l. 2. c. 57. Origen c. Celsum l. 5. p. 233 236. Concil Laodicenum Can. 35. Ambrose de obit Theodos. Id. de interpellat l. 3. c. 12. Id in Rom. 1. Tom. 5. p. 174. Ierome To. 7. in Prov. c. 2. Augustin de civit Dei l. 8. c. 27. l. 9. c. 15. 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 Learned Papists That it is a Doctrine neither expresly nor covertly contained in the Scripture Spalatensis confesseth That Religious Invocation of Saints is Heathenism and meer civil Invocation of them tho' not so bad yet dangerous 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 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 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
* 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. 28 Bellarmin alledgeth in particular this Comment upon the Romans to be S. Ambrose's see Crocus in Censura Scriptorum vet p. 133. 29 Dominic Bannes in secunda secundae Qu. 1. Art 10. Orationes ad Sanctos esse faciendas venerandasque esse imagines neque etiam expresse nec involute Scripture docent 30 Spalatensis often err 31 Beatit Sanctorum l. 1. c 8. Sect. ult 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 heatifical 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. Peres de Tradit p. 3. 32 Sancti l. 1. c. 18. 33 Via Regia de Invocat Sanct. 34 Concil Trident. Sess. 25. Bulla Pii 4. super forma Iuramenti ad calcem Concil Trid. Bellarmin de Imag. l. 2. 35 Azori us 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. 36 Bellarmin de Imag. l. 2. c. 21. prop. 1. 37 Index Expurgatorius Madri 1612. in indice librorum expurgatorum p. 39. dele Solus Deus adorandus 38 Concil Trident. Sess. 13. 39 Coster Enchirid. Con trov c. 8. de Euch. p. 308. Fisher c. Oâ—colampadium l. 1. c. 2. 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. 41 Naueler ad Ad. 1240. Krantz sex l. 8. c. 10. 42 Jude 3. 43 Articles and Iewel 's Apology 44 Bellar. de Eccles. l. 3. 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 46 Exercitia Spiritualia Ign. Loyolae Tolosae 1593. p. 173. Reg. 1. 47 Turrecremata summae de Ecclesia l. 2. c. 103. Petrus de Ancorano de Heret 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 omnibus omnia dedit Deus ut quaelibet aetas suis gaudeat veritatibus quas prior aetas ignoravit Dis. 57. in Ep. ad Rom. 48 Bellar. de Rom. Pontif. l. 4. c. 2. Sect. Secunda opiniâ— 49 Id. de Concil lib. 2. c. 13. 50 Article 25. 51 Mat. 28. 19. Luk. 22. 19 20. 52 Article 30. 53 Mat. 26. 27. 1 Cor. 11. 26 27 28. 54 Concil Constantiense Anno Dom. 1414. Sess. 13. 55 Apud Chytrae de Statu Eccl. Orient Primum Patriar Resp. p. 149 c. The Greek Patriarch Hieremias's Letter to the Tubing Divines bearing date May 15. 1576. 56 Concil Trident. Sess. 7. 57 Concil Constant. Sess. 13. 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. 59 Consult Sect. 22. 60 In tertiam partem S. Thome tom 3. Quest. 80. Disp. 216. Art 12. cap. 3. nu 38. 61 In Ioh. 6. Lect. 7. 62 In Manuali de communione sub utraque specie 63 Concil Constant. Sess. 13. They in that Council likewise contradicted the Judgments of their ancient Popes Leo Gelasius and Gregory the Great as may be seen in the Quotations of the Fathers 64 Article 28 29. 65 Concil Trident. Sess. 13. c. 4. * Deny'd to be the faith of the Church by Barns in his Romano Catholicus Pacificus MS. Sect. 7. liter Q. 66 Article 22 18. 67 Article 31. Heb. 10. 10. 68 Article 22. 69 1 Cor. 4. 7. 70 Article 12. 71 Article 14. 72 Article 11 13. 73 Concil Trident. Sess. ult Hence doth Bellarmine threaten us saying that whosoever believes not Purgatory shall be tormented iu Hell de Purgat l. 1. c. ult And yet this same Cardinal forgetting what he had before affirm'd for herein he doth not only contradict himself but all Popish pretensions for Purgatory when he grants that Souls in Purgatory do not merit In Purgatorio animae nec mereri nec peccare possint Bellarm. de Purgatorio l. 2. c. 2. To what end then are they sent to Purgatory 74 Spalatensis de Republ. Eccles. l. 5. c. 8. Sect. 73. 75 Bellar. de Indulg l. 1. 76 Taxa Cancel Apost 77 But the poor have not these priviledges whereby mark the great charity of the Romish Priests which will suffer by consequence if their Doctrine were true the poor to go to Hell for want of money Diligenter nota quod hujusmodi gratiae non dantur pauperibus quia non sunt ideo non possunt consolari Taxa Cancellariae Apostolicae Tit. de Matrimoniali 78 Tom. Concil 28. p. 460. 78 Apolog. Graecorum de igne Purgat p. 66 93. Ed. Salmas 79 Unigenitus de poenitentiis remissionibus 80 The Doctrine of Indulgences was oppos'd by two famous Papists not long before the Extravagant of Pope Clement by Franciscus de Mayronis in 4. l. sen. dist 19. Q. 2. and by Durandus in 4. l. sen. d. 20. q. 3. So that it was far from being either Catholick or Ancient 81 Concil Trid. Sess. 6 Can. 9. Sess. 6. cap. 16. can 32. 82 Catechis Rom. de Euchar num 55. 84 1 Cor. 14. 40. 85 Article 24. 86 Harding against Bp. Iewel Article 3. Missal Rom. approbat ex decreto Concil Trident. Bulla Pii 5. Chorabini Bullar Tom. 2. p. 311. 87 Article 36. Book of Ordination Mason of the Consecration of Bishops in the Church of England Archbishop Bramhall's works Tom. 1. Discourse 5. and Tom. 4. Discourse 6. * Which the Roman Church notwithstanding its big pretences to constant succession cannot justly challenge and that both from its five vacancies making up almost Nine years when Rome had no Bishop at all and the many Schisms by some Chronologers reckoned up to be Twenty nine a fair number indeed by Onuphrius to be Thirty and by Bellarmin