horrible blasphemer that will call it The most auncient true and holy Catholique religion Againe forasmuch as the Apostle Saint Paul 2. Thessalon 2. declareth that the comming of Antichrist shall be with great signes and wonders yea so great and wonderfull that as our Sauiour Christ saith Matthew 24. If it were possible they should deceiue the very Elect. Hee therefore that will say the Church of Rome must needes be the true Church because shee worketh miracles is a most horrible blasphemer Miracles are wrought in the Church of Rome by the spirits of Diuels as appeareth in the 16. chapter and 14. verse of the Reuelation Therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church And this appeareth also in the thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy where we may see that a most vile kinde of people euen such as God abhorred wrought miracles to draw others to their religion And Saint Paul also declareth 2. Thessalon 2. verse 10. that Antichrist shall worke his miracles among them that perish therefore miracles are not alwayes a true note of the true Church Againe our Sauiour Christ Matthew 7.22 declareth that at the day of Iudgement certaine Christian Ministers that were wont to confirme their doctrine by miracles when they shall see themselues cast out to be damned with reprobates they will admire and say thus to Christ Lord Lord haue we not by thy Name prophecied and by thy Name cast out Diuels and done many great workes And then saith Christ I will professe to them I neuer knew you depart from me yee that worke iniquitie Popish Ministers worke miracles our Ministers worke none they themselues therefore shall be iudges in this case to which of these sort of Ministers this Scripture may iustly be applyed Certainely the greatest iudgement that God doth lay vpon men in this life is to blinde their vnderstanding with Poperie for then they are willing to receiue any errour and to reiect the truth to be marked with the marke of the Beast and to receiue the print of his name and to perish with the Beast and the false Prophet as it is most certaine they shall For thus it is written in the nineteenth chapter of the Reuelation verse 20. But the Beast was taken and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him whereby he deceiued them that receiued the Beasts marke and them that worshipped his image These both were aliue cast into a lake of fire burning with brimstone Therefore to conclude this I say to all those that haue receiued the marke of the Beast in their forehead or on their hand that is they that haue outwardly professed with their mouthes and gestures and those also that haue defended by Armes written Bookes wrought Miracles or any way laid to their helping hand to do any thing whereby the Popes kingdome and state is maintained Damnation shall be their end For as the Angell of God in the foureteenth chapter of the same booke 9.10 and 11. verses saith If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his forehead or on their hand the same shall drinke of the wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the Cup of his wrath and he shal be termented in fire and brimstone before the holie Angells and before the Lambe and the smoake of their torment shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his image and whosoeuer receiueth the print of his name That is whosoeuer is content to be called by any such name as whereby he may be knowne to be the Popes faithfull subiect Therefore I aduertise them all in the name of God that they receiue his fatherly admonitions and call to minde how louingly the Lord in the fourth verse of the eighteenth chapter of the same Booke calleth his Elect out of Babylon that they be not partakers of her sinnes lest they should also receiue of her plagues As for those that regard not this louing fauour of God but will notwithstanding abide in her still and goe on with her in her abhominations let them goe and doe what they will He that is vniust saith the Lord in the 22. chapter let him be vniust still and he that is filthy let him be filthie still and hee that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still And behold I come shortly and my reward is with mee to giue to euery man as his worke shall be ¶ The Titles demonstrating the seuerall points contained in each of the Chapters 1 CErtaine Chapters contayning the summe and substance of the Christian Churches confutations of the Popish or Antichristian Churches errours heresies and blasphemies The first whereof tendeth to resolue all men that notwithstanding both Papists and Protestants professe but one God one faith one Baptisme and one Lord Iesus Christ that yet there is so great a difference in the manner of their profession that it is not possible that they both should be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ 2 An answere to tenne seuerall Obiections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist whereof Bellarmine is supposed to be the originall authour 3 That Christian Rome now in her latter dayes