Sicilian Bishop supplicated to Nicholas the third in the words of Bartimaeus Marke 10. 47. Miserere mei sili David O sonne of David have mercy upon me Paulus the fourth Paulus 4 Bulla â—d Duâ—em Florent doth usurpe that royall title of Christ in the Rev. 19. 16. stiling himselfe Regem Regum the King of Kings Iansenius doth expound that Iansen Harâ— cap. 66. Matth. 18. 16. Vpon this rocke will I build my Church of the person of Peter and of the Pope his successour Augustine de Ancona attributeth Aug. de Anco epist Dedicat. ad Iohn 22. that of Saint Paul to the Philippians 2. 10. To him shall bow the knees of every thing in heaven and earth and under the earth unto Pope Iohn 22. Bellarmine doth apply that Prophecy of Bell. de Pont. Rom Praefat. Isaiah 28. 16. I lay in Sion a stone for a foundation to the Pope And elsewhere he doth apply Bell. de Chr. lib. 1. cap. 4. the same words to Christ proving thereby that Christ is true God By the same argument therefore doth hee imply that his Pope is his God Of which blasphemy he seemeth not to Bell. de Concil Auth. li. 2. c. 17. be very nice avouching That all the Names in the Scriptures which are attributed unto Christ may be ascribed to the Pope also As also Sixtus Sixtus Senensis in praef Biblioth Sanctae Senensis doth involve the application of many texts peculiar unto Christ to the Pope speaking to Pius the fift as unto God saith That he hath adopted him for his sonne and regenerated him by his spirit But of all other that golden Bâ—â—â— tom 11. anno 1073. num 16. Legend of Baronius may not be passed by that Pope Hildebrand being a Carpenters sonne and playing where his father wrought did by chance frame letters which expressed the eight verse of the 72 Psalme His dominion shall be from the one Sea to the other And to helpe Sacrâ—â—â—â— lâ—b 1. sect 7. cap. 6. fol. 35. them out the Pope himselfe Sixtus the fourth doth arrogate that of Christ in Matth. 28. 18. Data est mihi omnis potestas in coelo in terrâ all power is given to me in heaven and in earth Moreover this Seraphicall Divinity of the Papall Deity is not consined to the Latine onely but they have English Doctors who preach these Italian instructions What good doe wee say we receive from God principally yea onely a threefold The Church in which we live the faith by which we live and the Commandements according to which we live All these we asscribe unto God all these they ascribe unto the Pope First the Church is the visible congregation George Dowly in his Instruction cap. 3. of all true Christians and Catholikes which are scattered over the world whose head next under God is the Pope Secondly Faith is a gift of Greg. de Valent. in Thom. t. 3. p. 24. God in our soules with the which we doe firmely and Catholikely beleeve all that God hath revealed unto us according as it is taught us by our holy Mother the Church By the Church we understand Suarez Apolog. lib. 4. cap. 6. whom they understand è Cathedra indeed the Pope Thirdly the worke of a Christian Trent Hist lib. 4. pag. 321. George Dowâ—ey his Instruct cap. 12. is to know well the Commandements of God and those of our mother the Church Observe the Commandements of God and the commandements of the Church that is of the Pope are members of the same division therefore equally enjoyned To which purpose as hee hath made the whole seventh Chapter to teach the ten Commandements of God so hee spendeth the eight Chapter in teaching the five Commandements of the Church to wit to heare Masse on sundayes and holydayes to confesse once a yeare to communicate at Easter to Fast when the Church commandeth and to pay Tithes To which he addeth the sixt not to celebrate mariages prohibited by the Church So then without the Pope no Church no Faith and the Commandements of the Pope ranked with the Commandements of God The Church Faith and CoÌ„mandements all these we ascribe unto our God all these they ascribe unto their Pope The Pope permitteth this doctrine therefore from his owne permission I hope I may bee permitted to pronounce my conclusion The Pope doth shew himselfe to bee God Therefore The Pope is the Antichrist Notwithstanding these plaine evidences Bell. de Pontif. Rom. lib. 3 c. 14. Lessi de â—ntiâ—â— Dem. 7. evictions this truth is not acknowledged because say they Antichrist will say plainly that he is God This sense is not suteable to the text which saith He shall shew not say that he is God Howsoever I will follow them into this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 starting hole also and beat them with their owne weapons I say therefore The Pope doth plainly professe himselfe Dr Beard de Antichristo to be god Of late Pope Paulus Quintus and the Cardinall his cousin caused every peece of their plate to be marked with this inscription Burghesianae eternitati dicatuÌ„ that is this is consecrated to the Eternity of the Burghesian family What more godlike Title could they ingrave Thom. Stapleton in Prinâ—ip Fid. praefat on a Challice Our English Stapleton uttereth this blasphemy somewhat more plainly styling Pope Gregory 13 Optimum Maximum supremum Numen in terris that is their most great most gracious and most soveraigne god on earth Lessâ—â—s de Antichristo Dem. 7. Lessius doth acknowledge that the Pope is called by the Papists Deus interris Their god on earth but saith he metaphorice it is by a figure poore fig-leaves to cover their apparent blasphemies Others are downe-right and mince Gratian Dist â—6 cap. 7. Satis Evidenter not the matter Pope Nicholas boasteth Pontificem à Constantino Deum appellatum that the Emperour did call the Pope a God and from thence inferreth Deum non posse ab hominibus judicar that no men may judge the Pope because he is a God Whence also Augustine Aug. Steuchus de Donatione Constant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1547. pag 141. Steuchus doth tell us praeclaro illo edicto eum adoravit ut Deum that by that egregious edict Constantine did adore the Pope as God Et divinos honores ei quoad ejus potuit contulit and that to utmost of his ability hee tendered to him divine honours Againe one Pope in the Concil Later sâ—ss 4 sâ—b â—â—â—â— 2. Laterane Councill is saluted by the Name of God In the yeare 1514 in the last Laterane Concil Later Sess 9. Moulins Accom pag 89. Councill one of the Popes Secretaries called Leo 10 his divine Maâ—esty Vpon the gates of Tolentum in Italy is this inscription To Paul the third the most high and mighty God on earth A booke also was printed with this inscription Tort. Torti pag. 361. PaV Lo Vâ—â— VICc
the strongest weapon out of the hands of our owne side For it must follow inevitably If Rome be no church then is the Pope no Antichrist Because the text doth teach us that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God The Papists advance on the other side as if they apprehended some great advantage by this assertion as if by yeelding them to be a true Church we must submit our selves to bee schismatickes Bellarmine speaketh plainly if Bell. de Poâ—â— Rom. lib. 3. ca. 13. the Protestants coÌ„fesse that our church is a true church then must they yeeld their church to be schismaticall because they have separated from us But I Smith more rhetorically At Rich. Smitâ—â—us de authoâ—e Protestanticâ— Religionis lib. 1. cap. 2. sect 8. â— incredibileâ—â— hominum impietatem ut qui se Christianos profitentur audeant repudiare eam ecclesiam quam fatentur esse adhuc in soedere Dei And againe Atque â— prodigiosam caecitateÌ„ ut non videant quod dum fatentur Romanam Ecclesiam esse ecclesiam Dei sponsam Christi fatentur suam esse synagogam Antichristi scortuÌ„ satanae That is O incredible wickednesse that those who professe themselves to bee Christians will forsake them whom they confesse to bee the Church of Christ O incomparable blindnesse that they see not that by granting the Roman church to be the church of God and the spouse of Christ they yeeld themselves the reformed church to be the synagogue of Antichrist and strumpet of satan And the whole Army of the Papists swarme after their Leaders in this pursuite presuming that we must either fly or yeeld if we give them this ground that the church of Rome is a true Church and thence are they ready to cry Victoria At ne sit Encomium ante victoriam let not Bell. de dâ— Eccles milit cap. 4. sect Resp variâ—â— him boast who putteth on his armour as hee may who doth put it off To Bellarmine I shape an answer in his owne syllables wee affirme the Romane to be a true church not simpliciter but secundum quid not absolutely but in some respect in which respect wee doe separate from it and not simply Simple therefore is their reason thence to inferre therefore our separation is schismaticall To D. Smith and all the rest we say we doe grant them all those glorious titles but as so many testimonies to witnesse their gracelesse wickednesse so to abuse them We grant the Romane to be a true Church to be the Church of Christ to be the spouse of Christ and to be of the body of Christ We grant it to hold the foundation of faith and to have the scriptures sacraments c. And what of all this Reatus impij est nomen pium saith one out of Salvianus godly Names doe not justifie godlesse Hooker in Hab. 1. 4. nu 7. men We are but upbraided when we are honoured with names and Titles when our lives and manners are not sutable Iudas was an Apostle and a Traitour too but the more wretched Traitour because an Apostle And so the Pope is saith he The Vicar of Christ and an Enemie but the more dangerous and devillish Enemie because the Vicar of Christ In particular Wee grant that Rome is a true Church but in regard of the verity of the Essence not of the Doctrine thereof this is corrupt and full of pollutions Wee grant it to be the Church of God so much also wee grant to the Iacobites Muscovites Arians and Nestorians Yet I suppose that none dare hazard themselves to live in these congregations who have any care of their safety soules health or eternall salvation We grant Rome to be the spouse of Christ but quoad externam Professionem not quoad internam fidem in respect of their outward profession not of their inward affections no nor of their actions neither We grant that they are of the Body of Christ his body visible noâ— mysticall And so may a Legion of Devils also incarnated bee if they will professe the name of Christ and be admitted by the baptisme of Christ We grant they hold the Foundation but is there nothing dangerous nor damnable but onely to overthrow the Foundation of Christianity Have they noâ— besides dangerous and damnable Errours Heresies and Idolatries Moreover they Answer to Fisheâ—â— Relation of tâ—â— 3. 〈…〉 â—8 have Errours which doe weaken the Foundation saith the learned Author of that laboured appendix They have Errours fundamentall reductivè by a reducement if they which imbrace them doe pertinaciously adhere unto them and have sufficient meanes to be better Deane White Ibid. pag. 71. informed Saith the Champion of our Church And sinally their errors as that of Iustification Hooker in Hab. 1. 4. doe overthrow the very foundation by consequent saith impartiall Hooker Lastly they have the Scriptures and Sacraments lawfull Ministers and a lawfull Ministry c. actually in themselves and effectually unto others but not so to themselves Notum est Cives malae civitatis administrare quosdam actus bonae civitatis it is manifest that the Burgers of Babylon doe administer some functions of Hierusalem and with effect too They can hew out an Arke for others though themselves be drowned in the Deluge And for all this is it not lawfull to separate from Rome Wee accompted our common Citizens frantick because they reviled and railed at such as fled from the infection Certainly the Papists are possessed with a more spirituall phrensie and infection At â— incredibilem impietatem Atque ô prodigiosum caecitatem O incredible wickednesse and incomparable blindnesse that those who see the Scriptures should be so seduced by strong delusion to beleeve a Lye That those who say they are the Church of God and spouse of Christ should be indeed the Synagogue of Antichrist and the strumpet of Satan I conclude and let any Papist brag or any others upbraid what they can collect out of this conclusion The Church of Rome is a true Church And the Pope of Rome is that false Antichrist who doth erect his seat therein by most foule usurpation He shall sit in the Temple saith my Text. I have done this Digression this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which it may bee some will condemne as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as an overlong and impertinent Parenthesis But I conceive it very needfull if it were onely for this to imply an Item to our owne Zelotes that transported with a strong affection and weake judgement they doe not thrust the Papists further from Christ when as Christ knoweth they are too farre off from him already I returne to the remnant of my Text yee have heard the explication what this Temple is even the very Church of Christ Now shall yee heare the Application Where this Temple is We use plaine words in a plaine cause the Church of Rome is the seat of Antichrist Now the Church of Rome hath two parts commonly called
