earnestly pray to him that it would please him to poure out upon their royall Majesties and their Princely Progenie upon your most Honorable Persons and this whole Land all the heavenly and earthly blessings that can wish Most Illustrious Assembly Your most humble and obedient Servant FRANCIS DE NEVILLE London this 28. of March 1642. Authoris Submissio SAcrosanctae Individuae Trinitatis Catholicae orthodoxae Ecclesiae authoritatis omnis sanae sincerae non praeoccupatae mentis judicio censurae haec quae scripta sunt hic subiecta sunto To the Reader FRiendly Reader if you finde any thing faulty and unpolisht in this Booke Know that the English tongue is strange to the Author to whom newly and as it were miraculously escaped out of Popish persecutions and strict imprisonment Tranquillitie and many other accommodations were wanting requisite for the perfection both of composition and impression yet neverthelesse if you understand French the Authors naturall Language may supply what is here defectuous and if it come againe to the Presse you shall have every thing more exact and perfect in the meane time be favourable in all and especially in some faults occasioned by the Printer such as are these following Errata quaedam PAge 15. v. 24. Bishops leg Doctors p. 43. in Tit. Spirit l. script p. 68. v. ult Infallible l. Insatiable AN HISTORICALL PRELVDE CONCERNING THE AVTHOR CHristian and courteous Reader there is nothing in the world made for it selfe but all for man and man for God who is the last end of all things and as the members of one body doe ayde and serve one another for the enjoying the priviledges and felicitie their nature is capable of so men being Members of the same body 1 Cor. 11.3 whereof Christ is the Head as St Paul saith ought to serve one another to bring themselves to God who is their last end and blessednesse It is that which moved the Apostles to Preach the Gospell through the world with so great travaile and paines It is that motive of charitie that moved St Paul and others to leave unto us the writings and doctrines which we have in the Canonicall Books It is onely this Consideration also that hath engaged mee to undertake this present Treatise wherein I onely intend to lead and conduct you to God If you walke straight to the paths of the true Church and faith I intreat you in reading this Treatise to give thankes and praises unto God with mee for the mercies and marvailous deliverances he hath wrought for mee in bringing me out of darknesse and from the shadows of death If you waver and be in doubt of the truth of the way you will finde here matter to assure and confirme you And if you be gone astray out of this way I hope reading this Discourse you shall be directed into it againe Especially if you be in the Romish Church it is to you chiefly I speake and for whom I write this hoping examples will be of greater power than words with you For friendly Reader I have been a long time even as you in the same blindnesse and doubtings you are in and because I was told that it behooved mee to beleeve without further enquiry and have onely the good faith as they say of the Colliar which is to referre himselfe to the faith of his Curate without further examination I assayed to doe the same bending my will that way but so soone as I began to have a little judgement J had a thousand combats in my minde in that blinde obedience which J could not see grounded upon any sure foundation J heard of an holy Scripture but J was almost twenty yeares old before J knew what it was J was permitted yea and recommended to reade and learne even by heart Virgil Cicero Homer and Plutarch all of them Pagan prophane Authors and proper to teach paganisme the Idolatry of the false gods no man desiring mee to reade or learne the holy Scriptures which the holy Ghost left to make us wise unto salvation and to instruct us in Christianitie and the worship of the true God as the Alphabet and rudiment of Christians Is not this a strange malice or blindnesse All that was spoken to mee in matter of faith was that it behooved mee to beleeve without further search and refer my selfe to the faith of our Teachers And what did J often say in my selfe If those who lead us be blinde or dissemble the truth through perversenesse or for other interests Mat. 15.14 the blind leading the blined both must fall into the ditch if our Leaders will goe to hell and be damned J shall then be as they referring my selfe to them J saw they were but men full of infirmities and imperfections as others that their words were words of men subject to deceit and lyes where J did finde nothing sure to settle a firme beliefe so that J did conclude in my selfe that faith being a certain knowledge and beliefe it could not be sure but upon a certaine and infallible foundation and so J concluded there was nothing but the Word of God alone and not the word of man that could assure us of true faith and of the way to salvation and that that Word of God being left to us in the holy Scriptures it was the dutie of every man to search and examine if the faith and doctrine preached were conformable to it and that no wise and judicious man should refer himselfe to another every one being to give an account for himselfe in the day of Gods Judgement and none received there to warrant and baile another This then moved mee to compare the doctrine of faith which was taught mee with that which Jesus Christ did preach and there J found so great difference in many points that it might be said to be altogether another doctrine than that of the Sonne of God Happy was it for mee J understood the Latine as my Mother tongue for J was above twentie yeares old before J durst reade or keepe by mee the Bible in the vulgar tongue under paine of greater Excommunication said they then is pronounced against one who should reade a Book of the Black Art or kill his father or mother and there is none but the Pope alone hath power to doe it or can give License Even so did J obtaine it by that means but this by the way They produced indeed for every thing the holy Scripture but for the most part in a meaning so far different from the truth that there is no error heresie nor dissolutnesse which may not be grounded and maintained in like manner upon and by the holy Scriptures J did heare them speake of Traditions and that we ought to submit our selves to the meaning and judgement of the Church but when J came to examine the Church and the infallibilitie of those Traditions J found that all was resolved in the judgement and head of the
ground but when I came to consider and examine the ground more narrowly I thought they had reason sufficient for so doing especially for attributing to himselfe the infallibilitie which is onely proper to God and which is the most execrable blasphemy Antichrist can commit and the greatest of his offences mentioned by St Paul in those words 2 Thess 2.4 Even to sit as God in the Temple of God and exalting himselfe above every thing that is called God for truely the Pope in this maketh himselfe as God appropriating to himselfe infallible truth which is onely proper to the Godhead and is the Godhead it selfe Making himselfe further to be adored as God yea more than God causing men to carry him upon their shoulders at the Procession of the Sacrament where that which they call the Hoast or body of the Son of God is onely carried on horsebacke causing Christians yea Nobles and Princes to kisse and adore his feete and laying the holy Scripture at his feete And when he celebrateth the Masse his Chaplaines use a great deale more reverence and ceremony about his person than they doe about the Altar and Hoast with an infinite number of other things proper to the sonne of perdition described by St Paul and by other Scriptures which to shunne tediousnesse I passe by remitting the Reader to those who have expresly and amply written on this subject CHAP. XVI The summe and conclusion of the former Discourse concerning the usurped Primacy and infallibilitie of the Pope YOu have seen good Reader how I have clearly shewed that the Romish Church which maketh the primacie and infallibilitie an Article of faith set down especially in the Confession of faith of the Councell of Trent can produce no passage of holy Scripture that proveth it with the least ground or reason you have seen how I not being obliged to prove the negative by Scripture have notwithstanding by the same word of God shewed cleerly enough that Christ Jesus had never intention to give that primacy to S. Peter as the Apostles did never beleeve nor acknowledge it and that S. Peter himself did never think it nor make use of it and consequently that it is falsly attributed to the Bishop of Rome although he were successour to S. Peter in the Bishoprick of Rome which is a great controversie You have also seen that the Bishop of Rome was never called nor acknowledged for head of the Church or universall Pastor the first 300. yeers without controversie yea for almost 500. yeers which is a very great and long time and further that he never assumed but rather rejected that title as wicked damnable and arrogant and proper to Antichrist never using that Authority It hath been shewed you how this usurpation was brought in and how it hath been maintained in what case it may be in at this present and by what unjust and tyrannicall means that unlawfull Authoritie reigneth in the world to the great prejudice of Princes and oppression of Prelates and to the great scandall and hurt of all poore and simple Christians Lift up therefore the eyes of your understandings and conclude with me that this power being usurped is unlawfull and void as it appeareth is in vain and without reason said to be the rule of faith that it appropriateth to it self the infallible explication of the holy Scripture and the priviledge to declare the Articles of faith It is in vain then that it sendeth us to its Synods and Councels which presume to have no authority but from him who hath none himself neither to call nor confirm them and all the Canons that were ever made under that unlawfull authoritie have neither force nor vertue neither can they oblige any Christians All the Canons and Constitutions therefore established and confirmed by the Popes of Rome and their Councels are of no force nor strength neither can they oblige any man Therefore all the Excommunications and Anathema's all the commandments and prohibitions issuing and coming from such an Authority which are numberlesse ought to be rejected and set at naught if they have no other authoritie from the Word of God as void and unlawfull and cruell burthens laid on mens shoulders to hold them in slaverie as those of the Pharisees condemned and accursed by God himself Compare I pray you courteous Reader the Commandments of God with those of the Church and Pope and you shall see that the Commandments of God are easie Mat. 11.30 and his yoke is light as he hath said and that the commandments of the Church which the Pope affirmeth to be of equall authoritie with Gods are insupportable burthens and cords to strangle the consciences and snares to precipitate them into hell Open therefore your eyes O ye people and behold your blindnesse and the captivitie in which ye live so miserable Isa 52.2 Loose the chains from off thy necke poore slave and captive daughter of Sion may I say unto you with Isaiah I know that many Bishops and Prelates men of great learning and honest conversation yea the most part of the Prelates of the Romish Church mourn and groan under the weight of that yoke and wish nothing more than the happy occasion to see themselves delivered complaining often amongst themselves and making their complaints resound in the eares of their trusty friends I know assuredly as having heard it from their mouthes that they are of the opinion of the ancient Bishops that the Apostles were equals according to the testimonie of the Scriptures and that the Bishop of Rome is no more than their equall their fellow Bishop and brother not their superiour although one of the greatest amongst them because of the greatnesse of the City of Rome where he resideth as they of the first ages did esteeme I know they see and acknowledge that it is nothing but an usurpation begun by the liberality of great Princes and brought in by the ambition of the Popes and the indiscretion of the wicked Emperour maintained by force during the weaknesse and calamities of the Emperours and the dissention and division of States and yet tontinue at this present by unlawfull policies and courses under the bountie of soveraigne Monarchs who suffer it All the learnedst and most judicious of the Romish Church see and deplore this miserie and tyranny but to open their mouth aloud and in publique is a thing which none dare attempt under the Popes authoritie for besides the excommunications and Anathema's which will not be wanting to terrifie the simpler besides the prisons and other corporall punishments where the Inquisition reigneth they must expect where the Pope hath any credit with Princes to be quickly deprived of all the Church Revenues they possesse and out of hope to get any more which verily are too strong motives to retain many who have not sufficient courage and who by pusillanimity and those temporall respects are forced to keep silence and yeeld as dumbe dogs which dare not barke
reasons set down in so easie a stile that the most simple may understand the same and when you have considered my doctrine J am assured you shall finde it Orthodox and truly Catholike altogether conformable to the doctrine of Jesus Christ and his Apostles which is the onely Catholike veritie and the onely intent of this Discourse Now I having lived so long time and converted amongst the Romish Church and had so many occasions and imployments to perceive and discover all the inventions subtilities abuses and deceits thereof I doubt not but J shall speak many things unknowne to those who have not lived amongst them and many even of those who lives amongst them are ignorant of and many whereof an infinite multitude of persons otherwise of good natures and well bred take no notice at all and many things which most men know sufficiently and deplore following the same onely by a forced necessitie and many things also which divers maliciously dessemble and desire them not to be divulged And if the light of the truth which I purpose to set downe here be hurtfull to the eyes of any man questionlesse that will onely be to the bleere-eyed who have their sight troubled with some malignant humour and I am assured where it offendeth one it will please thirtie Although the Owles which delight onely in the night and darknesse cannot indure the light of the pleasant Sunne which God maketh to shine upon us he leaveth not off for that to display his beames upon the earth whence daily we see he produceth an infinite number of rare and marveilous effects and none can deny but that the Owles themselves receive often much good thereby J beseech the great God of light that the truth which I desire to write may be profitable both to the sicke and the whole to the eyes well disposed and those that are not and that this little Treatise which is written for all may be profitable to all J beg from my heart the grace and blessing of God to that end without which J acknowledge and confesse 1 Cor. 3.7 he who planteth or he who watereth is nothing nor can doe nothing To him therefore who is the Alpha and Omega the beginning and the end be all honour and glory Amen THE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIKE VERITIE CHAPTER I. How the Romish Church acknowledgeth no other Judge in matters of faith but the Pope ONe of the points which ever troubled my spirit most when I was of the Romish Church and ought certainly to move every wise and judicious man is that they make the Pope of Rome alone infallible Judge of that faith which hath been taught preached to us by Christ and his Apostles for howsoever they say and preach often to the simpler sort that it is the Church they hold for Judge yet they confesse that that Church is principally seene in generall Councells and that without the Pope of Rome of the Councells neither are nor make up the Church and have no power certaintie nor infallibilitie but by the Pope alone For although all the Bishops Patriarchs and Cardinalls yea all the Christians of the world were assembled they make not up they say a Church if the Pope be not present himselfe or by Deputy because holding him for head of the Church they are members without a head which cannot make up a body nor by consequent a Church and though they were all of one opinion in any point or Article of faith all will be errour if the Pope be of a contrary minde and all that the Pope declares to be or not to be a point of faith ought to be holden infallible even though the rest of the Church and Christians be of a different opinion And this is the common beliefe of the Romish Church which is to be seene in those Bookes they hold Orthodox and preached in their publick Sermons and though I know that many Prelates among them of great learning and even so many famous Universities grudge mightily thereat yet to publish or preach the contrary is declared a matter of Excommunication and Anathema Where yee may observe that it fareth not with the Councells of the Romish Church which they affirme to be the true Congregation of the faithfull as it doth with Parliaments or generall meetings of the States of Kingdomes where he that precedeth hath but one voice or two at the most and can neither pronounce sentence nor make any act but by the pluralitie of voices and suffrages of the Assembly so that whatsoever is ordered or enacted is justly said to be ordered and enacted by the Parliament or Assembly But it is not so in their Councells for although they discusse it may be and examine the question or point of beliefe all that neverthelesse is but in shew and ceremony for the Pope is not obliged to stand to the opinions and voices of the rest but he alone pronounceth the sentence maketh the act the point or Article of faith after his own fancy and mind so that whatsoever is concluded and enacted in matter of faith can onely be said to be concluded by the Pope alone the rest having neither power to hinder contradict or censure him nor refuse his ordinances except they will be reputed schismatickes and heretiques for as he saith of himselfe he is the Vicar of God on earth hath all the power of Jesus Christ and the Councell of Lateran ascribe to him that of our Saviour in Mat. 28.18 Mat. 28.18 All power is given to me in heaven and earth So it is wrongfully when they say the Church is Judge in matters of faith but they should say it is the Pope alone for such indeed is their common doctrine without which men must beleeve amongst them none can be saved Thus you see how all the faith of the Romish Church is grounded on no other foundation than the head and judgement of the Bishop of Rome who for the most part is wickedly chosen by indirect courses as simony and force having often times proved ignorant ungodly abhominable or at least politique and wise worldlings which is now adayes the condition most requisite to make a Pope who as I shall most cleerly shew hereafter hath no superioritie nor primacy over the Church nor infallibilitie promised by the word and institution of the Son of God to be a competent Judge in that as many great Bishops and Universities of the Romane Church acknowledge sufficiently and I my selfe have heard it of them and beleeve there is no man of good understanding in the world to whom this doctrine doth not seeme altogether extravagant and voyd of all sense and reason yet it is the beliefe of the Church of Rome without which they say none can be saved For my part I am perswaded that whosoever of the Romish Church will consider this point especially without passion and interest and sincerely seeke the truth and his owne salvation he cannot choose but yeeld as I have
reserved by the Pope alone to distribute to all christians and cannot commonly be obtained without a great deal of money especially for those who are remote from Rome and that for the explanation thereof we must submit to the Church that is to the Pope as I have already shewed So there is nothing but the explication of the Pope which can be a rule of faith and which is infallible doctrine and so the Pope maketh himself sole Judge of all matters of faith to determine that which is and that which is not is not this an intollerable extravagancy and worthy to be laught at by all men of understanding seeing it is without warrant from Gods word as may evidently appear The Pope saith then the Scriptures are very obscure and must not be holden for a rule of faith nor be read for fear of mistaking the meaning It is true that the Scripture consisting of many books written by divers authours at divers times yea and in divers ages and for divers ends contain great diversitie of style for in some places it is historicall in others propheticall in some metaphoricall in some morall and in some mingled and although all that is contained in those diversities of the holy Scriptures be written for our salvation as saith Saint Paul and we ought to make our profit thereof Rom. 13. neverthelesse it is not to be doubted there both are and ought to be many obscure things according to the nature and qualitie of the style in which the things are writren for prophesies parables and metaphors are ever accompanied with obscurity But as our Saviour did make but a short speech upon earth and having lived some 33 years preached but 3 or thereabouts during which small time he did preach and teach clearly and soundly all things which were necessary to salvation so that the most simple and ignorant might understand him and be sufficiently instructed by his sermons Neither is there any but Reprobates who will say that God being come to save mankind did not give sufficient instruction and clear enough for all men to be saved Otherwise how could he have condemned Corasin and Bethsaida and pronounced those words against those towns Matth. 11.20 c. Wo be unto thee Corasin wo be unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes But I say unto thee that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement then for thee And thou Capernaum if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained unto this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement then for thee Out of all question those cities would have received clear and sufficient instructions for their salvation otherwise he would have condemned them wrongfully And if Christ Jesus did preach clearly all things necessary to salvation so that those who followed him and heard him preaching might attain to perfect faith The Evangelists having set down his life and doctrine to us especially that which was necessary and also endeavoured so farre as they were able to make the same known to us as clearly as our Saviour had preached it otherwise they should be very blameworthy and we should have great reason to except against them that our Saviour having preached a doctrine so clear and easie to be understood of all men they should have left it in so obscure and hard terms that none except the learned Divines were capable to understand what not the learned Theologians nay none I say in the world except one man to wit the Pope were able to understand and give its true meaning and explication No no it is blasphemy to imagine it but we must beleeve that the doctrine of the Evangelists being the same our Saviour preached is left to us with all the facilitie and clearnesse was possible and sufficient to instruct to true faith and salvation neither can they be blamed of any defect especially being directed and assisted by the holy Spirit to that end This impertinency also may be confuted by the onely reading of the Scripture and those who tax the same of obscurity or hardnesse do it undoubtedly out of malice or ignorance never having read it nor it may be never seen it whereof are an infinite multitude in the Romish Church For certainly it is so clear especially in those things which are necessary to our salvation that the most ignorant and simple may understand it and that oftentimes better then many learned whose presumption of their science seeking subtile and curious interpretations in the simple words of our Saviour beyond the purity and sincerity of his intentions are by his just judgement deprived of the true meaning of the same As the Sonne of God himself saith in those words Mat. 11.26 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes t is so Father because such hath been thy good pleasure And be assured no man how ignorant soever providing he hath common sence shall ever reade the holy Scripture with the spirit of simplicitie and a mind onely desirous to seek the way and means of salvation but the holy Spirit who hath indited the same will give him with a singular consolation and satisfaction an easie and clear knowledge of all things necessary to salvation But if any passages somewhat hard be found which is very rare in the Evangelists they may be passed over as not absolutely necessary or rather for greater satisfaction the opinion of learned men may be asked about it nor must we marvell if sometimes we find diversity in their explications for being matters not absolutely necessary nor touching the essence of Faith the controversie in such points is not of great importance But to say that we must instruct all and not read it for fear of mistaking some things is a meer invention of the Romish Church or rather of the Bishop of Rome who desiring to establish many articles of Faith to maintain his authority and the greatnesse riches of his estate and Clergy and seeing nothing clear in the holy Scripture to authorize his doctrine hath gone about to make Christians beleeve that the Scriptures were obscure and that it belongs to him onely to declare their true meaning and determine that which belongeth or belongeth not to faith and that they ought not so much as once presume to read them Further he hath straightly forbidden them under pain of Anathema and an eternall curse fearing lest the people coming once to read them should there find the condemnation of his false doctrine and the more prohibitions there are the more also is the gain and profit he maketh thereby upon those who
