him-self was that is to say Consecrators c. If then that which is greather then all be given indifferently to all men and women I meane the word and baptism then that which is less I mean to consecrat the supper is also given to them So much Luther With Luther in this doctrin concurred all the reformed Churches even the Prelatick of England seems to approve therof in the 23. and 25. articles of Religion and M. r Horn Bishop of Winchester in the Harbrough An. 1559. n. 2. saith concerning the Ministery Preaching or Priesthood of women Jn this point we must vse a certain moderation and not absolutly in every-wise debarr women herein c. J pray you what more vehemency vseth S. Paul in forbidding women to preach then in forbidding them to vncover their heads and yet you know in the best reformed Churches of all Germany all the maids be bareheaded They who know this to have bin the Doctrin of Luther and of the reformed Churches are not so much startled at Q. Elizabeths spiritual headship of the Church nor at the Act of Parliament 8. Eliz. 1. wherin it is declared that she and her successors may authorise any person whatsoever whether lay man or woman to exercise any spiritual jurisdiction or power in any matter whatsoever even of consecrating Archbishops Bishops Priests c. And albeit afterwards art 27. there hath bin an explanation made concerning the supremacy excluding from the Church a shee or Lay Ministery and Priesthood yet the words of the Oaths both of supremacy and Episcopal homage and the laws of the land especialy this Act 8. Eliz. 1. maks it most manifest that even Prelatik protestancy maks the temporal Lay Soveraign to haue the source of all spiritual power and jurisdiction and that the letters Patents of the Kings of England directed to any person whatsoever renders him capable of consecrating Archbishops Bishops Priests c. as may be seen in the aforesaid Act of Parliament And if any person whatsoever may by vertue of the Kings letters patents consecrat Bishops Priests c. without doubt the King that gives that spiritual authority and the Lay men or women so authorised must of necessity have the caracter of Episcopacy and Priesthood which they communicat to others vnless it be maintained that men can give what they have not themselves Thus was Protestancy begun principled and propagated by Martin Luther and his Disciples and because their Sects agree in nothing so vnanimously as in protesting against the doctrin of the Roman Catholik Church and the Imperial Decrees enacted in behalf therof though some Lutherans only exhibiting the Confession of their faith at Auspurg were the Protesters yet all others who pretend a Reformation like the name and call themselves Protestants thinking it to be more for the credit of their dissenting Congregations to pretend vnity of doctrin by assuming one name then declare the novelty and diversity of their Tenets by calling themselves by the names of their first Authors and Reformers Now it is tyme we treat in particular of the Protestant Church of England SECT IV. Of the Protestant Church of England IT was the misfortune of England to have had in that tyme when Reformation began to spread a vicious King and lewd Court an ambitious Minister of state a timorous Clergy and contemporising Parliament Cardinal Wolsey who had bin raised from the meanest parentage to domineer over the English Peerage not content with his good fortune and the Kings favour would needs be Pope and obtained from Charles V. the Emperour a promise of his best endeavours to promote him to that dignity but perceiving himself deluded when the occasion was offered of performance and that Charles had preferred to the Papacy one of his own subjects that had bin Instructor to him in his tender age he resolved to be revenged vpon the Emperors relations seeing hee could not reach his person And observing that K. Henry 8. was weary of Q. Catharin the Emperors Aunt and desired her death or divorce to the end he might marry and have issue male to succeed him in the Crown The Cardinal discoursed with his Majesty of the doubts which himself had raised and many seemed to entertain concerning the validity of a mariage with one that had bin his brothers wife and proposed the publick conveniency and privat satisfaction the King might receave by taking to wife some relation of the French King with whom he persuaded Henry 8. to make a league in defence of the Sea Apostolick against Charles V whose army at that tyme had sackt Rome and kept the Pope prisoner not doubting that his Holiness so oblidged by Henry and injured by Charles would declare Q. Catharins mariage voyd K. Henry applauded the motion but lik't not so well the French Lady as An Bullen one of his Queens Mayds of honour of whom he was so desperatly enamoured that though he was advertised of her amorous disposition and lewd conversation by one of the Courtiers that sayd he had enjoyed her savours yet she rejecting his Majesties courtship he thought she was not so cunning as chast and persuading himself that a woman so sparing of favours to a King would not be prodigal of them to others he gave litle credit to the publick reports and privat informations of her immodest behaviour and now courted her not as his present Mistriss but as his future wife not questioning but that the Pope whom he had obliged would declare null his mariage with Q. Catharin but his Holiness though much inclined to gratifie the King and incensed against the Emperour for many indignitys resolved neither to reward or revenge by abusing his spiritual authority which he knew could not be extended to dissolve a knot that God had tyed and blessed with posterity his Predecessors dispensation after mature deliberation was found to be valid and no way contrary to Scripture which is so far from prohibiting a mariage with a deceased brothers wife Levit. 18. that it commands Deuter. 25. the brother to marry his issuless brothers widow And when S. John Baptist told Herod it was not lawfull for him to keepe his brothers wife his brother was then living so that these words could not be applyed to K. Henry 8. his case nor occasion any scruple in his conscience He therfore finding by experience that the Sea of Rome was not directed in deciding controversies of Religion by human respects or interest and that the Colledge of Cardinals could not be corrupted with bribes to favour his sute as some Doctors of forreign vniversities had bin nor terified by his threats as was most of the English Clergy he resolved to renounce that spiritual jurisdiction and supremacy the only lett against his lust which all his Christian Ancestors had acknowledged and himself defended in an excellent Treatise against Luther demonstrating as well by Scripture as by reason that the Bishop of Rom's supremacy and jurisdiction was de jure
their own Canon and sense of Scripture and of the falshood of the Canon and sense of Scripture of the Church of England as there is for the English Church to make it self judg of the falshood of the Canon and sense of the Church of Rome As for the authority which the Prelatick religion receives from the laws of the land that gives but little advantage seing the Roman Catholick doctrin hath bin confirmed by the temporal laws of every Kingdom Country and Citty besor and at the tyme that Protestancy succeeded and prevailed and yet that legality was not valued by the Reformers The 35. Article is to authorise some Puritan homilies as the 2. wherin the danger of idolatry in Popery is much insisted vpon as if Christians could easily mistake Images for Idols or Saints for Gods Jews and Hereticks have often endeavoured to confound the one with the other Catholicks never The ancient Fathers as also the second Councel of Nice have long since declared the Protestant Doctrin against Images to be heresy and the Councel of Trent confirms the same decree of Nice and demonstrats how far that the Catholick doctrin of worshiping Images is from any danger of Idolatry The words of the Councel sess 25. are The Images of Christ of the Virgin Mother of God and of other Saints are to be had and retained especialy in Churches and that due honour is to be imparted vnto them not for that any Divinity is to be believed to be in them or vertue for which they are to be worshipt or that any thing is to be begg'd of them or that hope is to be put in them as in tyms past the Pagans did who put their trust in Idols but because the honour which is exhibited to them is referr'd to the first pattern which they resemble So that by the Images which we kiss and before which we vncover our heads and kneele we adore Christ and his Saints whose likness they beare we reverence that which is ratified by the Decrees of Councels especialy of the second of Nice against the impugners of Images In the 36. they make it an Article of Religion that their new form of ordaining Priests and Bishops is valid and containeth all things necessary but since his Majesty's happy restauration they have judged the contrary and therfore thought necessary to add thervnto the words Priest and Bishop Yet this wil not serve their turn for before they can have a true Clergy they must change the Caracter of the Ordainers as wel as the form of ordination a valid form of ordination pronounced by a Minister not validly ordained gives no more caracter then if it had continued invalid and never bin altered The present Protestant Bishops who changed the form of their own Ordination vpon their Adversaries objections of the invalidity therof might as wel submit to be ordained by Catholick Bishops as alow by altering the from after so long a tyme and dispute that it was not sufficient to make themselves and their Predecessours Priests or Bishops In their 37. Article they give a spiritual supremacy to the temporal Soveraign But because the world laught at that vanity and at the statuts 1. 8. Eliz. 1. Wherin is declared that the English Soveraignty is so spiritual as that it may give to any person whatsoever whether man or woman lay or ecclesiastick power and authority to exercise any spiritual function and consecrat Priests and Bishops they would fain make vs now believe that they did not attribut to the Queen and her Successours any power of ministring God's word or the Sacraments notwithstanding that the aforesaid Statuts yet in force certify the contrary And indeed if none can give what himself hath not seing the Kings of England can give power and authority to any person watsoever to consecrat Priests and Bishops and to exercise all kind of spiritual ministery and jurisdiction concerning God's word and Sacraments this power and ministery cannot be denyed to be inherant in themselves In the 38. and 39. articles they endeavour to supress some errors of the Anabaptists which necessarily follow from the foundation and principles of Protestancy for if it be lawfull to deprive men of a spiritual authority and jurisdiction wherof they are in present possession and which their Predecessours had peaceably enjoy'd tyme out of memory the consequence of the lawfulness to deprive men of their temporal jurisdiction Dominions riches and goods is evident by a parity of reason for if peaceable and present possession confirm'd by a prescription of many ages be not sufficient to ground right for the Roman Bishop and Clergy to govern souls and to enjoy the Church livings ther is no temporal Prince or person can be secure or have a right to govern subjects or possess his Dominions So that by the same warrant wherby Prelatick Protestants have taken from the Pope and Roman Clergy their spiritual jurisdiction and temporalities the Anabaptists and all others may evidently demonstrat that all goods are common and no one person can pretend right to Superiority or any thing he doth possess SECT VI. Of the effects which these 39. Articles of Prelatick Protestancy immediatly produced in England and may produce at any tyme in every state wher such principles are made legal and how the Roman Catholick Religion was restored by Act of Parliament of Queen Mary AFter that Prelatick Protestancy had not only bin permitted but established by Parliament in England ensued the destruction of many thousand innocent people as also of the Protector Seamor and K. Eduard 6. togeather with the exclusion of Q. Mary and others the lawful Heires of the Crown and the in trusion of the Lady Jane Grey and in her of Dudly's son and family vnto the Royal throne These were effects of Protestancy not events of fortunc they were designs driven and directed by the principles of the Reformation the like wherof any politick and popular subject may compass as wel as Dudly witness our late long Parliament and Oliver Cromwel's proceedings Though K. Edward 6. was but a Child and his vncle the Protector no great Polititian yet they had a grave and wise Councel but against the liberty and latitude which men are allow'd by the principles of Protestancy no conduct can prevail nor government be safe as appeareth in many examples and in our late Soueraign's Reign and death Jt's in vain to make particular articles of Religion or temporal Statuts if there be a general principle admitted as if it were the word of God wherby both are rendred vnsignificant One of the general principles and indeed the foundation of Prelatick Protestancy is that it is lawful for privat men and subjects such were all the first Protestant Reformers to despise and depose their spiritual Superiours by their own arbitrary interpretations and applications of Scripture notwithstanding the peaceable possession immemorial prescription legality and exercise of their sayd Superiour's authority and jurisdiction From hence it