Rudder or Anchor and conceive the terrours of that soule which floateth on groundlesse errours to surpasse imagination The Apostles phrase Eph. 4. 16. importeth that the erroneous are like a bone out of joynt it will cost many an hearty groane before they be reduced to their right place They will bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3. 11. their owne consciences will be both the accusers and the accused and in conclusion they will become aliens from Gods Commonwealth Eph. 2. 12. Now suppose a traveller in the night and out of the way how will he be troubled a Rebell out of the Kings favour how perplexed The Athenians mutined Iust hist for a time against Alexander but they were glad notwithstanding their brags to be reconciled upon any condition Alas beloved the Erroneous are those Travellers so troubled those Rebels so perplexed and those mutinous Athenians their feare must be great till they be reconciled to their God upon any condition 1 King 2. 30. Ioab having run a wrong course of erroneous election against his Lords liking although he could pretend that he did adhere to the right heire was incouraged by the High Priest and might bee excused by his other former services and was protected by the Altar notwithstanding because he erred against the Kings will the terrours of death did compasse him on every side So let the erroneous gild over their positions with never so many glorious pretences that they adhere to the right heire to the old Religion that they are incouraged by the High Priest by the Pope himselfe that their life otherwise is very innocent and that they have the Altar the onely Catholike Church to protect them Notwithstanding all this if they wander without the warrant of the Lord without the apparant Scriptures the sword of Benaiah hangeth over their heads The conscience of the erroneous cannot but suffer the terrours of the Lord with a troubled minde Loe here the lot of all those who are seducers Vse or seduced Feare and trembling are their companions From the Papist to the Anabaptist all seducers are like the Aspen they cannot but quake continually and like the old Romanes mentioned by S. Augustine Deum colunt timorem Aug. epist 44. Maximo horrorem Terrour and horrour are housed in their consciences As the text speaketh their consciences are shaken and troubled perpetually But say the Erroneous the Papists especially we have none of these terrours we have resisted your Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are carelesse and fearlesse to shed your blood or our owne blood in the confidence of our Catholike cause We are not shaken nor troubled in conscience for teaching our Doctrine I say notwithstanding their bragges some of them doe feare though they will not shew where their shooe wringeth them Some of them shall feare Morte personam non ferent Death shall unmaske them and discover their consciences pale and wan with feare and trembling If some of them live and dye confident in their errours then I apply that other phrase of my text unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are besides their mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens and Clem. Alex. Protrept p. 2. Ign. ep 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius their blindnesse is madnesse and franticknesse Mad men will wound themselves and feele not and the franticke will run into the fire and feare not So those men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they ranne out of their wits when they ran out of the Church and this makes them like Bedlems to be so couragious indeed so outragious in their herefies But how may wee avoid these errours and terrours and be setled in the Truth I can teach men no better than Erasmus taught children Quod lego Scripturis Symbolo summa siducia credo si quid receptum est ab usu Ecclesiae quod non plane cum Scripturis pugnat servo That is that man who doth constantly beleeve whatsoever is taught him by the Scriptures and conscionably obey whatsoever is commanded by the Church provided the Church command nothing plainly contrary to the Scriptures Such a man I say will bee setled in the Truth and seldome or never shaken in minde or troubled concerning any Errours Yea but some speake of all the Scriptures what S. Peter spake of some of the Scripture 2 Pet. 3. 16. they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to bee understood I answer Vse these meanes faithfully and thou shalt finde the necessary principles of the Scripture to be a food for the Lamb to wade through and to be food for very Babes to feed on Eschew three things and insue three things Let these sixe points be the practise of thy piety Eschew Pride Prejudice and Profit in searching out the Truth Mater omnium Haereticorum superbia St. Augustine saith t is Pride which progues Aug. contra Manich. 2. 8. men to factions and partakings Simon Magus would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 9. a great man this was the Magicke that bewitched him to his heresie and sorcerie Prejudice is a second and maine prevention of knowing and imbracing the Truth In hac side eram natus in hac educatus in ea moriar said an Eutichian because hee was borne therein therefore hee would live and dye in that opinion There are many mad Ephesians who will cry out against Paul when they know not the cause wherefore they cry out against him Acts 19. 32. And finally profit and commodity is Truths common adversary there are wretched men who subvert whole houses for silthy lucres sake Tit. 1. 11. and their gaine teacheth them to teach falshood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to please their Patrons and maintaine errours because errours maintaine them On the other side insue three other things Fidelity Charity and Humility Fidelity towards the Scriptures Charity towards the Church and Humility towards thy selfe Fasten thy Faith on the Scriptures say with the Pythagorians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath said it and therefore we will beleeve it And say with St. Paul Though an Angell from heaven should preach another Gospell and teach thee any thing contrary to the word of God let him be an Anathema accursed by God and man Gal. 1. 8. Next to thy fidelity to thy Father thy God speaking in his Scriptures exercise thy charity to thy Mother to the Church speaking in her Institutions Alexander saith Iustine did lament that hee had wronged his Nurse in his drinke The Church of England is our Nurse and surely they are not sober who wrong it and I hope that at length they will have grace to lament it If any accuse our Church which hath nursed thee let thy love teach thee to take heed of such accusers and abstaine from the very appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Let both Fidelity to the Scriptures and charity to the Church be a garland to
things now plainly whereat the holy Fathers did but guesse in the Primitive time Bellarmine also did reject twelve of the Fathers in this very point of Antichrist De Rom. Pont. lib. 3. cap. 12. Therefore without any wrong to be imputed to us by our adversaries to those reverend Fathers we may refuse them in this cause we have the Fathers the Scriptures and Bellarmine himselfe to avouch it The Time is the first point and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is metator Antichristi as Lucianus termed Decius that is the falling away is the forerunner of Antichrist When a Fort doth see some Troupes sit downe before their walls they conclude that the Generall of their enemies is at hand to besiege them So S. Paul giveth the Church this signe When the falling away is come Then that man of sinne is at the doores 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an Apostasie is the falling of a man from his Lord to whom he oweth his fealty A Renegado or to turne Turke It is taken three wayes by the Expositors First Politically to fall from the Romane Empire by Rebellion Secondly Ecclesiastically to fall from the Church in Religion And thirdly Figuratively the subject for the adjunct the Apostate for the Apostasie By the falling away understanding the head instrument or person causing that falling away The second signification of these three is most sutable to the Text because it is used in the Scriptures as Luke 8. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they fall from the word 1 Tim. 4. x. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 some shall fall away or depart from the faith and Luke 18. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 when the Sonne of man commeth shall he finde faith on the earth meaning that all will fall from faith at that season Next the Fathers use it in the same signification This Apostasie saith S. Cyril it shall bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the orthodoxall Faith And S. Augustine calleth the Aposlate Refugam à Domino Aug. de Civ 2â— 19. a runnagate froÌ„ the Lord. And that many of the Fathers did take this word in this sense in this place Bellarmine himselfe confesseth â—â—ll de Rom. â—oâ—â—iâ— 3. 2. that S. Augustine doth witnesse it Again Apostasie in the Scriptures and in the Ecclesiasticall Writers is never used politically for the falling away from a temporall Prince Moreover Discedit imperium non disceditur ab imperio Apâ—lâ—gâ— in Bell. cap. 9. said our English Gamaliel there must be a nullity of the Empire not an apostasie from the Empire to make way for Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the sixt verse and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the seventh both the thing and the person which letteth both the Empire and the Emperour must be absolutely removed And finally Antichrist is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 16. 13. a False prophet which must imply an Ecclesiasticall apostasie or falling away in Religion Neither can the third sense conveniently be applyed to the Text to take the word Apostafie siguratively for the Apostate himselfe This misprision arose from a false translation Refuga being read for Apostasia Aug. de Civitate Dei 20. 19. which is acknowledged also by Suarez who also saith Graeca vox Apostasia Suarez Apolog. lib. â— c. 10. Sect. 5. significat discessionem à side in suâ syncer â proprietate that is Apostasie doth properly signifie a falling away from the Church in Religion Thus properly S. Paul doth speake of the Eâ—clesiasticall falling away Yet I will follow all three both because the other two are true also though not proper For the first the Romane Empire it selfe must fall which must imply a falling from it by rebellion before Antichrist doth come And for the third if the great falling from the faith shall be absolutely before the comming of Antichrist then Antichrist when he commeth as Bellarmine speaketh Bell. Apolog. cap. 9. well Non inveniret quos seduceret shall have few or none to seduce by his strong delusions Therefore it is true also Antichrist shall be the maine causer of this falling from the faith Againe I retaine all the members of this distribution because as neare as I can I will tread in the very footsteps of the Papists themselves and inferre my conclusions from their premises It is their distinction The Rhemists Rhemists â—â— 2 Thess 2. sect 5. 6. on this Text acknowledge the two first branches though in the fift Section they deny that there can bee any revolt from the Church yet in the sixt Section they seeme to revolt from that resolution saying It is very likely that this great revolt shall be not onely from the Romane Empire but also from the Romane Church and withall from most points of the Christian faith Suarez also doth acknowledge spiritualem Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. c. 10 nu 18 stragem a spirituall defection and destruction Dr. Steuartius professor of Ingolstade Steuartius in 2 Thess 2. on this place doth thus describe this falling away Insignis defectio à Romano Imperio memorabilis Apostasia à side Christianâ Vnde non immerito Patres vocaverunt Antichristum ipsam Apostasiam quod multis author sit ut à Deo discedant That is There shall bee such an admirable falling away both from the Romane Empire and from the Christian Faith that thence the Fathers have justly called Antichrist the Apostasie it selfe Finally this intire distinction is borrowed from Bellarmine himselfe Suarez also hath the Bell. de Rom. Pontif. 3. 12. Suarez lib. 5. cap. 10. â—u 13 14 16. very same in his Apology I take it therefore for granted that the word in my text is taken three wayes Politically Ecclesiastically and Figuratively And I will make it appeare that every way it doth most properly occurre with the Church of Rome For the first The Church of Rome from the Empire of Rome hath falne away and so falne away as no part of the Empire beside It is true The Romane Empire lost Asia and other places but this was by the open invasion of the Turke and of other forraine Princes But that he should be thrust out of Rome his Imperiall seat whence his Empire is named Romane by the rebellion of his Subjects I suppose there never was falling from the Empire like this and this was atchieved by the Pope Somewhat after six hundred yeares of our Saviors Incarnation Bonifacius the third obtained of Phocas the title of Vniversall Bishop here that Pope was hatching his Apostasie this was but the infancy of his Insurrection After that the Longobards invaded and conquered part of Italy yet so that the remnant thereof remained intire under the Emperours Dominion But the Emperour himselfe residing wholly in the East Italy as it is in most Kingdomes governed by Viceroyes was oppressed by his Exarchs Thereupon the Italians became wonderfully averse from the Emperours inclinable to the Bishops of Rome And the Bishops of Rome incouraged by this
Matth. 28 20. From a Promise The Gates of Hell shall never Matth. 16. 18. prevaile against the Church And from an instance in Particulars The Administration of the Sacrament which must be done to shew the 1 Cor. 11. 26. Lords death till he come And the worke of the Ministery which must be continued Till we all Ephes 4. 12 13. come in the unity of the Faith Finally Homo sum humani à me nil alienum puto Humane Testimony is prest to doe service to this Divine Verity That the Truth hath at all times in some place and in some sort subsisted it is the Record and Concord of all Hâ—story If any desire a more full satisfaction in this cause I referre him to the solid Treatise of our learned Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield Wherefore seeing The Grand imposture cap. 5. we are compassed about with such a cloud of witnesses we say the Visible Church made a revolt but the Church of the Elect God miraculously preserved even under the cruell persecution of Antichrist Here then wee cleare our Church from Bell. de notis Eccl cap. 9. Suarez Apol. lib. 5. c. 10. nu 17 Rich. Smith Protestanâ—ia Eccl. c. 4. nu 13. Aug. in Psal 101. Conc. 2. that popish calumny who charge us to avouch an Vniversall Apostasie of the whole Church from all the Christian faith Here also we condemne the pride of the Donatists who held that the Church was extinguished throughout the whole world that Angle of Africa wherein they lived onely excepted Yet farre more insolent is the assertion of our owne English Anabaptists who hold that The Church hath beene utterly extinguished out of the Helwis Myst of Juiq p. 7. whole world This is the doctrine of their Apostle Helwis in his Treatise termed the Mystery of Iniquity But condemning both those old Anabaptists and these new Donatists Hence I say to the moderate Papists ye see the fearfull falling away of all Africa and Asia To the indifferent Protestants ye see the fall of the famous Church of Rome I say to us all we see that this very Church of the noble Thessalonians is falne and gone Therefore the Apostasie is past Open then your eyes to behold Antichrist who cannot be farre off And who it is with Gods assistance I shall shew you in my succeeding Sermons In the meane time I suppose it will be no great transgression if I make one small digression and sweepe downe one Copweb on which the Church of Rome doth rest her hand with strong confidence If our Church say they be Less de Ant. Dem. 4 p. 16. thus fallen shew the time of this falling away what Popes reigning and what Divines opposing this miraculous Apostasie was performed This brave weapon is brandished by eloquent Campian their elegant Champion but this sword Campian Rot. 7. shineth better than it cutteth Quando igitur hanc sidem tantopere celebratam Roma perdidit Quando esse desiâ—t quod ante fuit Quo tempore Quo Pontifice Qua viâ Qua vi Quibus incrementis urbem orbem religio pervasit aliena If we be Apostates shew then saith he When did the famous Church of Rome fall from that Religion for which they were so famous In what time Vnder what Pope By what men By what meanes By what Decrees or Degrees did this Apostasie surprise their Region and Religion I answer The present Italian tongue is the old Latine tongue corrupted Because none can shew what Emperour reigning and what Grammarians opposing this corruption was induced will any inferre hereupon Therefore the Italian is not corrupted Concerning the Italian Tongue and the Italian Church any indifferent ingenuous and impartiall person will frame the same illation Yet to proceed I say this very Quaere is a politike point of the Popish Mystery of their Antichristian Iniquity As Herod the Edomite first burned all the Registers of the Israelitish Genealogies and then demanded who could shew any Record whereby it might appeare that he was not an Israelite So the Romanists require of us Chronologicall testimonies of the Time of their Apostasie when as they themselves have suppressed those Chronicles and conceale those Antiquities Againe wee answer in the words of Christ Matth. 