which they are daily about to try and would gladly execute if they could he sendeth Agents and imployeth spyes and men disguised especially of some orders who goe secretly from house to house preaching his Indulgences and pardons to move the people to acknowledge him and restore his former revenues for this is the onely end of all his Inventions what ever pretext of faith and Religion he pretend but the carriers of those Indulgences are no more in request and are onely good for nothing but to cheat women and weak spirits the world hath had so many of his Bulls and pardons that they beleeve they will have no more need but may live without them the ages to come and wise Princes chose rather to keepe their moneys for the ease of their subjects and conservation of their estates than to send it to the Pope to maintaine his Court in riot and inrich his kindred the falsenesse of his doctrine appearing too cleerly now to be embraced by judicious and cleer-sighted men CHAP. XV. How absurd is and how little ground hath the pretended infallibilitie of the Bishop of Rome and that it is not without cause he is called Antichrist THe Bishop of Rome is not onely content to challenge the primacy and superioritie over the whole Christian Church but to strengthen and increase his credit he falleth into a folly insupportable to every wise and understanding man for he attributeth to himselfe the same infallibilitie and truth that God doth affirming and maintaining that he cannot erre no more than God when he pronounceth any sentence in matter of faith This seemed to me a cunning subtilty if it were as easily to be beleeved as invented for wanting the word of God and sufficient Scripture to establish his primacy and universall superioritie he hath resolved to attribute to himselfe the infallibilitie to make men receive the Scriptures according to his explication to ground his authoritie and establish his doctrine thereby And this Article of infallibilitie is at this day come to such a passe in the Romish Church that it must be beleeved as pertaining to faith and necessary to salvation it being forbidden under the paine of being holden for an heretique and Anathematized for preaching to the contrary and truely it is a doctrine which in policy ought to follow that of the primacy for the accomplishing of a perfect and absolute authoritie But as wee have shewen this primacy to be usurped and invalid so doe we beleeve we have sufficiently nullified all that followeth upon those prerogatives whereof this is the principall Notwithstanding for the greater satisfaction of the courteous Reader wee shall answer briefly the principall reasons they bring to prove this doctrine The first Objection is drawne out of a passage alledged before where it is said Mat. 16.18 Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it This say they being understood of St Peter is to say that errour and untruth shall not prevaile against Peter nor have victory over him and that he shall never be deceived nor erre nor consequently the Pope who tearmeth himselfe successour of St Peter Notwithstanding St Peter having erred after these words were pronounced and denied his Master which is the greatest fall that can be in the faith sheweth that those words are not understood of St Peter but of the faith and confession he made at that time which being most true and the truth it selfe shall never be overcome nor surmounted by the gates of hell but shall continue in strength eternally and so it is in vaine for the Pope to ground his infallibilitie upon words which are not spoken of St Peter nor consequently of him as is most manifest and as I have shewed before Another Objection which the Romish Church thinks stronger and more expresse is this Luk. 22.32 The Lord said to Simon Luk. 22.32 Simon behold Sathan hath sought to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and then when thou shalt be converted strengthen thy brethren For my part I perceive not what they would conclude thereby but that the faith of St Peter should never faile and yet wee see that it failed much and that St Peter did stumble and erre grossely in the faith having denyed his Master a long time after those words were spoken If then that be understood as they would have it the prayers of Christ should be of none effect which is blasphemy to thinke wherefore we must finde out a truer meaning of those words and say that is understood of small falling Christ Jesus saying to Simon Simon I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not finally that is to say if peradventure thou succombe and fall as thou wilt at least raise thy selfe and enter againe into the profession of faith and being converted by a true repentance thou must confirme thy brethren and let this fall make thee wiser in time to come and be a means to thee to confirme others and exhort them to take heed least they slide and fall as thou This is doubtlesse the true and lawfull meaning of those words as every understanding man may judge and not the explication of the Romish Church which every reasonable man will finde to be altogether absurd and invented of purpose to establish a false doctrine And although it could be proved that St Peter did never fall and we should confesse that the infallibilitie was given to him Will it therefore follow that it is given to all his successours also and that which was said to one person and of one person must be said to all his successours and of them all if they apply to the Pope all that was said to St Peter the Apostle and in his favour by Christ Jesus why doe they not apply as well all that was said to his disgrace and so the Pope must be called Sathan because Christ did call Peter so those words must also be applyed to the Pope Thou shalt deny mee as our Saviour spake them to St Peter This certainly hath too often falne out to the great hurt and scandall of Christian people although I confesse that our Saviour speaking to Peter did not meane it of those who should be thought his successours Now these are the strongest passages and arguments on which this pretended infallibilitie is grounded which is the whole foundation and basis of all the Romish Doctrine now in controversie which being proved to be usurped against reason and equitie as the primacy whereon it is grounded you see in what estate of errour and heresie that Church is in and how blinde and deceived they are that follow it It was thought formerly strange that the Pope of Rome was called Antichrist and I confesse it was long before I could be satisfied with the application of this name to the Pope thinking it was too rigorously spoken and with too small
THE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIKE VERITIE OR THE REASONS AND MANNER OF THE CONVERSION OF FRANCIS DE NEVILLE FORMERLY A CAPVCHIN PREACHER The Popes Missionary and Superiour in sundry COVENTS of the same ORDER A Treatise very usefull for all Christians and especially for such as are POPISHLY-affected or not fully setled in their beliefe And for the further Confirmation of the FAITHFULL Wherein many SECRETS of the ROMISH Clergie heretofore UNREVEALED are DISCOVERED Dedicated by the Author to the High Court of PARLIAMENT now Assembled 1642. See the Contents at the next Page LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Cornehill 1642. THE CONTENTS OF the CHAPTERS AN Historicall Prelude concerning the Author Chap. 1. How the Romish Church acknowledge no other Judge in matters of Faith but the Pope page 1 Chap. 2. That the holy Scripture is the onely Judge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church p. 4 Chap. 3. That the holy Scripture is clear in that which concernes things necessary to salvation pa. 8 Chap. 4. That the holy Scripture is given us by God to read and meditate in the same and that the prohibition of the Pope to read it is altogether unjust and contrary to the will of God p. 12 Chap. 5. Of Traditions and that they ought not to be taken for Judge or rule of our faith p. 20 Chap. 6. Traditions condemned by the holy Scripture p. 25 Chap. 7. That we cannot ground our beleef upon the books of the ancient Fathers p. 27 Chap. 8. Concerning the chief point of controversie to wit that S. Peter had no Primacy in the Church and that the Primacy of the Pope is an unlawfull usurpation p. 30 Chap. 9. Proved from holy Scripture that Christ had never intention to leave S. Peter or any other Apostle for his successour or generall Vicar after him p. 40 Chap. 10. Proved by the holy Scripture that the Apostles did never acknowledge S. Peter for superiour and universall Head of the Church p. 43 Chap. 11. That although S. Peter had had the preeminence the Pope hath no right to challenge it to himself and that the Primitive Church never acknowledged this universall superiority in the Bishop of Rome p. 48 Chap. 12. In what manner and at what time the Bishop of Rome usurped the Primacie pa. 53 Chap. 13. How the Bishop of Rome hath and doth labour to maintain his usurped Primacy and after what manner the Pope is elected at this present p. 57 Chap. 14. A notable reflection upon the usurped power of the Pope and his election and how much all Princes Prelates and Christians even Romanes are interessed therein p. 64 Chap. 15. How absurd is and how little ground hath the pretended infallibilitie of the Bishop of Rome and that it is not without cause he is called Antichrist p. 71 Chap. 16. The summe and conclusion of the former discourse concerning the usurped Primacie and infallibility of the Pope p. 75 Chap. 17. Of the Invocation of Saints p. 78 Chap. 18. That profit temporall is the cause of the Invocation of Saints and Images in the Romish Church p. 84 Chap. 19. Of the Miracles of the Romish Church p. 89 Chap. 20. Of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the Communion under both kinds p. 101 Chap. 21. Of the Masse and of Prayers in a strange tongue p. 107. Chap. 22. Of Auricular Confession p. 113 Chap. 23. Of Purgatory p. 122 Chap. 24. Of Indulgences p. 131 Chap. 25. Of the Congregations and Religious Orders p. 136 Chap. 26. Of Justification p. 141 Chap. 27. Of the heavinesse of the yoke of the Church of Rome in comparison of the yoke of Christ. p. 147 Chap. 28. If one can be saved in the Romish Church p. 151 Chap. 29. A comparison of the Protestant Reformed Church with the Church of Rome and in which of them two is salvation most certain pa. 156 TO THE MOST HIGH AND HONORABLE COVRT of PARLIAMENT of England now assembled in the yeer of the Lord 1642. Most Illustrious Assembly WE owe the homage of Service in those places where we first breathed not where we were conceived this little Treatise had indeed his conception beyond the Seas but being brought into the world in the Land and in the time of Your Authoritie it is to You it oweth homage and to whom it is bound to render all the dutifull submissions a vassall oweth to his Lords and will account it self exceeding glorious if ye but daign to vouchsafe it with your favorable acceptance for it trusteth that once being acknowledged for Yours it will be the more welcome in other places and your Patronage alone will be a sufficient protection to defend it against all the attempts of its enemies and evill willers And I am fully perswaded it could never have obtained a more happy nor Honorable protection in this world For that famous Assemblie consisting of the supreme and royall Majesty as the most worthie Head thereof of the Illustrious Nobilitie and the choicest Persons of the whole Kingdom as the Members of it there is none in this State who will not think themselves obliged to receive it favourably and if it shall passe the Seas to travell through forraigne Countreys it will questionles be more regarded there being no Canton in Europe where the wisdome of this Noble Assemblie is not admired and redoubted and where all that it avoweth and protecteth is not highly prized But as there is no good thing in the world which meeteth not with some contrarietie no vertue that is not opposed no prosperity that is not crossed I doubt not but it will find contradictions and obstacles both at home and abroad at home from some evill Christians secret enemies of the peace and tranquillitie of this Church and Estate abroad from the Enemies of the truth and every where from envious and malicious spirits But I trust it shall be as the nest of the little Alcion which under the protection of the most High contemneth the surging billows of the Ocean and which though tossed with the waves remaineth still victorious above the floods Or rather as the Rocks which cannot be moved with stormes but continue firm against all the assaults of winds and tempests So I shall let it travell under those favourable hopes with expresse charge to proclaim in all places where it shall passe the greatnesse of your glorie While in the meane time I shall endeavour to shelter my self here from all dangerous stormes under the shadow of your wings to enjoy the sweetnes of peace and happines which this whole Land expecteth from your wisdom and one who for the glory of God hath sought hither for refuge as I may hope from your bountie And there in greater securitie than the Dove that is chased by the Hawks doth find being once gotten into the holes of the Rock I shall meditate the rest of my dayes the wonders of the Almighty and
Pope alone who being elected and chosen by such humane or rather worldly or rather diabolicall means so often deceived in his judgements so subject to vices and infirmities yea and so uncertaine of his owne salvation I could not see how that could be a sure ground of a firme beliefe such as ought to be that of our faith there being no place in the holy Scripture that giveth him either right to judge or infallibilitie to doe the same as J shall shew more amply with other things so that J did imagine all this to be onely an humane invention and deceit flowing from the ambition and power of the Pope so dazel the eyes of the simple and weaker understandings and a refuge for want of the Word of God to maintaine the doctrine taught in that Church Those considerations did ever sencibly move me and the more I grew in age and continued in the study and meditation of Theologie and holy Writings the more also did increase the impressions and commotions they made in my spirit and though often through scrupulous simplicitie J endeavoured to confirm my selfe and banish those doubts thoughts according to the Command they gave me yet the truth did appeare so strong and evident that J could not but suspect the doctrine of that Church and as those doubts did multiply within mee the curiositie and desire to finde out the truth was also augmented And also because J doe not remember to have met with any learned or judicious men even of the Romish Church which did not make mee to see in free Conferences that they had the like doubtings and that they did not see sufficient ground in the Word of God for most Articles of the Romish beliefe All those Considerations being come to their maturitie made mee resolve to come with courage and other necessary Circumstances out of the Kingdome of darknesse where J had lived so many yeares and give my selfe fully to follow the most holy truth where I protest and confesse before God and the world J have found more satisfaction and tranquilitie of minde than ever J could meet withall so long as J was in the darknesse of ignorance and lyes But that J have no sooner taken my pen to give glory and praise to God to whom it is due and to edifie the Church the indisposition of the time past giving me but small hopes of any good fruits from the seed J might have sowed before moved me to delay even to this time and occasion wherein the power of darknesse seemeth to be shaken in most Nations of the world especially pietie justice and truth being likely to flourish in this Noble Kingdome of England with greater libertie and splendour than ever by the wisdome and zeale of this incomparable Parliament called by the great prudence of the high and mightie King Charles and continued to this present J have some hopes of more plentifull fruits and that some may open their eyes more freely to search and know the truth and doe as J have done as J wish they would doe Besides J having been marveilously delivered not long since from a hard captivitie of ten moneths occasioned by the onely treachery and inhumanitie of my younger brethren much obliged to me But as Papists angry at my conversion contrary to all the oathes of securitie they so often made to mee my occasions calling me amongst them But God of his grace having not onely delivered mee beyond all humane expectation but also made me the Instrument to bring to the knowledge of his truth my owne Keeper who was of the same order with mee and the meanes of my deliverance J have now more obligation than ever to give glory to God and wish that all men were in the straight paths of the faith to give more perfect praises to God for all his favours It is not my intention to treat here amply of all the Controversies of Religion an infinite number of grave and worthy Authors having already done it more learnedly exactly and curiously than I could to whom J remit the curious and those who have the leasure and desire to be further informed But that which I pretend in this little Treatise is onely briefly to deduce the reasons which have most troubled and vexed my spirit advertising you that J shall onely use the Versions in this Booke which are received in the Romish Church to wit the vulgar they attribute to St Jerome for the Latine and that of the Doctors of Lovaine for the French to the end the ignorant who know not what the Scripture is take not occasion to stumble here and say as their custome is all is imposture and deceit God forbid J should seeke applause or glory of any thing wee have no good but that which commeth from God but I may say truly J was not accounted ignorant in the Romish Church for besides the study of Philosophy and Theologie and others wherein J spent many yeares J was imployed above twelve yeares in Preaching by expresse Commission from the Generall of the whole order of Capuchins where J was and by priviledge and especiall Letters from the Congregation of Cardinalls at Rome J was the Popes Missionary above seven yeares a favour imparted but to few for the great and extraordinary power they have moving jealousie even almost to all the Bishops And though J have been a sinner full of imperfections and will not nor cannot glorifie my selfe in any thing before God or men yet the charges of Superioritie in divers Monasteries of Deputie in many Provinciall Assemblyes of Confessor in sundry places of Missionary in many Cantons where J have been and was actually imployed when I left the Romish Church evidence sufficiently the opinion and estimation which was had of me in the order I was of passing with silence the applause and affection of peoples in many Cities and Countryes sufficiently knowne to thousands But to God be the glory and honour before whom I protest worthy Reader I shall write nothing here but the simple truth sincerely as J thinke and know it according to the true feeling I have Let no unreasonable scruple or vaine feare divert you from reading this Treatise for there is no Commandement under heaven can hinder you to seeke your salvation and to see and enquire if you be in the right way or not You will reade willingly a Comedie a Roman a booke of love or songs without scruple Wherefore will you not reade this that concernes your salvation If the Pope forbids it it is because he is interessed but none ought to be received Judge in his owne cause Besides have you never heard that of the Prophet Isaiah Isai 15.3 Mat. 22.29 My people are captive because they are without knowledge and that of our Saviour Mat. 22 29. Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures And as I desire nothing but your profit and Gods glory so shall you not see here any affectation of vaine eloquence but onely strong
done by the grace of the Father of lights who is never deficient in necessitie and from whom I confesse doth proceed the great gift of faith And if a Pagan should be Judge of this controuersie and others betwixt us and the Romish Church I verily beleeve he would suddenly condemne that Church of an unjust usurpation and intolerable errour in this point as all the rest which by the grace of God we shall handle hereafter and give sentence in favour of my beliefe which I protest I have chosen as the holiest purest and most conformable to the doctrine and intentions of the Sonne of God and his Apostles Now all the question and difficultie of this point consisteth the knowledge of those two which of them is the most certain rule and sure Judge most to be beleeved and most proper for our faith whether the Word of God or the Pope of Rome and his traditions The Church of Rome saith it is the Pope but I hold with the Orthodox doctrine of this Kingdome of England and the reformed Churches that it is the Word of God We shall shew hereafter that our Saviour never gave that power and authoritie to the Pope and therefore he cannot pretend it but here I shall prove that the holy Scripture is and ought to be the sole rule and true Judge of our faith grounding my selfe upon these following reasons CHAP. II. That the holy Scripture is the onely Iudge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church THat man without question hath a true catholick and perfect faith and is in a true beliefe who beleeveth all that Christ Jesus hath caught and neither beleeves nor will beleeve more in the matter of faith for the Son of God being that divine and infinite wisdome and knowledge which came into the world to save mankinde and teach them true faith hath preached and taught all that was necessary to faith and salvation so he who beleeves all that Jesus Christ hath taught and nothing more hath a true and perfect faith and it is impietie to beleeve the contrary Now it is true that whatsoever our Saviour did preach necessary to salvation is in the holy Scripture and therefore the holy Scripture containes all the doctrine which is necessary to faith and out of the written Word of God nothing necessary to faith is to be sought For the Evangelists and holy Writers having undertaken by the motion and command of the holy Spirit to write the actions and doctrine of the Son of God for the instruction of all the faithfull that should come after it is not credible that they should have written but a part and omitted something that was necessary to the perfect faith and for the instruction and forming of a true Christian otherwise wee must say that the Gospel is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ but onely a part of the Gospel and the New Testament is but a part of the New Testament of the Son of God And note that they were inspired and commanded by the Spirit of God to leave to Christians and the whole Church the life and doctrine of Jesus Christ they being assisted and helped by his speciall grace to that end Moreover they have not onely within one chapter or two but every one of them a great number where undoubtedly they have had space enough to comprehend all the doctrine necessary to salvation and being foure that which one of them might have forgot and left out might be supplied by the other their purpose being specially to write the doctrine and precepts of the Son of God which were necessary to salvation and if there were any thing more to be beleeved than that which is in the Evangelists we must thinke that it should be found in the Epistles either of St Peter or St Paul or some others of the chiefe Apostles who all except St Paul were witnesses of the doctrine and actions of the Apostles for many years and many of their Sermons fully might have touched it a little So it is voyd of all reason to thinke that Christ Jesus did preach any other thing necessary to salvation than that which is contained in the holy Scriptures And if it were not in the holy Scriptures it would follow that the Evangelists were faultie and blame-worthy and their writings imperfect for that Author is greatly to be blamed who being expresly commanded to write of some important subject writes many things not necessary to his purpose and passeth by more important and principall things Now the Evangelists having undertaken by the command and motion of the holy Spirit to write the doctrine of faith and salvation preached by Jesus Christ for the instruction of the faithfull they have written many things not absolutely necessary to salvation as a number of Parables Histories and Miracles for illustration or farther confirmation of fundamentall doctrines and therefore wee must say that having written such things they have not omitted more necessary and important things otherwise they were blame-worthy and their writings would be imperfect Now seeing there was but one holy Spirit that moved them and guided their pens and their writings in this worke one of them might have omitted something which the holy Spirit would leave and teach us by the other or by the writings of other Apostles but that there is any thing necessary to salvation omitted by them all is more than can be beleeved by any Christian Furthermore we see that the Evangelists and Apostles have left us sufficient instructions in their writings to lead us to perfection and the practice of most excellent vertues wee must beleeve them with better reason that they have given us sufficient instructions to a perfect faith which is the foundation of all vertue and perfection and without which there can be no perfection nor vertue or otherwise it behooved us to say that they taught men to be perfect not giving them sufficiently instructions to be Christians which should be an intolerable foppery Even as if a Mason would teach his apprentise to build an excellent house not instructing him how to lay the foundation or if a Master would instruct his scholar to read not teaching him to know his letters We must therefore believe that they having left us so noble and sufficient instructions to become perfect they have also left us sufficient doctrine in their writings to obtain a perfect faith which is the necessary ground of all vertue and perfection and doubtlesse there are none but obstinate and blinde persons who will deny it 2. Tim. 3.15 Doth not Saint Paul also speaking to Timothy say Thou hast learned from thy infancy the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus We must say then that the holy Scriptures being able to make him wise to salvation contain all the doctrine necessary to salvation otherwise they could not make him wise to salvation that is sufficiently