conferences of Religion wherby their title to the churchs-livings may be questioned They will pretend and preach â—hat it is against the rules as well of piety as of policy to inquire into the truth of doctrin or into the right of possession after 100. years prescription But they do not consider or at least would not have others consider that the Roman Catholicks prescriptioÌ„ of 1000. years in England and our Prelats legal possession of lands for the same space of years was not judged by Q. Elizabeths Bishops or Parliaments a sufficient Plea against the pretensions of the Crown to the Church revenues notwithstanding the Church then was thought to be infallible in doctrin and the revenues therof were first intended for and annexed to the Prelats and preachers of the same Roman Catholick doctrin and Church Now if the Protestant Bishops think that the Catholick Bishops were legally and lawfully dispossessed of their revenues and their Doctrin legaly and lawfully condemned and changed by Luther Calvin Cranmer or the Prelaticks interpretation of Scripture confirmed by Act of Parliament how can they imagin to make the world believe that it is now either a sin or sacriledge to be dispossessed themselves of the Church revenues by an Act of Parliament confirming as probable an interpretation of Scripture as theirs or as that of Luther or Calvin is especially seing they confess their doctrin fallible and that the revenues were never intended by those that gave them for preaching or promoting any kind of Protestancy Doubtless this incoherency and their backwardness in reasoning of Religion will render their Zeal for the Church revenues as much suspected as their forwardnes in persecuting tender Consciences hath renderd their persons odious And that there may be no ground for them to work vpon nor to doubt of the Roman Catholick Clergy's loyalty and sincerity in petitioning and pressing for publick conferences of Religion it will be found I doubt not in case any such security be desired or valued that we shall as readily now as in Queen Maries reign resign all the right we can pretend to the revenues of the Church and as then bestow them vpon the Crown for the use and ease of our Country By this it may appear that we have no design but the duty of subjects or the devotion of Christians in desiring that the Protestant Clergys title be examined But they deterr the illiterat layty from this necessary scrutiny by often repeating the word Sacrilege without declaring its signification We know and so do they that it hath bin the ancient practise of God's Church to contribut with all that is Sacred without the least fear or scruple of Sacriledge to the maintenance of the State when the layty is so much empoveris'ht with wars and taxes as we are both in England and Ireland Wee see that in all Catholick Countreys the Clergy doth imitat the example of the ancient Church in the same practise Why our English Bishops Deans and Chapters ought to be exempted from so reasonable and general a custom vnless it be that they are burthend with wives and Children I do not vnderstand But sure their having wives and Children can neither â—make their revenues more Sacred nor â—heir Contributions more Sacriledge on cases of publick necessity As a â—ompetency of maintenance for themselves and for their Childrens education and application to some honest Trades is an act of Charity so to apply the rest of the Church revenues to publik uses for soldiers and seamen and to the payment of the Crown debts is not against Christianity In the conclusion of this Preface I must endeavor to excuse the bulk of my book and the positivenes of my Assertions For the first I could hardly draw into a narrower compass so transcendent a subject and yet I have placed in the end of this Treatise an Index wherin the substance of the whole book is contained to the end every one may find out with ease any point he hath a mind to read As to the positivenes of my assertions most of them being articles of my faith or deductions from my Creed I could not but utter them in the Tone of our infallible Church But becaus I speak to Protestants that condemn our infallibility I attempt to demonstrat their censure against the same is as rash as they fancy our belief is ridiculous J must also ingenuously confess that it is part of my design to diminish the authority of the Protestant and Prelatick writers but seing my arguments are taken out of their own writings and are no other then their wilfull and vndeniable falsifications of Scripture and Fathers I hope none that detests so horrid a crime will condemn my Censure or defend their credit Whether I have bin faithfull in setting down their falsifications I must submit to the Iudgment of my Readers as also beg pardon for intermedling with so much of government as necessarily depends of Religion and ought to be proportioned therunto our Protestant Statesmen will not only pardon but protect me when they reflect vpon the impossibility there is of regulating the motions or appeasing the mutinies of a body politik by a faith so vncertain as that of the fallible Church of England or by a rule of Religion so applicable to rebellion as the letter of Scripture is when left to every privat mans arbitrary interpretation THE TABLE Part I. Of the Beginning Progress and Principles in general And of the Prelatick Church of England in Particular HOw necessary a rational Religion is for a Peacable Government Pag. 1. Wherein the Reasonableness of Religion Consists Pag. 8. How dangerous it is for a Temporal Soveraign to pretend to a Spiritual Jurisdiction over his Subjects Pag. 10. The Grounds of Peace Piety and Policy Pag. 10. The Catholick World ever acknowledg'd the Bishop of Rome's Spiritual Jurisdiction over all Christians Pag. 11. The same Religion which St. Gregory the great held was by St. Augustine taught to our Ancestors Pag. 19. Of the Author and beginning of Protestancy and of Luther's Disputation and Familiarity with the Devil Pag. 22. How weakly Protestants Excuse Luther's Conference with the Devil Pag. 29. The Mass a Visible and True Sacrifie proved by the Councils and Doctors of the Church Pag. 36. The Sacrifice of the Mass offered for the Dead Pag. 37. Of the Principles and Propagation of Protestancy Pag. 39. The Fundamental Principles of Protestancy Pag. 43. Protestants affirm that if a man have an Act of Faith sin does not hurt him Pag. 46. Protestants affirm that all Christians Men and Women are Priests by Baptism Pag. 50. Of the Protestant Church of England in K. H. VIII's Reign Pag. 53. Henry the VIII weary of Queen Catharine Pag. 53. Anne Bullen's Incest and Leudness Pag. 54. Henry the VIII's Tyranny Pag. 56. Tyndal's Translation of the Bible abolish'd Pag. 59. Of the English Religion and Reformers in K. Edw. VI's days Pag. 60. The first Reformers of the Prelatick
length most vnworthily murthered by the joynt consent of a Protestant Queen and Parliament and her son and Family excluded from the British Empire in case Queen Elizabeth should have or at least own any natural issue which many suppose was the true cause why she or the Parliament would never declare her Successour King James having bin brought vp in this schoole of affliction attained to more then ordinary wisdom dissembled with his enemies in England and strengthned him-self with as many friends and Allies as he could in foreign Nations to the end he might recouer his right after Queen Elizabeths death which he and the best part of the world every day long'd son He kept faire with France Spain and even with the Pope He succord Tyrone Tirconel and the Jrish Scots in Irland against Queen Elizabeth but vnder hand He corresponded with the Catholick party in England and was civil even to that party that contrived and pressed his Mothers murther By his marriage he obtained the confederacy of Denmarck and the Protestant Princes of Germany for recovering of England Cecil and others of the English Councel observing how prudently this young King had ordered his affairs and prepared him-self for being their Master courted him and vnknown to the Queen gave him dayly intelligence and thought it their best course to fix vpon him for her Successour seing they could hardly keep him out they invited him to the Throne after his enemie's death and he finding that very Protestancy by which his mother and him-self had bin so long excluded from their right and would have bin for ever if Queen Elizabeth had bin as capable as t' is sayd she was desirous of Posterity was deeply rooted in the hearts of most of his English subjects who either did not see he chang or not observe the motives and Mysteries therof King James J say reflecting vpon this inclination of the people to Protestancy conformed him-self vnto that Reformation which had bin setled by law in England discountenanced the Puritans by whose doctrin he had bin persecuted in Scotland and would have tolerated the Catholick if the gun powder Treason wherunto some few discontented and desperat Papists were cunningly drawn by Cecil to make their Religion odious had not blasted our hopes and blotted out of his Majestie 's memory what we had suffered for his Mother and how not only our persons but our principles had bin persecuted for supporting the title of his Family to the British Empire By King James his learned works and discourses it is manifest he had a design to reform the principles of Protestancy and reduce them to some rules of reason and confine that dangerous liberty which they give to every privat Protestant of being supreme Judg in all spiritual Controversies to one certain interpretation of Scripture that might be less prejudicial to Monarchy Monarchs peace and all civil Government then the Protestant arbitrary interpretations have proved hitherto To that purpose he commanded the Bible to be truly translated and those fraudulent and foolish corruptions to be corrected which had bin imposed vpon the people for God's word by Queen Elizabeths Clergy for maintaining her title and securing the revenues of the Church to them selves But his command was not obey'd some falcifications in the ould and new Testament were corrected but very few in respect of what remain and pass now current for true Scripture He declared that Catholicks and their Religion had no hand in the gunpowder treason those few persons excepted which had bin executed He was not afraid to acknowledg that the Pope was the first Bishop of Christendom and Rome the mother Church he suspended the rigor of the sanguinary and penal Statuts commended not apostatised Priests that became Protestants as he said to get wenches and benefices These things he did not out of any inclination to Popery but out of his zeal to Protestancy which he perceived would in a short time become as infamous as it is intolerable to Monarchs in case it's principles were not corrected and brought neerer vnto Catholick Tenets After King Iames his death his son King Charles 1. pursued the Father's design but found by sad experience that the Protestant liberty of interpreting Scripture cannot be restrained to reason by any human industry of the wisest Princes especialy so long as they are guided by a fallible Church that confesseth it's own vncertainty of doctrin King Charles the 1. was persuaded by his Councel and Clergy that the Laws which had bin enacted in favour of the Prelatick fallible Church and doubtful jurisdiction were of sufficient force and authority to contain Protestant subjects in awe and obedience and to stop the cours and consequences of those fundamental and violent principles of their reformation against superiority at the Church of Rom's doore and keep them from passing further or entrenching vpon the Church of England But the mistake soon appeared they who are allowed by the Prelatick principles to rebell against their Roman Superiours vnder the pretence of a Religious interpretation of Scripture and evangelical Reformation could not then nor cannot for the future be contain'd or deterr'd by any authority from rebelling against their Protestant Kings and Bishops vpon the same score whose superiority could not be more authentick then the Roman Catholick And therfor because the King had engaged in the Bishops quarel he drew vpon himself the odium of all Protestants that with the spirit and zeal of Reformation stuck to the fundamental principles of Protestancy which is to contemn all authority both spiritual and temporal which any privat person judges contrary to his own interpretation of Scripture and seeng the Prelatick Church of England doth grant this doctrin was lawful in Luther Calvin Cranmer Parker and other particular persons Churches and States against the Pope and others their then acknowledged spiritual and temporal superiours it will be very difficult to shew why now a Presbiterian or Fanatick Congregation may not as rationally pretend and as lawfully practise the same doctrin as their primitive Protestant Predecessours had don And so in vertue of this fundamental principle of Protestancy was the sacred person of a good King judged and murthered by a rude and wicked multitude without regard to innocency or respect to Soveraignty And by a remarkable revolution of tyms and interests the grandson came to loose his head for vpholding that same Prelatick Religion and Clergy which by Q. Elizabeth had bin rays'd for the destruction of his Grand-mother and the exclusion of his family from the crown Since Christian Soveraigns have reign'd the like Tragedy hath not bin acted many Princes have bin murthered by their Subjects but never by any such formality of Law and a publick Court of Judicature pretending superiority in themselves and Scripture for their rule and warrant Wherfore they that looke into the principles and privileges for the future in so zealous and resolute a people as the English who stand much vpon
