In opere Inscripto Lutherus Septiceps Of the Communion of the Eucharist Gasper Querhamer a Lay Saxon observed in Luther's Works In Tabula contrad Luther Thirty six Contradictions and printed them when Luther was living to his great shame and confusion and the diminution of his Authority And of Communion under both kinds Cochlaeus has noted seven contradictory Articles In fine Cochlaeus's whole Book called Lutherus Septiceps contains nothing else but Luther's Contradictions and contrary Opinions in almost all his controverted Articles in the express Words of Luther Now in every contradiction of necessity one part must be false As to Calvin Coccius relates Twenty four Contradictions of his in his very own Words It is enough for me to set down two of them Touching God's Omnipotency in one place he says nothing is impossible to the Word of God Luk. 1. And in another place he says That Dream of an Absolute Power in God which the School Doctors have introduced is an execrable Blasphemy Psa 23. Again I abhor this Doctrine in which the Papist Divines please themselves feigning in God a certain Absolute Power Of Christ's Godhead in one place he writes That Christ is true God of the same Essence with his Father De Predestin 1 Joh. 5.1 In another place he says The Name of God by way of excellency Contr. Gentil refutat 10. belongs to the Father only that he only and properly is the Creator of Heaven and Earth ay and that Son according to his Godhead is subject to the Father Again That it is a hard and improper expression of the Nicene Creed God of God Light of Light In his Second Epistle to the Polanders he affirms That Christ according to his Divine Nature is less than the Father Lo whither he tumbles by being a Novelist These things being positive and clear in their own Writings what Wise Man can be induced to believe that God sent them to reform the Church For how shall they raise the fallen Church when they so vilely destroy their own Doctrine Who have so little Learning or Prudence and circumspection as not to avoid contradictions in matters of the greatest moment Certainly whosoever contradicts himself and presently pulls down what he hath newly erected 't is clearer than the Noon-day that he speaks not by the Spirit of God For if I build again the things which I destroyed says St. Paul I make my self a Prevaricator Gal. 2.18 The Spirit of God cannot be contrary to himself cannot deny himself Take notice likewise That although in many things they contradict themselves and overthrow their own Principles yet they have Face and Impudence to say that they are certain their Doctrine is true and the very Doctrine of Christ For thus Luther writes I am certain I received my Doctrine from Heaven Cont. Reg. Aug. Again I am certain that my Doctrine is not mine but Christ's And in another place he says that he is so absolutely sure Cont. Stat. Eccles that he will have no Body to be Judge of his Doctrine no not the Angels and that none can be saved who believes not his Doctrine In like manner Calvin oftentimes says That he is a Prophet that he can deceive none unless God deceive him as I have shewed in the Fifth Reason Hereby 't is a clear demonstration that not only they speak not by the Spirit of God having such open and manifest Errours and Contradictions but also are to be look'd upon as Impostors who deceive the People For he that says he is certain that his Doctrine in which are many Errours and Contradictions is of God may well be supposed not to deal fairly and sincerely but to speak against his own Conscience and so to impose upon the People 'T is manifest that such a one hath no Internal Illumination from God to make him certain of the Truth of his Doctrine by the Testimony of God For God cannot testifie or reveal Contradictions With what Face therefore can they so impudently affirm that they are sure their Doctrine is of God or Christ's Doctrine Therefore they deal not honestly and sincerely but endeavour to blind the World But some will confess that they erred now and then at the beginning when they had not yet fully received the Spirit of God but afterwards they did not err nor change their Opinions But this has no colour of Truth at all For all those who ever have been immediately sent by God to teach the People have presently at the beginning of their Mission had the infallible assistance and direction of God so that they could never in the least err in their Doctrine As 't is manifest by the Prophets and Apostles Nay there was greatest need of this direction in the begiuning because then chiefly all things were to be discussed the Teachers and their Doctrine to be examin'd that so they might gain Authority and be believed For if they had been catch'd in any Errour or Contradiction at first all their Authority would have fallen to the ground and perished In the like case if Calvin and Luther were sent by God to reform the Church there was great need that presently at the beginning their Doctrine should be solid and sound free from all Contradiction and Errour least they might justly be rejected as Impostors Then again I ask when at length did they obtain this plenitude