learned to be saved for wisdome to speak properly is no other thing but a supereminent and excellent knowledge and Saint James saith Iam. 1.12 that the word of God is able to save us if it be able to save us it is sufficient to do the same and contains all that is necessary to salvation and therefore he who believes that which is in the holy Scripture and no more hath the perfect faith Yes but saith the Romish Church Christ Jesus remits us to the Church Matth. 18.16 for it is said He who will not hearken to the Church let him be as a Pagan and a Publicane that is an excommunicate and anathema therefore we must have recourse to the church as Judge of all controversie and obey its determinations The onely consideration of the occasion of this passage and the words themselves may serve for a sufficient answer our Saviour preaching to his Disciples and teaching them the method they ought to use in brotherly corrections that it may be done according to the rules of charitie speaks to them in this manner If thy brother have offended against thee go and reprove him thou and he alone if he hearken unto thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he will not heare thee take with thee one or two more that out of the mouth of two or three wetnesses every word may be established and if he will not heare them tell it unto the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen and a publicane By which ye see that Jesus Christ speaks onely of the order which ought to be kept in fraternall correction that is we ought first to reprove in secret next in the presence of one or two witnesses and then in case of obstinacy declare it to the Church and if he will not receive correction from the Church let him be accounted as a pagan that is as a man without faith and religion and as a publicane that is as one whom we must shun for in those times the publicanes were odious to all the people But the Romish Doctors who make use of every thing to prove their doctrine infer by those last words that all power is given to the Church that we must have recourse to the Church in every thing and that all men ought to render perfect obedience to the Church in all things whatsoever and note that to have recourse to the Church and to obey the same is in the school of Rome to have recourse to the Pope and obey him Innocentius cap. 3. so Pope Innocent the third in the chapt novit extra de Judic would fain vindicate to himself the cognizance of some differences betiwixt John king of England and Philip August king of France because saith he it is written in the Gospel tell it to the Church as if by the Church the Pope onely were understood and this interpretation is confirmed by Bellarmine in his book of the authority of Councells cap. 19. Bellarm. de Concil cap. 19. the Pope saith he should tell it to the Church that is to say to himself But the consequence is not good from a particular case to all the other thou must have recourse for the correction and amendment of thy brother to the Church when there is no other easier way therefore we must have recourse to it in all things that will not follow on the contrary he declareth that even in brotherly correction we must not have recourse thereunto but in extremity and also because Christ Jesus saith that in case of obstinacy and known sinne we must hear the Church that is receive correction and admonition from the Church it is not meant that in vertue of those words Kings and Princes should submit themselves to the authority of the Pope in all things and I suppose that there is none but the Pope of Rome and his adherents would draw such an unreasonable consequence because he thinks to finde his profit therein CHAP. III. That the holy Scripture is clear in that which concerns things necessary to salvation ONe of the greatest subtilties which the Romish Church hath found to hinder the people from reading the Scripture and to make them believe they have good reason for so doing and perswade them that the Scripture is an unsufficient rule and Judge of our faith is that they alleadge the holy Scriptures to be obscure and difficult to understand and therefore christians ought not to rush in upon the reading of them in the vulgar tongue that is to say which they understand best without expresse permission from the Pope who saith he as the onely vicar of Jesus Christ in the world and infallible hath the true understanding of the Scripture and that we cannot admit it for Judge and rule of faith but onely the sence and explication of the Church that is of the Pope as I have shewed before And to prove that the Scripture is hard to be understood they search and pick out of purpose some obscure passages which the most learned have much adoe to understand but which are no wayes absolutely necessary to salvation or if they were they are sufficiently and clearly enough explained in other places as for example Psal 16.16 Psal 18.9 Hos 12.1 Ezek. 19.10 of the first part of Psal 16.16 The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places surely I have a goodly heritage or this other psal 18.9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils or fire out of his mouth devoured or some other prophesie as that of Hos 12. Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the East wind or Ezek. 19.10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy bloud planted by the waters with an infinite number of the like whereof the Prophets are full which are not necessary to salvation or if they be necessary to salvation they are sufficiently explained in other places as that which Christ said to Nicodemus Joh. 3.3 Except a man be born again be cannot enter into the kingdome of God it is explained after in the fifth verse Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God by which it is evident Christ Jesus would say he who is born carnally of flesh and is not regenerated spiritually by grace and faith cannot enter into the kingdome of God and so of other passages which neverthelesse are very rare in the new Testament in respect of that which is clear under pretext of those passages which are nothing in comparison of the rest they make the simpler sort believe that that the holy Scripture is so obscure and difficult that it is a rashnesse extremely dangerous for a christian to think he can understand the meaning thereof as a certain Dame at Court told me not long agoe not knowing me and that no man ought to presume to read the same in a vulgar tongue without expresse license the power whereof is
of all question doth proceed that great ignorance which is to be seen amongst the people in the Church of Rome there not being ten amongst an hundred instructed sufficiently to salvation or that can give a sufficient reason of their beliefe I say even according to the doctrine of their own Church This is specially to be seen in the Countrey Parishes and in many Cities also where though there be more frequent preaching the Communion and confession be oftner haunted yet the people are nothing the better instructed in the faith for all that nor know they sufficiently that which concerneth their salvation this defect can be imputed to no other cause but the forbidding the reading of the Scriptures which is the Booke of life appointed by God for the instruction and consolation of the faithfull for howsoever they make many Catechismes and the Preachers endeavour often to instruct the people in their beliefe they are but little the wiser or better instructed for all that for they nourish them not with the Book of life to wit the Word of God which is the true bread of the faithfull instituted by God for their instruction and comfort Where on the contrary in the Churches of the reformed Religion there is not one almost but he can give a reason of his beliefe if he have any judgement and is instructed in the faith though often they cannot reade but have onely heard the Scripture read and you shall finde in many places an infinite number of simple and ignorant people in humane learning who know the Bible a great deale better than many great Bishops in Popish Universities and famous Preachers among them which I protest I have often seen with great admiration as did many others also to the great confusion questionlesse of the Romish Church what ever they can alledge As for my part I confesse I could never finde any sufficient reason in that prohibition for reading the Scriptures for if the Scripture we call the Old Testament is the same Word of God that was left unto us by Moses by the Prophets and servants of God as is most certaine I see nothing more common in that Word than straight commands to reade heare meditate ruminate and observe the same to write it upon the posts of our houses and carry it tyed to our fingers that is to have it continually before our eyes and in our hearts I should make too large a volume contrary to my intention if I should cite all the passages which are clearly to be seen in it to this effect peruse but the Bookes of Deuteronomy and Numbers the Proverbs of Salomon the Psalmes of David and divers of the Prophets All those commandements and exhortations are given to all men as well the learned as the ignorant the poore as the rich which cannot be understood of the Bible onely in a strange tongue but in a language that is best understood of every one which is the vulgar That which is said of the old Testament may be more easily proved of the New which is as the last Will Christ Jesus our Father hath left us as his children by which we must know his intentions and that which he desireth us to doe to become worthy children of so good a Father and to possesse the inheritance he hath purchased for us through his merits and bloud Is there any man of judgement in the world who can beleeve that he hath left us his Commandements last Will and intentions as altogether needfull to salvation and not suffer us to reade the same and that there was but one man in the world to wit the Pope who had power to reade and explaine the same to others Where is that so important prohibition set downe Where is it so spoken have not we as much part in the inheritance of Christ Jesus as our Father the Pope By what right should Christians be deprived of the reading of the will and intentions of their Father the will of God and his holy Commandments which they ought to know and doe under paine of eternall damnation Is there any power or authoritie under heaven that can hinder them seeing God enjoyneth and commandeth the same the thing being of so great importance to them that none can be answerable for them in the day of Judgement Is there any power on earth that can dispence them No no this prohibition is altogether unjust and against both reason and the will of God Yes but some will say the intentions of God his Testament and the holy Scripture are made knowne to Christians by the sermons which they call commonly the Word of God It is true the preaching of the servants of God and Orthodox Preachers are highly to be esteemed for they may learne and profit much thereby but there is great difference betwixt a mans and the Word of God because the Word of God is altogether divine and holy and the infallible truth of which we cannot doubt and the Sermons of Preachers howsoever they be called the Word of God are not to speak properly the Word of God except onely that which is simply produced out of the holy Scripture the rest are onely humane words subject to faults and defects to passions and errors especially in the Romish Church where many among them cite oftner Plato Seneca Plutarch or some other than they doe the holy Scriptures and if they cite them it is so far from the true meaning thereof that they may rather be tearmed prophane than piously cited and sincerely explained Finally it is to deceive Christians to make them beleeve that Sermons should serve them in place of reading the holy Scriptures the Word of God is filled with a better spirit than all the best Sermons in the world for there it is the holy Spirit who speaketh to us whereof we ought not to doubt nor can we enter into any suspition of deception but Sermons being onely the words of men instituted to instruct and stirre us up to God wee ought indeed to respect them much and heare them willingly but we are not obliged to heare and receive them with so great respect as the holy Scriptures and we ought also to examine and confer them with the Scriptures as did those Noble Bereans having heard St Paul preaching to see if that which he said unto them was conformable to the Word of God as it is set downe Act. 17.11 neither did St Paul nor St Luke Act. 17.11 nor any other ever blame them for that action And our Saviour himselfe reproaching the Jewes that being sent from God his Father they would neither receive him nor beleeve in him saith to them Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 for in them yee thinke to have eternall life for they are they which testifie of me And in the History of poore Lazarus and the wicked rich man is written in St Luke chap. 16. Luk. 16.28 when this damned wretch desired that God would shew miracles and raise some
the Sacraments and the bounty of God yet no man will judge them so pernicious and of so dangerous consequence that they ought to be abstained from and the Popes prohibition is grounded upon a too frivolous weak and ridiculous reason to have any weight or authoritie in the judgements of the wiser Neither is there any who doe not sufficiently see it to be meerly a humane and a politique invention to conserve a false doctrine and an usurped jurisdiction if he will but strictly remarke it as God hath given mee grace to doe CHAP. V. Of Traditions and that they ought not to be taken for Iudge or Rule of our Faith THe Romish Church finding her selfe but weakly sustained by the Scriptures and not being able to maintaine her doctrine by the written Word of God hath be thought of an unwritten word called Tradition making it of the same power with the holy Scriptures and is therefore called Divine Tradition and Apostolique and not humane which seemed to me a brave field to lay open all her fancies Now the rule and way of the Romish Church to know and declare those Apostolique Traditions is this When the beginning and originall of any doctrine or Ecclesiasticall ceremony is not knowne neither exactly by whom or in what yeare it was instituted since the time of Jesus Christ and his Apostles it is holden amongst them of Divine and Apostolique Tradition As for example because it is not certainly knowne who was the first that invented holy-water and imployed it in Baptisme and to other uses it is esteemed to come from Christ Jesus and his Apostles although it appeare sufficiently from the holy Scripture that Christ and his Apostles did never use that ceremony but onely baptized with pure and naturall water So because it is not knowne who it was that first did pray to the Saints that doctrine is said to be of Apostolique and divine Tradition and to come from Christ and his Apostles although it appeare not in any place of Scripture that ever any Apostle did pray to the Saints that were before them or recommended it to us but the contrary and so of the rest of their Traditions Is not this a fine rule and prety invention whereon to ground an infinite number of divine and Apostolique Traditions for Printing not being in use but within this two or three hundred yeares there were but few things written before that and that seldome to be left to posteritie and that which was written for the most part dyed and vanished by the death of the Author or shortly after for not being transcribed as it is with a great number of particular writings especially if they doe not concerne temporall things So that in so many ages an infinite number of things ceremonies doctrines and errors have been invented in the worship of God by the superstition vanitie and presumption of some particular men of which now it is impossible to know the originall and first Author either because it was never written by any or if it hath been written the writings have been lost if therefore all those things must be esteemed divine and Apostolique out of question there will be a numberles number of divine and Apostolique Traditions And upon these considerations I marveiled no more at the great number of Traditions that are in the Romish Church which I can assure you to be such that if they were all redacted to one volume it would assuredly be greater than all the books of the Bible for their number is almog infinite and not certainly known to this day the number yet not being perfect and hardly is there any generall Councells in which some one or more new ones are not discovered Those of the Romish Church who will not admit nor acknowledge the Scripture as Judge of faith strive neverthelesse to serve themselves with it the best they can to confirme their doctrine But I pray you with what reason in the point of Traditions To prove that the holy Scripture is not a sufficient rule of faith and that we must have recourse to a word not written which they call Tradition 1 Thes 2.15 they alledge this of St Paul Wherefore my Brethren be yee stedfast and hold fast the Traditions which yee have learned either by word or by our Epistle Thence they inferre that St Paul had preached many things to the Thessalonians which he had not written to them in his Letters and therefore wee must beleeve more things than those which are written We ingeniously confesse that the whole doctrine of salvation and that which St Paul might have preached to the Thessalonians is not in these two little Epistles and affirme that we must beleeve more things than those which are conteined in them but thence it will not follow that that which St Paul had preached to the Thessalonians of the necessitie of faith and salvation is not conteined in the Old and New Testament for there is great difference betwixt the two little Epistles to the Thessalonians and all the rest of the holy Scripture and the consequence is very bad as every one may judge Besides when St Paul saith Keep the Traditions it will no more follow that by this word Traditions an unwritten word ought necessarily to be understood and that besides the written word of God there is yet an unwritten word equall in authoritie to the other for by the word Tradition may be understood that which is given and left either by word or writing and not necessarily some word not written for the holy Scripture is also a tradition that is a doctrine which hath been left us And although wee should grant that St Paul had preached to the Thessalonians many things which are not written in the holy Scriptures and exhorted them to keepe them it will therefore not follow that he did exhort them to keep all those Traditions as necessary to salvation for there are none who will not confesse that St. Paul might have preached and said many things which were not absolutely necessary to salvation nor faith but onely convenient and helpfull as our Saviour did in his preaching and although our Saviour should give us charge to remember them all and keepe them he doth not therefore meane that wee should be equally obliged to keep them all and that wee should keep them otherwise and in another fashion than he gave them to us that is the Articles of faith as Articles of faith and necessary to salvation the Commandements as Commandements the examples and parables as such things essentiall to faith as essentiall the ceremony and things accidentall as such and it is a very bad consequence drawne by the Romish Church that because St Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians to keep the Traditions he commandeth us all to beleeve and keep them as pertaining to faith and of equall authoritie with the Scripture a word not written and Traditions meerly humane as divine Traditions and chiefly all the Traditions of the Romish
Church which are almost without number And mark that in all ages this hath been the malice of hereticks to have recourse to Traditions when the Scriptures faile them Tertull. de Monog cap. 2. Joh. 16.12 Bellarm. lib. 5. de verbo Dei so Tertullian being become hereticall in his Booke de Monogania cap. 2. maintaineth the heresie of Montanus by those words of our Saviour I have yet many things to say unto you but yee cannot beare them now Which is the passage Bellarmine citeth for Traditions cap. 5. of his Book of the unwritten Word and yet it appeareth by the following verse that our Saviour by those things which they cannot for the present beare meant the things which are to come as the prophesies concerning the things which were to fall out which are to be seen in the Epistles of the Apostles and in the Revelation of St John and such like things and not any doctrines of faith Irenaeus in the second chap. of his third Book saith Irenaeus cap. 2. lib. 3. that when any did convince the hereticks with Scripture they began to accuse the Scripture saying that the truth could not be found in the Scripture by those who knew not the Tradition because it was not given in writing but onely spoken verbally Now this is practised by the Romish Church more than by any sect that hath ever yet been because seeing Scripture doth faile her to maintaine her tyranny and innumerable superstitious policies she hath invented a word not written which shee calleth Traditions equalling their authoritie with the holy Scriptures and those Traditions are invented and augmented from time to time according to the will and fancy of the Popes for some of them have invented the Masse and some other ceremonies and one or other of them have now and then added to them or taken from augmented or diminished the same some of them have invented Purgatory others Indulgences some the invocation of Saints others the reliques some the Communion under one kinde and yet to this day their number is not perfect neither is it yet known to the Romish Church that which our Saviour preached as necessary to faith and salvation for as there were new Articles of faith made in the Councell of Trent which was the last generall Councell amongst them as that of justification and originall sin so doe they hope to make yet more in the next Councell as it may be of the conception of the Virgin Mary of predestination with or without merits or some others Here is another objection those of the Romish Church thinke to be of great force and which I my selfe have often used disputing against those of the Romish Religion pretending thereby to prove the necessitie of Traditions and to referre our selves to the Church for say they who gave you the holy Scripture but the Tradition and whence know yee the Canonicall Books from those that are not Canonicall but by the determination and tradition of the Church It is true that every particular man receiveth the holy Scripture from the Church he liveth in whether it be a pure or impure Church so the Apostles had received from the Priests and Scribes enemies of Jesus Christ the books of the old Testament but in that the Church doth onely the office of a Witnesse and not of a Judge it onely witnesseth that those Books are holy and Canonicall but it judgeth not them to be holy nor giveth them any authoritie and the Tradition of the Church witnessing those books to be divine and holy is onely a protestation of her subjection to the Scripture and not an usurpation of her authoritie above the written word of God He who sheweth the King to a stranger is not therefore above the King nor giveth he any authoritie to the King and a Book-seller shewing to a buyer the Book of the Statutes of the Kingdome doth not for that authorise those Statutes and some man may receive the holy Scriptures from the Church and afterwards use it to condemne the same Church And as the testimony of innumerable eyes and eares seeing the lightnings and hearing the thunder maketh us say that it thundreth and lightneth so the testimony of innumerable Churches assuring us that the holy Scriptures are from God cause us to give an assent to them as divine Where it is to be noted that as for the Books of the New Testament wee ought to take the testimony of the Churches under the New Testament so for the Books of the old Testament we ought to follow the judgement of the Churches of those times and refer our selves to their testimony without making them for that Judges of the controversie Nor doth it appertaine to him who is to be judged by the holy Scripture and the word of God to make himselfe Judge of that word of God so it is a great impertinency to inferre from this objection the necessitie of Traditions to be of the same vertue with the pure word of God CHAP. VI. Traditions condemned by the holy Scriptures VVE have seen the testimonies of the holy Scripture and the reasons they of the Romish Church bring to establish the doctrine of Traditions Now let us see the testimonies of the same Scripture which the Orthodox and reformed Church alledge to condemne those Traditions and consider which of them are of greatest strength As for mee having maturely considered the passages I cannot see how their force can be eluded or rather that men yeeld not to their cleernesse The Prophet Moses saith to the people of God Deut. 12.13 Deut. 12.13 Yee shall doe that which I command you before the Lord neither adding nor diminishing there from and more cleerly in Chap. 12. Yee shall adde nothing to the word which I command you nor take nothing from it and Salomon in his Proverbs saith Pro. 30.6 Adde thou nothing unto his word least he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Which being not deniable but that it is said of the Church what doth the Scripture thereby but condemne most cleerly the Traditions which are questionlesse new inventions added to the holy Scripture For my part after I began to consider attentively the words of the Apostle St Paul on this subject I could never see how those of the Romish Church can maintaine the doctrine of their Traditions as pertaining to faith and equall in authoritie to the holy Scriptures Gal. 1.8 Mark I pray you with me those words Gal. 1.8 If we our selves or any Angel from heaven preach to you any other Gospel than that which hath been preached unto you let him be accursed Note these words Let him be accursed which are of no small importance and observe the word besides Praeterquam quod is in the vulgar translation of St Jerome which is more fully expressed by the word besides than by the word otherwise as it is in some corrupted impressions and above all note that he saith not against but besides Praeterquam