to vote in Parliament or trusted with any employment in the state who professeth not the prelatick Protestant Religion and swears not the Supremacy and Alleigance And yet we see how litle this Religion and oaths wrought vpon the generality of these Kingdoms or availed the late King None that vnderstands the genius of the English Nation will believe that by nature they are so base and treacherous as of late the world hath observed Therfore what they have don amiss so contrary to the generosity and honesty of their dispositions and to the rules of Christianity must be attributed to their Religion Wherfore it must be concluded that any outward sign though it be but a red scarf or garniture of ribands of the King's colours doth engage and confirm more the subjects and souldiers in their duty and loyalty then the 39. Prelatick Articles and the oath of supremacy A Rebell or Roundhead may t' is true weare the King's colours but not with so great danger to his Majesty or dommage to the publick as when he professeth the King's Religion Very few Englishmen will fly from the King's colours they once weare and profess to esteem but many that profess the 39. Articles will fight against the Prelatick interpretation therof for their own privat sense and against that of the King and Church of England So applicable are the 39. Articles to all dissenting Reformations and so pliable to every Rebellion that is grounded vpon any pretence of Scripture SECT X. How the fundamental principles of the Protestant Reformations maturely examined and strictly followed have led the most learned Protestants of the world to Iudaisme Atheisme Arianisme Mahometanisme c. and their best modern wits and writers to admit of no other Rule of Religion but Natural Reason and the Protestants Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania to deny the Mystery of the Trinity SEbastian Castalio termed by Osiander in epitom pag. 753. Vir apprimè doctus linguarum peritissimus Ranked by Doctor Humfrey In vita Ivelli pag. 265. with Luther and Zuinglius and placed by Pantaleon in Chronographia pag. 123. amongst the Fathers and lights of the Church this great and learned Protestant having considered the Prophecies mentioned in Scripture of the conversion of Kings and Nations by the Christian Church and of it's happy state splendor and continuance and compared all with the very foundation and first principle of protestancy to wit with the protestant supposition of a generall apostacy and fall of the visible Church from the true faith and their remaining in superstition and idolatry for so many centuries of years together with the invisibility of the Protestant Church vntill Luther and by consequence it 's not converting any visible Kings or nations from Paganisme to Christianity having I say maturely considered these things was so perplex'd and doubtfull in point of God's providence and veracity that he came at length to believe nothing as may be seen in his Preface of the great latin Bible dedicated to K. Edward 6. where he saith verily we must confess eyther that these things shall be performed herafter or have bin already or that God is to be accused of lying If any may answer that they have bin performed I will demand of him when If he sayd in the Apostles time I will demand how it chanceth that neither then the knowledg of God was altogether perfect and after in so short space vanished away which was promised to be eternall and more abundant then the flouds of the sea And concludeth the more I peruse the Scriptures the less do I find the same performed howsoever you vnderstand the same prophecies Martin Bucer one of the primitive and prime Protestants And an Apostle of the English reformation of whom Sir Iohn Cheek K. Edward 6. Master says the world scarce had his fellow and whom Arch-bishop Whitgift in his defence c. pag. 522. termeth a Reverend learned painfull sound Father c. this great Bucer after his first Apostasy from his Dominican order and Catholik Religion became a Lutheran afterwards a Zvinglian as appaereth in his epistle 〈◊〉 Norimb ad Essâ—ingenses Then he returned again to be a Lutheran as may be seen in the Acts of the Synod holden at Luther's house in Wittemberg an 1539. and in Bucer's own Comentaries vpon the 6. John and 26. Mathew where he asketh pardon of God and the Church for that he deceived so many with the error of Zuinglius and the Sacramentarians And notwithstanding this open repentance he returned again to the same Zuinglianism in England and therfore is reprehended by Schlusselburg in Theol. Calv. lib. 2. fol. 70. At length seeing the incertainty of Christianity wherunto by protestancy he had driven him-self and others that stuck to it's principles at the houre of his death he embraced Judaisme as they who were present therat testify saith Prateolus pag. 107. He declared long before to Dudley Earle of Warwick that he doubted whether all was true that the Evangelists relate of Christ. wherof see hertofore part 1. David George who for many years had bin a pious and publik Professor of Protestancy at Basil and called a man of God for his notorious charity to the poore and sick considering and comparing the aforesaid doctrin of protestancy with the prophecies of Scripture concerning the visible Church became a blasphemous Apostata and affirming our Saviour to have bin a seducer drew many Protestants to his opinion convincing them by their own principles and this argument Jf the doctrin of Christ and his Apostles had bin true and perfect the Church which they planted should have continued c. But now it is manifest that Antichrist hath subverted the doctrin of the Apostles and the Church by them begun as is evident in the Papacy therfore the doctrin of the Apostles was falls and imperfect Bernardin Ochin one of them whose opinions were Oracles to the Composers of the 39. Articles of Religion and the liturgy of the Church of England so much celebrated for his learning and piety that the Protector Seamor and Arch-bishop Cranmer called him out of Germany to help them in their Protestant reformation termed by Bishop Bale a light of the Church and England happy whilst it had him miserable when it lost him highly commended for learning and virtue by Simlerus and Sleydan l. 9. fol. 297. and by Calvin l. de scandalis c. This Ochin whom as Calvin writ all Italy could not match this light whose presence made England happy and whose absence made it miserable this very Ochin considering well the principles of protestancy became a Jew concluding that Christ never had a Church vpon earth When I did saith he in praefat Dialogorum consider how Christ by his power wisdom and goodness had founded and established his Church washed it with his bloud and enriched it with his spirit and again discerned how the same was funditus eversa vtterly over thrown I could not but wonder
are now superfluous and disrespectfull to the Royal Family that Reigns but such as have the honor to know him best assure us his Lâ—p is no great friend to Pâ—pists Lastly whosoever will call vnto mind the mis-chief which but a few members of the House of Commons of the long Parliament wrought against the late King and will observe how popular others of the same stamp are now and how apt the giddy multitude is to be fool'd again into Rebellion by the like madd zeale against Popery will be of opinion that not any on thing can be of so great prejudice to the peace and prosperity of England as the continuance of lawes which if executed make the Nation and Government SVBSECT II. Queen Marys and the Inquisitions severity against Protestancy can be no President or excuse for the Statuts against Popery I Will conclude this matter with answering the vulgar Objection made for vindication of the penal and sanguinary lawes of Queen Elizabeth against Roman Catholicks grounded vpon a parity of the like lawes executed by Queen Mary and the Jnquisition against Protestants The disparity will discover the fallacy and dissolue the force of their argument Neither Queen Mary nor the Jnquisition made any lawes against Protestants they were made by the first Christian Emperours and accepted by all Catholick Kings into the statuts of their Kingdoms and confirmed by their Parliaments The ancient Christian Soveraigns not only believed that the Roman faith was the Apostolick but found by experience the same Roman Catholick faith had peaceable principles agreablâ—â—o just Government and therfore they enacted lawes of death infamy confiscation of goods c. against all such as presumed to alter that doctrin declaring such as contradicted the Tenets therof to be Innovators and Hereticks When protestancy began in England they who preach't the new doctrin being conscious of their own guilt and of having incurred the penalties of these ancient Christian lawes then in force against Innovators and Hereticks and in particular against the marriage of Priests with Nuns proceeded other-wise Zozomen hist. lib. 6. cap. 3. affirmeth how that the Christian Emperour Jovinian who was in course the third Emperour after Constantin the Great published an Edict that who allured a Nun to mariage should be therfore punished with the loss of his head And this law is yet extant Câ—d l. de Episcopis Câ—â—ricis But they I say petitio to the Parliament of Edward â— to have those 〈◊〉 repealed wherby you may see how they acknowledged their own doctrin was Heresy whervpon they werâ— dispensed with to marry and all the 〈◊〉 lawes against Herâ—tickâ— and heresiâ—â— were repealed Queen Mary succeeding restored the ancient lawes that had bin repealed by King Edâ—â—â—d 6. togeather with the ancient Religion but she was not the Author of them as Queen Elizabeth was of the penal and sanguinary statuts against Priests and Roman Catholicks which never had bin heard of before her time in a Christian Kingdom or Common-wealth Jn like manner the Inquisition maâ—â— no new lawes against Protestants neither do they sentence them to death they only declare that they are Innovators of the ancient Catholick doctrin or Hereticks and then the secular Magistrats do execute the temporal lawes in foâ—â—e against such persons If protestants had not found themselves guilty of heresy why were they so solicitious to have the laweâ— â—hat had bin â—â—acted against hereticks not lately but during those venâ—â—â—ble 〈◊〉 of the priâ—â—tive Church repealed why did 〈…〉 if their doctâ—â—â— was the â—â—me with that of â—he ancient Fathers that lived in times wherin the Imperial lawes were made and in force what needed they to except against lawes which had bin enacted to favour the doctrin of those Fathers with whom they pretend to agree Queen Mary therfore and the Inquisition who proceeded acâ— willing to those ancient â—â—wes against protestants did nothing but what all Christian and Catholick Emperours and Kings had don for the space of 1300. years against hereticks But Queen Elizabeth took the quite contrary way she observed that according to the