2 But a religion that hath in euery state a remedie for those that haue offended for the state of all till they come to such discretion and iudgement as may be cause of sinne the sacrament of baptisme both taking originall offence away and arming the soule against new and actuall infections 3 To confirme the former grace c. the sacrament of confirmation 4 To feede and foster all estates the sacrament of the most holie bodie and bloud of Christ. 5 The sacrament of penance for the cure and comfort of all offenders 6 The sacrament of extreame vnction to auoide the relikes of sinne and giue strength in that extremitie 7 For particular helpes and assistance to particular states particular sacraments the sacrament of Orders and of Matrimonie c. The disswasion 1. ANd wee defend a religion which doth not separate man from God as this Libeller belieth it but teacheth faith in Christ whereby wee are reconciled vnto God and are at peace with him Rom. 5.1 Not that religion which separateth from God in destroying faith which ioyneth vs to God in teaching iustification by workes whereby faith is euacuated as the Apostle saith Ye are euacuated from Christ whosoeuer are iustified by the law Galath 5.4 But that religion which preacheth faith in Iesus Christ which is both a remedie for sinnes past in the remission of them We are sanctified and iustified in the name of the Lord Iesus 1. Cor. 6.11 And a preseruatiue also from further offending for the grace of God teacheth vs to denie vngodlines and worldly lusts Tit. 2.12 Which faith for the remission of sinnes is sealed and confirmed in the most holie Communion which the Popish sort denieth properly to be ordained for remission of sinnes contrarie to the words of our Sauiour who in the institution of this Sacrament saith directly this is the bloud of the new Testament that is shed for many for remission of sinnes Mat. 26.28 This faith is both preached and practised in this religion which they vndoubtedly haue attained vnto which haue beleeued and are carefull to shew good workes Titus 3.8 But this iustifying faith by the grounds of Popish religion cannot be had seeing they teach that for a man to be sure of his saluation by faith is a faithlesse perswasion and the faith of diuels and yet such was S. Pauls faith whereby he was perswaded that nothing could separate him from the loue of God in Christ. 2. I maintaine a religion which leaueth not infants dying before baptisme without remedie and condemneth them to hell for the want thereof without their fault as the Church of Rome doth but euen comprehendeth such infants being the seede of the faithfull vnder the couenant of Gods grace who hath promised I will be thy God and the God of thy seede which maketh not Baptisme vnperfect onely to serue for sinnes going before Baptisme but extendeth the efficacie thereof as well to sins following after as past before For as Circumcision was a seale of the righteousnes of faith Rom. 4.11 so likewise is Baptisme by which through faith in the bloud of Christ both our sinnes before and after Baptisme are forgiuen Which doth not allow women lay men Turkes Iewes and Infidels to baptize as the Romanists doe whereas Christ gaue this power onely to Ministers and teachers Goe teach all nations c. baptizing them c. Which doth not prophane this Sacrament in baptizing of Bels as they doe neither doth contaminate it with the humane additions of spittle salt oyle Can any man forbid water saith S. Peter that these should not be baptized then they onely vsed water 3. Which doth not bring in new Sacraments not instituted by Christ and his Apostles as are those of Confirmation Penance extreame Vnction Orders Matrimonie but onely contenteth it selfe with two Sacraments of Christs ordaining Baptisme and the Lords Supper because we finde no more of Christs institution which doth not adde more strength against the diuell to their deuised sacrament of Confirmation then to Baptisme a Sacrament of Christs institution neither giueth vertue to Chrisme tempered of oyle and balme with the signe of the crosse which are but terrene and externall things against spirituall tentations as they doe for the weapons of our warfare are not carnall 2. Corinth 10.4 but exhorteth Christians to put on the whole armour of God the shield of faith the sword of the spirit the word of God with the rest whereby they may bee able to resist in the euill day By this meanes is a faithfull man armed and confirmed against spirituall tentations 4. That religion which mangleth not the Sacrament of the bodie and bloud of Christ robbing the faithfull communicants of the cup the one part thereof nor yet teacheth that wicked men doe eate the bodie of Christ neither forceth the glorious bodie of Christ from heauen into the forme of a piece of bread neither saith that this sacrament was not ordained properly for remission of sinnes neither that it is auaileable without the faith of the receiuer by the action and worke it selfe done all which positions the profession of the Romane sect maintaineth But which according to Christs institution exhibiteth the holie Sacrament in both kindes of bread and wine according to the first institution Matth. 26.28 and teacheth onely the faithfull to be partakers by faith of Christs bodie and bloud as our Sauiour saith He that eateth me shall liue by me Ioh. 6.57 which affirmeth that Christs bodie is not in earth but in heauen Act. 3.21 And that the speciall vse of this Sacrament is to confirme our faith in Christ for the remission of sinnes Matth. 