quod Now what I pray you are all the traditions of the Romish Church but doctrine and things besides the Word of God Besides that which St Paul and Christ Jesus and the other Apostles did preach yea even contrary for all doctrine taught as necessary to faith out of the Scripture is also contrary unto the Scripture seeing it is against the prohibition to adde to the Word of God Mat. 15.9 and God condemneth them who teach for doctrine of faith the doctrine and commandements of men And mark that Christ Jesus in this chap. of St Matthew did specially condemne the Pharisees because they transgressed the commandements of God by their traditions and what I pray you were those traditions they were not things expresly forbidden in the law of God but simple additions and willing devotions without the word of God and which outwardly smelled of nothing but devotion puritie and holinesse as to fast three times a week to wash the cups the platters to tithe Mint and Annise to make conscience to heal any sick man on the Sabbath day to make long prayers to abstaine from certaine meats and that not through a conceit that those things were polluted but through a willing devotion and humilitie of spirit or through a desire to mortifie the flesh but because those things were taught as being of equall authoritie with the doctrine of faith that is the cause wherefore they are condemned by the Son of God as contrary to his holy Word There is no doubt but by this passage of the Apostle St Paul we cited before are also condemned all the Traditions of the Romish Church which are taught and preached to be of equall authoritie with the holy Scriptures which truely are besides the Word of God and the Gospel that was preached by our Saviour and his Disciples for how cometh it to passe that they should have preached so many things pertaining to faith and salvation and never speak any thing of them in any of their Books nor in the acts of the Apostles which is the History of the most remarkable actions and Sermons of the Apostles for more than twenty yeares see if there be any thing spoken there of the invocation of Saints of Indulgencies Purgatory prayer for the dead of the Communion under one kinde or of the rest and if those and the like things be not in the holy Scriptures they are besides the Word of God and consequently he that preacheth them is accursed and Anathema and they are not to be received as pertaining to faith And to shew that the Traditions which the Church of Rome teacheth as Articles of faith doe not come from Christ Jesus and his Apostles nor cannot be said to be Apostolique nor divine but papall and humane to say no worse there is almost none of them the history of that Church sheweth not by what Pope or Bishop they were invented and at what time they had their beginning Baro. Annal Eccle. Gualter Chronol Durant de ritib. see the Authors who handle the same least I should be too prolix in this matter being desirous to lay open another of not much lesse importance CHAP. VII That wee cannot ground our beliefe upon the Books of the ancient Fathers THose of the Romish Church to authorise their Traditions which are besides nay contrary to the Word of God send us to the Fathers as to other Judges to determine our differences whose doctrine they affirme to be conformable to that which they teach Certainly I have thought Antiquitie in it selfe to be very venerable and worthy to be respected especially the Fathers whose grave and learned Books deserve praise of all good spirits principally if their doctrine be conformable to the Word of God which is the sole infallible rule of all good doctrine And to speak truly I finde that the Fathers of the first ages condemne in a number of places so manifestly the errors and superstitious doctrines of the Romish Church that I have marvailed oftentimes how they can have the boldnesse to alledge them in their favour It is true that as in the time of St Paul the mystery of iniquitie was already working so it is not to be marveiled that they being men some things have now and then insensibly crept into the writings of some of them which were not altogether so pure and seeme somewhat to incline to superstitions which by little and little insinuated themselves into the Church But I beleeve that though all their Books should seeme manifestly to contradict the faith of the Reformed Churches wee are not obliged to receive them as our Judges neither as irreprochable Witnesses and howsoever I esteeme highly of the Authours yet wee cannot ground any Article of faith upon their Writings but so far as wee finde them to conforme to the Word of God which is the toucstone of all truth neither are wee bound to have recourse to them any wayes For if we were obliged to have recourse to them and receive them for Judges of our faith that were to bring our faith and the point of our salvation in an impossibilitie at least morall because all Christians should be obliged to have them and to have them all or the most part which is not possible but to the richer sort and having them they should be obliged to reade them almost all and that wholy to the end they might compare one with another and see if they agree one with another in the same doctrine and if they be conformable to themselves every where and so none but those who had great leasure could reade them and being almost all of them either in Latine or Greeke or other strange tongue but few of them in vulgar tongues what should they doe who understand neither Latine nor Greeke There would be none then but the richer and learneder and those who had no other imployment but to reade could be assured of their faith and so all others should be without faith and knowledge of those things which concerne their salvation and consequently in a manifest way of perdition by their ignorance Notwithstanding our Saviour his coming was to teach the poore as well as the rich the ignorant as the learned the Merchants and Tradesmen as well as those who are not so much imployed Besides it is impossible to build upon their Writings any beliefe of faith for as Printing was not in their time but onely two or three hundred yeares since those who have written in the Primitive Church even to our time since our Saviour which hath been thirteen or fourteen hundred yeares have left us nothing but Manuscripts which behooved to be transcribed that they might be dispersed Now there is no man who will not confesse that the Originals and first Manuscripts written or at least revised and corrected by the Fathers which composed them have been seen but of a few and little or nothing of them all is to be found at this time nor was found
when Printing did begin they being either lost or consumed by fire or time or by the Wormes or a multitude of other accidents which we see doth eat and consume the very stones and Iron Now those first Manuscripts have been copied out by divers Writers and that from hand to hand from time to time to be dispersed and preserved from age to age and run over Kingdoms and after a multitude of Transcriptions passed by example since our Saviours time to us how many faults and what alteration have been made in those Books and in the doctrine of those Fathers for there is no man almost how able soever who can brag that he can transcribe a sheet of paper without committing some one or more faults how many will there be then in a great Volume as one of St Augustins or St Chrysostoms And as those Clerks or Transcribers who were called Amanuenses were for the most part mercenary and did all for money and profit living by that trade it is likely they took not much care but thought onely upon a quick dispatch that they might gaine the more and when they found any thing that seemed a fault to them whether it was really so or not they changed and corrected it according to their minde and passion it faring with faults as with balls of snow which the more they are rolled grow the bigger so far was their faults to be lesned by their Writers thav they were rather augmented and multiplied the old continuing or rather growing worse and daily more new ones being made so that some little time after it might be said of every Book that it was in a manner no more the same Book but altogether another being so much changed and altered And the Romish Church growing in power and authoritie when shee found any thing in those Books contrary to her doctrine and the increase of her greatnesse or against her designes and intentions shee did condemne the same as falsified and falsly attributed to the Fathers and correct it after her own minde and fancy and when Printing was come in use shee made choice of that which was most conformable to her doctrine or rather moulding and forming it by her agents and supporters to her own minde caused it so to be printed suppressing and forbidding other Copies as spurious and corrupted said they by some heretiques or malicious people or falsly attributed to their Authors and so who can now say in the world certainly that the writings fathered upon Irenaeus Cyrillus Augustin and other ancient Fathers are the true and genuine Writings of those Fathers not falsified or supposed And if it hath been so hard a matter to preserve the holy Scripture which is but a little Book in comparison of those others in its purity through so many ages when Printing was not in use What can we say of those great Volumes which were not in so great request nor so much respected and where the change and alteration was not of so great importance to care so much but where every one took often the authoritie to change according to his fancy and accommodate the Father to his minde to authorise his beliefe I think there is no man of good judgement in the world who seeth not cleerly the force and power of this so manifest truth and that it is impossible to ground any certaine beliefe such as that of faith ought to be upon so uncertaine grounds Besides that though they were most certaine yet being men subject to mistakes and errours wee were not obliged to make their opinions our Judges if they be not conformable to the Word of God which is the rule of all truth For which cause I shall not strive in this Booke to alledge many passages of Fathers but onely shew my opinion grounded upon strong reasons and upon the vertue of the Scripture My intention not being to make a great Volume but onely a little Book of small cost and little time and paines both for my selfe and the Reader CHAP. VIII Concerning the chiefe point of Controversie to wit that St Peter had no primacy in the Church and that the primacy of the Pope is an unlawfull usurpation AS I have ever beleeved that the chiefe and most important point among all the controversies betwixt the Catholique reformed and the Romish Church is that of the Primacy of the Pope and whether he be Vicar of Christ Jesus on earth universall and generall Bishop over all Christians and be head and superiour of the Catholique Church So it was the first motive of my conversion and that which I esteemed to have most need to be well considered and examined as being the ground of all the Romish beliefe which once over-turned shee must of necessitie fall to the ground And howsoever there be many other points of great importance this neverthelesse is as the Center where all the rest do meet and the axletree on which they all move and the foundation that upholdeth them because that whatsoever point of faith or Scripture is in controversie those of the Romish Church will have none but the Church for Judge or as I have shewed the Pope saying he is Vicar of Christ Jesus and head of the universall Church and consequently sole Judge in matters of faith And being the Pope of Rome pretendeth this authoritie onely so far as he vaunteth himselfe to be successour of St Peter to whom he saith that Christ Jesus hath given this power I have diligently examined the question to see what reason and ground the Doctors of the Romish Church have to maintaine the same and howsoever they reject the Scripture and will not admit it to be Judge of controversie they are neverthelesse necessitated to have recourse to it and receive it for Judge in this point For the question being of the Pope he must not be Judge and party and it would be an insufferable impertinency to goe about to prove the Pope by the Pope and maintaine that he is head of the Church because maintaineth he and affirmeth it he must then of necessitie declare and produce his other titles and shew by what vertue he posseseth this authoritie there being no proscription in matter of faith and conscience for otherwise the Religion of the Gentiles and Idolaters would have been thought the best and the doctrine of the Evangelists would never have been planted for which cause also he laboureth to prove this his Article by the Scripture And to that end we shall first set downe the strongest of his reasons by way of objection the weaknesse and nullity of which I shall shew And although it be sufficient enough for evidencing his power to be unlawfull and usurped making it appeare that his titles are false and of no force and that wee are not obliged to bring proofes out of the Scriptures for that which is not a point of our faith it being sufficient for us that it is not in the Scripture which we hold for sole rule
and Judge As for example to prove that the Metamorphosis of Ovid is not an Article of faith we are not bound to produce a formall and cleare passage the Metamorphosis of Ovid is not a point of faith or the Fables of Esop appertaine not to faith but it is sufficient that neither the one nor the other is to be found in Scripture and so to shew that the primacy of the Pope and of St Peter over the whole Church and over all Christians is not a point of faith it sufficeth that it cannot be proved nor shewed out of the holy Scripture and that all the passages they bring are insufficient to prove it Neverthelesse we shall deale favourably with our Adversaries in this point and shew the negative out of the Scripture and demonstrate also from thence by the grace of God that our Saviour had never any intention to make St Peter head of the Church nor leave any Vicar nor successour in his place and that the Apostles did never beleeve nor thinke it nor the ancient Primitive Church ever held the Pope of Rome for universall Bishop generall head of the Church and I perswade my selfe if one will compare with a judgement void of passion the reasons which prove this negative with those the Romish Church bring to prove the affirmative he will questionlesse judge the first a great deale cleerer and stronger than those of the Romish Church It were a thing too tedious both for the Reader and for the intention of my shortnesse here to set downe all the passages of the holy Scripture they of the Romish Church produce to prove this but I take God to witnesse I shall produce all the strongest reasons they use as I promise sincerely and truely in all other points to doe Mat. 16.17 The first objection I shall produce is this drawn out of Mat. 16.17 Jesus came saith he into the coasts of Cesarea and Philippi and asked his Disciples saying whom doe men say that I the son of man am and they said some say thou art John the Baptist some Elias and others Jeremias or one of the Prophets he saith unto them but whom say yee that I am and Simon Peter answered saying thou art Christ the Son of the living God and Jesus answered and said unto him Blessed art thou Simon Barjona for flesh and bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven and I say unto thee that thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it This is the passage that they esteeme of the greatest force and strength to prove the primacy of St Peter and of the Pope as also the infallibilitie of his doctrine his primacy by those words and upon this rock I will build my Church and his infallibilitie by the words following And the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Which we shall also by Gods grace examine hereafter and for the solution of the first point We answer first that Christ Jesus by those words And upon this rock c. meanes not to speak of the person of St Peter but of the confession of St Peter which he had done so worthily in saying that he was the Christ the Son of the living God as doth cleerly appeare by the ensuing words And the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it for if this was understood of the person of St Peter who should be called a Rock Petra those following words would not be found to be true seeing since Christ Jesus had said this the gates of hell did prevaile against Peter for he denied and offended his Master yeelding to the temptation of Sathan but Christ hearing the true and faithfull beliefe of St Peter said to him that he was called Peter and making an allusion to the word Peter said to him that upon his confession which was a most sure rock he would build his Church and the gates of hell should never prevaile against it the truth of the Son of God being eternally to indure and triumph over the power of hell I am assured this exposition will seeme best and most reasonable to all men of good understanding and it is confirmed by a great number of ancient Authors Chrysost Hom. 55. in 16. Matth. Id. Serm. sup Pent. Aug. tract 10. in Ioan. for so doth St Chrysostome understand it in his 55 Homily on the 16 of Matt. Upon this Rock that is saith he upon the faith of his confession And in his Sermon of the Pentecost he saith upon this rock and not upon Peter for he hath not founded his Church upon men but upon the faith And St Augustin in his tenth Treatise on St John what meaneth that upon this rock I will build my Church upon this faith upon that which was said Thou art the Christ the Son of the living God We answer secondly that although we should grant that our Saviour had founded his Church upon St Peter and that St Peter was the foundation of the Church it would not follow thence that he was head and superiour for there is great difference betwixt the foundation and top of an house betwixt the feet which are as the basis and foundation of the body and the head that is above and governeth all the rest nor because St Peter was called the foundation of the Church can any pretend therefore that he should be the head and governour for the Apostles and Prophets are also called the foundation of the Church and of the Saints Now therefore ye are no more strangers and forrainers Eph. 2.20 but fellow Citizens with the Saints and houshold of God and are built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himselfe being the chiefe corner stone that is to say that the Apostles and Prophets have planted the Church and laid the first foundation by their doctrine and by their faith which is the same truth neverthelesse none of the Prophets or other Apostles have been therefore esteemed to have had an universall supremacy over the whole Church and whereof they be called the foundations it is not meant of the persons but of their doctrine and faith for certainly the Church was never founded upon mortall men It was before St Peter and the Apostles and did not change its foundations at the coming of St Peter or the other Apostles And if it had been founded upon their persons St Peter and the Apostles being dead the foundation of the Church behoved to have changed and that much to the worse there never having been any equall to them since and wee are not grounded upon another foundation than that whereon St Peter was grounded now he was not founded upon himselfe but on Christ Jesus who not onely in his doctrine but also in his proper person is the fundamentall and head-stone of the corner The second Objection of the Papists which I shall produce for proofe