13. 25. Vnde Zizania Whence are the Tares The enemy sowed them when the men were asleepe In the words of S. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 2. They speake these lyes in Hypocrisie and in the words of S. Peter 2 Pet. 2. 1. They brought in these damnable heresies privily as Tertullian Tertul. adv Valent cap. 1. speaketh Nil magis curant quam uâ— occultent quod praedicant their maine care was to conceale their errors when they did preach them and broach them And as Lyrinensis speaketh Vinc. Lyrin cap. 15. Latenter superinducunt errores they infused their errours secretly Yea to shape them an answer in the language of their owne Authors Saepissime constat de re non constat de modo Bell. de P. R. lib. 2. c. 5. saith Bellarmine The Matter may be apparent when the manner may be questionable Of one point Minime constat saith Gregorius de Valentia Gr. Val de legit usu Euch. c. 10. we cannot tell the originall thereof Of another pedetentim it entred by Little and little Ross Assert Lutheran Confut. said Bishop Fisher And of a third their magnificent and so much magnified Councill of Concil Trid. Sess 22. ca. 9 Trent concludeth with our very phrase which we use concerning all their errours Multa irrepsisse videantur many things seeme to have crept into the Church without observation or opposition Since therefore the Romane errours did enter into the Church of Rome secretly and unseene it is an unequall demand to require us to name the very time of their entrance Notwithstanding if any desire more fully to be satisfied even in the Historicall part of those points of Apostasie they stand charged with I referre them to the lustre of Ireland The Archbishop of Armach in his answer to the Irish Champian From whom in the most controversies of maine consequence they may receive most full satisfaction Six particulars I will insist in which I suppose to be the sinewes of their Apostasie and the supporters of Antichristianisme The first concerning the Communion the Communion was instituted of Christ in both kindes Matth. 26. 27. It was administred by the Apostles in both kindes 1 Cor. 11. 28. It was received in the Primitive Church in both kindes as it is Concil Const Sâ—ss 12. Concil Trid Sess 21. c. 1. confessed by their owne Councill of Constance and that of Trent also The with-holding of the wine from the Laity became a custome in the Latine Church not long before the Councill of Constance their Gregory of Valence is our witnesse Greg. de Val. de legitimo usu Eucharist c. 10. Trent Hist lib. 1 pag. 3. And it was imposed as a
Law by the said Councill under Pope Eugenius and the Emperour Sigismund anno 1484. Against which the opposition was so famous that the opposers were called the Subutraque Thus have they falne from the first institution of this holy Sacrament And this is the first point of their Apostasie That the Pope is Vniversall Bishop the universall Scripture doth afford not one tittle to avouch this title Nay 600 yeares after Christ this great attribute was condemned by a great Pope to be Nomen Antichristianum an Attribute Greg lib. 4. Epist 31. 39. of Antichrist and those who consent to that title doe Fidem perdere Fall from the faith said the same Gregory Yet instantly after him did Pope Cyriacus assay it and anno 606 did Pope Bonifacius atchieve it Wee therefore can assigne the Time and Persons when the Pope even in the judgement of the Pope did fall into this second point of Antichristian Apostasie Against adoration of Images wee produce Preesius de Trad part 3. de Imag. Câ—ssâ—nd consult titâ—le Imag. two and those domesticall witnesses These are the words of Peresius and Cassander confesseth the very same Neque Scripturam neque Traditionem Ecclesiae neque Communem Sensum Sanctorum neque Concilij Generalis determinationem aliquam neque Rationem qua efficaciter hoc suaderi potest adducunt That is No man say these men our adversaries can produce either Scripture or Tradition or consent of Fathers or definition of any generall Councill or any found Reason whereby they can plainly prove the lawfulnesse of the worshipping of Images Greg. lib 9. ep 9. A Pope also doth condemne this Popish errour more than six hundred yeares after Christ Imagines Sanctorum in Ecclesias non ad adorandum sed ad instituendum collocantur saith Gregory he permitted them for instruction but their adoration hee utterly condemned Yet was Image-adoration established anno 789 by the second Councill of Nice under Eirene the Emperesse by the assistance of Adrian the Pope But with the heaviest opposition that ever the earth saw or the heavens permitted Besides the gainsaying of those great Bishops Serenus of Marcellis Claudius of Turin Hincinarus of Rhemes and Agobardus of Lions Besides those Libri Carolini and the two Councills the Constantian in the East and that of Frankford in the West Besides those infinite injuries and insolencies which were offered and suffered under the reignes of Leo Isaâ—rus Constantinus Copronymus Leo Armenius Michael Bardus and Yheophilus whom Bellarmine calleth Bell de Imag. lib 2. â— 6. Homil of Iâ—el part 2. pag. 36. Iconomachi the enemies of Images The Sunne was darkned seventeene dayes and the Emperour murthered when the Images were established by Eirene Therefore here also have we the Time when and the Person by whom was performed the thirdpoint of their Popish Idolatrous Apostasie That all men in generall and therefore the Pope in particular should be subject unto Princes it was the doctrine of S. Peter 1 Pet. 2. 13. and of S. Paul Acts 25. 10. the doctrine of their Master Matth. 22. 21. and it was the doctrine of their Disciples Reges esse à Deosecundos That Princes were under no man but God alone this was an ordinary Aphorisme of Tertullian Chrysostome Augustine Gregory and of all the old Fathers But in the yeare 1076 Pope Gregory the seventh surnamed Hildebrand Baron an 1076. nu 26. de facto did depose Henry the Emperour and that it might seeme afterwards to bee done de jure too he confirmed the same by a Councill held at Rome in the same yeare 1076. Bin tom 3. â—oâ—â— pag. 1â—8â— Thus we insist in the Time and Name in the punctuall particulars of this fourth falling from the faith of this Arrogant Antichristian Apostasie It was the common Catholike conclusion of all Christians for full fourteene hundred yeares that the Pope was not the supreme Iudge of the earth but that he was subject to a Councill Their owne Councill of Constance doth Concil Const Sess 4. Concil Basil Sess 2. 33. conclude it and their other Councill of Basil doth call it Fidei Catholica veritas a point of Faith But in the yeare 1516 Pope Leo the tenth did reverse that Decree and did decree in his Laterane Synode that the Pope was supreme Concil Lateran Sess 11. Bell. lib. 2. de Concil cap. 17. Sect. Deâ—que Iudge and superiour to a Councill This is the grand Apostasie whereby the Pope did declare himselfe to be the Grand Antichrist The sixt point of the Popish Apostasie is the first part of that falling from the Faith foretold by S. Paul 1 Tim. 4. 1 3. and branded for the Doctrine of Devils is the forbidding of mariage A motion of forbidding Priests to marry was in the Councill of Nice anno 325 but stayed Socrates lib. 1. cap. 8. by the perswasion of Paphnutius Siricius did set it on foot againe and restrained some Priests from marying in the yeare 380 in the yeare 1076 Gregory the seventh no singular chaste Pope inforced single life by Canons and persecutions And anno 1119 Calixtus 2 did Matthew of Westminster Trent hist lib. 7. p. â—80 prosecute it as a Decree but Pope Pius 4 an 1563 would not permit it so much as to bee propounded by way of Disputation To these six I will adde a seventh prayers in a knowne language that all the people may say Amen was at the first practised by the Primitive Cranmer in a Pamphlet to Q. Mary printed 1556 pag. 13. 1â— Church and preached by S. Paul 1 Cor. 14. So is S. Paul understood in the Civill Law more than a thousand yeares past where Iustinian in a Synode writeth Iubemus clarâ voce ut à fideli populo exaadiantur celebrent c. hee commandeth that publike prayers should be celebrated that the people might understand them It a enim divus Paulus docet in Epâ—st ad Corinthios This saith he is the doctrine of S. Paul 1 Cor. 14. and thus was St. Paul understood of all Interpreters Greeke and Latine old and New Schoole Authors and others till thirty yeares before Queene Maries reigne at which time one Eckius did devise a new exposition understanding S. Paul of preaching onely But when a good number of the best learned on both sides were gathered together at Windsor for the reformation of the Church Service It was agreed by both without controversie not one saying the contrary That the Service of the Church ought to be in the mother tongue and that S. Paul in the 1 Cor. 14. was so to be understood This memorable discourse was written by the Martyr Cranmer from a prison in Oxenford to Queene Mary in a Pamphlet printed 1556. Here then again the Romish Church hath falne from the primâ—tive Church and this is the seventh point of the Popish Apostasie This is plaine enough of their falling from faith whereby I have shewed the Times and Names producing
to sit as God can be no bodily sitting To say therefore that Antichrist shall sit bodily in a Temple to be worshipped religiously is a sense implying nothing but Absurdity Impossibility and Blasphemie The Protestants exposition remaineth to be propounded which I suppose to bee uncontroulable First in the Temple I will expound this phrase by that of Occumenius upon this place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is by the name of the Temple in this text we must not understand the Temple of Hierusalem but the Churches of God Secondly he sitteth that is he ruleth or reigneth in which sense God himselfe is said to sit in his throne Psal 9. 4. and their Aquine on this place rendreth our interpretation Sedeat id est principetur dominetur Hee sitteth that is saith he he governeth and domimereth Nay as if he would digito demonstraner ac dicier hic est as if the Pope would point at his owne person to bee prophesied of in this place hee doth appropriate this phrase to his owne stile whereas Kings are said to reigne and not to sit the Popes are said to sit and not to reigne as if they would verifie this prophesie to the letter Thirdly He shall sit as God to wit as God incarnated that is as Christ Tanquam Deus scilicet incarnatus i. tanquam Christus His name implyeth as much the man of sinne being called Antichristus non Antitheus that is Antichrist and not an Anti-God The true sense is this The man of sinne doth sit in the Temple of God as God that is Antichrist doth rule the Church of Christ usurping the very power of Christ I frame this Syllogisme as the foundation of my following discourse Whosoever doth rule the Church of Christ pretending the same power with Christ hath this property of Antichrist or rather is the very Antichrist But the Pope doth rule the Church of Christ pretending the same power with Christ Ergo the Pope hath this property of Antichrist Or rather Therefore The Pope is the very Antichrist The proposition hath beene proved by the premises The proofe of the minor now remaineth to bee proposed Which also may seeme to bee superfluous if that Sermon of Steven Archbishop of Patras which hee made Concil Lateran sub Leone 10. in Concione Stephani Arâ—b Patracensis Sess 10. at the Councill of Laterane bee authenticall Where he preached publikely of the Pope and to the Pope that the Pope had potestatem supra omnes potestates tam coeli quam terrae that is Power above all power either in Heaven or in Earth And therefore the same if not superiour to that of Christ Or that Treatise of Augustus Ambomitanus in the 45 question whereof he delivereth Idem esse Dominium Dei ac Papae Gods Dominion and the Popes is all one As the Iurisdiction of the Delegant and Delegat is one Especially where the delegation is plenary and totall as he presumeth it is in the Pope But to proceed in our proofes though we have their open confession All the power of Christ over the Church is expressed in his Titles by which hee doth approach to him yea incroach on him very palpably Let that passe but for a formall preface unto his more pompous stile which their Sacred Ceremonies Sacrar Cerem lib 1. â—ect 1. cap 3. fol. 10. doe solemnly invest him with That the Pope is the Vicar of Iesus Christ the Successour of Saint Peter the Pastour of the Lords Flocke the Key-keeper of the Court of Heaven and the Prince of all Christendome But Bellarmine lest any of Bell. de Con. Auth. lib. 2. c. 17. them should be defective either to our plain proofe or to his plainer pride teacheth directly That all the Titles which the Scriptures give to Christ are by them given unto the Pope His words are these Quae in Scripturis tribuuntur Christo unde constat eum esse supra Ecclesiam cadem omnia tribuuntur Pontifici Furthermore the Titles including the power will make it appeare yet more particularly The Pope doth usurpe the one and therefore he doth usurpe the other Christ principally hath three Titles He is called Princeps Pastorum 1 Pet. 5. 4. Our Chiefe Shepheard Pontifex Our High Priest Heb. 3. 1. and finally Caput Ecclesiae The Head of the Church Ephes 5. 23. And all these it is generally knowne that the Pope doth ordinarily assume Yea more than these Is Christ termed Princeps Pastorum the Chiefe Shepheard the Pope hath beene stiled Solus Pastor Is Christ called Pontifex the High Priest Vah Parum est the Pope is called Pontifex maximus the Highest High Priest Is Christ called Caput Ecclesiae the Head of the Church the Pope hath the same Name yea and more also Hee is Caput fidei the Head of our Faith a strange title Tortura pa. 329. saith Bellarmine Nay he is not onely Caput but Vertex capitis the very Top and Tip of the Head saith Schioppius that impostume of scurrilitie Thus then the Pope doth arrogate the same Titles with some addition also which are ascribed unto our Saviour Saint Paul doth prove the Excellency of our Saviour to be farre above the Nature of Angels because he hath received a more excellent Name The Pope likewise doth inferre that he hath the same Excellency and Power because he hath the same Name with our Saviour Nay wherefore doth he not directly call himselfe Christ as well as High Priest Chiefe Shepheard and Head of the Church which are equivalent thereunto When Edward of England intended Warre against Philip of France hee assumed his Prime Title and proclaimed himselfe King of France So the Pope assuming the Principall Titles of Christ maketh even a ProclamatioÌ„ against Christ that He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The adversary who as God sitteth in the Temple of God that is ruleth in the Church of Christ pretending the same power with Christ But indeed the whole power of Christ in ruling the Church is comprised in this one Title The Head of the Church the Pope therefore arrogating that one doth usurpe all To cleare the way by a briefe digression Two things they reply to this point First they urge argumentum ad hominem and prove the Pope to be Suarez Apolog lib. 5. c. 17. nu 5. their Head from our Tongues The English protestants say they call the King the Head of the Church therefore the Romish Catholikes may Monarchomachia part 2. tit 3 pag. 323. likewise call the Pope the Head of the Church We reply who gave our King this Title Even the Romish Bishops themselves in the eight and twentieth yeare of Henry the eight Statute 1 which was afterward explained by the words Supreme Governor 1. Elizabethae But the former Lib. M S Sacr. Syn Guil. Warâ—h 11. Feb. 1530. pag. 115. title Head of the Church did a Synode of Romish Bishops give to our King Henry the 8 amongst whom also was that grand Romanist Iohn Fisher