principles of Christianity as also according to the ancient and modern lawes of England her self could not enjoy the Crown having bin declared illegitimat by sundry Acts of Parliament never repealed nor the Stewards be excluded they being the lawfull and immediat Heirs and because the Queen of Scots from whom they derived their title was a Catholick Queen Elizabeth made her-self and England Protestant that is by Acts of Parliament she declared that all the Catholick Emperours Kings and Churches of the world for almost 1300. years had bin superstitious and Idolatrous that the Bishop of Rome was Anti-Christ the Catholick Clergy Cheats the sea of Rome the whore of Babylon spiritual Jurisdiction a shee and secular supremacy the sacrifice of Christ's body and bloud a blasphemy five of the seaven Sacraments human invention and corrupt following of the Apostles Priesthood and Episcopacy nothing but a lay Ministery authorised vnder the Soveraign's great seâ—le all lawfull Priests and Bishops Traytors all Catholicks Hereticks c. And all these absurdities were made legal in England to make her Father's marriage with Anne Bullen seem lawfull wheras it had bin declared null and invalid by so many Parliaments of England that her self durst not attempt an immediat and cleer repeale of Acts so notoriously inconsistent with the right that herself pretended â—o the Crown Tâ—at 〈…〉 and men who expected favors from her should so metamorphose sacred things into profane Scripture into fancy and illegitimacy into legitimacy we do noâ— admire neither is it strange that illiterat people after a Century of years continuance and education in such a Religion should be zealous in the maintenance therof or that a Clergy which hath no other livelyhood nor hopes of promotion but by justifying these proceedings should endeavor to continue her lawes against orthodox Christianity and the known truth for their own interest are frailties incident to men but that the nobility and Gentry of England being so well vers'd in their own Chronikles and in the Histories of other Nations that persons of so much witt knowledg and judgment should not when they meet in Parliament move and resolve to restore Christianity and rectify so gross and vulgar mistakes especialy since the family against whose succession the statuts had bin introduced is restored to the Crown this 〈◊〉 or oblivion I say of the English 〈◊〉 and nobility iâ— hardly excusable And if the 〈◊〉 will not be moved out of charity to their fellow subjects and 〈◊〉 to abolish the sanguinary and penal Laws against Roman Catholicks let them do it out of civility to the Royal Family against whose party and Title so injust Laws were â—â—acted There is not therfore any thing 〈◊〉 more Queen Elizabeths penal statuts then to compare 〈◊〉 wiâ—h Queen Mariâ—â— and the Inquisitions proceedings against Protestants It 's now time that we pass from the examination of
compared these Magdeburgian Centurists and indeed ti 's the case of all other Protestant writers to fellowes accused or suspected of theft heresy or any other crime who willingly present themselves before the Magistrat or Senat of the Citty And there first of all for their cleering should bring in for witnesses against themselves the best learned most grave and most honest men of all that Citty to testify that they indeed are Thieves and hereticks or the like but yet having so don would endeavor to refute all these again by only saying that these men so highly esteemed and commended for their integrity spoke rashly and incommodiously and knew not what they testified against them or at least were in a dream and that the accused persons alone ought to be believed against them all Might not these men be thought mad or drunk that would take such a course of defence And yet this is the course and case of the Magdeburgians who citing first the gravest and most ancient Fathers of Christendom against themselves do reiect the same again with this only Iest and contumely that they speak incommodiously ignorantly and were stubble Doctors opiniones incommodae naevi stipulae c. Doctorum Cyprian say they speaketh without Scripture Cyprian doth feign superstitiously Cyprian doth Iudge naughtily Tertullian doth erre Few in ancient times did write perspicuously and with Iudgment And of the whole multitude of Doctors of the second age which was neerest to the Apostles they are pleased to say Albeit this age was neerest to the Apostles yet the doctrin of Christ and his Apostles began to be not a litle darkned therin and many monstrous and incommodious opinions are every where found to be spread by the Doctors therof Then of the third age they say the further that we go from the Apostles age the more stubble we shall find to have bin added to the purity of the Christian doctrin So that you may see what these foure drunken Germans judge of succeeding ages of the greatest Doctors and of the whole Catholick Church and what credit their writings deserve John Fox in his Acts and Monuments doth imitat the example of these Dutch drunken Centurists his Masters not only in this impudent foolery but also in their fraudulent dealing of concealing and cutting off many of the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers least the multitude and cleerness of the authorities should give our Catholick cause too much credit but he dissenteth from the Magdeburgians in saying that the true Church of Christ is both visible and invisible visible to them that are in her and invisible to them that are out of her So that according to Fox heathens and heretiks that are out of the Church can not see her nor be converted or convinced by those visible and supernatural signs wherewith God hath made her remarkable and conspicuous to the end that such as are not in her may see her and be converted a thing so much inculcated by the ancient Fathers that they say very few or none of the meanest capacities can be excused by invincible ignorance from damnation But let vs see what an Jmaginary Church of Protestants he fancies and builds in the Aire And first we may observe that for the first twelve hundred years after Christ not finding as much as one Parish of Protestants in the whole world Fox doth not name any Church or Congregation but the Roman Catholick But from Pope Innocentius the 3. time downwards Fox beginneth and bringeth forth for the true Church a rablement of condemned Sectaries dissenting in opinions and professions not only from the Catholik but also from the Protestant reformations and divided among themselves cohering in no other form or succession but that one sprung vp by chance after the other which as his adversary tells him he tieth togeather in a Catalogue or list as Sampson's foxes were by the tailes This list or Catalogue he setteth down in his protestation to the Church of England telling first that even during the time of the last 400. years from Pope Innocentius downwards the true Church of Christ he meanes the Protestant which vntill then had bin wholy invisible durst not openly appeare in the face of the world being oppressed by Tyrany But yet that it remained from time to time visible in certain chosen members that not only bare secret good affection to sincere doctrin but stood also in the defence of truth against the Church of Rome But if his Protestant Church was invisible to them that were out of her and by consequence to Papists it needed not feare their Popish Tyrany by which it could be no more prejudiced then Spirits or men shut vp in enchanted Castles In which Catalogue saith Fox first to pretermit Bertramus and Beringarius which were before Pope Innocentius 3. a learned multitude of sufficient witnesses heere might be produced whose names are neither obscure nor doctrin vnknown as Ioakim Abbot of Calabria Almaricus a learned Bishop that was judged an heretick for holding against Images besides the Martyrs of Alsatia of whom we read 100. to be burned by Pope Jnnocentius in one day Add likewise to these the Waldenses and Albigenses Besides divers others standing against the Pope an 1240. c. Then he addeth to these some privat persons for the most part Catholiks as Dante 's the Jtalian Poet Armacanus Occham c. and finaly embraceth in his Church the Lollards Wickleffians Hussits and all other Sectaries vntill he comes to Luther Zuinglius and Calvin c. all of them disagreeing in opinion and every one pretending his own opinion to be the true Catholick faith And this is the visible succession of Fox's Church and the subject of his Ecclesiasticall History wherby he pretends to no greater antiquity then of 400. years nor can he prove any other vnity of faith then their impugning the Pope and the Roman Catholick Doctrin not vnanimously but some one point some another disagreeing in most among themselves I will briefly refute these his lyes and reveale his fraud Bertram was a Monk lived and dyed a Roman Catholick above 800. years agone after his death some of his followers forged a litle pamphlet in his name savoring or favoring the Berengarian heresy but the fraud was presently discovered and rejected Berengarius recanted his heresy and dyed a penitent Catholick Ioachim an old man half out of his wits was censured by the Pope for certain fond prophecies and some errors also about the Blessed Trinity Almaricus was never Bishop but only of Fox his making he was condemned for many other heresies besides holding against Images as for teaching there is no resurrection of Bodies at all 2. That there is no paradise nor hell 3. That the body of Christ is not in the Sacrament 4. That God spake as much in Ovid as in Austin c. As for his Martyrs in Alsatia they who relate that story say certain Hereticks to the number of 80.
the King as chief head in Q. Elizabeth who affected not the title of head of the Church as having preemiâ—â—â—â— because King Iames insisted much vpon a spiritual supremacy they translated to the King as supreme To maintain this error that Priests may have wives they translate 1. Cor. 9. v. 5. for woman wife as if St. Paul had bin married wheras it is evident in the 7. chapter of this same Epistle v. 8. that he was not married I say therfore to the vnmarried and widdows it is good for them if they abide even as I. And the same word which here they translate wife in cap. 7. v. 1. they translate woman because St. Paul saith there it is good for a man not to touch a woman but here to translate wife was not for their purpose In the same Epistle cap. 11. v. 2. contrary to both Greek and Latin they translate for Keep the Traditions as I have delivered them to you Keep ordinances c. 1. Cor. 15. v. 10. they add to this text I have laboured more abundantly then all they yet not I but the grace of God with me they add I say the grace of God which is with me 〈◊〉 that where the Apostle rather sayd the grace of God laborred whiâ—h him and consequently he with the grace of God which proveth 〈…〉 they by adding which is to the Text 〈◊〉 have it seeme that the Apostle did nothing at all but was moved like a thing without liâ—e or will and thus they prove by Scripture the Protestant errors Ephesians 1. v. 6. For he hath gratified vs 〈◊〉 â—â—lde vs gratious or conduct us with graâ—e they translate 〈◊〉 hath made vs accepted in the beloved against inherent grace in favour of the Protestant error of imputative justice Epist. Philip. cap. 4. v. 3. For sincere Companion help those women c. They translate true yoke-fellow help those woman tâ— make men believe that St. Paul had recommended those persons to his wife who indeed had none 1. Cor. 7. v. 8. Nothwithstanding the discipline of the Church of England is contrary to that of the Calvinists because reason oâ— state and the constitution of Parliaments requireth Bishops yet the doctrin therof is Zuinglian and Calvinian in most points and Doctor Abbots Archbishop of Canterbury who had the greatest hand in correcting the Bible by King Iames his order was Calvin's great admirer as may be seen in his books One of Calvin's blasphemies against Christ is that he feared and suffered the paines of hell nay and despaired vpon the Cross and in that sense doth explain his descent into hell admitting of no other That this blasphemy might be authorised by Scripture Cranmer and the whole Clergy and Church of England after him in their edition of Tyndal and Coverdales Bible an 1562. in the epistle to the Hebrews chap. 5. vers 7. corrupt St. Paul's words speaking of Christ praying vpon the cross He was heard for his reverence thus he was heard in that he feared to maintain their blasphemous paradox that our Saviour should have feared and felt the paines of hell vpon the Cross. To confirm also this wicked doctrin and confute Lynâ—◠〈◊〉 jâ—â—trum and Purgatory Dr. Abbots Archbishop of Cant. and the other Translators of the Bible corrupt 1. Pet. 3. v. 