or fulness of the Spirit so as never to err any more How could that appear to the World that Men may know they are to be credited at last though they were not at first For unless this can be shew'd we may rightly presume that they may erre in their future who manifestly have erred in their former Writings To conclude that they were various in their Life that they changed and mended their Principles and in divers little Books which they published and sometimes in one and the same Book they writ several contradictions it is apparent by those few things afore-mentioned and by many more which Cochlaeus Coccius and others have recorded in their own words For the longer they stood out in opposition to the Catholick Church more invective and bitter they became against it and what more mildly they alledged at first afterward they made worse or changed to the contrary The Seventh Reason from tht malicious Deceits and Frauds they make use of THat Religion is to be suspected whose Authors and Defenders use malicious Deceits Frauds and Lies to propagate it For the true Religion wants no such helps but only the false which being destitute of true and solid Reasons must necessarily place its hope and confidence in a Lye But the Authors and Propagators of the Lutheran and Calvinistical Religion used many Frauds and Lies to encrease their Sect therefore it is worthily to be suspected That they used most malicious Frauds and Deceits False Tenets imposed upon Catholicks is manifest because they imposed upon Catholicks many things falsely that so they
with greater Reason be said of the true Faith and Religion which is the Foundation of Charity and all other Christian Vertues Thirdly It follows that it is a gross and stupid Errour of some of the Vulgar who esteem it sufficient to Salvation if you only believe in Christ and that he dyed for your Sins altho' as to many other Points of Faith pertaining to the Sacraments and Sacrifice of the Church c. you believe nothing For after this rate almost all sort of Hereticks should be saved For all of them believe in Christ otherwise they were not Hereticks but Apostates and believe some few excepted that he dyed for our Sins Then also the Montanists and Novatians Donatists Sabellians Arrians Macedonians Eutychians Monotholites and the like Pests of the Church shall be saved Why then hath the Church in all Ages so vehemently oppos'd her self against Heresies Why does St. Paul the Apostle command us to avoid the Man that is an Heretick after the 1st or 2d Admonition T it 2. Why does he bid us beware of their Speech which eateth as a Canker 2 Tim. 2. In vain all these things are said and done if Hereticks may be saved I am sure this Fancy is against the Consent of all Ages Let us suppose says St. Augustine a Man to be chast Lib. 4. contr Donat. c. 8. continent not covetous nor idolatrous but bountiful and compassionate to the Poor an Enemy to none not contentious patient quiet envying none sober frugal but yet a Heretick such a one without all doubt meerly because he is an Heretick shall never enjoy the Kingdom of God For as St. James witnesseth he that hath offended in one Commandment is made guilty of all James 2. and Ioseth all Justice though he keeps the rest because he contemns the Law-maker himself who made the whole Law So he that obstinately denies one Point of Faith although he believe the rest is guilty of dis-believing all and loses his whole Faith and Religion because he despiseth the Author of it For it is one and the same first and supreme Verity which hath revealed all Points of Faith and proposed them to our Belief by the Church his Spouse the Pillar and Ground of Truth 1 Tim. 3. He therefore that shall obstinately reject one Article of Faith and will not acquiesce in the Testimony of the Church is thereby judged to dis-esteem the Authority of God the supreme Verity of whom the Church is the Publisher Interpreter and Organ Neither matters it that there are some principal Points of Faith which he thinks he believes because he does not believe them with Divine Faith which relies only upon Divine Authority that is infallible otherwise he would believe the rest proposed to him in the same manner but he believes them with a kind of Humane Faith that is to say because by his private Judgment he is induced to believe them taking upon himself the Authority of judging and discerning what things are to be believed and what denied and rejected Therefore the chief reason or motive of his Belief is private Judgment and for that Cause all his Faith is humane and unprofitable It is therefore most certain that as true Justice extends it felf to the performance of all the Commandments so the true Faith which is requisite to Salvation extends it self to a belief of all those things which God hath revealed so that we must believe them all either expresly or be ready to believe them if they be propounded to us the right way Hereby is manifest what great Care is to be taken that we chuse and profess the true Faith and Religion since it is the Foundation of our Salvation and that without it we shall certainly be damn'd Whereupon I have undertaken