Bishop of Rochester Yea the same Fisher did perswade the sayd Bishops to consent unto that Title as Sanders doth witnesse Sanders de schism pag 77. We also remembring the sense may retaine the title without any scruple So Saul is termed the Head of the Tribes of Israel 1 Sam. 15. 17. and the Husband the Head of the Wife Bin. tom 3. 363. Ephes 5. 23. Anno 813 in the Councill of Mentz their Preface did intitle Charles the great Religionis Rector the Ruler of their Religion no lesse than if they had called him The Head of their Church Againe 847 the same Bin. Tom. 3. pag. 631. Title was given to another Emperour by another Councill at Mentz Lewis also was called Rector Religionis An hundred yeares before both these the Bin. Tom. 2. pag. 1183. Councill of Emerita anno 705 acknowledged that King Reccesuinthus did regere secularia Ecclesiastica that is governe them in things both Civill and Ecclesiasticall the formall phrase of our Soveraigne I may therefore Bell. Apolog. cap. 1. invert this argument ad homâ—nem and say the Papists cannot gainsay this Title of our King because they themselves did give it him which he doth yet retaine but with two maine differences from the Papall usurpation both in regard of the intent and extent thereof First he hath it and doth use it onely quoad externum regimen to settle the Truth Prohibite Error reward or punish Church Ministers Not to define matters of Faith much lesse to administer Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. cap. 17. lib. 6. prooemio Champnaeus in Mason 573 594 Masonus de min. Angliâ—ano lib. 4. cap. 2. the holy Sacraments as the Papists scandalously and shamelesly charged our Princes withall We answer with our most learned Country-man now with God The power of our Prince is spirituall Objectivè because it is imployed about a spirituall matter or things Ecclesiasticall scil the establishing of Religion in their dominions But it is spirituall not formaliter formally because it is not exercised in things spirituall modo spirituall that is in a spirituall manner as Preaching Administring the Sacraments Excommunicating c. Nay wee can wipe away this imputation with Bellarmines Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 1. c. 8. owne syllables Respondemus reges nostros esse Custodes non Interpretes legum divinarum that our Princes are Maintainers not Explainers of Gods true Religion Whereof our late incomparable learned Leige Lord printed a publike protestation That hee never did nor Iacob Rex Aâ—oâ—g pro juram Fidei ever would take upon him to make any new article of faith neither would he presume to make himselfe the Iudge of any Article But that hee would bee a Patterne of obedience and submit himselfe to all the Articles of the faith with as much humility and modesty as the meanest of his subjects A profession plaine enough to stop the mouth even of Malice it selfe but that some mens Throates are open Sepulchers And secondly our King is stiled Caput Ecclesiae Britannicae The Head of the sole Church which is within his Dominios But the Pope doth term himselfe Caput Ecclesiae Occumenicae the Head of the whole Church of Christ No lesse a difference than is betwixt One little Iland and the whole world or universe Next Gladius Delphicus Their common distinction is that the Pope is the Head of the Church Ministeriall not Principall To display the weaknesse of this Rome-coyned distinction let us consider but thus much That ever any Monarch made One Vice-roy i. Ministerial head over all his Provinces I beleeve it will exercise the best Antiquary to alledge but one precedent Therefore an Head Ministeriall and Occumenicall are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 termes incompatible Especially to arrogate the Prime title of his Lord as the Head is of Christ such an arrogance would be suspected if not censured for some Traiterous usurpation But to wave word-contentions and to cleare all cavills If the Pope doth usurpe the thing signified by the Title then can they not but confesse that he is The Head Imperiall not Ministeriall Now the Head saith Plato is the Emperour of the members And all the power of any Head Ministeriall Spirituall or Politicall commeth within the compasse of these distributions It is either in direction or correction directing either by Command or Countermand the command is either given injunction or obeyed which is subiection But the Pope doth exercise exact and atchieve equall injunction and subjection equall commanding and countermanding power equall power directing or correcting with Christ himselfe The Pope therefore as the Head as Christ ruleth in the Church of Christ That is as God he sitteth in the Temple of God and him I take to be The Antichrist First for Direction the Pope is the grand Directour indeed the very Steere-man of the Church commanding all Christians to saile by Sacrar Cer. lib. 1. sect 8. cap. 6. fol. 94. his Compasse Which may seeme no mervaile because he doth stile his Cardinalls Senatores Vrbis the Counsell of the Citie Conjudices orbis with him the Iudges of the world And alluding to the Etymology Cardinales from Bell. de Pont. Rom. 4. â— 56. Ioh. de Turrier lib. 2. â— 109. 110. Cardines he termeth them persons super quos militantis ecclesiae ostium volvendum revolvendum upon whom the whole Church must be moved Now Christ is the onely un-erring Teacher and that the Pope cannot Erre is a common popish assertion Pontisicis verba cum è Cathedra docendo desinit the words of the Pope when he doth desine any thing and teach it out of the Chaire that desinition is of equall certaintie with the doctrine of Christ himselfe sayth Suarez Yea his Translations in Latine are preferred Suarez Apolog. lib. 1. c. 22. 1. essi de Antich Demonst 15. Innocent 4. iâ— cap. Supâ—â—o de Big nu 2. Aug. de 〈◊〉 quaest 67. art 2. Nicholaus Dist 19. Si Romanorâ—â— Antonin Sum. part 3 ca 22. Cupers 124. nu 9. Ioh de Turrier lib. 2. cap. 101. Cupers pag. 42. nu 15. Isâ—dâ—r Moscon pag. 27. Ioh. Cephal lib. 1 Cons 97. nu 10. Aventin lâ—b 7. pag. 547. before Christs owne Originall before the very Scripture in Greeke and Hebrew avouched by Lessius It is his prerogative non solum interpretari sed etiam condere not onely to interpret but also to make Scriptures And that the Scriptures are to bee received by vertue of the Papall Decrees Incredible popish blasphemies did not the Pope and Popish Doctors publish and print them Hence they conclude that he hath Plenitudinem potestatis scientiae the fulnesse of knowledge That hee hath judicium coeleste infallibile indefectibile an Indefective infallible and heavenly judgement And if the whole world define against the Pope yet the Popes desinitions are rather to be imbraced than that of the whole world Thus they conclude I conceive another conclusion
to be more probable viz. that which was published at the Synode of Reignsburg by Everard Archbishop of Salsburg That the Pope by saying Errare non possum I cannot Erre doth say as much as if he had sayd plainly Deus sum in Templo Dei I sit as God in the Temple of God These Erring Paradoxes of the Popes unerring Prerogative to some other inferiour usurpations in the Church Directions are as the sonnes of Anak compared to the Grasse-hoppers Notwithstanding these may not be omitted Nec vox hominem sonat some part of Christs owne power is trenched into by these also Bishops are directours to the Church but Frier Hist Trent lib. pag. 599. Simon a Florentine sayd that every spirituall power dependeth on that of the Pope And that every Bishop might say I have received of hic fulnesse And he is Episcopus Episcoporum the Bishop of all Bâ—shops say their sacred Ceremonies Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. fol. 129. or the Great Wheele in the great worke of directing the Church without whose motion all the directive authority of all the Bishops in the world besides is plainly immoveable Finally the Councils have beene esteemed to have the chiefest authority of directing the Church next to Christ But now therein the Pope is to the Church as the Church is to the moone Rev. 12. 1. He keepeth it under his feet Besides what I have already delivered of this point to this purpose Heare the beginning of their great Trent Councill The Bishop of Trent Hist lib. 2. pag. 133. Bitonto anno 1545 invited in his Sermon the whole world to submit it selfe to that Councill which if it did not then might it bee justly said That the Popes light is come into the world and men loved darknesse better than light Blasphemously mis-applying that to the Pope which the holy Ghost doth apply to Christ Iohn 3. 19. And at the end of the same Synode in the last Session it being propounded whether the Confirmation of that Councill did depend on his Holinesse All those holy Fathers did say Amen Three onely excepted Or if any mention the Creeds as a shorter directour or neerer to Christ than the Councills Know we moreover that the Pope hath composed a new Creed proposed it to the whole Church as necessary to salvation and imposed it on the Bishops especially by the obligation of an oath This was the Act of Pope Pius the fourth and is the History of Onuphrius in the Onuphr in Vit. Pij 4. lise of the same Pope Hence therefore from two propositions of one of our owne learned Countrymen implying Mr. Mountague his Appeale part 2. cap. 15. the assumptions of them fully cleared I will frame one conclusion which would God al our CountrymeÌ„ would take into their serious considerations To dissent from the Rule or to propose any thing as Credendum against the Rule is Antichristian Give me leave to insert this parenthesis and he who doth so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or The Antichrist But the Pope c. Ergo. Againe Mr. Mountagu Appeale part 2. cap. 3. the prerogative of Not erring doth advance a man into his Makers seat Therefore the Pope is advanced into his Makers seat Therfore The Pope is an Antichrist yea even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the phrase of my Text Hee as God sitteth in the Temple of God Secondly The Pope doth direct all yet is not direction all the Rule which the Pope usurpeth over the Church Directtion may be genile it perswadeth but direction by way of command it is coercive it constreyneth And this way also doth the Pope rule the Church Hence Turrecrem lib. 2. cup. 107. the Papists stile his See magistra mater fidei the mother and Mistresse of their Faith Againe the Evangelists command beleefe on the paine of damnation To imply the Papall command to be such the Pope is termed by one Humble Gabriel Evangelista 5 the fift Evangelist Baron to 6. appendice Capistr fol 1. ex Distinct 19. Cap. Sic omnis Bell. de Verbo Dei lib. 3. ca. 10. Trent Hist lib. 7. Pope Clement 8 did not reject it Nay Baronius doth approve it Yea the ordinances of the Pope are to bee imbraced tanquam ipsius Dei as the ordinances of God himselfe And Bellarmine the industrious qualifier of all Popish paradoxes doth say Verbum Pontificis docentis è Cathedra est aliquo modo verbum Dei that is The word of the Pope out of the Chaire is in some sort the word of God But Laynez more plainly and peremptorily saith that that saying of Saint Matthew 18. 17. He who will not heare the Church is to be esteemed as an Heathen is to bee understood there of the Pope And that the suffrages of these Authors may not be shifted of as private opinions heare a full Councill that of Trent a Councill which was the mouth of the Pope as the Pope was the head of that Councill Omnibus Christi fidelibus interdicit ne posthaec de sanctissima Eucharistia aliter Concil Trid. Sess 3. sub Iul. 3. pag. 108. B. credere dicere aut praedicare audeant quam est in praesent hoc decreto definitum Such a command as Christ himselfe cannot give a greater The matter the Eucharist one point whereof the same Council coÌ„fesseth to be contrary to divine institution The manner to beleeve to command beleefe is proper to God The measure that they should not Dare to beleeve an imperious command And the men Omnibus all Princes and People Now to command all the Church not to dare to beleeve what God instituted I take it to be imperious without parallell And thus doth the Pope as Christ Rule in the Church of Christ Thirdly to direct and by way of command is to direct and command but man onely But to direct by way of countermand is to set his face against heaven and to controll God himselfe Now to make up this measure of sinne and to make plaine who is the man of sinne this doth the Pope also Herein observe what they say he can doe and what hee hath done That of the Canonists is common The whites way sect 30. p 1. 125. Pope hath fulnesse of power to dispence against the Apostles against the old and new Testament Trent Hist lib. 7. D. Cornelius in a disputation at Trent brought the authority of the said Canonists that the Pope may dispence against the Canons against the Apostles and against all the Law of God except the Articles of Faith and Laynez concludeth Trent Hist lib. 8. as roundly It cannot be denied that Christ had Power to dispence in every law therefore it must be confessed that the Pope his Vicar hath the Bell. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 14. same authority Bellarmine I acknowledge doth mince this point The Pope saith he non potest dispensare contra sed juxta Apostolum