26.28 and that least men should be secure it profiteth no man vnlesse hee examine himselfe whether he be in the faith 1. Cor. 11.28 5. That religion which doth not enioyne men of necessitie to make confession of all their secret sinnes into the eares of the Priest with an opinion to merit by it nor yet imposeth vpon them penall workes thereby to satisfie the iustice of God for the punishment due vnto their sinne But which teacheth men to confesse vnto God I acknowledge my sinne vnto thee c. and thou forgauest the punishment of my sinne Psal. 32.5 to challenge Gods mercie not our merits According to the multitude of thy mercies put away mine offences Psal. 51.1 and to hope for satisfaction to Godward onely in the death of Christ He was wounded for our transgression c. with his stripes are we healed Isay. 53.5 6. Which doth not imitate without ground the Apostles annoynting of the sick with oyle which was a signe for that time of the miraculous gift of healing for whom they anoynted they healed Mark 6.13 Neither thinketh to cure spirituall maladies with bodily bathings as though the suppling of the bodie were a supplie to the soule neither doth it leaue the sicke remedilesse
also against the Gospel which she called heresie With this hypocrite diuers Priests and Monkes were confederate and among the rest your great champion Bishop Fisher whereof some were attainted of treason and iustlie executed the Bishop with other were condemned to prison and forfeited their goods you cannot shew vs such a conspiracie of Protestants with the first Elizabeth as it is euident there was of Papists with this latter Now sir tell vs what haue you gained by referring vs to this place of the Chronicle 2. The Registers of London and Norwich will tell vs that some Anabaptists haue been burned for heresie and one Ket for Arrianisme and other impieties and that reuerend Synode mentioned hath condemned both these and other heresies what of al this vpon these premisses will you inferre the Protestants of England that â—oe thus proceede against heretikes to haue no true Church And that this Epistler may see his owne follie by the same reason one may conclude that because the first Nicene Synode condemned the Arrians the first Constantinopolitane the Macedonians the Ephesine the Nestorians the Councel Chalcedonens the Eutychians the 2. Constantinopolit the Trinitie or Patripassians the 3. Constantin the Monothelites because Augustine condemneth 90. heresies and Isidore as many that therefore these were not of the true Church Shall the Protestants Synode be reproued for condemning the same heresies which in generall Councels were anathematized and by the same reason that the Canons of our Synode are censured may not Gratianes decrees their owne darling be controlled which condemne 90. heresies Caus 24. q. 3. c. 39. these are but loose arguments he shooteth at the marke as a blind man at crowes and as that vnskilfull archer who shooting wide Stratonicus the Harper standing by ranne and stood at the marke and being asked why answered 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I be not hit as little need we to feare this blind archers darts for they come not neere vs. But as Hierome said to Vigilantius Risimus in te prouerbium vidimus camelum saltitantem We smile to see the prouerbe verified vpon you a Camell dauncing So as soone may we see a Camell daunce as this Cauiller performe what he taketh in hand 3. His third probation is from a particular enumeration of diuers heresies and infidelities pretended to be amongst vs as Arrians Eunomians Vigilantians Nestorians Eutychians Grecians c. pag. 6. Ans. 1. Some of these heresies are malicious slaunders of our Church as Arrians Eunomians Nestorians Eutychians Grecians Anabaptists Catharists Hernicians Iulianes our Church neither knoweth their names or any called by them nor yet their heretical opinions We neither denie the diuine nature of Christ with the Arrians Eunomians nor diuide his person with the Nestorians or confound his natures with the Eutychians nor denie his humanitie with the Anabaptists nor the proceeding of the holie Ghost from the Sonne with the Grecians neither doe we hold any to be pure without sinne as the Catharists nor denie the grace of baptisme to children with the Hernicians neither make two beginnings one of good another of euil as the Manichees nor affirme with the Donatists the Church of God to bee limited vnto a certaine place as they to Africa all these heresies we accurse and vtterly condemne But the Papists are the men rather which are blemished and spotted with these heretical opinions with the Arrians they hold Christ not to be God of himselfe with the Nestorians they in effect make two Christs one offered in the sacrifice of the Masse another to whom they offer in heauen with the Eutychians they take away the truenes of Christs bodie making it to bee in a thousand places at once with the Anabaptists they extenuate his humanitie denying that he opened his mothers wombe they affirme that the commandements may be kept and so in effect are Catharists for where the law is not transgressed there is no sinne they make a Sacrament of Confirmation as a supplement of Baptisme and so denie grace of Baptisme to be sufficient and are herein like the Hernicians with the Manichees