is that Babylon the seate of Antichrist which the Angell in the 17 chapter of the Reuelation calleth the mother of whoredomes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angel in the 18. chapter saith is fallen and become the habitation of Diuels and holde of all fowle spirits and a cage of euery vncleane and hatefull bird and out of which the Lord from Heauen calleth all his Elect lest they should be partakers of her sinnes and consequently of her plagues 4 That the Popish Church is the same idolatrous Church yet professing Christ which Saint Iohn in his 13. and 17. chapters of the Reuelation sheweth to be the Church of Antichrist 5 That for the first sixe hundred and sixe yeares next after Christ there was no Popish Church neither could be because there was not as yet an vniuersall Pope established in Rome to make it a Popish Church Therefore as no Husband no Wife so no vniuersall Pope no vniuersall spouse of the Popes 6 That in the yeare of Christ 607. the Church of Poperie and the succession of vniuersall Popes first began From whence our Church had her first beginning before Luther and how our Protestant Bishops and Ministers which they haue ordayned haue lawfull callings 7 Their generall Consent ouerthrowne by generall consent of Councels and Fathers 8 That the Apostle Saint Peters authoritie was but the same that the other Apostles were and therefore the Pope cannot iustly claime from him to be called Vniuersall head of all Christian Bishops That the title of Vniuersall Father is forbidden by Christ to be giuen to any but to his owne Father 9 That the true
euen Christ himselfe seemeth to giue place to these and these mens rules and orders be preferred aboue the Gospell Dominike say they h Anth. bishop of Florence in hiâ—â— Par. 3. tit 23. 24. shead his bloud daily both for those that were conuersant in earth and for those that are in Purgatory and therefore it is that they also say their church singeth thus of Dominike i Pag 187. O wonderfull hope that thou hast giuen Of Frances thus k Conformities Frances whom typicall Iesus wee call the Captaine and Ruler of Minorities all graunt vs in heauen places perpetuall And they say that whereas Christ endured the torment of nayles in hands and feete but a few houres hee endured nailes in his hands and feete for vs full two yeares Of Becket thus l Becket in a prayer booke By the blood of Thomas which for thee he did spend make vs O Christ to climbe whither Thomas did ascend Of Swithen they say m In Liturgy By him our sinnes are done away 12 Thus doe they make many mediatours of Redemption vnto whom may be added their faith in the Pope and his pardons For he whosoeuer for the time being is in the second ranke or order of whom they write and beleeue that he is a Sauiour as Simon Begnius Bishop of Modrusia sayd thus to Pope Leo n Concil Later Sect. 6. pag. 601. O blessed Leo we haue looked for thee to be our Sauiour Neither is this pressed vpon him but willingly receiued as his due as may appeare in that the Pope himselfe suffered the Ambassador of Cicilia to lie prostrate on the ground before him and to pray o Paulus Aemilius lib. 7. O thou that takest away the sinnes of the world haue mercy vpon vs Thou that takest away the sinnes of the world giue vs peace And to proue that the Pope is of sufficient power to saue an other writeth thus p Bull of Clement the 6. and Anthon. of Fleâ— The Pope hath so great power both in Purgatory and also in Hell that hee may deliuer by his Indulgences and place in heauen as many soules as he will Thus they avowe not onely that euery soule must be saued vnder the Pope but that the Pope must be their Sauiour Neither hee himselfe alone but those also that he will authorize For as one saith q Cardinall Allen in Fulby answere to a false catholike p. 71. The chiefe and principall Pastors by their soueraigne authority may wholly discharge offenders from all paines to come And yet further that Christ might bee quite shut out and there might be many Aberrations they haue set vp for Mediatours and helpers vnto saluation Images prayers to Images Dirges Almes-deedes and Purgatory Vnto the Image of the Crosse thus they pray Å¿ In a prayer booke All haile O Crosse our onely hope in this time of thy passion in faithfull people grace increase and graunt of sinne remission 13 Also notwithstanding hee whom they faine to be their Founder 1. Pet. 1.18 Saint Peter sayth Wee are not redeemed with corruptible things as siluer and gold but with the pretious blood of Christ Directly contrary they teach and say t Allen in Fulke pa. 202. 