〈…〉 for wheras the words of Scripture are quickened or alive 〈…〉 or soule in the which spirit comming he preached 〈…〉 also that were in prison They translate quickned by the spirit by which also he went and preached vnto the spirits 〈…〉 This Translation was so gross that Doctor Montaguâ— â—ishop of Chichester and Noâ—wich reprehended for it Sir Henâ—â— will to whose care the translating of St. Peter's epistle committed but Sir Henry Savill told him plainly that Doctor Abbots and Dr. Smith Bishop of Glocester corrupted and altered the Translation of this place which himself had sincerly performed In pursuance of this their Calvinian heâ—â—sy and corruption they pervert the Text of Gen. 37. v. 35. translating graue for hell Protestants denying more places for soules after this life then heaven for the just and hell for the wicked and being ashamed to say that the holy Patriarch 〈◊〉 was damned or that he despared of his saluation when he sayd I will go down to my son into hell mourning Gen. 37. 〈◊〉 35. They translate I will go down into the grave vnto my 〈◊〉 mourning and rather then confess a third place and by consequence Purgatory after this life they father non-sence vpon Iacob and the Holy Ghost as though Iacob thought that his son Iosâ—ph had bin buried in a grave whereas Iacob thâ—ught and sayd immediatly before vers 33. an evill beast hath devoured him And therfore he must necessarily have meâ—â—â— that he would dye and go where he thought the soule of his son Joseph to be which was neither in heaven for then he would rather have ascended thither Ioyfull then descended to any place mourning neither did he mean the hell of the damned for that had bin desperation but to a low place where the lust soules then remained which was called Lyâ—nâ—â—â— Patrum or Abraham's Bosom the way of the holies as Saint Paul speaketh being not yet made open because our Saviour Christ was to dedicat and begin the entrance in his own person and by his passion to open heaven Tertullian lib. â—â— advers Marcâ—â—â— saith I know the bosom of Abraham was 〈◊〉 heavenly place but only the higher Hell or the higher part of hell from which speech of the Fâ—ther◠〈…〉 afterward that other â—ame Lymbas Patrâ—â—â— that is the very 〈◊〉 or vppermost and outmost part of hell where the Fathers of the Old Testament rested The words of St. Peter 2. 〈◊〉 1. v. â—5 And I will do my diligeâ—â—â—â— to have you often after my decease also that you may keep a memory of these things seemed to Protestants so plain in favour of his praying for the Christians after his decease that King Iames his Translators change them into these Moreover I will endeavor that you may be able after my decease to have these things alwayes to remembrance We ask Protestants why do they wrest this place of the Psalme and corrupt Scripture against the honour which ought to be given to Saints Psalme 138. Thy friends O God are bâ—â—ome exceeding honorable their prinâ—edoâ— is exceedingly strengthned which is Saint Hierom's translation from the Hebrew confirmed by the great Rabbin R. Salomon and the Greek Textâ— and never excepted against by any learned Father of the Church vntill the Protestant Translators were pleased to alter it thus How pretious are thy thoughts 〈◊〉 O God how great is the summe of them as if multiplicity of thoughts were an admirable excellency in God wheras his 〈◊〉 admitâ—s not many but rather one comprehensive knowledge without composition and therfore the Holy Ghost would not have sayd of them in the next verse that they are more in number then the Sands which expression may
as his Majesty was going to the Chappel vpon Good friday in the morning in the yeare 1604. Deane 〈…〉 difficulties 〈…〉 Book MY 〈…〉 the Author's complaint that Catholiks â—â—ving 〈…〉 offers of some jâ—st tryall of their and 〈…〉 Religion in England either by publick disputation free writing or printing they could never yet be admitted vnto any which made me much to mervaile vpon what cause or ground this should be so long denyed for that supposing our Protestant Religion to be true as I was persuaded I could not see why this pâ—â—blick tryall might not be and ought not to be granted Moreover I saw and considered that wheras his Majesty soon after his coming into England was resolved gratiously to heare the differences that were between his own subjects and to that effect yeelded for three or four days most honorable audience in his own person to heare and Iudge the contentions between the Protestants and puritans yet notwithstanding in this conference the Papists had no place at all which was marked by many and divers also spoke therof Wherfore vpon these considerations I was much troubled doubting lest this straitness vsed in not admitting Papists to any kind of this equal offered tryall might have some mystery in it and that all things went not so cleere indeed on our side as I had hitherto believed My second difficulty was about the tryall of spirits whether they be of God or no the Author of the Defence joyning roundly with M. r Chark offered to stand to all lawfull tryall whatsoever and therupon taketh in hand to prove that Protestants have no sure ground or way to try an heretical or Catholick spirit and that Catholicks have many wherof he setteth down nine shewing first that the only way offered by Protestants of only Scripture is no way at all and that for divers reasons one among the rest that all heretickâ— both old and new have professed this way c. which 〈◊〉 it were admitted to be the best and that Scripture 〈◊〉 neither corrupted in the letter nor perverted in the 〈◊〉 by Protestants yet could not that way of tryall advance 〈◊〉 advantage their cause because the Catholicks have express 〈◊〉 of Scripture for themselves and Protestants no express 〈…〉 for their Tenets As for example Catholicks have 〈◊〉 This is my Body for Transubstantiation Mat. 26. 〈◊〉 man is justifyed by workes and not by faith only Jacob. 2. for â—â—â—tification by Good workes Whose sins you forgive are forgiâ—â—â— c. Joan. 20. for absolution The doers of the Law 〈◊〉 be justified Rom. 2. for the possibility of observing the Commandements vow ye and render your vowes Psalm 75. for votaries Keep the traditions which you have learned either by word or epistle â— Thess. 2. for vnwritten Traditions c. Protestants have not one express text in all Scripture for their Tenets My third difficulty was about the first beginners of our Protestant doctrin to wit Luther with his schollers Zuinglius Câ—â—oldstadius Oecolampadius Calvin Beza c. for that albeit Religion is not to be measured by the life of the Teacher yet I considered that whensoever God did send any men extâ—â—ordinarily to reform his Church they were alwayes comâ—only of more eminent virtue in their lives then others as 〈◊〉 seen by all the Patriarchs and Prophets by St. John Baptiâ—â— and others in succeeding ages But now for these men before named Luther and the rest this writer of the Defence doth shew by very great testimonies that they were men far inferiour vnto the common sort of honest men that Luther had his reformation against the Mass Intercession of Saints c. from the Devill from whom also Zuinglius received his opinion against the real presence and Transubstantiation that Calvin followed therin Zwinglius and we in England embrace the same That Hierom Bolseâ— Doctor of Physiâ— many yeareâ— in Geneua and other places round â—bout in 〈◊〉 time when himself was a 〈…〉 things both of 〈…〉 his falshood might be so easily 〈…〉 As that Iohn Calvin was 〈…〉 with a burning â—â—â—ron for 〈…〉 in 〈◊〉 who preserved 〈…〉 and that 〈◊〉 was testifyed by publick record of the said Citty of Noyâ—â—â— and that this was registred by Monsieur Bertilier Secretary of the Councell of Geneva vnder a publick and sworn 〈◊〉 hand he relates many things of Calvin's excessive ambition intollerable hypocrisy delicat niceness and lascivious carnaâ—â—â— As for Beza who lived when Bolsek's book was written he reporteth many enormous things as that he kept both a boy and a Queane Andebertus and Candida that he ran away with a Taylor 's wife that dwelt in Calenâ—â—r street in Paris â—he robbing her husband to accompany him and that he continued the like life after keeping an harlot called 〈◊〉 together with his own wife and killing his own Child begotten vpon her to cover the sin by letting her blood above measure and many other soul things which I avoyd to name for loathsomness My fourth difficulty was thaâ— the Defence of the Censâ—â—â— sheweth how our Church of England doth receive and 〈◊〉 for Brethren such as could never agree nor cannot at the day in sundry substantial points of doctrin as the book proves by their confessions protestations and writings one against the other as also by sundry Synods and Protestant Councells wherin the one hath condemned the other And namely he citeth this saying of Luther among many other I do protest before God and the world that I do not agree with them the Sacramentarians which is our Religion of England 〈…〉 will while the world standeth but will have my hand◠〈…〉 the blood of those sheep which these hereticks do drive 〈…〉 and kill 〈…〉 it was possible that Luther 〈…〉 with God's holy spirit 〈…〉 so manifestly condemn us 〈…〉 for 〈◊〉 hereticks that hold him for 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 very same doctrin as doctrin 〈…〉 for pernitious heresy This 〈…〉 I might have some 〈…〉 〈◊〉 fifth difficulty was M. r Fulk and our Protestant 〈◊〉 contempt of the holy Fathers and of Traditions 〈…〉 I fell vpon this account whether it were more 〈…〉 me to adventure my soul with Fulk and our 〈…〉 or with the antient Fathers and whether it 〈…〉 probable that they should know what passed in 〈…〉 Church better then St. Cyprian St. Austin c. 〈…〉 troubled me as I thought every day a year 〈…〉 〈…〉 was about M. r Chark against whom 〈…〉 was written who seemed to me 〈…〉 very 〈…〉 impugning the same for that 〈…〉 not 〈◊〉 to any of the difficulties as to 〈◊〉 seemed and much less in his reply to the defence 〈◊〉 afterward I 〈◊〉 to see The substance of Dean Walsingham's memorial to the King 〈◊〉 a certain memorial as I may call it wherin I 〈◊〉 comprehended as compendiously as then I could some chief 〈◊〉 principal causes of my doubts and difficulties before 〈◊〉 and contained in that book desiring his Highness 〈…〉 Mr. Doctor Covell told me
and this without the Popes positive approbation How much more lawful would it be for our Catholick Clergy to resign with the Poprs consent their Right and Revenues to the King upon so pious and publick a consideration as Liberty of Consciâ—nce and a Toleration of our true Faith and how rationally may it be presumed the Pope and all therein concerned will consent thereunto But in such a case how shall the Roman Catholick Clergy be maintained by Gods Providence and Christian Charity as they have been when our Ancestors were first Converted How are they now maintained in England Holland Japan and China Let us not be Solicitous for things of this World let us seek the Kingdom of Heaven and we shall not want There was never more Piety in the Church than when the Ministers thereof had no Lands Let the Finances or found of the Exchequer be settled in such a manner that the King need not trouble His Subjects unless it be upon some very extraordinary occasion and we may be confident that what can be spared will not be denied All must be left to the Piety and Prudence of His Majesty and His Ministers Let us who are but Passengers and private persons in this great Ship of the Commonwealth pray for fair weather that the Sun of Justice may shine and discover the dangers both of Soul and State whereunto these our floating Islands have been driven by the tempestous and cross winds of Protestancy and leave the rest to God and to such as he hath placed at the Helm The mist of Protestant Frauds and falsifications once disperced and falshood vanished into its own nothing through the force and evidence of truth our Masters will not be necessitated as now they are to steer the State according to the deceits of a mercenary Clergy or to the Decrees of a fallible Church And as they will enjoy the benefit of our Catholick Doctrine so we ought not to doubt but that we shall find the effects of their Christan Charity Peace and Plenty thus established at home then we may think of our Right and Interest abroad It s undeniable that the two best Provinces of France Normandy and Aquitain are our Kings antient Patrimony and undoubted Inheritance neither can his right to that whole Kingdom be much questioned seeing that the Salick Law if ever any such thing was extended no further than Franconia a Province of Germany and had it been intended for France the Line Male of the Kings thereof had not been so frequently changed but it seems the French would have one Law for us and another or none at all for themselves Our