they condemne the mariage of Priests as the Donatists did tie the Church to Africa so they to the Papacie of Rome Some of these as they are imputed to Protestants wee denie to be heresies at all as that of Vigâ—lantius that reliques are not to be adored of Iouinian that neither fasting nor virginitie is meritorious of Aerius that prayer is not to be made for the dead of Wickleffe such opinions we receiue as are agreeable to the Scriptures if either he or any of those before named held any thing vnsoundly not warranted by the word wee binde not our selues to their opinions Some of the heresies and schismes rehearsed the Church of England condemneth though such wee denie not but haue been found amongst vs as Brownists Barrowists Kettists not many pretenders to be Prophets very fewe Some of them are obiected to the popish sectaries by their owne fellow popelings as Anabaptists Antichrists damned crew Atheists The Iesuites are charged with Anabaptistrie by their fellow Catholikes binding themselues so by the vowe of obedience to their superiors that they are disloyall to their Princes And it is certaine that the Anabaptists hold the Pope to be better then Luther which sheweth that Poperie commeth neerer to Anabaptistrie then Protestancie They also call the Iesuites the chiefe captaines of Antichrist out of whose sect it is very probable say they that man of sinne shall rise In like sort the Priests call the Iesuites plots the infernall consistorie The Iesuites say some of the Priests stand in the state of perdition thus by their owne testimonie it appeareth who is the damned crew Likewise who are the Macheuils and Atheists of these dayes they shall speake themselues The Priests say of the Iesuites that they are the societie of the Deuill and schoole of Macheuelisme And Parsons chargeth all them againe to be Atheists Heretikes Apostataes that inueigh against him The Popish Priests call the Iesuites Donatists reuiued Arrians the Iesuites againe charge the Priests with Anabaptisme Thus then we see by the confession of our aduersaries themselues who are the Atheists Antichrists damned crew the Anabaptists Arrians Donatists of these dayes May we not now say vnto him with the words of the Gospell with thy mouth will I iudge thee ô euil seruant And as Hierome saith Sententias vestras prodidisse superasse est Your owne confession is your conuiction And herein our aduersaries as Democritus said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they bring foorth blinde accusations as bitches do blinde whelps so being blinded with malice against the Gospell they lay those things to our charge which they themselues are guiltie of 4 His fourth probation is from the writings of diuers chiefe Protestants in Germany who do condemne euery one another to hell for heresie and infidelitie in the greatest question
Priests do rightlie conclude to be false and vnchristian Ibid. 4 Parsons affirmeth that the consideration of Catholike religion is the principall point in the succession to the Crowne Manifest fol. 63. a. And he seemeth to conclude that succession by birth and bloud is neither of the lawe of God or nature Quodlib p. 30. The Priests hold the contrarie that Catholikes are not bound to stand for a Catholike competitor vnlesse there concurre the right of succession Reply f. 76. a. 5 The Priests affirme We are most confident not onely in the excellencie of our Priesthood but also in the assurance that we in the execution haue a sufficient direction of Gods spirit 6 Parsons calleth this high presumption of heretikes and denieth both that by their character only Priests were made secure from erring and so consequently the sacrament of orders not to conferre grace which is a popish ground as also that they cannot haue such assurance of Gods spirit Manifest fol. 87. a. b. 7 Parsons saith that in Gods high prouidence we find the necessitie and ineuitabilitie of many accidents Manifest fol. 100.1 The Priests say these words taste vnsauourie if not hereticallie to put absolute necessitie and ineuitabilitie in those actions which are subiect to mans wil and reason Replie fol. 98. a. 8 Parsons saith that this position that the life and estate of secular Priests is more perfect then the state of religious men which the Priests maintaine is refuted and condemned not onely by Thomas Aquinas but by S. Chrysostome and other writers of that time Manifest fol. 104. b. 9 The Priests call Parsons interpretation of that place of S. Iohn Trie the spirit c. false and hereticall thereby leading his Reader into a presumptuous error of iudging all both men and matters Replie fol. 101. b. 10 The Priests hold that the Pope as an Ecclesiasticall Magistrate hath no power to moue warre for religion against any tēporal Prince or for whatsoeuer cause or pretence c. and that they would oppose themselues against him if he should come in person in any such attempt and that they will reueale whatsoeuer they shall know therein Imp. consyd p. 38. Parsons full like himselfe calleth these positions pernicious erronious hereticall Manifest f. 13. b. 11. The Priests doubt not to say that the Pope was not endued with the worthie gift of the holy Ghost tearmed discretio spirituum discerning of spirits and that he was deceiued in setting vp the Archpriest Relat. p. 57. Imp. consyd p. 11. Parsons stifly maintaineth the Pope not to haue erred herein Manifest 76. b. In diuers other points