to propound some Considerations obvious and manifest to all rational People whereby they may take a right course in their Choice of the true Religion The first Consideration drawn from the tending to Perfection which Christian Religion excites us to THat Religion is to be preferred which conduces most to Purity and Holiness of Life which draws our Minds from all affection to earthly Things and raises them to the love of heavenly For this is the chief end of Religion to alienate the Minds of Men from Things temporal here below and to elevate them towards the thinking loving and pursuing of such as are celestial and eternal Only the Catholick Religion teaches perfection of Life Now such is only the Catholick Religion For this persuades to abstain from the Pleasures of the Flesh and Snares of this Life This alone teaches to contemn Riches and Honours and to renounce them when possessed for Christ's sake This exhorts to Fastings Hair-cloth and other Afflictions of the Body whereby the Flesh is brought under Subjection and subdued to the Spirit Hence are there such great numbers of Men and Women in the Catholick Church who contemning Riches Honours and Pleasures which they either enjoyed or might have enjoyed have bid adieu to the World and mortifying their Flesh have wholly devoted themselves to the Service of God and Contemplation of Divine Things Amongst these are many Noble Men and their Sons and Daughters many of the rich Gentry and their Children many great Wits many famous for their Eloquence and knowledge in all kind of Literature which is an evident sign of the Divine Spirit and true Religion For that Religion cannot chuse but be Heavenly which withdraws Man's Nature fixed on Earthly Things and raises it up to Heavenly which expels the Love of that which is Temporal and instils an affection to that which is Everlasting and in a word which can work such wonderful Changes in Men. The Tree is known by its Fruits Other Religions especially the Lutheran Calvinist and Fanatick For of these only I intend to treat in this Discourse do no such thing For they are so far from teaching Mortification of the Flesh Other Religions take away the study of Perfection and of all good Works Contempt of Earthly Things and cutting off carnal Pleasures that they call Fasting the Tradition of Men whereby God is worshipped in vain abstinence from Flesh with them is Superstition Monastick Vows they say are impious vain and not at all to be observ'd that Chastity is impossible that all Men are bound to marry and lye with a Woman which Luther affirms to be as necessary as Meat Drink L. de Vit. conjug and Sleep By which Doctrine it is come to pass that none of those who are of these New Religions do either mortifie their Flesh by Fasting or abide continent or abstain from Conjugal and Carnal Pleasures or abandon their Riches and imbrace Poverty for the Love of Christ but all of them are for a sensual easie and Worldly Life agreeable to the Inclination of the Flesh and corrupt Nature None of them have so much as a Notion of what it is to lead an Angelical Life upon Earth as many of the
have some Rule of Faith and Foundation of their Belief agreeable to Natural Reason namely the consent of their Ancestors or the Scripture interpreted according to the Sence and Religion of their Ancestors But most of the Hereticks of our Times regard not much their Ancestors and Apostles from whom they first received this New Gospel but looking upon them as Men subject to Errour though they also pretended to the Spirit as well as these forsake them and rely totally upon their own judgment or testimony of their own private Spirit or which is all one the Holy Scripture according to the sence of their own judgment or private Spirit which is an evident sign that Satan so effectually operates in them and infatuates their Minds that not only every one frames to himself New Heresies and Opinions but makes his own judgment the foundation of his Faith and Rule of Belief for every one thinks he is taught of God even Women and Children and therefore secure from all Errour What greater facination and Delusion can there be than this Hence it is that they have no certain and established Principles they decree no Body of Doctrine and Religion but ramble in uncertainties as the private Spirit shall drive them Nor can there be any dispute with them about any of their Principles because they stick to none and by reason of their ignorance they know not the Doctrine of their Ancestors But of this Spirit of Giddiness we have said more in our Consultation Consid 9. and Reason 11. Hereby it is manifestly concluded that the whole Foundation of Faith which the Sectaries of our time rely on is deceitful and therefore their Belief which depends on it is unprofitable to Salvation Eighth Reason If every one may be saved in his own Faith that confesses Christ why is there so great a dissension amongst Religions Why do they all condemn one another of Heresie and Thunder Anathema's against each other Why do the Lutherans refuse to acknowledge the Calvinists for their Brethren and publickly in their Sermons and Books avouch them to be impious