antient Kings regarded not this Salick Pretext they claimed by Law and conquered by Arms that great Empire But the difference between the white and red Rose occasioned the loss of our French Lillies when those differences were compos'd and the Titles of York and Lancaster united in King Henry 8. instead of recovering France he made a breach with Rome and by the Protestant Reformation which he began and his Successors continued they have been so diverted and distracted at home that they wanted both means and opportunity to prosecute their claim to the best Kingdom of Europe And indeed so long as Protestancy doth so much prevail in these Islands we may despair of having any Dominion in the Catholick Continent We have had late experience how the two emulous great Crowns of France and Spain conspired to recover contrary to the ordinary maxims and practises of state Dunkirk out of our hands neither was it bestowed upon us with any other intention then of taking it from us when a peace should be concluded tho' Cardinal Mazarin endeavour'd to make Cromwell believe the contrary But that which must make our hopes even of Normandy and Aquitain quite vanish is the prejudice which the generality and nobility of France and of those two mention'd Provinces retain against the Reformation which our former Kings not only professed but pressed upon others The Normans and Gascoins do love our King as their undoubted and natural Prince but they are so averse from being of his Religion that they had rather endure the hardships of a Jealous but Catholick Government then try and trust the Faith and Caresses of a Protestant And truly our proceedings in Ireland and the Principles whereupon we have grounded the Settlement of that Nation seem to have so little regard to the performance of Promises Solemnity of Treaties and engagements of publick Faith made to Roman Catholicks that few of that Profession will be induced to take a Protestants word or trust his Religion in another occasion seeing that notwithstanding the Kings inclination and Declaration to make good his Articles of Peace such is the priviledge of Protestancy and the Power or Prerogative it gives to the Protestant Multitude that a King cannot be just to Papists without running the hazard of being injurious to himself and of loosing his Crown by a Protestant Rebellion Is it likely that Catholick strangers will become Subjects to this Monarchy when the Catholick Natives are by our Laws made Strangers and incapable of Trust or Employment only because they are Catholicks Is it credible we shall maintain the Priviledges and Rights of Foreign Catholick Corporations when we make a Law that no Catholick shall enjoy his own Lands or freedom in our Corporations notwithstanding the express Articles of a proclaim'd Peace to the contrary in favour of the Catholick Natives Therefore unless we resolve to be more moderate in our Religion at home it is a vanity to claim our Right or to think of diverting our Enemies abroad As for designs built upon the Strength of the French Hugonots they can have no other ground but our desires that Party is brought so low in France that the King made his aversion to their Religion and Themselves no state secret and scrupled not to tell their Agents representing Grievances that though his Grandfather loved them and his Father feared them yet he did neither love nor fear them And truly all that England can expect from them is but the Presbyterian Prayers of Charenton and of their other Calvinian Congregations for the good success of Puritans against Prelaticks and Royalists But if the Catholick Religion were Restored or at least Tolerated in these Kingdoms by Act of Parliament we should be more formidable to the French Kings then ever our Ancestors have been and no less successful Normandy and Aquitain could have then no pretext to except against their Lawful Princes the Scots who always hindred would now help to Conquer the rest of that Kingdom The Princes of the French Blood could not be kept in such awe as they are at present if we had any footing in France and the odious Name and Faith of Protestants were by granting liberty of Conscience a little sweetned otherwise if the Princes who perhaps desire to favour any Foreigner whether Protestant or Catholick to make their Cousin less
can divert the Layty from entertaining any thoughts of curiosity or scruples of conscience in order to the examination of this matter of so great importance and can make them believe that K. Henry 8. passion to Ann Bullen was a just cause to introduce the Reformation and to assume the Supremacy or that the Earle of Hartfords ambition of being absolutly Protector of England quite contrary to K. Henry 8. Testament and to his own Oath of not assuming any power above his Collegues and Tutors of K. Edward 6. was a divin inspiration to bring in Zuinglius his Sacramentarian Religion into the Realm or that the Duke of Northumberlands poysoning the yong King and excluding the next and lawfull heirs from the Crown to conferr it vpon his own own son and the Lady Iane Grey pretending therby to promote his new Zuinglian Ghospell was the work of the holy Ghost Or that Q. Elizabeths murther of the Q. of Scots and her Parliaments Decrees and endeavors to preferr any natural issue of her body to this Empire before the legitimat and immediat Heirs the Stevards and therby to continue her prelatick Protestancy were things lawfull according to the principles of Christianity and Catholick faith If the Protestant Clergy I say can persuade the layty that all this was lawfull and agreable to the doctrin which Christ and his Apostles did preach either they have an abundance of wit or they that believe them very litle judgment A great wit maintained that they may as well make Mahomets Alcoran a plausible Religion in England and gain therby as great revenues as they do by their Reformation and Protestant Scripture wherof neither the Canon letter or sense is that which God delivered to his Church as heretofore hath bin proved I do not speak in rallery sayd the gentlemen but seriously when I say that men who believe the Protestant Religion to be true may be induced by the same persons and the like reasons to believe that Mahometisme is the true Religion This hath also bin solidly proved by Doctor Reynolds in his Calvino-Turcismus and by others also when they demonstrat that Calvinism and Turcism agree in the principall points and every one knows that the doctrin of the 39. articles of the Church of England is the quintessence of Calvins doctrin and was by him applauded though he said that as to Point of disciplin there were many tolerable fooleries in in that Church and Lyturgy But let us pursue the Gentlemans parallel of Mahomet and his doctrin with our English Reformers and their doctrin and we shall plainly see that there is as much reason to believe Mahometism as prelatick Protestancy and that both these Religious were planted and propagated by the same means nay that it is more to be admired how our Countreymen became Protestants then the Arabians or Armenians became Turcks When Mahomet began to preach his doctrin in the East Christianity there was so discredited by being divided into sects and into so many heresies of Arians Manichees Nestorians c. that men were disposed by that diversity of opinions to follow any new Religion especialy that of Mahomet becaus he borrowed something from every Sect and as the 39. Articles of the Church of England agree in some fundamental points with Catholicks and also with hereticks so Mahomet agreeth in the worship of one God with Iews and Chriâ—tians and in the doctrin and worship of Christ he comes at â—eer to Christianity as most Arians and Nestorians or the Antitrinitarian Protestants of Hungary Poland c. nay as Bp. Morton and some other Prelaticks But when Luther in Germany and Cranmer in England began Protestancy all the west and Latin Church agreed in the Roman Catholick faith no other Religion was regarded and the â—emnants of Wickleff and Hus were hissed out of the world at least were nothing so considerable any where as the above mentioned heresies had bin in the East when Mahomet began there to preach his Alcoran So that if heresy or apostacy can have any excuse Mahometism in its begining was more excusable then Protestancy by reason of the more considerable divisions that then were among Christians in matters of doctrin then when Luther began his Reformation Now let us come to particular reflexions vpon both Mahomet retained some parts of Scripture as well as Protestants and had as good grounds to reject what he did not fancy of the letter and sense therof as Protestants have to be choosers of their own Canon and interpretation Mahomet gives as many rules of Morality as Protestants and though he allows of many wives Protestants do the same with this only difference that Mahomet says t is lawfull to keep many at once Protestants say you must keep but one at a time and that you cannot have the variety of wives men so much desire without the formality of a divorce how litle is requisit for the validity and legality of Protestant divorces we have proved heretofore by the authority and principles of the first Reformers and the dayly practises of their Successors In all other things Mahomets sect is more austere in fasting praying abstaining from wine c. then Protestancy And becaus both agree in the incoherency and absurdity of their principles both also agree in planting propagating and defending their doctrin not by miracles or rational arguments but by force and sanguinary statuts And this is the reason why Catholicks are as litle permitted to dispute or reason for the Roman Religion in these Kingdoms as Christians in Turky and Priests are as much perseeuted for writing books of Controversies as Printers and Stationers and severely punished Thus much as to the paralell of both doctrins But If we compare their persons or vertues we shall find that Mahomet was an honester man and deserved more credit then Luther Calvin Cranmer or any of the first Protestant Reformers He never was baptized at least never professed any Religion vntill he composed his own with the help of an Arian Monk but all the first Reformers had first professed the Catholick faith which afterwards they renounced pretending that God had forsaken his Church for many ages and presumed to say that he had authorised and inspired them to reform without shewing any warrant that doctrin vnto which their betters in learning vertue and judgment actualy submitted as vnto the true Catholick and themselves also had embraced as such vntill their pride and lust prevailed against their conscience Mahomet married a Widdow and had made no vows not to marry the first Reformers married Nuns and themselves also were votaries Calvin only excepted but his incontinency was no less scandalous and notorious then theirs having lived in adultery with a Gentlewoman of Mongis that left her husband at Lansanâ—â— to enjoy Calvins Company at Geneva who attempted also to commit the like sin with the Lady â—ollande of Bredrode wise to a sickly Nobleman called Iames Borgongue Lord of