the Iewes in their Antichristian Mystery They say there is now not onely a femall sexe but a femall sect also amongst the Papists Women Apostles Frieresses Iesuitesses called by some spectatrices by Withrington Ambulatoriae Moniales imployed to reconcile people to the Church of Rome Surely they want but the Chaire and the Pulpit and then these Shee-praedicants would doe Pope Ioan singular service In the meane time I wish our women to take heed of these women They doe undermine them and are engines of this mystery of iniquity If this seeme incredible or extraordinary they haue more ordinary imployments for femall Pioners The women intice their servants instruct their Children yea and attempt their husbands also I have heard a Fowler discourse that he doth first catch one Bird and then hee maketh that a Brace-bird which hee setting by his net hideth himselfe This bird draweth others that they may fall into the net also The subtle Iesuite is the Fowler he hideth himselfe and will not deale openly with an understanding man but inticeth him by his Brace-bird the Philistine doth plow with his owne Heifer and the Iesuite doth imploy a mans owne wife to insnare him unto Popery Now therefore I warne Women and men too to take heed of those women for in their service there is a secret of Rome a mystery of Iniquity Concerning the conditions of men they have cunning to Vndermine all sorts The Common people are caught by common Baites bragges and braveries If therefore they be in popish Kingdomes they will present to their eyes the pompous ornaments of their glorious Churches Marbles worne with kissing them and Pavements made hollow with the knees of devout Beadsmen Virtus laudetur in hoste I honour even the Papists for their outward devotion and from my soule I abhor the prophanesse of too many Protestants who have no knees to bow in the congregation But if the common people be in the Reformed Countreys then they protest to their eares the strange Proselytes which crouch to the Pope for Reconciliation Thus Eugenius 4 published that the Graecians sued to be reconciled Paulus 3 that the Armenians did the like Iulius 3 did receive with Hist Trent lib. 5. publike solemnity one Simon Sultakam elect Patriarke of India as sent from those Churches to be confirmed by the Successor of Saint Peter and Vicar of Christ And Pius 4 caused Hist Trent lib. 6. it to be published in the Councill of Trent that Abdisu Patriarke of Muzzah in Assyria was come to Rome to render obedience to the Pope which shamelesse lye was then contradicted by the Embassadours of Portugall who protested that there was no such Patrâ—arke in that Countrey In Italy more lately it was reported that the Patriarke of Alexandria with Malvenda de Antich lib. 3. cap. 8. Eudaemon in Abbot lib. 3. sect 6. the great Church of Africa had by their Embassadors submitted themselves to the Pope Eudaemon the Cretian doth protest on his faith that the Patriark of Egypt and the people of Aethiopia did submit themselves to Clemens 8 and that their submission was seconded by the Russians and that the Maronitae Inhabitants of the mountaine Lybanus kept communion with the Church of Rome to this day The next are Schollers and they have their baites for them also goodly Colledges and rare Priviledges No man Magistrate nor Monarch to controule them but by a transcendent prerogative to bee exempted from all secular authority They promise and sometime performe it Preferments answerable to their indowments If they be covetous they angle for theÌ„ with hopes of Abbies Priories Bishopricks Archbishopricks the rents of some of them equaling the revennues of some Kingdomes If they be vain-glorious they hit that veine also Then their baites are glorious Titles Fathers Benedicti Angeli Archangeli Cherubini Seraphini Iesuites That very name of all awefull honor to whom all knees should bow is communicated unto them These are the baites for Schollers but I hope our great Rabbi our Master Iesus Christ will give Schollers grace and eyes to discerne them Merchants also must not thinke to bee free from his ginnes who maketh merchandise of mens soules I doubt not but they have freer Trafficke into Countreyes which are Popish if they seeme so But in the Popedome and in Rome it selfe there are small impositions and seldome inquisitions to touch their States or feare their mindes two notable Baites for worldly men whose scope is worldly gaine And in truth the Pope himselfe doth imply this mysterie for one of the late Popes forbade Relation of the Religion in the West sect 36. all Merchants under the paine of Excommunication to trade in any Hereticall Countrey The Fishes of Iordan are said to sport themselves swimming in the sweet streames thereof the streame carying them on till that suddenly they fall in mare mortuum and are there choaked with Sulphure So Merchants being caried with the pleasant current of their profit and evident commodity may fall suddenly and before they be aware swallowed up by Popery But verbum sapienti I hope they will learne to love God better then Mammon For Gentlemen they have gentle allurements If they be yong and strong O let them travell France is full of Activity Spaine of Gallantry Italy of Novelty all of Popery If they bee weake and sicke let them travell too the Spa is a soveraigne medicine but metuendum magis à medico quam à morbo it is a dreadfull Disease which maketh a man travell so farre for a Iesuit to be his Physitian This is a mysterie but so plaine that hee deserveth to bee deceived who cannot or will not discerne it Moreover for Noblemen they have Noble Attractives worth the biting at they can preferre them even to the highest pitch of earthly pompe that is to be Cardinalls In place equall to Kings yea they have the Precedence of kings Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 5. ca. 3. For that the greatest Cardinall must take place before the greatest King it is a ruled case amongst them And by this policy the Pope hath glued to his faction the greatest families in Christendome as in France alone the houses of Lorraine Guise yea and of Burbon also a pretty mystery Finally the pretended successours of the true Fisherman spread out their nets for the greatest the Popes have their Baites even for Princes also But ne Sutor ultra crepidam those great Persons are in my Prayers no subjects for my Sermons From my soule will I pray for them perpetually for all Kings for our kings especially that God may perpetually preserve the mystery of their estates from the Popish plots of the mystery of iniquity To conclude it is a tradition of the Iewes Aug. Retr 2 20. concerning Manna unicuique secundum propriam voluntatem in ore sapiebat the savour thereof answered the appetite of every severall palate So the maine mystery in Popery is that they frame the points of their
the Parisian French King or Charles our Kentish English Innocentius 3 Extra de Excessu Prâ—lat Soveraigne Nay it is the saying of the Pope Articulos solvit Synodumque facit generaleÌ„ thatis the Pope hath power to call a generall Councill and to disanul every particular Article Thus farre hee fareth for the opposing of the old Creed then for the composing of a new Though some affrighted with the absurd audacity of this assertion doe seeme to mince it yet the whole Church of Rome concur in the conclusion The Pope hath power Edendi novum Aquin. 22 â— â— artic 10. Symbolum saith Aquine to publish a new Creed Condendi to compose a Creed writeth Vigâ—erius Ordinandi novum Symbolum to ordaine or authorise a new Creed quoth Gabriel Biel. Finally what these and other Papists have avouched in words Pope Pius the fourth maketh good de facto in deed by whose authority the Trent Creed is published with Pij 4. Bulla annâ— 1564. twelve articles also as a parallell to the Apostles Creed and urged with as authenticall injunction First to beleeve the doctrine of traditions 2 The authority of the Church of Rome to expound the Scriptures 3 that there are seven Sacraments 4 all the points concerning originall sinne and justification as they are defined by the Councill of Trent 5 The Masse and that it is offered a propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead 6 Transubstantiation and that the Lords Supper is to be received but in one kind 7 Purgatory and prayer for the dead 8 Invocation or praying to the dead as also worshipping of Saints and their Relâ—ques 9 The adoration of Images 10 Indulgences 11 The Popes Supremacy namely that the Romane is the mother mistres mater magistra of all Churches and that the Pope is Peters successour and Christs Vicar and finally to beleeve all the definitions of all Oecumenicall Councills but especially of their last of that of Trent And that these are the Catholike faith extra quam nemo salvus esse potest which except a man do beleeve he cannot be saved The subscription running as peremptorily as if they were the very Dictates of the Apostles or of Christ himselfe Profiâ—â—or spondeo voveo juro that is I professe I doe beleeve promise vow and sweare that I will obey all these Articles of the Catholike faith This man therefore who contradicteth old Lawes maketh new Lawes and breaketh all lawe I thinke I may lawfully call him lawlesse and conclude him to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The very Antichrist Thus these lawes of God both of constraint and consent both Scripture and the Creed are infringed by this man of sinne without impediment with like facility doth this hornet break through those cobwebs humane lawes be they oecumenicall for all nations or oeconomicall for all families Those lawes of nations are of two sorts when faith is either contracted betwixt equals by an oath or exacted from inferiours by Allegiance Each way is no way to bind the Pope who is everie way boundlesse and lawlesse The law of oathes is so generall amongst nations as that all nations observe them as most sacred and inviolable in so much that Pagans would not infringe them Regulus would be rather tortured than perjured though he could have escaped by breach of oath It was Aristotles saying that he who did double in his oath for that is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to sweare with a mentall addition Arist Rhetor. 18. ad Alex. hath neither feare of Gods vengeance nor shame of mans reproofe and Dionysius in Plutarch was condemned by all whose saying was that children were to be mocked with toyes and men with oathes Surely it shall be easier for those Pagans at that day then for some Christians Some Christians said Matchiavell make oaths Matchiav Hist Flor. lib. 3. obligations not equall to profit they use oaths not to observe them but rather to deceive those that put their trust in them And I take it that no one thing hath done such harme and brought such shame to Chriâ—â—â—â—dome as this particular Simancha teacheth very solemnely Simancha Inâ—â—it Cath. cap 4. art 14. edit Hiss Fides data haereticis non est servanda nec a privato nec a magistratibus quod exemplo Concilij Constantiensis probatur Nam Iohannes Huss Hieromus legitima slamma concremati sunt quamvis permissa illis securitas est Promises quoth he are not to bee kept with Heretikes neither by private men nor yet by publike Magistrates He proveth it by a precedent froÌ„ the Councill of Constance by whom Iohn Husse and Ierome of Prage were legally burned although from theÌ„ they had received a safe conduct Trâ—nt Hist lib. 1. And the same had beene practised on Luther also at the Diet of Wormes in the yeare 1521 had not the noble disposition of Charles 5 the Emperor and the plaine opposition of Lewis the noble Elector Palatine preserved him Finally Becanus doth avouch Perjury by a maxime juramentum non est vinculum iniquitatis that is an oath is no obligation of iniquity iniquitie he esteemeth it for a Papist to performe his promise to an Heretike or a Protestant although hee sealed it by swearing an oath which all sober men suppose to bee the surest and most solemne obligation of all others yet of all others the Popes themselves are the most remarkeble patternes and patrons of perjurie About the yeare 1080 Rodolphus duke of Saxony instigated by Pope Hildebrand or Gregory 7 to rebell against Henry 3 the Emperor joyned battell with him wherein having his soldâ—â—â—s cut in peeces and his hand Pless myster Opposit 40. cut off Loe said he to his friends and followers with this hand I plighted my troth to my Leige Lord Henry but the Popes authority importunity urged me to the breach of that oath and now in the same hand I have received my deaths wound and so be dyed On the two and twentieth of May 1526 Trent Hist lib. 1. there was a confederacy betwixt Pope Clemens 7 Francis 1 of France and the Princes of Relation of the Religion in the West Sect. 15. Italy against Charles 5 the Emperor under the name of the most Holy League wherein the King was absolved from his Oath taken in Trent Hist lib. 5. Spaine And some thinke the Pope had promised the King to dispence with that Oath before hee made it vpon the hope whereof hee also tooke it Anno 1556 Paulus 4 by Cardinall Caraffa perswaded Henry 2 of France to breake his league and oath made with Spaine though the Princes of the Blood and the Grandies of that Kingdome abhorred the infamie of oath-breaking yet he received absolution from the Pope and such an overthrow from the Spaniard at Saint Quintin that it made his whole Kingdome to tremble and totter Instances are infinite I will adde onely two one most remarkable the other most miserable The first