the word Pope which is as to say Father or if ye will Father of fathers Pater patrum it was a name common in ancient time to all Bishops and when they called him Bishop that was neither universall nor yet of Rome nor Romane but very seldome but onely Bishop of the Citie of Rome to shew that in those times his Jurisdiction extended not without the walls and suburbs of the Citie of Rome Whence it may be observed that in much probability the Bishops yet of those times were no more than the Pastours of parishes as it is certain they were at the first institution there being not yet at that time speech of diocesse nor of Pastour that had authoritie over many Pastours or Churches and the number of Christians being but small every where one Pastour did serve and was sufficient for the greatest Cities who was called Bishop using the aid and assistance in his charge of the Presbyters that is to say Elders and out of the number of the Elders was ordinarily chosen the Bishop which is to say Intendent or overseer of the flock but this by the way Now to return to the Bishop of Rome it is true that some times they were transported with flattery or by way of civility and complement to give him some titles and Epithites of praise savouring more of flattery than truth extolling either his learning or holinesse beyond all christian modesty and appearance of truth but by a speciall providence of God who would conserve this pure doctrine for his elect or because that was too great a prejudice for them they were never induced to give him any title which might any way shew that Primacie or generall superiority and that without any contradiction of the whole Romish Church to the time of Sylvester which is about 300. yeers and a long time also after him Which if the Bishop of Rome had had or thought to have had it was highly to wrong him in writing to him and not giving him those titles of honour which were due unto him Nor was it a good way to obtain satisfaction in that which they asked to refuse him those qualities of superioritie his subjects did owe him especially in so teetling and important a thing Is there any Prince in the world that would not have reason to be offended if one of his vassals writing to him should call him comrade and companion writing nothing in his letter to shew his submission and the dependence he hath on his Lord and yet in those first ages we read not of any Pope that was offended with any Bishops who writ to them for calling them brother fellow Bishop or companion or for denying him the title of Universall Head This therefore is a manifest proofe that no Bishops did beleeve the Pope of Rome to be universall head of the Church and that the Bishops of Rome did not think it of themselves if this consequence be not reasonable I know not what may be thought reasonable in the world Judge thou indifferent Reader with a spirit of sinceritie and void of passion They of the Romish Church it may be will produce against all that we have cleerly alledged and proved from the Scriptures or otherwise a number of passages out of some Fathers men of the first ages for since Sylvester that the greatnesse of the Bishop of Rome did begin we must not marvell for the reasons alledged which seem to give the Primacy to St. Peter and the Bishop of Rome but the answer is brief in this and other points if they produce ten seeming testimonies for them I shall produce a dozen to the contrary taken out of the same Fathers a great deale stronger cleerer and of greater force than others But not to stay any longer upon their needlesse things let them shew us the true manuscripts written by those ancient Fathers and we will take the pains to read them and examine their opinions although nothing ought to be opposed to the holy Scriptures But to alledge us books written eight or nine hundred yeers after the Autographs and written or printed after a thousand copies and under the highest power of the Church of Rome there is no reason we should trouble our brains with them and also those books being laid together can in nothing equall nor come neer the authoritie of the holy Scriptures which are avowed and acknowledged of all men and speak most cleerly and manifestly in this point And so for the Fathers in this and other matters because I will say no other thing than that which I have said in the seventh Chapter of this book I intreat the Reader to see it there But how cometh it to passe that the Pope of Rome hath possessed himself of so great an authority and maintaineth the same in so high a degree for so many ages CHAP. XII In what manner and at what time the Bishop of Rome usurped the Primacie THose who will read and consider attentively the History of the Christian Church especially the life and history of the Popes written by Popish Authors themselves will cleerly see that the first 300. yeers after the death of our Saviour to the time of Pope Sylvester the Bishop of Rome did pretend no authoritie over the Bishops nor did any give him the title of Universall Head and Bishop in any of the Epistles which were written unto him the Bishop and Church of Rome afflicted with the persecutions and tyrannies of the Emperours imploying their thoughts rather for the conservation of the faith in the practise of humility and patience than in ambition and usurpation of any authoritie which belongeth no wayes unto them But as honours change manners and seldome to the better Constantine the Emperour having been baptized by Sylvester then Bishop of Rome and made the first Christian Emperour by an excessive zeal of devotion to the great prejudice since of all Christendome transferred his Court to Constantinople leaving the City of Rome to Sylvester with a donation of many Lands Lordships and rents so by that gift the Bishop of Rome became the richest and greatest Lord and most considerable without comparison of all the Bishops of the Christian Church it being knowne through the world that the sole Emperour and Monarch of the world had left him his imperiall Citie and inriched and gratified him with so great wealth and honour for him and his successors the Bishops of Rome and howsoever this good Bishop did see himselfe possessed of all this wealth yet did he never usurpe any primacy nor title of head and superiour over other Bishops or Christians himselfe nor his successours for two hundred yeares after his death It is true that being made the richest potentest and most considerable amongst all the Bishops many began to honour him more and write to him with greater respect which ever followeth riches and greatnesse and being thus eminent among all Christians if there were any Bishop who was persecuted by other Bishops or
before it was given them by the wicked and perfidious Emperour Phocas who having overcome and taken Maurice succeeded in his place and because he was freely and without any contradiction crowned at Rome in recompence would oblige the Romans and ordained that the Church of Rome should thereafter be chiefe of all the Churches and that Boniface the third then Pope should be universall Bishop and so was the controversie determined by the power and authoritie of the Emperour If after all this the title of head universall and generall Bishop ought to be thought of divine right and of divine and Apostolique institution given to the Bishop of Rome I have done beleeving that the gift and declaration of a wicked Emperour maketh not the Institution divine Thus you may perceive friendly Reader that Christ never gave it to St Peter and that the Apostles never beleeved any such thing nor did St Peter himselfe ever imagine to have it or make use of it Yee see how almost six hundred yeares were finished which questionlesse is a long time after the death of our Saviour before either the Bishop of Rome was esteemed or did esteeme himselfe generall Bishop and Superiour over the whole Church and now to say that it is the institution of Jesus Christ is it not to thinke men fooles and beleeve they are geese void of all sense and reason not to perceive the imposture Nor is there any but simple and weake wits will beleeve it in the Romish Church and if it be any Article of faith as the Pope his adherents preach and as the Councell of Trent declareth there is none by that reason in the Romish Church but weake judgements who are in the paths of salvation CHAP. XIII How the Bishop of Rome hath and doth labour to maintaine his usurped Primacy and after what manner the Pope is elected at this present I Know the Cardinall Baronius a man otherwise learned and of great authoritie in the Church of Rome in his Ecclesiasticall History hath endeavoured above all things to shew the primacy of the Bishop of Rome as being the principall end and cause of all his painfull labours but I protest that he saith nothing contrary to all I have spoken here of the History of the Popes except onely that he striveth to draw more advantageous consequences for the Bishop of Rome but with what sinceritie and ground the indifferent Reader may judge And because he sheweth that which I have granted that Letters were written from divers places and from many Churches to the Bishop of Rome since St Peters death either to have his advice in matter of faith or clearing of some doubts in Religion or composing of some differences risen amongst the Bishops as to one of their fellow-Bishops and brethren who had great authoritie amongst them as being the Bishop of the Metropolis of the world where the Emperour did reside he concludeth every where the primacy but with very bad consequences as doe many more of his fellowes who taking pay of the Romish Church either for feare to loose the Benefices they have or in hope to obtaine better and greater doe all that lyeth in their power to extoll the same dissembling often those errours they perceive and labouring to cloake and excuse that which they cannot deny Certainly there is no man who reading the Cardinall Baronius with a minde void of passion will not cleerly perceive that he proceedeth after that manner and indeed according to the policy and wisdome of this world which is neverthelesse foolishnesse before God he could not doe otherwise for he was wise enough to see and foresee if he wrote otherwise than in the favour of his Holines and the Romish Church he could never have aspired to the Cardinalship which he obtained thereby nor to the honours and gratifications the Pope imparted to him thereafter for having maintained so advantageously his authoritie and pretended rights Now to returne to my purpose the Bishop of Rome having once obtained the title of universall Bishop and generall Pastour of the Church by the donation and investure of the Emperour he being already in possession of great authoritie and abundance of great riches it was not hard for him to maintaine and conserve it in despite of all oppositions that were raised from time to time by Bishops who had not so much riches and authoritie as he nor a backe strong enough to contest it against him and make him quit the title but rather hath laboured to exalt himselfe more and more taking occasion from the weaknesse and necessitie or the simplicitie and devotion of Princes to augment his authoritie and estate And he who by the meanes and beneficence of the Emperours was invested in the possession of his greatnesse primacy and riches rose in a small time to that point as to strive to depose them from their thrones and usurp the right of creating and crowning them make them kisse and adore his feet nay even to set his feet upon their necke abusing those words of the Psal 91.13 Thou shalt walke upon the Aspe Basilisque Psal 91.13 and the Lyon and the Dragon shalt thou tread under-foot as did Alexander the third to the Emperour Fredericke Barberousse and his sonne Henry the sixt saith Baronius being brought to the feet of Pope Innocent the third there to receive the Imperiall Crowne upon his knees and it being set upon his head as he was on his knees before the Pope who was on a throne he beat it off with his foot saying to him with an unsupportable arrogancy Know that as I have had the power to set the Crowne on thy head so have I to take it from thee and deprive thee thereof at my pleasure But they took their time and opportunitie of the infirmity and misery of those afflicted Princes to exercise upon them the usurpation of their Empire And no man of understanding will peruse the History but he may see that as the Emperours had invested the Bishops of Rome in the title and qualitie of Head of the Church so for a long time after they reteined the authority to create and install them in their See and depose and turne them out neither was any admitted on received but by consent of the Emperour And if in the absence and distance of the Emperour the Romanes at any time medled themselves with the choosing of the Pope they sent continually to the Emperour to have his consent which sometimes he gave and other times refused And because time altereth and changeth all things that which sometime before was done by all the Romane people with the aforesaid conditions became by little and little to be reduced to the Clergie alone which as the Pope grew greater and richer did also augment their revenues and power gathering the crummes from a Table so excessively furnished as was that of the Pope and so the consent of the Emperour began by little little to be neglected but principally then
temporall things and that with that subtiltie and craft which Bellarmine and other Romish Doctors call indirect jurisdiction and power whereby he maketh all the States Empires and actions of Princes liable to his authoritie it being impossible but some interest or pretext of Religion or spirituall good be alwayes mixed with it over which the Pope pretendeth direct authoritie c. And therefore it is a Maxime in the Romish Schooles that he may depose establish and excommunicate Kings interdict their Dominions and Kingdoms give all their estates in prey to the first Conquerour under the pretext and colour of Religion and if he think them not stongly addicted to maintain his faith and doctrine or rather if they shew not themselves zealous of the augmentation and conservation of his greatnesse and authoritie for this is the word of the Caballe and the true cause of the usurpation of such a power besides the infallible ambition which is naturall to every one And grounded upon this maxime the Pope hath made use of that authoritie upon all occasions and doth it yet so much as he can Witnesse that which the Pope hath lately done upon the Dukedomes of Ferrara and Vrbin in Italy which States he hath handsomely seized upon and would questionlesse do the same or worse with all other Princes if his power did equall his will But men are not now so simple as formerly and the Popes Canons fright now adayes but few for now they begin to crack and most Princes are too strong and wise now to be led so by the nose or submit their necks under his feet as some of their Ancestors did although I beleeve there would be many Pope Innocents found if there were any Prince like Frederick Barbarosse but they of our time are not so simple Neverthelesse he desisteth not as he did in ancient time to abuse timorous spirits and make the name and interests of St. Peter to resound loud every where if a Prince take back that which the Pope had usurped upon him he crieth that he robbeth St. Peter if he beg any thing from them to make up his greatnesse it is saith he for S. Peter and S. Paul if any refuse him they refuse S. Peter saith he Oh but St. Peter will be warie to take part in all those greatnesses and worldly vanities which are so contrary to his exhortations so far from his examples and so little beseeming the office of a true Pastor of souls and a Christian Priest But those pretexts have served him very much to deceive and cozen a number of simple Princes with whose goods he being once enriched thereafter becometh more potent and proud to make war against them and ruine them utterly and their successours or else hath inriched his kindred and increased and augmented his estate in such sort that it far exceedeth at this present that of the greatest Princes of Europe For what Prince is there at this present in Europe who hath 24000. crowns to spend every day as the Pope of Rome and all this either begged or usurped under the name and pretext of St. Peter But I would willingly demand if he worketh the works of St. Peter and liveth as he did so to borrow his name had St. Peter as great wealth did he make as great chear and keep such a Court or so much inriched his kindred did St. Peter govern his Church with so great state and pompe Yes truly with greater povertie zeal and modesty with greater sanctitie and edification and I fear much that those who use so wrongfully the name of St. Peter be condemned one day by the example of St. Peter whose name and cloke they use not imitating his works I know they find reasons to cover that magnificence and glistering vanity but there is nothing in the world how absurd and bad soever but the spirit of man can give some reason for it and if the foolish and ridiculous fashion should come in the world to walk with the feet upwards and the head downwards some reason might be given of it as did that people which cut off young girles feet in their Countrey but if those reasons be worthy to be received let men judge And if the Popes complain as they do of the contempt of the Princes of our age towards them let them live as did St. Peter whose name they carrie then Princes and all Christians will respect them as St. Peter Indeed every one now seeth and confesseth that the lay Lords have been in a manner too simple suffering themselves to be so easily cozened by the craft and insatiable avarice of the Romish Clergie who under pretext of devotion of Purgatory and long prayers as saith the Evangelist have snatched the pleasantest and sweetest part of all the wealth in Christendome But of this perchance in another place At this time men are wiser and go no more in procession from far countreys to kisse the Popes pantofle and if any go for the present it is more through curiositie than for respect and devotion though they cease not to transport many Millions of gold daily out of some Kingdoms to the great grief of many wise and good men and carry it to Rome to entertain the Popes Court in the pleasures and insolencies known to most men to inrich his Nephews and kinsfolks and whorle the Cardinals with a cortage of fourty or fiftie Coaches in a word to maintain the Romish Clergie in such abominations and dissolutenesse that S. Lewes King of France could never have the heart to see them they surpassing in excesse and dissolutenesse all the Cities of the world even those where Christ Jesus and Gods Name is not known Let the Pope of Rome have whereon to live and make good cheer if he will so long as he liveth that were sufferable but to have 24000. crowns to spend every day is a little too much for an old Priest and I beleeve that the over-plus would do an infinite of good to many poore Christians Priests and Prelates also both learned and understanding who are constrained to live poorely all the rest of their daies and I may say to fast that they may send excessive Annates to Rome to feed his hounds and maintaine his excesse Happy and wise are those Kingdomes and States who have freed themselves from that tyranny and withdrawne their necks from under that hard and unsupportable yoake I know the Pope is much grieved and fretteth daily for having by his presumption and obstinacy given occasion to those Princes to open their eyes and see the darknesse and captivitie wherein they lived and will beware to stirre so much another time for feare his throne should fall flat to the ground But there is no remedy for that which is past nor is there any appearance they will ever returne and come back to the ancient collection of Peters penny Mens eyes are too open now againe to be deceived and their noses too apt to smell out their plots
Isa 56.10 seeing the woolfe fall upon the flock as saith Isaiah Would to God Princes would once rellish this important truth which a great many of their ablest Subjects do acknowledge and open their eyes to see the captivitie under which they go about to oppresse their authoritie God of heaven make them see their servitude and give them resolution to deliver themselves and their Subjects from under that strange and cruell yoke I am perswaded if once this great abuse were out of the Church if this unjust and incompetent Judge were once rejected as an usurper of an authority not belonging to him all Christians would in a short time be of one flock and under one Pastor Christ Jesus and in a short time there would be through all Europe and other places of the earth but one faith one baptisme one God for the holy Scriptures entring to be Judge and Rule of all controversies in point of Religion there would be no man of spirit and judgement who would not in a short time know the truth and the darknesse of error would quickly be dissipated by the approach of the light But from this incompetent Judge doth proceed all the miserie of the Church and because that point is the most important of all others in controversie I have stayed longest upon it and laboured to deduce and cleer the same more amply as being that whereupon I did most ground my conversion and the change which I have made And because I know there be yet many points which for not being sufficiently cleered are the cause of the perdition of many I shall endeavour to speak something of them in the following Chapters according to the light God hath given me and the knowledge I did acquire being in the Romish Church not that I promise to set them down so amply as I have done the precedent points For having proved evidently that rejecting the judgement of the Pope as unlawfull and of no force we ought to take the Scriptures and Word of God alone to judge all our controversies in matter of faith all that cannot be shewed in the holy Scriptures must be banished out of our beleef and because they of the Romish Church confesse that in many points they have no Scripture nor ground it is by consequence to avow and confesse the nullitie thereof neither need we any other form of processe to condemne them of untruth so that which I shall write hereafter shall onely be for the greater satisfaction of the Reader and to open the eyes of many simple souls who see not their blindnesse and darknesse CHAP. XVII Of the Invocation of Saints AFter that I was sufficiently informed and fully satisfied by those reasons and considerations I have already deduced and others like to them which to avoid prolixity I omitted that neither the Pope nor the Church ought to be my Judge in matter of faith but the holy Scripture onely which God hath given us to that end then did I begin to examine all points of faith by the Scripture alone and in every thing that was propounded to me by the Romish Church I had recourse to the Word of God and holy writings to see if it was conformable to them and if any such thing were preached by Christ and his Apostles who have questionlesse divulged the pure and most perfect faith that being the thing every Christian ought to practise in matter of faith And perceiving the point of the Invocation of Saints to be at this present in great estimation in the Romish Church and that the câ—nfession and profession of faith ordered by the Bull of Pope Pius the fourth according to the Councell of Trent saith expresly we must honour and invoke the Saints I have searched and examined this point by the holy Scriptures I confesse truly that as my nature moveth me enough praised be God to give honour to those to whom it appertaineth especicially in holy things so have I ever had an inclination to render to the Saints as much honour and respect as I thought was due to them and if I should have found any ground in the holy Scripture for the Invocation of Saints I would certainly have embraced it with a hearty affection but knowing that God is better pleased with obedience than will-sacrifice so I did beleeve the Saints demanded nothing more of us than what was due to them and that we are so far from doing them pleasure in giving them more honour than justly appertains to them that it were rather to offend God and them in God who loving him above all things have no other glory nor pleasure than his glory and will Now for passages out of the holy Scriptures to prove this Article the Romanists produce none worthy of consideration and that which ever I did read of greatest importance for them 2 Pet. 1â— 15. is the passage in 2 Pet. 1.15 Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have those things alwayes in remembrance Thereby say they Peter promiseth the faithfull that he will pray for them after his death This passage is falsified for it is according to the Greek I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have those things still in remembrance that is Theod. Aquin. in Comm. super Epist as Aquinas himself who is esteemed Mr. of the Schoole explaineth because saith he I must shortly be dissolved therefore so long as I live I will take pains to advertise you not onely once but often that is instantly and diligently that you may remember those things I told you after my death Oecumenius also acknowledgeth this explanation to be the best and the other to be hyperbolicall that is troubling and overturning the construction And although we should confesse that by this passage is proved that St. Peter and the other Saints pray in Paradise for the faithfull it will not thence follow that they hear us and that we must call upon them nor can they produce any proofe out of Scripture The Jesuite Cotton also in his first book of his Institution in the Chapter of the Invocation of Saints saith Cotton Instit li. 1. cap. dâ— Invoc Sanct that for commandment to pray and call upon the Saints the Church hath never taught any neverthelesse the confession of faith of the Councell of Trent composed and formed to be received of Christians by command of the same Councell Concil Triden Sessio 25. de Reform cap. 20. and especially by Pope Pius the 4th hath those words I beleeve the Saints must be honoured and invocated who reign together with Christ and that they offer up prayers to God for us Thence it would appeare that this good Father did not well know his belief for behold his Church beleeveth that Saints must be honoured and invocated if it be not peradventure that he would put this glosse upon the words of the Councell to wit that the obligation is onely by way of