Protestants None could ever prove there was one true miracle wrought to confirm the Protestants doctrin or their pretended authority for reforming the Tenets of the Roman Catholick Church Protestants are forced to say that miracles are ceased and that ours are Diabolical or counterfeit Because no true Bishops were Protestants and by consequence they could have no Priests ordained and so their Priesthood must have perished after the death of the first Apostatas Luther and others the Protestant reformers and Churches taught that all Christians are Priests both men and women and this doctrin is supposed to be true by the Church of England in their 39. articles and in the Act of Parliament 8. Eliz. 1. SECT IV. OF the Protestant Prelatick Church of England The occasion of K. Henry the 8. divorce from Q. Catharin and of his revolt from the Church of Rome was his passion to An Bullen the words of S. Iohn Baptist to Herod concerning his brothers wife absurdly applyed to K. Henrys marriage with his Brothers widdow How zealously he had formerly maintained the Popes supremacy how cruelly he afterwards persecuted the professors therof and how impiously he judged S. Thomas of Canterbury robbed his shrine and burnt his Reliques The Catholick Princes rejected his embasies and solicitations for imitating his example in assuming the supremacy And how much the protestant Princes were troubled and ashamed that he made his lust the motive of his reformation How incredible a thing is the English supremacy K. Henry 8. at length resolved to renounce it and returne to the duty of a Christian King but stood upon such termes and differrd it so long that he died in Schism excommunicated and despairing of Gods mercy His last will and testament was broken before his body was buried The Erle of Hartford made himself Protector and brought into England the Sacramenrian or the Zuinglian heresy against K. Henrys last will and the lawes of the land then in force without a Parliament and contrary to the votes of the Erles of Arundell and Southampton and others of the 16. Trustees named Governors by K. HeÌ„ry 8. during the minority of Edw. 6. SVBSECT I. HOw Seamor was directed and destroyed by Dudley Duke of Northumberland The sayd Dudley notwithstanding he was a Catholick in his judgment as himself confessed at his death concurred to establish protestancy in England designing therby to vnsettle the state and make way for excluding the right heirs of the Crown and crown his own family which he effected by excluding Q. Mary for being a Catholick and by marrying his Son to the Lady Jane Grey who had no other right to the Kingdom but what her Zeal to the Protestant Religion and Clergy gave her What wicked men and great cheats were Cranmer and his Camerades that composed the 39. articles of the Protestant Religion of the Church of England and the common prayer book that of Sacraments Rites and Ceremonies and how the common people were made believe the change was not of Religion but of language SECT V. OF the 39. Articles of the Church of England they contain only some general notions of Christianity and are applicable to all dissenting Sects of Protestancy as Presbytery Zuinglianism c. The design of the composers having bin rather to give men a liberty of not believing the particulars of Christian Religion then of tying them to any certain points therof or to any faith therfore they declare that the visible Church is fallible and determin no certain canonical Scripture of the new Testament They make the doctrin that Luther learnt of the Devil against the Mass Tradition and praying to Saincts c. part of their Creed as also the Tenet against spiritual Caracters of Episcopacy and Priesthood art 25. rejecting imposition of hands as not instituted by Christ. In the 2. last Articles they endeavour in vain to suppress the errors of Anabaptists especialy that of appropriating to themselves other mens goods in vain I say because in their former articles they declare its lawful for Protestants to dispossess the Roman Catholick Clergy of their goods and dignitys by vertue of a privat interpretation of Scripture and the Anabaptists pretend no more but that its lawfull for themselves to deal after the same manner with Prelaticks and t is certain there can be no disparity given So that the two last articles of the 39. as also that of the authority of the Protestant Clergy are against an evident parity of reason in their own Protestant Principles SECT VI. A Particular account of the revolutions which these 39. articles caused in England and how they may work always the same effects if there be such politick and popular heads amongst us as Dudley Crumwell and many of the last long Parliament Q. Maries Reign how much endangered by Protestant designs and rebellions Duke Dudleys speech at his death The Roman Catholick Religion restored by Act of Parliament and the Protestant decreed to be Heresy and Schism as also the force and frauds of K. Henry 8. divorce discovered and his marriage with Q. Catharin of Spain declared valid The Roman Clergys resignation of the Church revenues to the Crown and present possessors Q. Elizabeths intrusion against the right of the Steward 's effected by the zeal of the Protestant faction for suppressing of Popery SECT VII NOtwithstanding that Q. Elizabeth was declared illegitimat by 3. Acts of several Parliaments never yet repealed she possessed herself of the Croun and excluded the Queen of Scots the lawfull and immediat heir to Q. Mary lately deceased By the advice of Cecil and others she revived Protestancy and the Supremacy therby to excuse her illegitimacy She instituted a new Kind of Clergy the Prelatick Protestant Bishops neither had nor have any other caracter of Episcopacy but what the great seal and her temporal laws give them Any Lay person may consecrat a Bishop of the Church of England if he hath the Kings commission to do it all other things being superfluous according to the Act. 8. Eliz. 1. and 25. article of the 39. How the Oath of supremacy divided Protestants and made the Catholicks more constant The simplicity of some Protestant writers pretending that the Pope offered to confirm the English liturgy if Q. Elizabeth would acknowledge his jurisdiction SECT VIII REasons why Q. Elizabeth in her long raign could not settle her Protestant Religion nor gain credit for the Prelatick Clergy Neither is it possible for her Successors to make the generality of her subjects to have any esteem for either SECT IX HOw injurious and prejudicial the Protestant Religion hath been to the Royal family of the Stevards and how zealous they have bin and still are in promoting the same It preferred not only Q. Elizabeth but also any natural child of hers before the line of the Stewards Wherof see the 8. sect â—in How dexterously K. James played his game and how they who murthered his mother were forced to invite him to the Crown
greater miracle then the propagation of Mahomets Religion SECT VIII OF the Protestant justifying faith how absurd and inconsistent with Christian virtues how dangerous to Princes and all civill government Cromwell was directed by it and it may raise many Cromwells It s as dangerous an opinion as Atheism and therfore cryed down by K. James in the Conference at Hampton Court yet can it not be disowned by the Church of England without disowning Protestancy and the Prelatick Religion How much the best Protestant Princes and their Ministers are forced to suffer by this justifying faith of their subjects what great errors in policy they much condescend vnto Proved by the settlement of Ireland The late Earle of Straffords project and policy to make Roman Catholicks considerable in Irland Protestant Monarchy is more supported by Jrish Popery then by Scotch or English presbitery How fallacious and dangerous a thing it is they call the English Protestant interest in Irland Jn all parts of the world where Protestancy is professed their own Authors confess that vice and villany must reign and there most where their justifying faith is purest The Roman Indulgences and Iubilees give no such liberty or indemnity as the justifying Protestant faith Wee Roman Catholicks ought to praise and thank our Soveraign and his Ministers for not feeling wors effects of this justifying faith and of Protestancy To vse us with Christian moderation they strive against the principles of their own Religion SECT IX THat the rule of the Protestant faith and judge of controversies which is Scripture as interpreted by every Protestant is not consistent with Christian Faith humility Charity peace either in Church or State All hereticks appeale to the letter of Scripture therfore Luther called it the book of hereticks Every particular person according to the fundamental principle of Protestancy must be a Supreme Iudge of Scripture Councells and Fathers and of the whole Church How ridiculous it is to see shallow wits and silly women explain Scripture condemn Councells Fathers and the whole Catholick Church which folly proceeds from want of judgment humility charity and Christian faith It occasioned our late troubles and rebellion which was grounded vpon the Principles of Protestancy A Protestant people cannot be otherwise governed then a people wherof every one by priviledge or birthright may appeale from the law interpreted by publick Courts of Judicature to the law interpreted by every privat person The Protestants imaginary general Councells and their appeales therunto discovered to be a cheat to divert and delay any determination of religious controversies Every Protestant is a Pope more absolute and dangerous then the Bishop of Rome K. James his saying that every Protestant in the house of Commons was a King by his Religion How little the oath of Supremacy contributes to the Kings Soveraignty or Security or to the subjects loyalty The Protestant rule of faith is but every ones fancy applyed to the words of Scripture And therfore they often change according to their weakness of judgment or strength of passion Auditius his expression of their monthly faith and Melanctons saying both Protestants that they knew whom to avoid but knew not whom to follow are ingenuous The Protestant confessions and articles of faith composed and professed by every national Church oblige not the members of those Churches because the Collectors and composers of such articles are not infallible and will be thought not to agree with Scripture at least as every particular person will explain it The 39. Articles of the Church of England are so ambiguous that they may be applyed to all dissenting Tenets of Protestants both at home and abroad and therfore are printed and pressed in England to satisfy disagreeing parties and yet no party is contented with that indifferent symbol though each party callenges them in some occasions as favoring their own opinions nor any thing more contrary to piety and policy then articles so applicable to contrary Tenets and interests An arbitrary Religion is more dangerous and prejudicial to a state then an arbitrary government How vnfit the 39. articles and the Oath of Supremacy are to be made the distinctive sign of trust and loyalty to the King A man is more engaged to stick to the King by a red scarf or a garniture of ribands of the Kings colours then by an oath of so incredible a thing as the Supremacy and so vnsignificant articles as those of the 39. that contradict the Roman Catholick doctrin That Religion that hath not a more certain or infallible rule of faith then the Protestant Prelatick of England hath is not fit to be made the distinctive sign of trust or loyalty or the Religion of the state SECT X. HOw fundamental principles of the Protestant reformations maturely examined and strictly followed have led the most learned Protestants of the world to Judaism Atheism Arianism Mahometism c. And the protestant Churches of Poland Hungary and Transilvania to deny the mystery of the Trinity and our best modern English witts and writers to admit of no other rule of Religion but natural reason Instanced in Castalio Bucer David George Bernardin Ochin Neuserus Calvin Alemanus Socinus Chillingworth Stilling fleet Faukland c. How prelatick Protestancy is contemned by the best protestant wits and writers as being incoherent to the principles of protestancy and contradictory in its own Tenets How Presbiterians agree with the Anti-trinitarians in their way of reforming A Prelatick is a Presbiterian against Papists and a Papist against Presbyterians His own Religion includes both their Tenets though contradictory he hath but one Tenet wherunto he is constant and that is Episcopacy de Iure divino Calvinists are sayd by Lutherans to be baptised Jews and that Mahometism Arianism and Calvinism are 3. pair of hose of one cloath All protestant reformations are remnants of the same piece though with different trimmings according to the diversity of their reformers fancyes Why our English protestants deny not the Trinity as well as those of Hungary without violating the principles of protestancy they may doe it Articles of Christian Religion against conclusions cleerly deducible from the principles of protestancy are not valued by protestants It is the case of the Church of England SECT XI THe indifferency or rather inclination of Protestancy to all kind of infidelity is further demonstrated by the prelatick and Calvinian doctrin of fundamental and noâ— fundamental articles of faith The design of this new distinction manifested and frustrated The design is to make all Christians though declared hereticks that dissent from Roman Catholicks one Church and of the Protestant communion The Greeks and others reject Protestants as hereticks By their doctrin of fundamentalls Turks and Iews may be of one Church and communion with Christians Protestants proceed in matters of Religion as weak Statesmen do in state affairs For their separation from the Roman Catholick Church they cannot be excused from a damnable sin and schism Their writers