these two Popish sects doe differ as may bee gathered out of their late polemicall writings and inuectiues set foorth by one against the other And three hundred more of these contradictions and diuersities of opinion in matters of faith and doctrine which haue been and are in the Romane Church might be brought foorth but that it were needlesse these fewe examples being sufficient to conuince the aduersarie of error and superfluous this being elsewhere in another worke performed whither I pray the Reader to haue recourse Is not this then a shamelesse man that hath told vs so many lies together and blusheth not to abuse such honourable persons with his Frierly glosses if his necke were not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an yron sinew and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his face brasse as the Prophet saith he would neuer haue faced out such manifest vntruths But he may be very well compared to raging and running brooks which as Basile saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as they runne carrie euerie thing along which they meete with So doth this bragger huddle vp together whatsoeuer is in his way be it true or false And they thinke it a good piece of seruice if they may with straining and ouerreaching bolster out a bad cause much like to some that Hierome speaketh of who thought they might make bold with their disciples Nos qui necdum initiati sumus audire debere mendacium ne parnuli lactentes solidioris cibi edulio suffocemur And that we which are hardly yet entred must heare lyes least being yet but little ones and sucklings wee might be choaked with stronger meate But though their disciples are credulous and will beleeue them vpon their word they haue small reason to thinke that wise and graue persons will be so easily deceiued The third Probation IN the third place the Epistler seemeth to reason thus that if a man may doubt to giue assent to any religion where there is such diuersitie this being but a speculatiue consent of faith onely exacting an agreement of the vnderstanding how much more doubt and difficultie wil be made c. for the obtaining of heauen c. His reason if it be any standeth thus It is an hard matter among Protestants to make choice of the right faith which consisteth onely in the vnderstanding Ergo it is an harder matter among them to obtaine heauen The Solution 1. IT is no hard matter among Protestants to discerne of the true religion seeing they make the Scriptures the rule of their faith but among Papists it is doubtfull seeing they refuse to bee tried onely by the Scriptures which they blasphemously affirme not to containe all things necessarie to saluation but they runne vnto vncertaine and doubtfull traditions and so as the Apostle saith they measure themselues by themselues where then the rule is crooked such as are their humane traditions how can that be straight which is measured by it But we say with Augustine Regula est illa Our rule is the will of God contained in the Scriptures stet regula quod prauum est corrgatur ad regulam Let the rule stand the word of God and let that which is amisse be corrected according to that rule 2. Neither is there such diuersitie of opinion or multitude of diuisions among Protestants and thereupon such manifest and apparant daunger of a false election as is shewed before And it is an absurd and grosse thing in a disputer still to begge the thing in question He may take himselfe by the nose and his fellow Friers that make among them aboue an hundred sects one holdeth of Francis another of Benedict another of Austine another of Ignatius the founder of the Iesuites like as among the Corinthians some held of Paul some of Apollo some of Cephas So that that saying of Hierome fitteth the Popish professors Nunc quoque mysterium iniquitatis operatur garrit vnusquisque quod sentit Now the mysterie of iniquitie worketh and euery man pratleth his owne fansie 3. Neither is faith onely an act of the vnderstanding and a speculatiue consent If your Popish faith bee nothing els the diuell may well be one of your Catholikes for hee in his knowledge and vnderstanding beleeueth there is a God and consenteth that the Scriptures are true and the historie of
or comfortlesse but prescribeth prayers to be vsed by the Elders and Ministers to be sent for the prayer of faith shall saue the sicke Iam. 5.15 and spirituall instruction and consolation to be ministred if there be a messenger with him to declare vnto man his righteousnes Iob. 34.23 7. Which doth not appoint orders to consecrate men to a blasphemous seruice to make the body of Christ and to install them Priests of the order of Melchisedech as that corporation doth of which order of Priesthood is none but Christ Psal. 110.4 Nor which maketh it no essentiall part of their ministrie to bee able to teach and instruct the people but especially requireth that Ministers should be apt to teach 1. Timot. 