counsell and not a commandment but they might say as much of all heresie and the word I beleeve sheweth they make an Article of faith of it which obligeth them all But let us grant if you will that all the Saints who are with God in glory offer continuall prayers to him for the increase and prosperitie of the whole Church and all the faithful as some Doctors beleeve and perhaps might be granted although we have no knowledge thereof from the holy Scripture and so it cannot be a point of faith it will not therefore follow that they hear all our prayers and know our necessities in particular or that we ought to invoke them and the fashion in which the Romish Church explaineth this point sheweth sufficiently its nullity For they say the Saints do not hear our prayers themselves but beholding and contemplating the divine Essence they see them there as in a glasse and so have knowledge of them and although say they they see whole God yet they do not see him wholly nor do they see all which is comprehended in that divine Essence for so should they have an infinite knowledge but they see onely that which God will manifest and reveal unto them Now to beleeve God manifested unto them all the prayers that are directed unto them is a groundlesse conjecture there being no Word of God to inform us thereof nor any returned from those places to bring us news And although this might be there being nothing impossible to God neverthelesse all confesse and agree that every thing which is possible to God cometh not therefore to passe nor ought we beleeve it to be done if the Word of God declareth it not to us as matter of faith besides there are so great absurdities in the explication of this doctrine that I marvell how it can enter into the spirit of a reasonable man For they confesse that our prayers go first to God and then from God to the Saints and after they return from the Saints to God which is as one praying to St. Nicholas for example if God say to him Nicholas know that such a man in such a place upon the earth asketh thee such things whereof I advertise thee that thou may pray to me and then I will advise if I shall heare thee that is to make God Mediatour towards the Saints before the Saints be Mediatours towards God Furthermore the Saints have not an infinite knowledge and vertue and as they know not all things so doe they not know them all at one time and are not as God who provideth for the generall government of the world and all particular things therein without any trouble or disturbance for the infinitenesse of his divine essence giveth him that power but the Saints are not so for although their power be great yet it hath its owne bounds nor I cannot conceive how a Saint at the same instant can heare all the prayers made to him here on earth nor how he can provide for all as they make the simpler beleeve For let us suppose if yee will that it is Saterday which day the Romanists dedicate especially to the blessed Virgin Mother of God or one of her great holy dayes among them as of her Nativitie her Assumption or any other from the dawning of the day to mid-day there are a million of millions of Masses said every moment in those places where Popish Religion is planted and a numberlesse number of prayers at one and the same instant are directed to the blessed Virgin every particular person imagining shee heareth them perfectly and indeavouring to make his wants knowne to her to the end he may be relieved or suppose shee knoweth them already and that they onely labour to pray to her and aske her helpe and reliefe they will be forced to confesse that the prayers and necessities of every particular person goe first to God who alone knoweth the hearts and then from God to the Virgin and from her againe to God last of all they returne from God to the Virgin that shee may give order and make them feele their prayers are granted if God think it expedient Now if there be two thousand persons in a Church that pray to the Virgin at one time it must be done by every one of them in an instant and if there be ten thousand in a Citie which pray at one time that must be done by every one of them so and if that be done proportionably through all the Cities of a Kingdome even of many Kingdomes where a numberlesse number of people pray to the blessed Virgin at the same instant shee must have at one time an infinite multitude of businesses to heare and necessities to provide for and at the same instant God informeth her of an infinite number of prayers directed to her for an infinite number of wants shee returning an infinite number at the same time to God and in the meane time while shee returneth them to God and prayeth to him according to the information it pleased him to give her God at the same instant advertiseth her of an infinite multitude of other prayers which indeed may well be done by God at an instant but not by the Virgin Mary who being onely a finite creature is not able to thinke and advise upon so many affaires together at one time no more than we but needeth some time and succession to know provide for all though we confesse that a separated soule may know sooner than united to the body and that shee know by a single apprehension and not by discourse but being finite her power of knowing is finite and shee cannot know all together nor thinke upon all at once being ever in state of glory And let us but grant the least time to every businesse we would quickly be far from our intent for there being some dayes millions of millions of affaires and prayers directed to her through the world shee cannot imploy the smallest time imaginable in every businesse but shee must be more than a yeare to thinke and looke upon all the affaires which are directed to her in one day nay in one houre nay in a quarter of an houre And because it falleth out often in a yeare we must of necessitie fall into an inexplicable labyrinth to every tongue inconceivable to every understanding and impossible to every creature how perfect soever shee is there being nothing but that which is infinite capable of such things the which ought not to be acknowledged in any Saint whatsoever But to what purpose I pray you shall we addresse our selves to Saints seeing we have our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Mediatour the Soveraigne and onely Advocate betwixt us and his Father who commandeth us to come and addresse our selves unto him who giveth us the confidence and assureth us that he will comfort us Mat. 11.28 Come unto me saith he all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease
be agreeable to God God not blessing those humane inventions And yet secular persons do but seldome possesse that favour amongst the people as to have Images and be accounted holy and blessed because their parents finding not so great profit to make them passe for Saints or blessed men as doe the religious orders they care not so much for except it may be a little honour to their families there is nothing but great charges and expences to them But there is no Saint nor miracle beleeved or esteemed among the religious orders which bringeth them not great profit and abundance of Almes because they well know that the more they are accounted holy the more are the people inclined to doe them good in hope of their prayers and to participate of their merits as they often tell them and if there were no gaine to be made by exposing of Saints and Miracles to the people there would not be so many seen in the Romish Church but the profit is worth the paines And the better to colour their mystery they make Princes and Kings speake as being intrest in the glory of the Saint Besides this being not done without great charges and much money which they must give to the Popes Commissaries and Officers they labour to ingage them that they may have the helpe of their purses Thence cometh it to passe that poore people who want competent meanes or have not so easie accesse to great ones as the religious orders may never pretend to be adored for Saints and canonized in the Church of Rome whatsoever vertue or perfection they may have but there be few of the moderne Saints who are not of those Orders and there is no Order that hath not a great number and exposeth not every day new ones for that trade is very profitable and the invention gainfull And if those of the Romish Church brag so much of their Miracles which they say are so easily and often done I marvell much they chase not the devills out of the bodies of a number of persons who as they say are so long time afflicted and possessed that would be great charitie and that onely were capable to canonize them during their life and make them passe for Saints before the people although it be easie to use imposture therein there they say hath been a great number in our dayes whether by Sorcery or otherwise I leave that to others where the Romanists may have faire occasion for the fiction is easie there and the devill doth his best to authorise the lye Now I know that those who are esteemed most holy in the Romish Church have been sent thither even by the Princes command and have tryed all their faith merits fastings austerities reliques blessed beads prayers and exorcismes yet there is none can say they have been delivered by them But I have seene that after a great many had been much troubled with a certaine Wench that was possessed whom I knew to deliver her at last a certaine Monke of a certain order whom I also knew bethought himselfe to take her in pilgrimage of seven or eight dayes Journey to a certain Church where many demoniacks were said to have bin healed in old times but he returned her with the Devill in her body and a little Monk in her belly which shee got of him by the way I have knowne a multitude of such like accidents which I might set downe but I choose rather to passe them over with silence Now a thing which seemed most miraculous to me of all that I did see in the Romish Church was certaine companies and fraternities of people who have not their name from any Saint but from charitie whose profession is to bury the dead yea even those who dye of the Plague and yet doe they not contract any evill themselves nor those who frequent them and I verily beleeve this cannot be done without some particular assistance and preservation from the bounty of God that blesseth this good worke But the Romish Church hath no reason to glorifie and prefer it selfe to others for it because that is also done in this Kingdome and in the reformed Churches of other Kingdoms even with a better successe for not onely they who have care of the body but I have even seen those who have onely a care of their soules and who are ordained to minister spirituall comfort and assistance to them in their sicknesse render them freely that service without catching any evill or danger either for themselves or those who are conversant with them where of an hundred that I have seen imployed in that Charge in the Romish Church I have not knowne ten that escaped although they ever lived sequestred from all conversation and commerce with the whole But if we must acknowledge a Miracle it is the delivery which it hath pleased God of his mercy to worke for me not onely in bringing me out of the errour and abuse wherein I was but also out of straight prison into which I was brought by the onely perfidy and treason of my owne brethren for being detained there under five locked doores some of them halfe a foot thicke barred and boulted strongly all the windows grated after the same fashion and watched so carefull that I could neither write nor speake to any but to my Keeper who was forbidden to have any discourse with me except for necessary things and was chosen to that from among five hundred for the great trust they reposed in him but not so much as to entrust him with the key of my innermost dore which for greater securitie was kept under two other locks and given to another in custody who was commanded to carry them about him day and night so that to speak in worldly appearance there was no hope of my deliverance but having called on God and put my whole confidence in him he moved the heart of my Keeper in such manner that he not onely resolved to leave the errour of the Romish Church after my example and perswasion but even exposing himselfe to all danger to set me at libertie he had by Gods favour the industry to come by the key which was so carefully locked up without any noise or appearance of opening and our good God gave us the grace to elude all their pursuing of us even with royall Authoritie and to passe through the midst of them that pursued us and even among my own brethren without being perceived and however they thought they had stopped all the Ports and passages for us neverthelesse to escape by that onely which was most convenient and ready for us and where I may say the onely providence of God towards us blinded them they should not mistrust that he might save his poore servants who had no other hope but in his bountie And in this doubtlesse we must confesse that God is marveilous in his wayes and that there is even no wisdome councell nor power against the Lord and if I
and sing the Masse I confesse truly that Christ and his Apostles did sing Masse and that the faithfull communicating and perticipating of the Sacrament after this manner say Masse But if by the Masse they meane to make a sacrifice upon an Altar covered with three Table-clothes with so many prayers before and after in a strange tongue and unknown to the people with so many Ceremonies and lifting up of their hands and eyes with stretching abroad and folding of their armes fingers hands and body with so many crossings upward and downward on the right hand and on the left on the bread the wine the corporall the Altar the forehead breast and mouth of the Priest and where the Priest communicateth ordinarily alone and almost everie day and the people for a long time onely once a yeer for my part after I had read again and again the holy Scriptures I could never find any such thing or any thing like to it and so it must of necessitie be confessed to be a humane invention for the end which I shall quickly shew you and no Divine institution nor Invention Neither can they in reason alledge here the Apostolicall Tradition and derived from Jesus Christ and his Apostles although there is nothing expressed in the holy Scripture nor any written word for if that mystery were of such importance as the Papists would have it at this day it would have been so also in the time of the Apostles who should have had a perfect knowledge thereof it being a doctrine they should have much preached to the people as a thing of exceeding great importance and they being men of excellent devotion and incomparable zeal for the mysteries of faith they should every day or at least often have said Masse and exhorted the people earnestly to be present and hear the same as they do in the Church of Rome now there appeareth nothing at all of this in the holy Scripture St. Paul indeed speaketh to us especially once of the Sacrament of the Supper and of the preparations wherewith we ought to come to it Furthermore we see that the Apostles and primitive Christians did conveene sometimes about Easter to break bread and participate of that divine mystery together but in no other place is there any mention made of the masse in the Romish fashion nor of any sacrifice without blood as they tearme it which I exhort all the Romanists diligently to consider as I have done and I perswade my self they will no more find it there than I Neither will they find any where that the bread of the Supper was an hoast or a round cake or that they kept it in the Temples with so great ceremony and care in Tabernacles and rich cabins as they now do in the Romish Church and I beleeve no other thing can be concluded but that the Romish Church thinketh her self wiser than Christ and his Apostles in obtruding for an Article of faith a doctrine which was never left by Christ and which was neither preached written nor practised by the Apostles for although they had spoken nothing in their Epistles yet Luke who did write all that he could see and learn of their actions would not have omitted this which is esteemed of so great importance in the Church of Rome So it is clearly to be seen in the Histories that it is an invention of the Popes who have from time to time added to it every one of them according to his fancy to day one ceremony and prayer to morrow another now one ornament and vesture and then another sometimes making it of one fashion sometimes of another till at last it was come to that height wherein it is at this day in the Church of Rome it is now a snare to precipitate many Priests into the bottome of hell for not using that disposition which they know to be required therein and which is the cause of the perdition of an infinite multitude of Christians for not hearing it with that respect the Romish Church requireth which they of that beliefe are obliged to obey and in doing against their conscience although erroneous they are judged culpable of sin and all that according to the doctrine and maximes of that Church Now to define properly or describe the Masse as it is at this present I suppose I may say justly that it is a good trade instituted and invented by the Church of Rome to nourish and entertain an infinite number of Priests who become Priests principally to gain their living thereby fit to inrich the Monasteries and Churches and make all the Monks live finely and whereby the peoples purses are emptied and finally a Trade that serveth to condemne many as well as those who say it as of those who are obliged to hear it This definition seemeth a little too rude and at the first sight ridiculous but it is true and the Romanists themselves may confesse it if they will for the taxes and prises of Masses now adaies are for the most part as of bread in the Market and he that giveth not so much getteth none and because silver was scarcer in former times than now so the Masses were not worth so much and a Masse that will not be said now for eight or ten pence was not worth two or three pence in former times and in many places men had more then they desired at that rate and because all things are dearer now than they were so the masses are also And because the religious orders who are insatiable in wealth and who never refuse any wealth whensoever it cometh were loaded with so many masses that they could not say the half of them the Pope who saith he hath power in heaven and earth hath as they say of many smals made one great and of an infinite number of masses which were founded by particulars he hath made but one wherein all the benefactors are comprehended in grosse and in generall termes and so by an handsome Bull hath discharged them of all scruples which if their founders had mistrusted they would have been wary to have left so great wealth and rents as they have done to that effect so they who live at this present amongst the Papists are become wise at the coast of their Ancestors and are loath to commit any such follies and rob and beggar their children to inrich and fatten the Monks But howsoever commonly he that wants money can have no masses and because the Church of Rome holdeth masses to be the principall meanes to deliver a soul out of Purgatory so there are none but poore people who are to stay a long time in that fire for want of money to buy masses as the richer sort and so to be rich is a great help in the Church of Rome to go speedily to Paradise contrary to that which Christ said in S. Matth. 10.25 that it was very hard for rich men to enter into heaven Matth. 10.25 but it is a Church
did the same what then Will we be wiser than Jesus Christ and his Apostles the people in those dayes was more rude and lesse capable of mysteries than now adayes for they were but newly come out of Paganisme or Judaisme CHAP. XXII Of Auricular Confession THis point of Auricular Confession is also for the present holden to be of greater importance in the Church of Rome than the Masse and there is no vertue nor any other duty so much recommended at this day as a full and faithfull confession of all sins and even a generall confession of the whole life In a word all the perfection and excellency of all Christian doctrine at this day in the Romish Church aimeth at that point and although ye should give all your goods to the poore Concil Trident. Tolet. Lest Bonac and others and were the best man in the world and indued with all the excellent parts of bounty and vertue yet if ye confesse not often and exactly all your sins great and small all the adherent circumstances which aggravate the same and tell faithfully and punctually the number all the rest is nothing and without that say they it is impossible to be saved or please God in any fashion for those who have the occasion and commodity to do the same after they have sinned To prove this doctrine which is an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome they produce no passage of the Scripture that hath either force or reason for to alledge that of S. James Iam. 5.16 ch 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed is without sence or reason because that which is subjoyned and pray one for another sheweth clearly that as S. James recommendeth not prayer onely to the Priests so he commandeth none to confesse their faults to the Priests alone For as he speaketh of a reciprocall prayer and mutual assistance so speaketh he of a mutuall confession betwixt particulars after quarrels and offences as the Cardinall Caietan confesseth and acknowledgeth well in his Commentary in this Epistle it is not there spoken saith he of a sacramentall confession as appeareth because he saith Confesse one to another Now the sacramentall confession is not made one to another but to the Priests onely but it is spoken of the confessions by which we mutually confesse our selves to be sinners that they may pray for us and of the confession of faults which are done by one another to be mutually appeased and reconciled but there is no appearance that S. James speaketh here of Auricular Confession neither of confession to the Priests alone And although it were true that S. James did speak here of the confession to Priests it will not follow that he spake of Auricular confession for there is great difference and as it is very necessarie to salvation to confesse all our sins to God and profitable to confesse our sins publiquely also and before men in token of repentance and griefe and to edifie our neighbours so none can denie that it is both profitable and good to confesse our sins to the Priest not for any obligation they have to do it there being no commandment or Word of God but to discharge his conscience and seek remedie for his imperfections consolation in his infirmitie and counsell in the ordering of his life And howsoever the Priest may minister matter of comfort to a penitent and afflicted soul upon the assurance he may give him that his sins be forgiven him if he be truly penitent have a true faith in Christ notwithstanding he ought not presume to give a formall absolution but onely declarative or else deprecative nor think to pardon sins as do the Priests of the Romish Church there being none but God alone that can pardon sins Mark 2.7 as Mark. 2.7 but onely assure and declare thar if there be true faith and repentance there sins are remitted or pray to God that he will remit them And as for that which was said to the Apostles by our Saviour That whatsoever they should bind on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever they should loose on earth should be loosed in heaven It is clear from the consideration of the whole passage that it is onely understood of the exteriour power of excommunication which we ought to acknowledge in the Church not of the power to absolve from interiour and secret sins for see the passage which I exhort the Reader diligently to consider Mat. 18.15 c. If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee two or three more that out of the mouthes of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a Publican Verily I say unto you that whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Thereby it is evident that Christ meant onely to speak of the band of excommunication and ejection out of the Church and that all that the Apostles should bind on earth with the bands of excommunication should be thought and esteemed bound in heaven and before God and that which they should loose and absolve on earth restoring and reconciling them to the bosome of the Church should be holden absolved and restored before God and might partake in the prayers of the faithfull Neverthelesse many Priests in the Church of Rome holding themselves successours of the Apostles in that beleeve that from those words they have power given them to absolve from all sins indifferently without any reservation seeing that even the same words are said to them at their consecration But the Bishops give their glosses and exceptions upon and say that it is to them it belongeth being properly and especially the true successours of the Apostles and the Priests but by commission which they can amplifie and diminish at their pleasure in the absolution of sin limiting their power in certain causes and reserving others to themselves forbidding the Priests who are under their jurisdiction to absolve them and the Pope who tearmeth himself Bishop of Bishops and attributeth the whole and absolute power of the Church to himself clippeth the authoritie of the Bishops in this using them as they use the Priests forbidding they should give absolution for every thing but reserve certain causes to himselfe wherein he forbid them to meddle and as the Priests murmure against the Bishops for that so do the Bishops against the Pope beleeving no sin nor case whatsoever to be exempted from their jurisdiction according to the words of Christ and thus do they agree among themselves on the explication of those