place they are Synonima's signes wonders as if he had said wonderfull miracles But Occumenius giveth the reason why they Occum in 2 Thess 2. 9. are surnamed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lying wonders 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I may expound Occumenius in S. Augustines phrase Sunt aut figment a mendacium Aug. lib. contra Epist Petil. c. 16. hominum aut potentia fallaciuÌ„ spirituum that is they are either the tricks of iuggling men to deceive our eies or the workes of potent devills to deceive our hearts in both lying wonders Otherwise they may be lying wonders in regard of the foure causes First the efficient of those miracles is a lyer justly therfore are they stiled lying since the author of them the Devill is the father of lyes Ioh. 8. 44. Next they are not reall in regard of the matter many of theÌ„ being ficta not facta fictions to support their superstitious factions strong delusions to weak judgments Thirdly they are formally false those few that be being mira not miracula marvells not miracles because they doe not exceed the power of Nature Finally they are sitly termed lying because the end of those wonders is to establish countenance and confirme a lye Let us therefore take the former argument into our second considerations Antichrist doth come with miracles some forged some to deceive all lying But the Pope doth the same therefore this propertie will be a pretty probability that The Pope is Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Signes and wonders I determine not to discourse of Miracles positively by way of common place But onely comparatively so farre onely as they have reference unto Antichrist and are ingredients into the Mystery of Iniquity Of miracles there was a most necessary use in the Primitive Church that the Infidels might bee converted to the Faith But the Church Faith and Conversion being accomplished at this time they are not necessary 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Châ—ysost in 2 Cor. 2. Hom. 6 in their dayes they were profitably established in our dayes they are profitably abolished In the beginning of the Christian Faith they flourished in the establishing thereof they were finished As Christianity increased Miracles decreased They seemed to be languishing in Saint Augustines time Caecum illuminatum ad corpora Martyrum noveram on Aug. Retract 1. cap. 13. his owne experience hee doth assure us That one blinde man had his sight restored him by touching Aug. devers Relig. cap. 25. the bodies of certain Martyrs But the same Father doth avouch moreover Cùm Catholica Ecclesia per totum Orbem diffusa sit since the Church was universally planted miracula in nostra tempora durare non permissa sunt God did not permit miracles to continue till his time Saint Chrysostome saith also they were ceased Chrys tom 5. pag. 605. in his time yet elsewhere he relateth some miracles done in his dayes The meaning of both was this Miracles were ceased in their times from the frequent and ordinary use Yea their Bellarmine doth pronounce our conclusion Bell. de ossicâ—o Principâ—â— lib. 3. in vita S. Henr. Imperat. Nunc tempora miraculorum non sunt signa enim debentur insidelibus non fidelibus These saith he are no times of miracles for miracles belong to unbeleevers not to beleevers Their vaunting therefore of miracles doth proclaim them to be both Antichristians and Insidells For none but these two generations have any interest in Signes and Wonders But concerning these Miracles this is the mystery that cleanly conveyance maketh them meanes to countenance Popery T is true in the primitive time some good men wrote some good bookes and wrought some good workes Since some Favourites of Rome have forged other Bookes and feigned other Miracles for their owne purpose and fathered them on those holy Ancients as if they had beene either the Authors or Writers of those Miracles This I take to bee no meane Mysterie Thus Cyprian who lived about the yeare Cyâ—rian toâ—â— pag. 590. ediâ— an 1593. 250 was an excellent man and Martyr but among his excellent writings is foisted in a treatise de revelatione capit is Iohannis Baptistae of the revelation of the head of Iohn Baptist the summe whereof is this The Head of Iohn Baptist being hid by Herodias it was revealed by an Angell to certaine Monkes by the Monks it was removed into France in France it was received by the French King Pipine with singular respect and reverence because in his presence twenty dead men were revived by the vertue thereof Now this is a grosse lying wonder to credit Monkes and to countenance Pilgrimages coined by some not very cunning Papist For Pipine lived five hundred yeares after Cyprian then it was another miracle that he should write of that miracle Indeed both lying wonders to spread the mystery of iniquity About foure hundred yeares after Christ lived Saint Martine a good man one who did God good service in converting the Gaules and certainly he did some miracles But Severus Sulpitius hath added many others both Popish and sottish miracles To instance in one After his death his Dog barked at one passing by the Passenger rebuked the Dog saying In the name of Martine I charge thee to be quiet A charme to chain up the tongue and teeth of any dog whatsoever Thus also about the yeare 600 flourished Gregory a good man I am sure the best of all his Successors He was the author of many good writings yet some agent for Antichrist hath inserted such a bundle of Miracles so Popish that even children may discover them to be childish The sourth of his Dialogues is nothing but Legends of Soules in Purgatory to establish that grosse paradox of Popery Guess at the truth of the rest by this one example Once on a time there was a brave Gentleman of Greg. dialog lib. 4. cap. 30. Constant inople called Steven it came to passe that this man dyed but the Iudge of the Ghosts would not admit him to come into their company for said he I did not send for this Steven the Gentleman but for another Steven his neighbour a Blacke-smith And so master Steven did live againe and goodman Steven dyed immediately See ye whether they doe not lye who make this Holy Man the Authour of such a lying wonder If any have superfluous time to impart on such superstitious tales I can give them an Index of such popish Legends and if any could make it Purgartorius he should not demerit Purgatory for his labour Classicke Catholike Authors in this kinde are the Conformitâ—es of S. Francis the Golden Legend of Iacobus de Voragine the Sermons of Dormi Secure the Historie of our Lady by Lipsius Baronius in his Annals and Bellarmine de offiicio Principis Dr. Featly Praeface pag. 6. lib. 3. and many of these ye shall find extracted and contracted by our worthy Champion in the preface to his conference to him and them
and the true Religion Finally Ecclesia non errat The Church cannot erre this is the Principle of Popery And they build this position on that promise of Christ Matth. 16. 18. Vpon this rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it Hereon triumphing Suarez doth insult in Romana Petra fundatos frigida Suarez Apolog. pâ—aes Aquilonis procella dimovere non potest the cold northerne blast cannot move nor remove such as are built upon that Romane Rocke Vpon that Romane Rocke prove that and we submit to the Roman Religion He doth prove it Suarez Apolog. lib. 6. ca. 5. nu 2. froÌ„ an axiome amongst Expositers Consuetudo est optima interpres Custome is the best Interpreter But the Church hath perpetually interpreted this of Peter and therefore of Rome Therefore Rome must bee the Rocke of our faith and the Romish Religion the onely true Religion On these premises thus they conclude Our Religion is the old Yours the new Religion Ours little lesse then Oecumenicall Yours little more than Provinciall Ours united under one head Yours divided into many schismaticall members Ours the Rocke of Truth Yours therfore which is fallen from vs must bee Erroneous Schismaticall Hereticall and Diabolicall These are the seeming arguments to perswade unto Popery in the phrase of my text the deceivablenesse of unrighteousnesse This is the History of Iustine the Historian Iustin lib. 24. Strangers arriving at Delphi as they spake amongst themselves by them was heard Sonus multiplex ampliorque more lowder speeches than they uttered At this they stood amazed till intelligence and experience taught them that this sound did proceed personantibus resonantibus inter se rupâ—bus from Empty caves which did not returne their reall voyces but imperfect and inarticulate resemblances So when our owne speeches acknowledge the worth of those worthy graces Antiquity Vniversalitie Vnity and Infallibility the Papists redoubling these words as if they were their owne may make us amazed at the first but intelligence and experience will assure us that these are the reports onely of emptie mouths and that they speake no true realities but very Echoes onely the inarticulate imperfect resemblaÌ„ces of those excellent words Antiquity Vniversalitie Vnity and Infallibility Let us therefore unmaske these reasons and looke upon the face of these Fallacies First they argue their religion was the first and therefore it is the best They plead Antiquity We ioyne issue with them Antiquitie is the badge of verity Herein even Apollo spake Oracles who being demanded of the Athenians which Religion was the best answered the Ancâ—entest the demand being seconded which was the Ancientest hee answered the second time that which was the best To 〈◊〉 Logicke phrase wee acknowledge that the true Religion and the old Religion are convertible termes Id verum est quod antiquum est Tertull. Concil Nicen. saith a Latine Father and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was the consent and conclusion of that Greek Councill that is the old Religion is the true religion But we adde of the Papists they pretend but they have not antiquitie for their Religion Iustly therefore may their Vaineglorie ebbe from those swelling words of vanity the Romish Religion that Ancient Romish Religion whereby they presume that they must sweepe all away before them as did Kishon that Ancient river Kishon Iudg. 5. 21. If pretence of antiquity might prevaile those very Magicians would perswade us that their Treatises have beene made by and received from Athanasius Cyprian Moses Adam yea even from Raphael Iuel Apolog. pag. 141. the Archangell and the Divell himselfe can plead Age an Old Serpent and a Lyer from the beginning To come to the point if the Popish bee truely the old Religion wee will confesse it and imbrace it as the true religion But what is old Quod ab Apostolis that which hath beene taught by the Apostles saith Tertullian Tertul. And Saint Augustine giveth the right rule to Vincentius Audi dicit Dominus non dicit Donatus August â—p 48. aut Rogat us We may English it to our purpose we must say that ReligioÌ„ is old not that which Rome calleth old nor that which England calleth old but what the Scripture sheweth to be so Now for the Scriptures we call to the People to read them they command the people not to read them Whether wee or they are afraid to try the Antiquity of our Religion by the Scripture the onely true triall of true Antiquity Let any impartiall man give the Verdict 2 Vniversalitie Wee say it is no note of the true Church and yet we say the Papists have it not Arianisme was and Mahometisme is more universall than Popery is at this day The Mahometans doe as farre exceed the Papists in multitude as the Papists doe the Reformed Nay to speake properly there are full as many of the reformed as are of the Romish Religion Let us estimate either Church by the number of Professors and not of Persons and this will appeare to be no paradoxe Professors are such as doe beleeve what they Professe explicitely and can render a reason of their Profession herein our number is no way inferiour unto others We say therefore for Vniversality We equall them and the Turkes goe farre before them And howsoever that doth Bellarmine and Bell. de notis Eccle. lib. 4. ca. 7. Suarez Apolog. lib. 1. cap. 15. num 6. Suarez doe acknowledge that Vniversality properly taken is not the proper note of the Church Vnitie I confesse the want of it the blemish of the Reformed Church and bewaile the want thereof in our owne English Church yet I adde False Churches haue had it and the Romish Church hath not it The Turkes are termed Islami that is men of one mind they are Pius 2 Epist ad Moâ—hisanum pag. 68. so farre from differing that they doe not so much as dispute of any points in their profession I hope the Papists will not conclude therefore the Turkish is the true Religion And for the Papists they have beene at as good unitie amongst themselves as the Midianites were Iudg. 7. 22. When the sword of every man was against his fellow I will not rehearse the discords Vsserius de Christ Eccles Succes cap. 9. betwixt the Thomists the Franciscans and the Dominicans the Sorbonists and the Mendicans or the Priests and Iesuites I will instance in their dissentions of an higher nature There have beene three Popes at one time one in France another in Spaine and a Wats Quodl 7. Artic. 9. pag. 200. third in Italy Two Antipopes Vrban the sixt and Clement in France had many battles and many were slaine even thousands There have beene 23 Schismes in the very seat of Rome sometimes 2 and sometimes 3 Popes at once and so continuing in schisme sometimes 3 7 20 30 40 and 50 yeares together This is no Protestants imputation it is a Papist who
are we now to dispute de summa Rei Christianae of whole Christianity Dut. Câ—nsid Consid 1. cap. 1. There can be no union made no Communion had no Peace to be offered nor treated of For they are no brethren and can be no brethren Quid vobis paci 2 King 9. 18. This was peremptorily uttered to King Iames by the Pen of a Papist Nay George Dowly is yet more peremptorie G. Dowly Jnstr cap. 3. although the Pope would yet can he not dispence in this point Finally Father Parsons closeth up all with a Parsons â—f Mitigation cap. 2. nu 5. Monarchom part 2. tit 3. cleare conclusion for both parties wee agree with the Protestants in this that there can bee no agreement betwixt us and them in Religion Where was then the honestie of that Papist who penning the Monarchomachia hath published to the world that it is a surmise raised by Boutefeus to nourish division that the Catholikes are unsociable or hold the Protestants as Heretickes and Excommunicate The premises may returne this shamefull imputation that the Antipathie is theirs and that Bellarmine Parsons Dowley and the rest of the Romish Rabble are those Boutefeus and nourishers of Division 1. Bouâ—her in Approbat calce libri Nay his owne friend in his owne booke doth tell him in Latine that he doth grossely lye in English I doe saith he approve this booke because it doth discover quam perniciosa fuerit Anglicana professio Haeresis that is how pernicious an Heresie is the English Religion By these even by this assertion ye see how the Romists are resolved for Reconciliation Lastly the Composition Being and Entitie of the Popedome is their unlawfull gaine The rents of their Church have foure fountaines One is temporall the revenew of the Ecclesiasticall estate The other spirituall Indulgences Dispensations and Collations of Benefices Now a true Reconciliation doth imply a reformation of two if not of three of these that is a nullity of the Papacy For without these Elements of the Papall dignity such a thing as a Pope or a Cardinall cannot subsist in rerum natura Sensible of this truth â— as Pope Adrian 6 when he complained Trent Hist lib. 1. to his familiar friends that hee himselfe desired and indeavoured a reformation in the Court of Rome but he himselfe was not able to performe it Whence that word also Morn Myst Progres 62. galled the Fathers of the Councill of Constance which escaped from Sigismund the Emperour who to some that sayd Reformation should be begun à minoritis with the Friers the meaner sort answered yea rather à majoritis with the greatest meaning the Pope and Cardinalls which Reformation moderate Cassander modestly imploring was coursed for his labour by a laborious treatise composed by Ioh. a Lovanio who is also seconded by Bellarmine in his booke de Laicis cap. 19. Like the shadow in the Diall of Ahaz it will be a miracle if the Pope and Papists ever goe backe from any of their profitable and pompous corruptions Consider we then the grossenesse of their Errours the obstinatenesse of their resolutions and the neerenesse of their usurped gaine and we cannot but conclude that if these Reconcilers were the wisest under heaven although they should live to the worlds end yet would they be brought to their wits end before they could come to their workes end to compasse a Reconciliation betwixt the Church of Rome and the Church Reformed I will seale up all with the judgement of The forme of Prayer at the Fast 1628. our Church of England The Church of Rome are Idol-worshippers vilifiers of Gods sacred Oracles Innovators and forgers of new Faiths Corrupters of Gods sacraments Polluters of his holy worship abandoners of the Catholike Church and Antichristian Tyrans perfebrim who can dreame of a Reconciliation We see then this pretended Reconciliation is a meere notion of the Braine the atchieving whereof is impossible What is now our duty 1 we must preach painfully and conscionably that the breath of the Lords mouth may by little and little consume the man of sinne that some Papists may be reconciled though the Reconciliation of Popery be plainly impossible 2 We and ye also must pray to God for all Christians but especially for our gracious King that he may persevere in that Hereditarie resolution of his religious Father who in his answer to the petition of the Parliament touching Recusants Aprill 23. 