and blasphemous Why in the like manuer do the Chief of the Calvinists among whom Theodorus Beza is the Father of all after Calvin so treat the Lutherans Why do the Anabaptists call themselves the only faithful Christians and esteem all others as Infidels whereby is apparent that this new fancy of being saved in any Religion is not only against the Catholick Doctrine but also against all the Sects that have any zeal for Religion or Piety and is only too proper for Atheists Ninth Reason That one may be saved it sufficeth not to keep two or three of the Commandments but of necessity he must observe all according to that of our Lord If thou would'st enter into Life keep the Commandments Mat. 8.9 For Example If any one should be an Adulterer or Thief although he should keep the other Commandments yet he cannot be saved without Repentance as the Scriptures every where teach So likewise it sufficeth not to Salvation to believe three or four Articles of Faith but of necessity we must believe all Articles which God hath revealed and propounded to our Faith by his Church For the true Faith is no less necessary to Salvation than Obedience to Gods Commandments nor ought Faith to be less perfect and intire than Obedience and Observation of the whole Decalogue As therefore our Obedience ought to extend it self to all the Commandments so Faith ought to extend it self to all things revealed according to St. James Whosoever shall keep the whole Law and yet offend in one is guilty of all for he that said thou shalt not commit Adultery said also thou shalt not kill Now if thou do not commit Adultery yet if thou kill thou art become a Transgressor of the Law Jam. 2.10 As if he should say he is made guilty of all and shall be punished as a Transgressor or Violator of the whole Law for despising the Law-maker who is the Author of the whole Law Therefore in like manner he that shall deny one Article of Faith although he believes all the rest is become guilty of the breach of his whole Faith and Religion because he contemns God the Supream Truth who revealed no less this than the others He contemns also the Catholic Church 1 Tim. 3.5 which is the Spouse of Christ and the Pillar and Ground of Truth and which proposes to our Belief as well this Article as the rest Note And this is the reason why he is no less an Heretic that obstinately denyeth one Article of Faith than he that denyes an hundred because in regard of this one which he denyes he despiseth God the first Verity which revealed it and he despiseth the Authority of the Church which propounds it he makes the Church also subject to Errors and a Lye whereby he makes all the rest uncertain and destroys all Divine Faith Note For if you take away the Foundation of Divine Faith all Faith must necessarily fall to ruin and decay and only Opinion or human Belief liable to Error remain Tenthly and Lastly This Opinion is very dangerous in the practice for it makes a man not care what Religion he is of what he believes or disbelieves Therefore he seeks not after the Truth and as easily and securely receives Falsehood as Truth And yet not only Catholics but even the more noted Sects such as are more eminent for Learning and Wisdom hold for a certain and undoubted Truth that without the true Faith and Religion none can be saved but will perish everlastingly Therefore the followers of this Opinion are condemned by all wise Men and they promise to themselves Salvation upon no Authority no Testimony of Scripture nor the support of Reason relying meerly upon the vain and foolish Imagination of their own Brains Let them hear therefore out of St. Fulgentius what Antiquity has ever held and what the Church hath taught in all Ages For so he writes as a general Rule of Faith Hold this for a most certain and infallible Truth Lib. de fide ad Pet. 6. Diac. c. 38. That not only all Heathens but likewise all Jews Heretics and Schismatics which end this present Life out of the Catholic Church shall go into everlasting Fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Again Most firmly believe and doubt not in the least chap. 39. That every Heretic or Schismatic baptised in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost if he be not reconciled to the Catholic Church whatever Alms he gives and let him live never so vertuously and devoutly though be should lay down his Life and shed his Blood for Christs sake yet he cannot be saved For every one that sticks not to the Vnity of the Catholic Church neither Baptism nor Plentiful Alms nor Martyrdom for Christ will profit to Salvation so long as any Heretical or Schismatical perverseness remains in him which leads to Death This was always the belief of the Holy Catholic Church and the undoubted Doctrin of all the Fathers which if all who are out of the Catholic Church would seriously and sadly consider and lay to heart they would clearly see what a dangerous State they live in and being sensible of their danger with Holy Resolutions hasten to the Ark of Salvation to preserve themselves from Eternal Ruin Which that they may do Do thou O Christ The True Light of the World Enlighten their Minds Amen FINIS