3.2 that they should be pastors and teachers c. for the edification of the bodie of Christ Ephes 4.11.12 Neither doth it teach that the grace of the spirit is actually conferred by orders but that men set apart to this calling not relying vpon their ordination should take heed to themselues and vnto learning thereby both to saue themselues and their hearers Which doth not denie the remedie of mariage to any condition of men as the Romane seignorie doth to their Clergie seeing the Apostle saith Mariage is honourable among all men Heb. 13.4 Neither doth it tie the grace of mariage to the matrimoniall solemnitie as this contradictor saith it giueth grace against the cares and difficulties of that condition pag. 27.7 but teacheth that the maried parties not relying vpon the ceremonie or solemnitie should giue themselues to fasting and prayer 1. Cor. 7.5 no doubt to obtaine among other matrimoniall graces Thus it is euident that not the Protestants faith but the Papists beleefe leaueth many without helpe and remedie As infants dying without baptisme are in their iudgement damned Priests not hauing the gift of continencie are denyed mariage Sick men haue no true comfort but a little greazing of the eyes and eares Sinfull men are by their popish penance made hypocrites their ordered Clerks are depriued of the principall part which is the preaching of the word Thus this cauiller for his false accusation shall haue Damasus fee Calumniator si in accusatione defecerit talionem accipiat A false accuser if he faile in his accusation shall receiue the law Talionis himself to incurre the same for it is in deed the popish irreligion that affoordeth no true comfort stay or remedie to their miserable disciples that a man may say to them as Iob to his deceitfull friends yee are physicians of no value And whereas they thinke to cure spirituall maladies with corporall medecines as with oyle chrisme salt holie water crossing to be defended against temptation it is as Ambrose saith vt qui latere laterem lauat as if a man should clense clay with clay magis se oblinebat luto such an one should defile himselfe more And as Diogenes said that Patacion the thiefe was no better then Epaminondas because he was professed or entred into religion no more is an euill man made better by such popish ceremonies The ninth Perswasion 1 I Defend not a religion where God is made author of all sinnes and thereby worthie no religion 2 Where the decision of spirituall doubts appertaine to temporall and vnlearned princes men women children 3 Where such sentences though neuer so much disagreeing and apparantlie false must be obeyed for the infallible word of God 4 Where man hath no libertie or freedome of will where our good works are necessitate 5 Where the predestination of God taketh away all election and indifferencie c. 6 But that religion that so accordeth the eternall prescience and predestination of God with the temporall cooperation of man that it both leaueth the first infallible and yet proueth the temporall action appetite c. to be voluntarie free in the power of man to be effected The Disswasion HEre is nothing else but an heape and pack of sclanderous vntruths which by one common answere of deniall might be easily remoued but somewhat more shall be said 1 The Protestants make not God author either of all or any sinne but the Papists rather that thus write They meane not that God is any way the author causer or mouer of any to sinne but onely by permission c. Ergo they grant that by permitting and suffering God is the author and causer of sinne And true it is that he which permitteth euill to be done and hindreth it not is consenting to it and a doer of it because accessorie to it But we say that God is not so much as a permitter or sufferer of sinne as it is euill and yet as he is a disposer of euill actions to good and an imposer of punishment is not only a permitter and beholder but an agent and doer euen in euill actions so that although sinne do no way stand with the will of God in approuing or consenting to it yet it standeth with his prouidence in ordering disposing and iudging of it As God is said to haue bid Shemei curse Dauid because he both disposed it to Dauids good for his further tryall and probation and iudged Shemei by it to his greater confusion Thus Origene well distinguisheth betweene Gods will and prouidēce Multa sine dei voluntate geruntur nihil sine prouidentia c. Many things are done without Gods will nothing without his prouidēce his prouidence is that whereby he dispenseth and prouideth his will whereby he willeth any thing or nilleth 2 The Prince challengeth not the decision of spirituall doubts but only to haue the rule ouer all manner persons within his realmes either Ecclesiasticall or Temporall so as no other forraine power shall or ought to haue any superioritie ouer them And againe in the booke of Articles it is thus conteyned We giue not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or sacraments but only that prerogatiue which we see to haue bene giuen alwayes to all good Princes c. in holie scriptures by God himselfe that is that they should rule all estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Temporall And beside the deciding of doubts is referred to the Ordinaries directlie and not to the Ciuill Magistrate 3 A most wicked sclaunder it is that we are bound to take such sentences for the infallible word of God The contrarie is euident in the Articles of religion set forth by authoritie of Parliament wherein the Church of England thus professeth It is not lawfull for the Church to ordaine any thing that is contrarie to Gods word written Againe things ordained by them that is general Councels as necessarie to saluation haue neither strength nor authoritie vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of holie scripture If Protestants attribute no greater authoritie to the whole Church