words of God even in the matter of the Sacraments But the Pope doth not onely extend those words unto internall and externall sins but perswading himself that it was especially said to him All that thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and all that thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed He taketh upon him to loose the bands of oaths loose and exempt Subjects from the subjection and fidelity they owe to their natural Princes and children from the obedience they owe to their fathers and mothers when they become Religious in any Monasterie by the same authoritie they loose marriage lawfully contracted if it be found that the husband and the wife together have presented a child to be baptized or be allied by the confirmation and so it seemeth that the Scripture is onely alledged by the Papists to uphold and maintain the power of the Pope Now what ever is the controversie among them for this passage it sufficeth that it manifestly appeareth through the whole Scripture that Christ did never command Auricular Confession but repentance and amendment and that the Apostles did neither command nor practise it which if they had done it would questionlesse have been mentioned in the Scripture in some places of their writings or in the History of the Acts of the Apostles and if the confession were of such importance as they would have it in the Romish Church the Apostles doubtlesse should have preached it and even practised it often amongst them confessing one to another For all the Doctors confesse that they might commit if not mortall yet veniall sins and when they did declare the faith to the faithfull they would also have preached the sincere confession of their sins and taught them the true manner of the same and even to make generall confessions as they had preached the practise and exercise of other vertues which not being found in any part we must conclude that in their time confession was not in use and that it is an humane invention proceeding neither from Christ nor his Apostles but instituted established and maintained by the Clergie for the great temporall profit they draw from it I say moreover in the time of the primitive Church Auricular confession was not in use and was neither thought an obligation nor command nor of such importance as it is at this present which that it may be most cleerly seen I intreat the Reader and especially them of the Romish Church to see in the life of their Saints which they hold for their Bible and holy Scripture there let them read the life of all the Apostles and holy Martyrs nay even of all those whom they call the Confessors of the first ages as of St. Augustine Chrysostome Athanasius and Basilius who is esteemed to be founder of the orientall Monks of St. Anthony and St. Paul the Hermits Finally of all those of the fourth fifth and sixth ages yea and since I am assured they will never find that any of those ancient Fathers did make any auricular and secret confession to the Priests Notwithstanding they are esteemed to have been very zealous men in Christian Religion and men of vertue and exemplary perfection who would never have omitted it if it had been of so great importance See both their life and death there is never a word spoken of Auricular confession which if they had used it would questionlesse have been mentioned some where in some one of those lives which are in great number And he especially who not long ago hath gathered and collected all those lives and who hath omitted nothing which he thought might be usefull to the Romish Church would never have left out this point if he had found the least traces of it in any places and I even marvell he hath not added it as he hath done many other things of his own invention but we must say that either he did not bethink himself of it or God hath not permitted it to confound this new doctrine of the Romish Church by looking to the ancient and the practise of those Fathers And mark how the same Author forgetteth not to mention this point in the times of those where he findeth it to have been used and because that this Auricular confession hath been in greater estimation within this short time than ever before so there is no Saint in those last ages in whose life there is not very speciall mention made of their frequent confessions and their sincerity therein but in the lives of the ancients there is no mention made of it at all Moreover I marvelled often that there was no more spoken of it in the books of the ancient Fathers Turn over I pray you Augustine Irenaeus Theodoret Chrysostome and Cyprian and see if there be any thing spoken of Auricular confession to the Priests it may be they speak of some exomologese and confession but that was publike and not secret confession to the Church for satisfaction and edification and not secret and Auricular confession to the Priests for sacramentall Absolution Remarke also if yee finde in any place of them any examination of the conscience with which all the Books of this time are filled in the Church of Rome see if any of them hath written any cases of conscience to teach the manner of confession as we see a great multitude in our dayes there yee will finde no such things and is it not a strong proofe if it be not found in those Fathers that Auricular confession was not in use in those dayes for they being so godly men and the most famous of their ages they would often questionlesse have used it and recommended it to others and it is not credible they would have composed so big volumes without making cleare mention in some place nay even in many places of that which is esteemed so necessary a Sacrament and of so great importance Furthermore Yee will find in the Book of the lives of the Saints and in the History of the ancient Hermits attributed to St Jerome how those Ancients were sometimes nay even often and in many places of Aegypt foure or five thousand Hermits or Cenobites or more under one Superiour Master accustoming themselves to the singing of Psalmes reading and meditation of the holy Scripture for it was not as yet forbidden in those times and to work with their owne hands and bodyes to winne their livings and be burdensome to none as St Paul did and commonly there was but one Priest for that great multitude who often did not live amongst them but came to see them every Sabbath to celebrate divine Service unto them Now there is no appearance that the confession was in use in those times for one or two Priests would not suffice to confesse often so great a number and though a man should doe no other thing in a fortnight he were not able to confesse two thousand And those Books of their lives make no mention that they
his Incarnation and passion and the love that he hath testified unto us it is willingly and without grounds to make soules despaire and terrifie the consciences without subject onely to bring profit to the Clergie for this is the meaning and ground of the mystery Now let us see if they have passages out of the holy Scripture for a doctrine so cruell and contrary to the bounty and mercy of God and merits of the blond of Jesus Christ They alledge this of St Paul 1 Cor. 3.14 1 Cor. 3.14 If any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans worke shall be burnt he shall suffer losse but he himselfe shall be saved yet so as by fire and that fire the Romish Church understandeth the Purgatory and so concludeth that there is a Purgatory I have granted that all which is in the holy Scripture is not cleere nor easie to be understood but onely that which is necessary to salvation and this passage is one of the most obscure and difficile in the Scripture but not necessary to salvation and yet the Romish Church will ground an Article of faith upon it and the most strange and terrible of all and contrary to the bounty of God but he who will reade the whole passage will easily judge that it must be understood in an Allegoricall sense and especially the word fire which St Paul addeth on as by fire to shew that it must be understood by similitude saying He shall be saved as by fire that is to say as if he had passed through the fire or were purged and purified by the fire even as we see the mettalls are purged by the fire and the Fornace Now there is no reason for grounding this so important a doctrine which is so strange and difficile to be beleeved on such a doubtfull foundation much lesse on metaphoricall and allegoricall and such words and it is evident from this passage that the Apostle speaketh nothing that commeth mere to the doctrine of Purgatory But the Apostle speaketh of Pastors and Doctors who in teaching retaine the foundation which is Christ on whom some build wholsome and solid doctrines which in that place he tearmeth Gold silver and precious stones others build light and vaine doctrines called in that place Wood hay and stubble and the Apostle saith that those frivolous doctrines being tryed by the word of God as mettalls by the fire shall not subsist and that the work of such a Preacher shall perish and the tryall shall make it knowne that there is no soliditie but as for the person of the Pastour he may be saved because of the foundation Jesus Christ which he hath holden being notwithstanding tryed by the Word of God as by fire So you see that it is there spoken of a tryall which is made in this life and not after death and also of a tryall of the doctrine and beliefe of Pastours by the holy Scriptures and not of a torturing of soules by fire so they have no reason to ground Purgatory on this I know that this passage being obscure and hard hath many divers explications but I beleeve every man of understanding will judge this the truest and most conformable to the intention of the writer if he will but take the pains to consider it but howsoever it being obscure we have no reason to beleeve that the Apostle hath preached an Article of faith to us therein which is not to be found more cleerly explained in any other place of the holy Scripture and if because there is mention made of fire in that place the fire of Purgatory must be understood they may produce an infinite number of passages where Purgatory may be found because there is mention made of fire in them Take here another of as little strength Our Saviour speaking in St. Matth. 12.32 of sins against the holy Spirit saith Matth. 12.32 He that shall blaspheme against the holy Spirit it shall neither be pardoned him in this life nor in the life to come This life to come saith the Church of Rome is properly the fire of Purgatory and so there is Purgatory but this doctrine doth not even agree with that they teach of their Purgatory for they said the sins be forgiven before they enter into Purgatory and that none go thither who are not received in favour with God and so according to them no sin is pardoned in Purgatory Now Christ by those words which are also obscure and difficile to be understood doth onely exagerate the sin against the holy Spirit and saith that he will not pardon it neither in this world nor at the day of judgement where the second condemnation is pronounced and so that he will punish them in this world and after death but there is no man who seeth not that this is too far distant from the doctrine of Purgatory to ground an Article of faith upon it You see neverthelesse the cleerest things which they produce taken out of the Word of God to establish the Purgatory and that so terrible doctrine where you may perceive the small reason and little probabilitie thereof But behold here other far cleerer and manifest proofs drawn from the holy Scripture against Purgatory Christ said to the thiefe who implored his mercy and put his trust in him in the time of his death Luk. 23.43 Thou shalt be this day with me in Paradise that is to say thou shalt be this day happie with me He sendeth him not to Purgatory although he had been a great sinner all his life time and that the death which he suffereth is by force and by order of justice and not for innocencie or for the faith as the Martyrs and S. John saith in his first Epistle 1. chap. 9. The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 if all sins be purged by the blood of Christ there is no need of the fire of Purgatorie to purge them more Col. 2.13 And S. Paul to the Colossians 2.13 saith that God forgiveth us all our offences freely if God forgive us freely as is evident thereby he desireth then no more any other satisfaction on our part nor pretendeth to punish us in satisfaction to his justice If a father correct his children it is for their amendment and not for his satisfaction and can it be beleeved that God who is so good and mercifull doth punish his own with so cruell fires onely for his satisfaction where there is no hopes of amendment But if God afflict us in this world it is for our amendment and not to satisfie himself Heb. 1.3 And in the Epistle to the Hebrews Christ hath made the purgation of sins not out of all doubt by fire nor by the tormenting of souls but by his own precious blood which he hath shed for us And in the Epistle to the Romanes 8.1 Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them who are
inclination to doe that which I desire not and which questionlesse will be displeasing to many Contenting my selfe to say for the present happy are the peoples and Kingdomes which onely strive to frame their beliefe and discipline according to the words and institution of Christ putting far from them all those humane inventions see themselves out of danger of suffering those convulsions and disorders in their bowels which cause such cruell torments and strange colicks to many Countreys and Cities happie are the Princes and States which shut their gates upon them and stop their eares upon their importunate solicitations and thrice happy all they who will open their eares to consider their misery and use wholsome remedies and resolutions to deliver themselves from that slavish tyranny in which the pollicy of the Pope and the Romish Church doth detaine them But I hope that great Physitian will take order ere long and there is great appearance that shortly he will give some remedie for the disease seemeth at the point of its Crisis CHAP. XXVI Of Justification I Did imagine for a long time as doe many of the Church of Rome at this present that they of the Reformed Churches admitting Justification by faith alone did it to exclude good works from the way of salvation and shew themselves in that to be enemies of charitie and of other vertues I did therefore extreamly condemne them and could in no wise approve of their doctrine but when I came to sound their beliefe and see how they are not onely carefull to practise good workes and vertues and that even much more than they of the Romish Church and that they judged them necessary to salvation and that the faith whereof they speake is not a dead faith as the Papists understand it but a lively faith accompanied with good workes and fruitfull in vertues I acknowledged they wrongfully blamed them in this as in many other things also either maliciously to make them odious to the people or ignorantly for not knowing their doctrine as that they make God the Author of sin and say that Christ hath suffered all the very pangs of hell and the like impertinent calumnies which they never dreamed of and which are very different from their beliefe It is most certaine that the faith whereof Christ hath spoken so much to us and which he desired of those whom he did convert to Christianisme and called to be his followers and of whom he saith Ioh. 6.47 that whosoever shall beleeve in him shall have eternall life it is not that which is defined by the Romish Church to be a simple knowledge or beliefe or a consenting to all that God hath revealed to us for otherwise the Devills should have faith and consequently be saved But true justifying faith is another thing for it is not onely a simple knowledge and beliefe of God and of all that he hath revealed but it is further a firme beliefe in God that is to say a trust in his promises and a sure knowledge of his love towards us as by his holy Word he declareth himselfe to be our Father and Saviour by the merits of Christ Now this faith which worketh by knowledge and relyeth altogether on the promise of God is necessarily fruitfull in good workes for from the knowledge of the love which God beareth towards us doth proceed our love towards him and it is altogether impossible to trust in the promise of God not loue him and make good workes follow thereby also is true faith discerned from a false to wit if it worke by charitie if it he joyned with a serious repentance and bring peace of conscience if it be humble not trusting in its owne merits but upon the promise of God in Christ if it kindle the zeale and love of God in our hearts Such is the faith by which we are justified that is to say absolved before God and made pleasing to him thorough the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ and of which it is said Joh. 6.47 Rom. 1.7 Joh. 6.47 He that beleeveth on him hath life eternall and Rom. 1.7 The Just shall live by faith and this faith is not to be found in the Devils nor in the damned as the Church of Rome will have it This being laid downe for the definition of faith it will not be hard to beleeve that we are justified by faith not by works seeing even the Apostle saith it so cleerly that there is no truth so manifestly declared as this and I thinke for my part that he who will not beleeve it must be extreamly blinded or obstinate Reade I pray you the third fourth and fift Chapters to the Romans there you will finde how this doctrine is proved He saith in the third Chap. vers 27. Where is boasting then Rom. 3.27 it is excluded by what Law Of works Nay but by the Law of faith therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law And vers 29. Vers 29. For it is God who shall justifie the Circumcision by faith and the Vncircumcision through faith Ch 4.3 V 23 24. Vers 23. And Chap. 4.3 For what saith the Scripture Abraham beleeved God and it was counted to him for righteousnesse And vers 23. Therefore it was imputed to him for righteousnesse Now it was not written for his sake alone but for us also to whom it shall be imputed if wee beleeve in him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead And Chap. 5.1 Therefore being justified by faith Rom. 5.1 wee have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ And Gal. 2 16. Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the workes of the Law but by the faith of Christ even wee have beleeved in Jesus Christ that wee might be justified by the faith of Christ and not by the works of the Law for by the worke of the Law shall no flesh be justified To doubt after all those so cleare passages that saith doth not justifie and that we are not justified by faith but by workes is to be holden for incredulous and voide of sence for my part after I had once considered and knowne the true definition of faith and seriously examined those passages it was impossible to mee to doubt of so cleare a truth True it is if we doe no good but evill workes we cannot be saved yet if we be saved it will not be for our good workes but by the onely goodnesse of God and by faith and confidence in his love and promises I will illustrate it by this example A King adopteth one of his Subjects freely to be heire of his Kingdoms enjoy his Crowne providing he behave himselfe honestly and not otherwise if that man offend the King he maketh himselfe questionlesse unworthy of the heritage and succession and there is no appearance he can possesse it but if he behave himselfe wisely and doe well ought he to
thinke it is his good deeds which have merited the crowne to him No truly for many would doe a great deale better greater and more laudable actions who will not therefore enjoy that possession and heritage but it is the onely goodnesse of the King which is the cause and his onely voluntary and free adoption which giveth him right to that succession So fareth it in this matter By faith in Christ wee are adopted to be his children and heires of his glory and as his adopted children we ought to strive to please him in all things and if we offend him and transgresse his commandements and commit crimes against him we make our selves unworthy of that heritage and of his favours and if we be not reconciled to him we shall be deprived thereof and never possesse it But if we be obedient to his Commandements and do our dutie those are not neverthelesse our good workes and actions which merit that favour for many may doe the like works and actions either of charitie of almes of justice honour father and mother or the like who not being adopted by faith shall not obtaine such an heritage nor the glory of God so wee must not trust to our workes and imagine they justifie and save us And if it be sometimes said in the Scripture that the recompence followeth the workes and if we doe well we shall have our reward or the like Wee must not thinke this recompence followeth the workes and is precisely given for their merits but because of the faith in Christ and in his promises which accompany them or rather which give them their excellence I confesse that in former times when I would make a serious reflex upon the workes which I did which were esteemed good and ranked amongst the best in the eyes of the world as fastings austerities mortification of the flesh suffering of cold watching and many such things which are common enough in the Congregation where I was when I had done all that I was able to make them perfect and meritorious and when I joyned all the zeale puritie and love of God was possible I did notwithstanding ever finde so many inward defects and imperfections that I could never perswade my selfe they were of great efficacy before God to merit his favour or any heavenly recompences they afflict indeed and bring downe the body and make it more able and apt to obey the Spirit which was St Pauls end and if they be not discreetly used they bring men into many infirmities and diseases but that they might merit Gods favour or glory or be capable to deliver a soule out of Purgatory or satisfie for our sins I could never firmely beleeve any such thing And I know certainly from the knowledge which the governing of a multitude of soules hath taught me this doctrine doth so little assure the consciences that there are none but fooles and presumptuous persons which thinke to merit Gods favour or heaven to themselves or to others thereby And all wise men agree in this that there is nothing but a quickning faith can justifie us before God and howsoever the doctrine of the Church of Rome maketh faith to be onely the ground and faith it is the love of God which justifieth with the ground of faith yet this love of God well explained with the ground of faith it seemeth to be no other thing than a quickning faith by charitie and a beliefe and confidence in the merits of Christ and his promises and so I thinke that the agreement would not be very hard to be made in this point Neverthelesse the Romish Clergie principally the Fryars making but little mention of faith as if it were not of so great importance preach nothing but workes and especially of the body as fasting mortification of the flesh disciplines haire-cloaths and the like and chiefly Almes and it seemeth even in hearing them that the doctrine of good works is all brought to this head and they doe it purposely and all that say they is comprehended under the word Penitence which John the Baptist did preach in the Wildernesse though he understood a repentance from sin and amendment of life And because by Almes men deprive themselves of some commodities that is also comprehended by them under the word Penitence and they know well enough how to illustrate this doctrine by other passages out of Scripture I may say from sufficient knowledge that which our Saviour said of the Pharisees Mat. 23.3 Maâ— 23.3 might be justly enough applyed to them to wit Doe not after their workes for they say and doe not for they binde heavie burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers but all their workes they doe for to be seene of mâ—n Vers 2â— And vers 27. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones of all uncleannesse Even so yee also outwardly appeare righteous unto men but within yee are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie For many preach fasting which love good cheare and do fast as seldome as they can many preach the hairecloath which never made use of it and so of other things which I will explaine no further But because they know well that the people like not much those austerities and corporall mortifications and doe not willingly practise them and that they are beleeved amongst the vulgar to doe many such things because of the externall appearance and they labour of purpose to seeme austere they make them beleeve that their almes will satisfie for all and that if they will become benefactours of their Churches and Orders or be of their Congregations and third Orders or joyne themselves to their fraternities of the scapulaire or girdle and the like or be adopted children of their Orders they will make them partakers of all the good workes which have been are and shall be done amongst them now and for ever through all ages to come for words are of great vertue in those matters What a great number are done amongst them and how and in what excellency and perfection all those fine workes whereof they brag so much and make such a noise in the eares of the people and whereof some prefer themselves to others are done ordinarily they know what I might say and that they have but small ground of glory but howsoever it is they promise them or if I durst say they sell them for they give nothing for naught and that with a number of fine and specious ceremonies to allure others and when they adopt them for spirituall children they give them large Patents sealed with as broad Seales as those of a Chancellary whereby they declare unto them that in vertue thereof they make them partakers of all their austerities fastings haire-cloaths mortifications disciplines prayers pilgrimages voyages travels