1624 professed his Bishop of Meth to a lesuite Epist Dedic most sincere integrity in these words My Lords if I knew any way better way than other to hinder the growth of Popery I would take it and he cannot be an honest man who knowing as I doe and being perswaded as I am would doe otherwise Next we must pray for our seduced Countreymen that it may please God to open their eyes that at length they may see the strange Tyrannie which as yet they feele not 3 We must all adde our Piety that we doe not contradict the Papists of peruersnesse because Papisticall but because Hereticall And withall 4 wee must imbrace a Christian prudence and policie to discry and decline one strange engine to move the Mysterie of iniquitie which is pretended Reconciliation Vlphila a Theodoret. 4 37. Bishop of the Gothes did sometime insnare the credulous and ignorant people assuring them that the differences betwixt the Catholikes and the Arrians did consist rather in the forme of words than in the substance of matter I doubt not but we have English Iesuites who can equall that Gothian Bishop in blanching Papisme as hee did Arianisme and to insnare credulous ignorants with a pretended Reconciliation Vnderstanding professours I fearenot if these Reconcilers come to them as the Adversaries of Iudah and Benjamin came to Zerubbabel Ezra 4. 2. saying Let us build with you for wee seeke your God as ye doe They will answer them as Zerubbabel did those adversaries Ezra 4. 3. You have nothing to doe with us to build an house unto our God but we our selves together will build unto our God of Israel And wee may justly suspect these Reconcilers to bee the Agents of Antichrist They would reconcile publikely as their phrase is that their Priests reconcile privately that is they would draw men to be Papists not the Papists to Reforme any point of their errours I feare they would reconcile us and the Papists as Parsons did reconcile the English Schollers and the Iesuits at Rome under the pretence of Reconciliation to tye us and to leave them at liberty And as the Popes owne phrase is that these Reconciliatory Doctrines Paul 3 Trent Hist lib. 3. are not to unite both parties but to curbe the Protestants This is a potent subtletie after the working of Satan and it concerneth us to consider it To conclude since Reconciliation is impossible and we can have in hope no Peace from Rome Since we cannot have That peace let us seeke another
Herod would slay Iohn then the King would slay him and if the King seemed unwilling to have it done Herod did the like And have not wee like reason to reduce to the same rules of Logick those that say that Clement may erre as Clement that is as a private man but not as Pope that is as a publike person For as Herod is King so is Clement Pope This is as if a man should say that Aristotle was ignorant as a man but wise as a Philosopher and so should bee called a wise Philosopher and an ignorant man Not vnlike the distinction of Pope Iohn 22 who could not excuse the Errour of Extravag Iohn 22. cap. Quia quorund de verb. Signific his predecessour Caelestine but by this device Dicimus hoc dixit non ut Papa sed ut frater Petrus de Tarantasia that is he did speake this not as Pope but as Frier Peter of Tarantasia To proceed a little further in reason Suppose the Pope to be learned whence commeth his infallible conclusions are they inspired or acquired doth he attaine them by vsing the ordinary meanes of prayer tongues commentaries and such like then every ordinary Bishop may doe the like and produce infallible conclusions by applying the ordinary meanes Then also the Pope may erre in the application of those ordinary meanes and then his conclusions may be erronious But if they be Inspired why then doth the Pope condemne the Enthysiasts who conclude all from Inspâ—rations Againe Remember some Popes have beene ignorant or at the most but Canonists Whence come their Vnerring conclusions in divinity By information or revelation If they be informed in this truth by conference with or by the studies of learned men then are they to be termed theirs rather than his determinations If they receive this by a present Bellar. de Verbo Dei lib. 4. cap. 9. ability revealed then is their Church governed by Revelation contrary to their owne doctrine Moreover if reasonable men looke upon Bell de P. Rom. praefat their persons Nos agnoscimus fetemur vitia fuisse non pauca in pontificibus Bellarmine in the behalfe of all the Papists doth acknowledge and confesse that there hath beene many vices in the Popes and he instanceth in Leo 5. Christopher 1. Iohn 12. Alijquc non pauci and some few such which for brevity and modesty he thought good to omit Baronius also Baro. t. 10. An. 912. Artic. 5. secondeth Bellarmine in the same acknowledgement and confession that for the whole tenth age or century impudent uncleane strumpets bare rule in the Romane Church who thrust Amasios theiâ— Paramours into the seat of Peter I say therefore reasonable men will suppose that the errour of the Intelectualls may accoÌ„pany the errours of the Moralls And it is not impossible nor improbable that vicious Popes may misse of their infallible determinations Suppose Sacr. Cere Sect 2. Cap. 2. Glabur Roduâ—â— Apol. Thes nu â—6 againe that a meere Lay man hath beene Pope nay a Child as Benedict 9. is reported to have bin but ten years old when he was chosen Pope Octavian or Pope Iohn 23 was yet yonger Pless myst Prog. 37. Baron t. 10. an 955. Art 2 3 4. of whom Baronius recordeth that he did governe the spirituall regiment of all the Christian world when for his yeares he might not have beene made a Deacon but ostensus sit tanquam mimus in scenâ Pontificem agens he seemed to be as a Player acting the part of a Pope upon a Stage Now to say that such ignorant and impious Popes like Balaams Asse or Caiphas the High Priest did speake or prophecy what they themselves understood not there is no reason to induce any reasonable man to beleeve such unreasonable absurdities like that absurd gracelesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Gratiane that Saint Peter transmitted perennem meritorum Dotem Haereditatem a perpetuall hereditary gift unto his Successours locus claros aut eright aut qui eriguntur illustrat that the very place doth either finde or make them worthy persons Finally Erasâ—us his reason appeareth unanswerable Eras Annot. 1 Cor. 7. If that were true saith he which some affirme Romanum Pontificem errore Iudiciali errare non â—osse that the Pope cannot erre by any errour of judgement to what end are the generall Councils to what purpose are Lawyers and Divines called unto Councils if pronuncians labi non potest if he who pronounceth the sentence cannot erre I say therefore that the Lychnos Asbestos mentioned by Saint Augustine Aug de Civit. 21 cap. 6. to have beene in the Temple of Venus Lucerna quam nulla tempestas nullus imber extâ—ngueret a Candle which no winde nor raine could put out Truth I say is not that Candle impossible to bee extinguished not in the LATERANE Church nor in the Conclave much lesse in the breast of one man Those therefore that pinne their faith upon any mans sleeve have a strong delusion and must beleeve a lye But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to confirme this conclusion Gerson part 1. de Examine Doct. apud Goulartium in Cyp. ep 31. from their owne confession that quotation out of Gerson is common Constat plus esse credendum Evangelio quà m Papae it is plaine that men ought to yeeld more credence to the Gospell than to the Pope Therfore if any learned man shall teach any truth to be contained in the Gospell ubi aut nesciret aut ultro ignoraret which the Pope either doth not know or will not know patet cujus praeferendum judicium it is plaine to whose judgement we must yeeld credence Marke judicium the Pope may declare his judgement concerning a case in which hee may be ignorant or against which hee may be Obstinate aut nesciret aut ignoraret Surely this Papist thought it probable that the Pope might erre I charge Bellarmiue with the same truth Bell. de P. Ro. l 2. c. 29 ad Arg. that you may see that even he doth not much recoile from this Assertion Itaque sicut licet resistere Pontifici c. as it is lawful for a man to resist the Pope offering violence to his body so is it lawfull for a man to resist the Pope offering violence to his soule But much more may men resist the Pope if he trouble the Common-wealth or indeavour to destroy the Church It is lawfull I say to resist the Pope non faciendo quod â—ubet impe diendo ne exequatâ—r volunt atem suam that is by not doâ—ng what he commandeth or by hindering his wil froÌ„ being done NoÌ„ tamenlicet eum judicare punire vel deponere notwithstanding it is not lawfull to judge punish or depose him His conclusion is evident A man may at sometimes disobey the Pope Because saith he the Pope may usurpe a mans estate the Pope may hurt a maÌ„s soule the Pope may disturbe the Common wealth yea
the Pope may indeavour to destroy the Church I goe not then so farre as Bellarmine if I conclude It is probable that the Pope may erre Our Countryman Sanders commeth yet Sand. de Antich Demonstr 15. closer to the point It is saith hee so farre from being lawfull for the Pope to change the lawfull degrees of his predecessours in expounding the Articles of faith and principles of nature that if any Pope shall attempt to doe it publikely and to that purpose shal interpose the authority of the Apostolicall Sec for that very attempt he is to be censured to have fallen from his Apostolicall power tanquam deficiens a fide as a man who hath fallen from the faith and thereby become an Infidell cuâ— pertinaciter in errore suo and if he shall obstinately persist in his error he must be deposed from being Pope This man putteth it as a probable and possâ—ble case that the Pope may oppose the decrees of his predecessors interpose his Apostolicall power to confirme what is false fall from the faith become an Infidel persist in an errour yea and be deposed from his papacy This I hope will warrant my conclusion as probable that the Pope may erre Still there remaineth an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one undeniable testimony In their sacred treatise of their sacred Ceremonies it is solemnely pronounced Sacr. Cerem l. 1. Sect. 1. c. 4. that Romanus Pontifex canonice institutus fiat haereticus that is an absolute Pope may turne an absolute heretike and if the Pope may be an Heretike his Conclusion may bee hereticall Doubtlesse then verity is not in the Church of Rome as they brag victory was in the Empire of Rome They have not so clipped the Iuel Ap. pa. 163 wings thereof but that they still feare that truth may flie from them Now to build their faith an a man whom they themselves confesse may erre This appeareth to mee a strong delusion and that these men doe beleeve a lye To dispute ex ore from our adversaries confession is a strong argument but the argument which is drawne a facto from their action is yet stronger Therefore to strengthen this assertion I will propose infallible instances that the Popes have fallen actually from their infallibilitie Their Translations of the Scriptures are testimonies that the Pope hath erred Sâ—xtus 5. set out one and Clemens 8. revised it and set it out againe It must follow that the Edition of the second is superfluous or rather the Edition of the former Pope was erronious Ex ungue Leonem take a taste of such errours Genesis 3. 15. Ipsapro ipse She shall â—iblia saâ—ra Sixti 5. Pontif. Maximi bruise the Serpents Head for He shall bruise the Serpents head I thinke it is so translated by one Pope I am sure it is defended by many papists Malv de Ant. l. 8. c. 11. Iohn 21. 22. Sic volo eum manere donec venero So will I have him remaine till I come for If I will have him remaine till I come This is the traÌ„slation warranted by those two Popes Sixtus 5. and Clemens 8. May not I say that they lye who give the lye to our Saviour who saith plainely in the next verse That he said not that Iohn should tarry till he come Next I have law for what I say The Canonists Duar. de Benificijs praef say Totum jus Canonicum his voluminibus continetur All the Canon Law is comprised in these three volumes The first whereof was composed by Gratiane 400 years agoe which consisteth of Canons and Sentences collected out of the Fathers and is called the Decrees which is indeed a very profitable Treatise in eo tamen desiderent eruditi yet the learned complaine of some wants in it The second is set out by Pope Gregory 9. coÌ„taining divers Epistles of several Popes are called the Decretals in which there are many things much degenerating a prisca illa disciplina froÌ„ the primitive integrity The third is the Constitutions of Pope Boniface 8. which are reported to have beene rejected in France because they were inacted in hatred of Philip King of France and invented for the commodity of the Church of Rome Collect there being but three Volumes of the Canonicall constitutions and the first the Decrees are defective the second the Decretals degenerated from the Decrees and the third the Constitutions of Boniface 8. were passionate against the King of France and partiall for the Court of Rome This instance justifieth my inference The Pope hath erred de facto and therefore is not infallible Againe the solemne Decrees of the Popes Eras in 1 Cor. 7. pronounced judicialiter definitively have been directly contradictory as it is instanced in those of Iohn 22. of Nicholas of Innocent 3. Caelestine of Pelagius Gregory That learned Lord du Plessis recordeth another famous exaÌ„ple Pless Myst Progr 36. 897. Iohn the tenth solemnly in a synode at Ravenna of seventy foure Bishops demanding every mans opinion severally published his definitive sentence in these words The Synod celebrated by our predecessour Steven 6. in which the carkeise of Formosus the Pope is drawn out of the Sepulchre we utterly abrogate Here wee have a Synode and an Antisynode the Decrce of one Pope abrogated by another Pope and decree also The illation is evident A second Pless My. Pr. 55 famous example I will transcribe out of the same famous Authour About the yeare 1300. Peter Moron an Hermit being chosen Pope and called Clemens 5. was thus abused by Benedict that cunning Cardinall of Cajeta hee suborned divers who by a trunke privily conveyed it into his eare by night as if it had beene a warning from heaven Caelestine Caelestine demitte papatum si vis salvus sieri negotium est supra vires that is Caelestine Caelestine give over the papacy if thou meanest to be saved it is a burthen beyond thy strength The simple man thus deluded intended nothing but to resigne the papacy if this scruple could be removed that he might do it with a good CoÌ„science wherein Benedict gave him easie satisfaction and caused a Decretall to bee passed That the Pope might lawfully give over his charge And not long after this when himselfe had atchieved the papacy and was stiled Boniface 8. he digested another like decretall which we finde in Sexto Quod Papa papatui libere renunciare potest that the Pope might freely resigne the papacy although when Caelestine was dead he passed another that it was Scelus imexpiabile an unpardonable crime for the Pope to resigne the papacy Before we had Decree against Decree here Decretall against Decretall There a Pope abrogating the definitive sentence of another Pope here the same Pope abrogating his owne Both concurring in one conclusion these contradictions cannot issue from one and the same unerring infallibility Another instance is added by that solidly Dr Crakenth in Spalat c. 72. acute