doctrinal Reformation he and all Reformers after him pretended an extraordinary and immediat vocation and mission from God to teach an other faith contrary to that which the then visible Church professed and could not be proved that any precedent Congregation ever held If there had been right beleevers saith Georgius Milius pag. 138. that went before Luther in his office there had then bin no need of a Lutheran Reformation Therfore we say that Luther was raised vp divinitus extra ordinem by God's special apointment and extraordinarily See Luther in loc Com. class 4. pag. 51. Bucer in epist. ad Episcop Hereford calls Luther the first Apostle of the reformed doctrin Beza in epist. Theolog. ep 5. Ergo de extraordinaria vocatione videamus Huic vero tum demum locum esse dicimus cum vel nulla vel penè nulla est ordinaria vocatio sicut nostris temporibus accidit in Papatu cum expectari extraordinaria vocatio quae nusquam erit nec debuit nec potuit Bishop Iewell in his Apology for the Church of England part 4. cap. 4. divis 2. And in his defence of the Apology pag. 426. The truth was vnknown at that time when Martin Luther and Vldrick Zuinglius first came vnto the knowledg and preaching of the Ghospel Mr. Parkins in his exposition vpon the Creed pag· 400. and in his works printed 1605. fol. 365. And in his reformed Catholick pag. 329. We say that before the days of Luther for the space of many hundred years an vniversal Apostasy overspread the whole face of the earth and that our Church was not then visible to the world Calvin in Institut lib. 4. cap. 3. sect 4. Quod Dominus nobis iniunxit c. Lascicius in proof of his extraordinary vocation lib. de Russorum Relig. pag. 23. alledgeth Calvin saying Because the succession or Series of ordination hath bin interrupted by the Pop's tyranny there is need of a new subsidy c. And this guift was altogeather extraordinary Mr. Fulk against Stapleton pag. 2. The Protestants that first preacht in these last days had likwise extraordinary calling Mr. Perkens saith the same in his works printed 1605. fol. 916. Mr. Symonds pag. 123. vpon the Revelations affirmeth a calling to preach by the civil Magistrat a holy and sufficient calling saith he in the time of these confusions But this pretext and presumption of theirs is groundless 1. Because the ordinary Ministery of Christ's Church being to continue as S. Paul says to the consummation of Saints and end of the world there could be no necessity of an extraordinary contrary mission or ministery but rather it must be concluded that there is an impossibility therof seing it is impossible that God should send men to contradict him-self or that doctrin which he promised should continue vntill he day of judgment by the Ministery and means of the ordinary Pastors and Doctors of the Church 2. Whensoever God sent any extraordinary Ministers or Reformers he confirm'd their mission and Ministery with vndoubted miracles as is manifest by the example of Moyses and the Prophets of the old Testament and of the Apostles in the new But no such thing appeared in Luther or any Protestant Their ordinary excuse that Miracles are ceased in the Church is confuted by their own acknowledging that in the Indies God by means of the Jesuits and other Catholick Preachers worketh Miracles for the conversion of Pagans And Philippus Nicolai confesseth that the Jesuits and other Spanish and Portugal Preachers converted both Indies Iapon Cataia c. And wrought many true Miracles in those parts and in our age but Withall addeth lib. 1. of his Comentaries de Regno Christi pag. 91. 312. 313. 314. 318. 219. That such Miracles wrought by the Jesuits and other professed Papists proceed not from their faith as it was Roman Catholick but as it was Lutheran See him pag. 91. 53. pag. 91. he sets down some mysteries of Christianity wherin Lutherans agree with Roman Catholick and attributs the Miracles to them only concluding Hucvsque enim Lutheranisant Wheras it is well known that the Jesuits inculcat to their Prâ—selits in all parts of the world the Romnn Catechisms and in the Indies Iapon China c. bid them beware of the English Holanders and other Protestants doctrin as of heresy And many of their Miracles are wrought at â—he intercession of our B. Lady S. Jgnatius S. Francis Xaverius c. and by application of their Reliques Mr. Hartwell is more reasonable he confesseth loc cit that the conversion of Congo was accomplished by massing Priests and after the Romish manner and this action saith he which tendeth to the Glory of God shall it be concealed and not committed to memory because it was perform'd by Popish Priests and Popish means God forbid Now if God works miracles for the Conversion of Pagans to our Catholick Religion it must be confessed that either ours is the true Religion or that God deceives those poore soules which by our Ministery and his miracles are thervnto converted Besid's if what Protestants say and that whervpon they ground their Reformaâ—ions be true viz that for above 1000. years the true Church hath bin invisible or suppress'd and the world abused by Popish Impostors and counterfeited miracles c. the innocent and illiterat Papists who are supposed to have bin seduced seeme as fit an object for Divine mercy and miracles as the Indian Idolaters But seing not one vndoubted miracle hath ever bin wrought to convert them from Popery to Protestancy it must necessarily follow that either God doth not approve of Protestancy or hath altered the vsual Stile of his providence which never failed to work miracles for the conversion of the Israelits and Hereticks when most guilty of heresy and idolatry T' is strang he should not observe the same custom with Popish Christians and convert them by the means and miracles of holy Protestants if these be his chosen people and sent by him to preach the Ghospel Not on Protestant Preacher could hitherto be prudently taken for an ordinary Prophet or for a person of extraordinary piety even the first Protestant Reformers are convicted of dishonest dealing and scandalous conversation and are farr from that degree J do not say of sanctity but of morality requir'd in men pretending to reform others We grant that a true Religion may be abused by the wickedness of it's Professors yet never was the truth of Religion planted or revived by the ministery of wicked persons Let us run over all Christendom and we shall find every Province therof converted to the Roman Catholick Religion by men not only Apostolical in their lives and conversation but also in Miracles We shall find not to leave our own Ilands an Austin in England a Patrik in Ireland a Columban in Scotland and almost in every county of these Kingdoms a miraculous Saint that converted our Ancestors to Popery How
incredible therfore is it that Protestancy can be the true Religion seing that in all the world they cannot name one Protestant eminent for Sanctity Miracles or morality Cranmer carried his wench with him in his Episcopal visitations Bale says him-self was inspired to take a sweet-heart called Dol Bishop Poynet went to law with a Butcher for his wife Peter Martyr and Bucer came to preach into England each of them having a Nun for a wife Calvin kept a Gentleman of Lausanna his wife Beza run away with the wife of a Taylor And as for the Protopatriarch and first Apostle of all the Protestant Reformations Luther himself confesseth loc com class 4. pag 50. that from his infancy he was haunted by the Devill and to be rid of him entred the Religious Order of St. Austin but afterwards the Devil prevail'd in a reall not imaginary dispuâ—ation against him concerning the abrogation of the Mass adoration of the Sacrament and invocation of our B. Lady and other Saints and he resolved having bin convicted by the Devill 's argument to for-sake his Order and set vp Protestancy which never had bin heard of before And wheras during the time he lived amongst his friars he acknowledgeth that he lived chastly and virtuously yet after his revolt from the Roman Catholick Religion he professeth in sundry places of his writings that he could not live without a woman and none could serve his turn but a Nun whom he debauched out of her Monastery Luther tom 1. epist. fol. 334. Colloq Germ. cap. de Matri Eight days were now past wherin I neither did write pray nor study being vexed with the temptation of the flesh c. As none can abstain from meat or drink so he cannot from a woman c. But it suffiseth that we have known the riches of the glory of God the lamb which taketh away the sins of the world can not draw us from him although we should commit fornication or kill a thousand times in one day His pride was so excessive that his Disciples are ashamed of him and have endeavored by altering many things in the later editions of his works to conceale the impiety of his Tenets and the imperfections of his person He was a better Drol then Doctor sociable but scandalous Melanchton excusing Luther's scandalous mariage in epistol ad Ioan. Camer pag. 39. saith Est vir iste nequaquam ex iis qui homines oderunt congressus fugiunt quotidianae autem vitae illius vsum non ignoras vnde cogitare te caetera quam me scribere melius ut opinor fuerit He wanted not wit to se the meakness of his Zealous Proselits and was so facetiously wicked as to laugh at them for relying vpon one Luther in a matter of so great importance as the chang of Christian Religion against the testimony of the whole visible Church and the sense of all ancient Fathers and Councels and therfore was vsed to say when he was merry amongst his confidents and Camerades in the Alehouses of Wittemberg Bibentibus nobis cervisiam Wittembergensem crescit Evangelium That the Ghospel was zealously preached by fooles while he made good cheer with friends He spent his life in good fellowship and Sleydan his deer Schollar lib. 3. edit 1521. fol. 29. reporteth how that Luther him-self acknowledged his profession not to be of life or manners but of doctrin wishing l. 2. ed. 1520. fol. 22. that he were removed from the office of preaching because his manners and life did not answer to his profession wherfore it was vsual with such Protestants as knew his life and conversation to say when they resolved to give them-selves to pleasure and debauche bodie Lutheranice vivemus to day we will live Lutheranlike see Benedict Morgensterne in tract de Ecclesia pag. 221. His death was answerable to his life in the morning he was found dead having bin very merry and feasting him-self the night before He attempted in vain two miracles at the importunity of his Schollers the one was to revive a dead man the other was to dispossess one of his own Disciples according to his new form of Exorcisms But Staphylus who was present says Luther was so fouly frighted that in steed of chasing the Devil him-self run away and was in danger of being killed The want of success in these two attemps made him say that miracles were ceased in the Church and that all ours are but impostures or don by compact with Sathan Zuinglius Author of the Sacramentarian Religion having bin tyed by Luther to no other rule of faith besides the letter of Scripture for he had bin Luther's scholler but differing from his Master in the point of the real presence invented a new reformation which he planted among the Suitzers and before he would impart it to them he made his conditions by way of petition yet extant in his works that if the Cantons would permit him and his Ministers who ioyned with him to take wives he would reveale to them the Evangelical doctrin so long hidden An other Epistle to the same purpose he writ to the Bishop of Constance and the reason he gives for his demand is least the soules committed â—o his own and his fellow's charge should be any longer offended by the example of their sensuality We have proved saith he that the weakness of our flesh hath bin O for grief cause of our often falling c. we have burned O for schame so greatly that we have committed many things vnseemingly c. To speake freely without boasting we are not otherwise of such vncivil manners that we should be ill spoken of among the people to vs committed for any wickedness hoc vno excâ—pto this one point only excepted And confesseth tom 1. fol. 115. that he and his fellow Ministers by means of their lustfull desires were made infamous before their Congregations Himself and his Camerades having taken wives or wenches he began to reveale his Ghospel and impugn the Mass by instruction from a spirit that appeared to him Whether black or white he remembreth not Having by this Diabolical dream or apparition resolved to abolish the Mass and change the doctrin of Transubstantiation by altering the Text of Scripture in his Translation dedicated to Francis King of France edit Tigur an 1525. saying This signifieth my Body for This is my Body Zuinglius tom 2. de vera falsa Religione fol. 202. fol. 210. He quotes his own Text of Scripture thus Sic ergo habet Lucas accepto pane gratias egit c. dicens Hoc significat Corpus meum He proceeded after a very strange manner in his design for he confesseth that his doctrin was more accomodated to temporising liberty then to sincerity or truth and that God commanded him to proceed in that manner least his design should be quasht in the very beginning by his Adversaries whom he termes Dogs and Swine Retractamus igitur hic quae illic