times and at least as many vigils which make 24. dayes with fourty in Lent which make above threescore and they are obliged every day to fast under pain of mortall sin and there be very few as all the Casuists affirm who are justly exempted for from the age of 21. till threescore all those who are able to fast without great manifest prejudice of their health ought to do it so that those are 60 new commandments which joyned to the former make alreadie above 200. Moreover he must abstain all the fasting dayes from flesh under pain of mortall sin that is to say neither eat flesh eggs nor butter according to the Statute and some one will easily fast who cannot so easily keep this abstinence so there are 60. more commandments from this which being joyned with the former besides Gods ten Commandments make above two hundred and fourscore commandments of the Church which every faithfull person ought to observe every yeer and are onely comprehended in the first commandments besides those of keeping abstinence every Friday and Saterday and others which we might find in them that rest in the last of which onely which is to pay the tithes and dues to the Church a great number might be remarked and so we should have above 300. Now God having given us onely ten Commandments the most part whereof are negatives and the Church of Rome proposing above 300. whereof the most part are affirmative and without holy Scripture of her own authoritie and particular invention may we not say first that she goes beyond the Commandments of God by her traditions and next that the yoke of Christ is light and easie and the Romish yoke heavie and insupportable and if the authoritie of the Church of Rome be true some men might be saved if there were no more but the Commandments of God which will be condemned for not doing those of the Church and an infinite multitude might fulfill the commandments of God sufficiently to be saved which must be damned because they have not fasted or do not fast all Lent over and other fasting dayes or who have not heard the Masse all the Sondayes and holidayes or who have wrought or caused their servants work on them I leave off to speak here of an infinite multitude of other commandments of that Church which are not common to all Christians but to the Priests alone and those who are in Orders and possesse Benefices as every day to say their Brevier which is very long and wearisome as also of all other precepts and commandments particular to every religious Order which truly make a great multitude of poore souls groane and lament who out of simplicitie and ignorance have unhappily suffered themselves to be oppressed under the weight of their burthens But I will let them groane so long as they will if knowing their error and abuse as do the most part they will not take a necessarie resolution to break all those humane bonds wherewith they are detained in that captivity and follow after the doctrine of Christ whose yoke is easie and burthen light CHAP. XXVIII If one can be saved in the Church of Rome IT is certain that no man can be saved but by the faith which Christ did declare and the Apostles hold and preach which is the onely true and perfect faith without which none can hope for salvation Now I having shewed clearly as ye have seen that the faith of the Church of Rome is another different from that of Christ and his Apostles the consequence is easie to be drawn But as I remember never to have hindred those of the Reformed Religion so much to become docile to the doctrine I preached to them when I was in darknesse as when according to the maximes of the Romish Church I preached to them that they would all be damned without remission so that I may not alienate the spirits of those of the Romish Religion from the reading of this discourse and lest that thinking me too severe they rellish not so well the reasons which they might read in this Treatise I chose rather to let them draw the conclusions themselves and remit the decree to Gods judgement to whom onely it appertaineth to pronounce the sentence of the salvation and condemnation of souls But the thing I especially intend in this Chapter is to shew to those of the Romish Church that even according to their proper maximes and doctrine it is impossible for them speaking morally to be saved I know this proposition will seem a paradox to many but if they will onely take the pains to see and examine the reasons on which I am grounded I perswade my self that even the most learned will confesse and acknowledge it with me for they cannot deny it it being the common doctrine of their own Schools and books which questionlesse a multitude of simple people have never been aware of I will not speak here of the difficultie they of the Romish Church may meet withall as do other Christians in the keeping of Gods ten Commandments for howsoever I know certainly and may speak it truly that they are worse kept and fulfilled in that Church than in the Reformed Religion in England or other places which I have seen yet I will leave this point and comparison till the following chapter and will shew this impossibilitie of salvation onely by the commandments which are added by the Romish Church or rather by the Popes of Rome to the ten Commandments of God and I shall shew it especially in the obligation of hearing Masses on Sundayes and holidaies and in the conditions of the mystery of confession for notwithstanding that according to the maximes of their Doctors the obligation to fast all Lent over and at other dayes commanded ought to damne and destroy many who otherwaies it may be are persons unblameable walking straightly in the observation of Gods ten Commandments yea and in many other things but having too much a do to fast do it not although they might do it if they would but endeavour to do the same and be not of the number of them whom the Lawes of fasting exempted And howsoever also the obligation to keep the holidaies strictly without working or causing others to work should condemne according to their doctrine another great multitude by whom this rigid and straight commandment is hard to be kept for the great charge and imployment of their calling yet that is nothing in comparison of the difficultie that is in the commandments of hearing the Masse which obligeth all Christians and the saying over of the Breviary which obligeth the Priests and the obligation of Auricular confession which is common to all Because ye must know according to the Doctors and Casuists of the Romish Church that for accomplishing the commandment of hearing the Masse it is not sufficient to be there bodily present but to fulfill the precept one must be present in attention and devotion so that he who
with the actions and practises of the Romish Church which wanting true faith cannot have true holinesse But the reformed Protestant Church retaining true faith which was preached by Christ and his Apostles is also onely capable of sanctity and as that faith is the onely Catholike faith so is the name of Catholike justly due to it excluding all others and the Romish Church not holding this faith it cannot nor ought to be holden for a Catholique Church nor ought the Papists be called Catholiques And now to begin the comparison betwixt them by the house of God and Churches if you enter in the Popish Churches you may it is true see in most of them many fine pictures rich carvings and rare inventions some in Marble stone some Jaspar some in Porphar and other materials where gold and azure are not wanting yee may observe also their stately architects great number of rich ornaments of all usuall colours of damask sattin velvet cloth of gold and silver laid over and garnished with precious laces and embroyderings there ye may find also many vessels and utensils and boxes for reliques of gold and silver In a word a multitude of curious and sumptuous objects very fit to delight the eye and which agree better with the ancient ceremoniall Church than with that of the Gospel and we may say all those magnificences are but vanity before God if it be not accompanied with devotion Psal 45.14 because all the glory of the Kings daughter saith the Psalmist is within and in the heart but that is much wanting in the Romish Church for if you go into their Churches especially the Parish Churches in time of publique Service ye shall see few that pray to God or seem attentive to the mysteries but many prating or doing worse here dogs playing there little children crying while in the mean time some Priests are in singing for the most part confusedly without respect or reverence and things which almost none of the people understand and there is commonly such a noise that it resembleth rather a Market than the house of God this I say with that which followeth for them who have not seen those things But in the reformed Churches praised be God it is not so and I have received very great comfort and edification seeing the silence which is kept there both before and in the time of Service how every one carrieth his Bible and book of Prayer to read them with the Ministers if they cannot hear how everie one singeth devoutly and orderly without haste or anticipation endeavouring to smell and taste the meaning of those holy words and if there be any thing to be further desired in this it is to follow the notes exactly to keep a greater uniformitie as they do in the reformed Churches of France and Holland and to that end that the Clerks were Musicians enough that they might be the more exact therein and that the notes and tones were so easie that they might be the better sung by all the people as it is in other places For it is true that a devout and harmonious singing raiseth the spirit much to God and comforteth and maketh glad the soul Thence was it that the divine Psalmist was wont to sing his Psalmes not only with his voice but on the harp and organs and other musicall instruments on which he exhorteth us to sing and praise God as he did but using them or not using in the Church being not a point of faith but of discipline onely it ought wholly to be remitted to the disposition of the Church to which every one ought to joyn inseparably and submit himself in humilitie of spirit so long as she doth continue orthodox and we ought to beleeve that the assistance of the holy Ghost shall never be wanting to her in every point of discipline expedient for the salvation of the faithfull And I will say further to the glory of God and to the edification of the Reader that not onely in Churches but even in private houses God is better served than amongst the Papists for amongst them there are never any prayers almost in publike and I remember seldome to have seen any such thing practised in an infinite number of houses both of Nobles and others where I have been but in the Reformed Churches it is almost common amongst the Nobles and it is very ordinarily practised amongst the people and if there be any defect in that dutie we may say the mixture and bad example of Papists hath been a great cause thereof here But it is credible that all things will be amended by the zeal of this Honorable Parliament and the discipline of the faithfull will be altogether throughly reformed against all the imprecations of Arminians and Papists false Prophets and ill fore-tellers of the confusion which they doe wish to this Kingdome but the Ecclesiasticall discipline of the Reformed Churches in France which you may see Englished shew evidently that good and happy order may be established in Church-government without such connivances with Popish fashions Now let us come to the solemnities of the Sabbaths and holy dayes it is certain that the Pope minding more the profit of his Priests than the salvation of his flock hath instituted too many holidayes in the Romish Church to the great hurt questionlesse of poore people who cannot conveniently be so often idle but hath need to work more to gain their living and therefore complain often and the institution of God hath been very discreet in ordering six dayes to labour and the seventh to rest and spend the same in his service and if in some places of the Reformed Churches the people be commanded to keep close their shops some other dayes through policie that is onely to give some time of recreation to the Apprentises and those who are not in libertie not under any precept of sin or damnation as doth the Pope and the Romish Church to keep holy dayes as strictly as the Sundayes but onely under some pain or pecuniarie penaltie and we see that in the Romish Church the holidaies and Sundayes being of equall obligation they are observed equally that is very evill for they will go it may be to some Monastery if there be any or to some other place and heare a little Masse for a quarter or half an houre which they hear even for the most part very irreverently and onely for fashions sake and because it is commanded under pain of sin and this is all the sanctification the most part give to holy dayes and Sabbaths in that which concerneth the worship and in the time of the publique Service which is of the great Masse the Mattins and Vespers in towns where they may have half-houre Masses at command there is almost no body in Parish Churches but the Priest and some few women and folk whom they terme commonly Image-eaters and superstitieux the rest of the time is spent either in Tavernes which are open all
the day long or at games and pastimes which are publiquely suffered and commonly frequented more freely on the Sabbaths which God from his owne mouth hath commanded to be sanctified than on a holiday of their devotion which is onely commanded by the Pope And what can be said here but that it is to make void the commandment of God for a humane invention and tradition and account more of the commandments and precepts of men than of the commandments of God Oh happie are the people which have the Lord onely for their God by whose Word they strive to be ruled and directed in every thing and which solemnise the whole Sabbath with all the respect and devotion they are able Which I seeing so faithfully observed in this Kingdom of England and besides that the Service of God was so reverently celebrated the Churches so much frequented of all Noble and ignoble rich and poore I confesse I often thanked and do thank my God for having delivered me out of the captivitie of Aegypt and from that Idolatrous people among whom I lived imployed in gathering of straws and in unprofitable works for having I say delivered me with a strong hand in despight of all the enterprises and power of the enemies of the truth for having brought me through the seas confounding and drowning therein all the industrie and pursuing of mine enemies and bringing me to this Land flowing with the milk and honey of heavenly and earthly blessings to this Countrey of Sion and this Jerusalem and place of peace whereas the Gospel is preached in greater puritie so the Service of God is celebrated with greater perfection and reverence than in any Kingdom of the world and is likely yet to be better by the care and zeal of this thrice worthie Senate It is true that as the bodies are composed of divers members and of different qualities and conditions so all they which are of the reformed Church are not Saints and there are some vices to be found in many and doubtlesse but too many and if I dare not say few yet I may say truly not neer so many as in the Romish Church as well in that which concerneth the service of God as in that which concerneth the policie both of Ecclesiasticall and Civill for it hath often been observed and I have seen it with my eyes the famous Cities yea and States governed by those of the reformed Churches did live in good order and policie which after being falne into the hands of Popish governors commonly greater friends of their particular profit than of the glory of their Princes and the publique peace and good have in a short time lost their felicitie and prosperitie and changed their good policie into confusion and disorder this truth is known to many more than to me And if one will but look upon this Noble Kingdom and all the States especially which enjoy peace under Princes and Governors of the Reformed Religion and likewise on the States which are governed by those of the Romish Church especially on those which are under the dominion of the Bishop of Rome and over whom he domineereth with greatest authoritie there is no man who will not see the great difference and they who have been in Italy and have any knowledge of the government of the Popes territories know sufficiently what comparison there is betwixt the policie of the one with the other Ye shall know saith Christ the tree by its fruits Mat. 7.20 and they who produce such fruits of confusion and disorder ought not in my opinion nor cannot be thought good trees and as trees bring forth good or bad fruits according to the proportion of sap which they draw from the earth which giveth them both life and action so must we beleeve that the government of people followeth commonly the doctrine and beleefe which animateth them and where we see those disorders that it is not the spirit and doctrine of truth which governeth them for Justice Order and Peace are his inseparable companions but rather the spirit of errour which being a friend of disorder produceth nothing but the like fruits and effects and every where bringeth confusion And if it happen that any States leaving the beleefe of the Romish Church embrace the Reformed you see incontinent their government totally altred their policie to be changed to the better and all things established in better order and as States and Provinces following this doctrine of the infallible truth are kept and maintained in better order and policie so ordinarily also do they flourish in greater lustre and glory in greater wealth and prosperitie And I may say likewise that the Princes even of that beleef have seldome found more faithfull and affectionate subjects and servants than those of the Reformed Religion both in peace and war and howsoever they have sometimes suffered oppressions neverthelesse the murthers and infamous attempts and perfidious treasons against the State or the persons of their Lords have been little found amongst their practises But they have often shewed they had rather suffer persecutions with patience than abandon themselves to infamous actions unworthie of the honour and doctrine of Christians Those States also who are not so fast bound and tied to the interests of the Pope having no cause to complain nor distrust their practises and even seeing much publique good to follow upon their managing and good and wise governing besides that they often imploy many of them in important occasions and of very great trust they gratifie them yet so much as to suffer them judging themselves in safety and security with them not mistrusting they can receive any hurt from them because those Churches having the Law and Word of God for rule of their faith they have it also for square of their life endeavouring to conform their actions thereunto and commit nothing which may derogate from the condition of the faithfull which I write more willingly as knowing it even from the confession of their greatest enemies Deut. 33.31 so as we may say that of the Cantique inimici nostri sunt judices Our enemies are Judges of it and I my selfe have heard it oftentimes from the most judicious of the Romish Church And if the Romanists would carry themselves with so great modestie and fidelity towards the Princes and States under which they desire to live they should receive questionlesse the same kindnesse and gratification but as their doctrine is much different so are often the effects not but amongst them there are found many noble and generous minds lovers of tranquillitie and peace and of the glory and prosperitie of the States in which they remain But because the Bishop of Rome who is never content with his own but is insatiable of wealth as be all his Clergie keepeth continually a congregation of Cardinals of purpose by him which borrow the name and pretext De propaganda fide for increasing the faith but indeed hearkneth to nothing more
may expect to be blamed and so they ought to be holden for spies and diligent instruments for the progresse of his designes and matches and firebrands which being not able to advance his Kingdome in time of peace labour by all meanes to stirre up warres and dissentions in Kingdomes and Common-wealths to fish as they say in troubled waters and effect in those confusions that which they could not get done in time of peace as it hath been wisely remarked and proposed in this present Parliament not long agoe at a conference with the Lords delivered by a rare and eminent man and daily experience should make that truth but too well knowne in this Kingdome And I may speake something of it for being in the Romish Church and beyond the Seas I was twice spoken to come hither with another who was then professour in Theologie and that by a great Politician who hath expresse Commission from the Pope to send and who was the onely Counsell of that notable Cardinall who these fifteene yeares and above doth keepe in warres and troubles almost all Europe But to come backe to our discourse if God by his providence did not hinder many not suffering that abominable doctrine to be so easily beleeved of every one as it is freely published and if even by the mercy of God there were not some generous and honest minds among them lovers of concord and honour who no wayes beleeving those maximes wou'd not for any thing in the world degenerate from the goodnesse and generous dispositions of their natures to engage themselves in vile actions wee would see worse and more unhappie effects for that is a bloudy doctrine enemy of peace quietnes and neither can nor ought to be rellished by judicious men who make profession of honour for we finde in no place that Christ and his Apostles did plant the faith of the Gospell by fire and sword or that ever they assayed to extirminate all the idolatrous people by death and destroy them that they might people their Lands with Christians but as there is great difference betwixt the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of the Bishop of Rome so are also their actions and proceedings very contrary And I beleeve if the noble and generous minds of that partie would take the pains diligently to cōsider these great differences and the detestable maximes of their Doctors they would questionlesse abhor the doctrine that begetteth them but the subtiltie of the Priests indeavour to stop their eares with an ignorant and blind faith to hinder them from receiving the instructions of the truth which are to be seen in the holy Scripture Oh but I would thinke my labour well spent if it would please the holy Spirit to touch the hearts of some one by the reading of this little Treatise and make them see the blindnes wherein they endeavour to detaine them I have set downe it may be divers things which may give light to informe many who living in darknesse would not have been aware of their darknesse and if any desire a larger information I have written nothing which I am not ready to maintaine by word and give a more ample explanation for the satisfaction and profit of soules If in some thing I have not cited many Authours in some points I have done it purposely to shun prolixitie and the things being common amongst the learned especially in the Romish Church and others not being men to turne over the Bookes of those which write thereof I thought the number of citations would be needlesse and if any in the Romish Church either out of ignorance or malice insult against mee and tax me of any untruth I promise to enlarge this Treatise with more proofes and give cause to all men to confesse that I have written nothing untrue but if the truth apparelled in this manner hath been any way displeasing to some I cannot promise that being otherwise trimmed it will be more pleasing But to assure men the more and confirme them in their resolutions they may have for the true faith I say that even although the difference of the doctrine of the Church of Rome from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles should not condemne her of untruth it would be condemned by her workes for our Saviour saith Mat. 7.17 that the good or evill tree is knowne by its fruits and though it did not appeare that the doctrine of the reformed Protestant Church came neerer to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles than that of the Romish Church and so that shee should be the true Spouse of the Son of God and shee with whom the ancient doctrine of Christ Jesus hath been and is conserved and consequently the perfectest also that is the surest and best and which onely ought to be termed Catholike being the perfection of the beliefe and faith drawne from the conformitie with the doctrine of Christ yet the fruits and works of both shew sufficiently which is the best and surest For my part I professe that although I had not been allured and converted by the doctrine which I have found in the reformed Church altogether conformable to the doctrine of Christ which is not to be seen in the Church of Rome the onely knowledge and comparison of the works of the one and the other was capable to worke this change in mee and when after I was become a member of this Church I did see with how much more holines God was worshipped and served than in the Church of Rome then it was that with a great joy I had reason to say those words of the Patriarch In this place is the house of God Gen. 28.17 and the gate of heaven and have given millions of praises to my God for bringing me to a Church and a Land where his holy Name is so devoutly worshipped his Sacraments administred in such purity his Sabbath so holily kept the Churches so carefully frequented and kept so neatly and decently and Divine Service so reverently done and heard with so much silence I know indeed that as God hath found fault with his Angels and that being men it is impossible but some imputitie will slide into our actions that Christian Religion was never even in the time of the holy Apostles but there was something amisse if not in doctrine at least in the manners and practise of the faithfull and that it is not here below we can find the Spouse of the heavenly Bridegroome without spot or wrinkle in all her actions and that nothing in this world deserveth the name of pure and perfect in comparison with God but onely in comparison of one with another and of the unclean thing with that which is not so unclean and in lesse or more drawing neer to the example institution and intention of Christ Jesus our good Master so it is in that sence I praise the holinesse of the Church I am in for the present that is namely in comparison