the Pope would be pleased to peruse his owne acts I doubt not but he would say that his servants made him a God that he cannot erre but he findeth himselfe a man and subiect vnto errour But that which is more admirable or rather more lamentable though they confesse the premises yet they hold the conclusion Though they say the Pope may erre and cannot but know that the Pope did erre yet they preach it as a principle in their faith that the Pope cannot erre I erre not surely if I say this is a strong delusion that they thus beleeve a lye The Chineses have a proverbe that they have Malvenda lib. 3. cap. 10. two eyes the inhabitants of Europe on eye and all the world beside never an eye The papists are more arrogant they vant themselves to have both eyes and all the world besides to have no eye Yea they make their Church to be totum caput all head the Pope and that head to be totus oculus all eye to see all things And all the world cannot see one mote in that eye Papa non potest errare the Pope cannot erre After the expulsion of the Iesuites out of Quarrells of Pope Paul 5. lib. 2. â— Padua were found many copies of a certaine writing conteining 18 rules under this title Regulae aliquot servandae ut cum orthodoxà Ecclesia verè sentiamus In the third wherof it Quarrels of Pope Paul 5. lib. 2. is ordained that men must beleeve the Hierarchicall Church although it telleth us that that is black which our eye judgeth to bee white To which blasphemous purpose the Rhemists Rhemists in 1 Tim. 3. 15. would wrest that harsh Greeke phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 plainely implying that they would have all to beleeve in the Romane Church Gregory de Valentia driveth the Nailea little further Greg. Valenâ—in in Thom. tom 3. Disp 1. quaest 2. punct 5. if you sinde saith hee but an Episcopall synode only affirming such a Doctrine to be the sentence of the Church you are bound to beleeve it though it be a lye Vnuses controversiarum Index Bellarmine telleth the Pope that he is the Bell ep Dedâ—c Sixt. 5. sole Iudge of all controversies to whose definitive sentence in all matters they wholy submit themselves saith our English Iesuite Nay Jesuite â—p Path-way sect 36. which might make their hearts tremble to speake it and our cares to heare it they constantly teach that the Pope is every jote insallible Suar Ap. l. 1 â— 22. nu 8. as the holy Scriptures themselves Answerable to which is the parenthesis of popish Authors avouching their bookes Orthodoxall unlesse his Holinesse desiâ—e otherwise As also that Popish distinction the Church say they is taken three wayes Essentialiter essentially for all beleevers Representativè representatively for a generall Councill and virtualiter virtually for the Pope So to affirme that the Church cannot erre or that a generall Councill cannot erre and that the Pope cannot erre are axiomatical and identicall propositions with most Papists Yea many Papists say more that a generall Councill may erre without the Pope but Bell. de Pâ—ont Rom. l. 4. c. 4. the Pope cannot erre although he bee without a generall Councill The Iewes have a tradition that God gave this grace and priviledge unto Elias that Malvenda 9. 2. there should be no Circumcision whereat he should not be present either visibly or invisibly Whereupon at every Circumcision they use to place two Seates one for him to sit in who held the Châ—ld the other empty wherein they suppose that Elias doth sit invisibly So the Papists thinke that God hath given that grace unto the Pope that no Truth can bee desined at the definition whereof the Pope is not present either visibly or invisibly And at the composition of every booke two Cathedrae two Chayres must be prepared one for the Author to give his judgement but the other to be left empty for the Pope who either visibly or invisibly either explicitely or implicitely must say Amen to every assertion Which is amply acknowleged by Malvenda at the end of his eleven bookes and twelve yeares labours Hence they terme this Papall prerogative Papae Apostolatus the Popes Apostleship To Bell. ep Dedic Sixt. 5. which we returne a replie in the words of the Revelation 2. 2. We have tryed them which say they are Apostles but are not and wee have found them lyers In the phrase of my Text strongly deluded that they beleeve a lye Hence also they teach that his desinition is petra in quam portae c. the Rocke against Bell. Praf de Pâ—nt Râ— Suar. Apol. lib. 1 cap. 6. nu 25. which the gates of Hell shall never be able to prevaile petra a cujus firmitate pendet in suo genere sirmitas Ecclesiae the Rock on whose stablenesse in its kinde dependeth the firmnesse of the Church They repeate it againe and againe that the Pope is a Rocke Indeed he is a Rock the Pope indeed is a Rock but the Lord preserve us from that Rock lest wee make shipwracke of faith and a good Conscience He is a Rocke Dum genus Aeâ—ea Capitoli immobile Saxum Accolâ—t Imperiumque Pater Romanus habebit The old Romanes said that their Empire was built upon an immoveable Rocke but it is perished The new Romanes say that their Church is built upon an immoveable Rock but I doubt not it shall perish and the world shall see their strong delusion that they doe beleeve a lye Finally sicut populos sic sacerdos both Priests and people also have this strong delusion to beleeve a lye they call it Fides implicita my text may translate it Faith in a lye Implicita Fides Iac. de Graf Decis lib. 2. c. 8. nu 16. est credere secunduÌ„ quâ—d Ecclesia credit Implicita faith is to beleeve as the Church doth beleeve If the Church do teach that which is false then doe the people beleeve even a lye This faith doth consist in Assensâ— not in notitia saith Bellarmine in their Assent not in their knowledge so for ought they know they may and doe beleeve a lye if it pleaseth their Church to put any such thing upon their credulitie They themselves instance in that famous Colliar chronicled by Staphilus that the Devill tempted him concerning his Faith How hee did beleeve who answered that hee did beleeve even as the Church did beleeve the Devill demanding how the Church did beleeve the devout Colliar answered rotundo ore very readily That the Church did beleeve even as hee did beleeve And so having conjured the Devill with this orbicular answere the Fiend could not enter his circle nor come within the compasse of his Catholike confession I should offer them more indignitie then wrong if I should apply the phrase of their Peter Lumbard unto them Peter Lumb lib. 3. dist 25. Simplices sunt Asinae in
a tricke of an Harlot 1 Rog. 3. And to give unconsecrated Wine according to their phrase dead Wine in stead of the living blood of Christ unto the people whether this be a chaste act of that Woman of Babel I leave this conclusion to their owne confideration A fift instance is inferiour to none of the 4 former but is damnable beyond comparison and short of excuse this is Idolatry or Image-worship Consider how cautelous God is to prevent it how copious to reprove it how hee doth comparatively condemne it and plainly damne it Abundans causa God aboundeth in admirable caveats concerning the worshipping of Images in the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy 1. He doth propound the duty or inhibition in an exact enumeration in the sixteenth seveÌ„teeth eighteenth nineteenth verses Make you no graven Image nor similitude of any figure nor likenesse of male nor female not the likenesse of any beast that is in earth nor of any winged foule that flyeth in the ayre nor the likenesse of any thing that creepeth on the ground nor the likenesse of any Fish that is in the waters beneath the earth nor shalt thou worship the Sunne or the Moone or the Starres or all the host of heaven 2. God doth confirme this interdiction of Idolatry by five strong arguments First in the fifteenth verse from reason for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day the Lord spake to you in Horeb out of the middest of the fire Secondly from an unreasonable absurditie in the nineteenth that thereby they worship or serve those Creatures which God had divided or made servants to the world Thirdly a beneficio in the twentith verse Because the Lord had brought them out of Egypt from the yron furnace to be unto him a people of Inheritance Fourthly a servitio because God had declared unto them his Covenant which hee commanded them to performe verse 13. And finally in the 12 15 23 and 24 verses à supplicio Take heed animabus vestris as Master Calvin translateth it to your soules for God spake unto you out of the Fire and God is a Fire Praedictum cave how cautelous was God to prevent Idolatry Next he interdicteth the same in the second Commandement which is as large as eight of the other put together so copious is GOD to reprove it Thirdly when Samuel would brand that iâ—pudent iniquitie which causeth that double rejection both Active and Passive which causeth men to reject the Lord and the Lord to reject men hee calleth it Idolatry 1 Sam. 15. 23. Idolatry therefore maketh men reprobates and causeth their damnation And when Saint Paul would aggravate that sinne which maketh the way to heaven as narrow as the eye of a Needle he calleth Covetousness simulacrorum servitus Idolatry Idolatry therefore doth wholy damme up the way to heaven indeed a damned sinne Finally David denounceth their doome Psalme 97. 7. Confounded bee all those that worship carved Images Where I conceive the curse of God and confusion to bee little lesse then Damnation A damnable offence is Idolatry And this spirituall Adultery is like Davids corporall Adultery 2 Sam. 12. 4. It giveth occasion to the enemy of the Lord to blaspheme Both Turkes and Iewes justly reproach our Christian Religion for the Religious Adoration of Images Since therefore it excludeth others from Heaven and casteth the Authors into Hell I may call idolatry a damnable errour They wave this imputation of idolatry by Costerus Euchâ—r distinguishing of idolum and imago an idol and an image and in the image materiale formale the matter and forme thereof And againe that non in eâ honorem sigunt sed per eam transferunt in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is They doe not worship the image representing but the Saint represented I say their sophisticall heads may be cast into hel with those subtle distinctions in their mouthes without a drop of water to coole that tongue which shall frie in Tophet for blaspheming by blanching such idolatrie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall bee damned let them elude that also by a distinction Advantagious is this also to the Popish Church Idolatry is the Nebuchadnezzar of Rome and it may speake his phrase Dan. 4. 30. Is not this great Babel which I have built by the might of my power Philo Iudaeus relateth in the Temple of Hierusalem to have beene Trabem ex auro solido a Beame of massie Gold Image-adoration is such a Beame a golden Principall in the Church of Rome Shake it and the whole building will totter The Lady of Loretto bringeth much Tribute to the Lord of Rome and infinite other images by reason of their Ornaments Oblations Processions c. are Tagi are infinite golden Rivers issuing out flowing full spring-tides of Treasures to the Sea of Rome But it is a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 St Iames his Fountaine 3. 11. Sending forth at the same fountaine both sweet and bitter water Idolatry and Image-worship is a profitable but a damnable assertion I will leade you no further forward in these instances but intreat you to reflect your eye backward and compendiously to consider the premises If a man may bee sure that hee may goe to heaven without the Scriptures without prayers with halfe CHRISTS Sacrament with a piece of Christs merits and plaine idolatry Then let him repaire to Rome the Romane Church will direct him But if an understanding man may suspect that the inhibition of the Scriptures the obscuring of Prayers the mingling of mans merits the mangling of Christs Sacrament and the very image-adoration forbidden in the second Commandement If an understanding man may suspect that these things may bee dangerous to damnation then let mee advise you not to take your faith on trust but to examine the Roman Religion Know moreover that this fearfull terme of damnation wee mutually lay at one anothers doores but with this difference The Papists charge us with damnation principally because wee have forsaken their Church Non Trident. Catech. in Artic. 9. enim ut quisquis primum in fide peccarit Haereticus dicendus est sed qui Ecclesiae authoritate neglectâ impias opiniones pertinaci animo tuetur that is Every person is not presently to be termed an Heretike so soon as he shall erre in faith but he that shall obstinately maintaine his wicked errours neglecting the Authority of the Church Or else they charge us with damnation consequently because they say we erre in one Article of faith On no such partiality or Niceity doe wee pronounce damnation against them Not because they are against our Church but because they are against the Scriptures because their positions have formall contradictorie syllables to the Scriptures and their practice the realty of abominable Idolatry And herein I submit my selfe to the severe law of Severus Si aliquis Duaraenus de Decimis l 4 c. 1. quis praepositum accusaret manifestis rebus probaret aut capitis poenam subiret