174. By almes we may redeeme our sinnes and theirs that are in Purgatory also And againe u In thâ— same booke pa. 239. Good workes cleanseth before hand deliuereth the soule from death and lifteth it vp to eternall life And lastly * Ibidem Regard not the iangler that will say good works do not purge sin and winne heauen 14 Last of all to the intent that we should finde more sufficiencie else-where then in Christ they further write x Allen in Fulke pag. 202. The Sacrifices done by vs that are aliue do wipe away the sins of those that be dead Againe y The Popish Doctors The sacrifice of the Masse doth take away the sinnes of the quicke and dead And againe z Allen in Fulke 92. Purgatory paynes doth not onely serue Gods iustice for the punishment of sinne but also cleanseth and quallifieth the soule of man defiled Moreouer a Allen pag. 133 In Purgatory we must be holden from life and libertie till we haue payed the vtmost farthing the toleration of which bonds shall recompence the debt And to knit vp all in a word to the Image of Christ they haue intituled a prayer beginning thus b In a prayer booke O Maker of heauen and earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords which of nothing diddest make mee to thine owne similitude and likenesse and diddest redeeme mee with thy owne bloud whom I a sinner am not worthy to call vpon I desire thee c. And so forwards for all things needefull both for soule and body 15 Wherefore then if the doctrine of the Church of Rome be true namely that Christ by his death and bloudshedding saued vs but from the guilt of that one sinne of Adam and that wee are saued from the malediction of the multitude of all our transgressions by the Popes and their principall Pastours and by the infinite number of true and false Saints and so many names of other means How doe they truely hold that which Saint Peter saith Acts 4.12 Acts 4.12 That among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen whereby we must be saued but onely by the name of Iesus Or which the Prophet Esay in the person of Christ saith 63.3 Esay 63.3 I haue troden the Wine-presse alone and of all people there is none with me Or if Christ cannot or doth not saue without all other or other helpes why then said the Authour to the Hebrews 1.3 Hee hath purged our sinnes by himselfe Hebr. 1.3 Acts 13.39 Or why said Saint Paul thus of Christ Acts 13.39 By him euery one that beleeueth is iustified Or why did the Angell commaund the Virgine to call her Sonne Iesus but because as he said Math. 1.21 Matth. 1.21 He should saue his people from their sinnes If he then he alone and why then should wee seeke for so many he and she Sauiours Wherefore howsoeuer they seeme in the outward letter of the Scriptures to confesse Christ to be the onely Sauiour yet wee see it is none otherwise then they confesse God to bee the onely God which is instead of one to haue many To conclude it is a true consequent that so many Sauiours so many Christs so many Christs so many faiths so many faiths so many baptismes Therefore whether professing one God one Lord Iesus Christ one Faith and one Baptisme after this Antichristian manner be to hold the foundation sound or not soundly and vtterly to ouerthrow the foundation let the Christian Reader iudge as also whether there bee so neere a coniunction in our profession that they and we may be combined and conioyned together to make one and the same true Church of Christ as also whether this be
as much as to say before there was an Vniuersall Pope made and established and consequently a Popish Church many soules were saued in the Romish iurisdiction but afterwards as she saith d Ibidem Both Clergie and Laitie are scattered and runne seuerall waies carried with the immoderate loue of worldly commoditie neyther doe they care a whit for the incommoditie and damage of their soules THE NINTH OBIECTION 32 Besides this the Scriptures teacheth vs plainely that before Antichrist come Henoch and Elias shall returne to oppose themselues against him and in the end shall conuert the Iewes Malachi 4. Eccle. 4.8 Matth. 17. Apocca 11. But we see not this poynt fulfilled to proue the Pope to bee Antichrist THE ANSWERE 33 Here to blind the eyes of the ignorant he telleth them a tale of a tubbe to wit that before Antichrist come Henoch and Elias shal returne to oppose themselues against him and shall conuert the Iewes and for proofe hee citeth foure places of Scripture of which if any one of them doe proue his Assertion I dare recant all that I haue written For as touching the returne of Henoch there is no such thing mentioned in all the Scriptures and for that Prophecie of Malachi which fore-told of the returne of Elias if we may beleeue our Sauiour Christ that was fulfilled in Saint Iohn Baptist Matth. 11. Where in the 7. Matth. 11.7 verse it is said Iesus began to speake vnto the Multitude of Iohn And in the 13. verse Christ said All the Prophets and the Law prophecied vnto Iohn and if yee will receiue it this is Elias which was to come He that hath eares to heare let him heare And in the tenth verse Matth. 11.10 hee declareth Iohn to be the same Elias which the Prophet Malachi in that fourth Chapter which Bellarmine citeth fore-told should come in that he there repeateth the verie words of Malachie And hereby our Sauiour Christ confuted that erronious opinion of the Iewes Matth. 17.10 who thought that Elias should returne into the world in his owne proper person as the Papists doe at this day Also by these words of Saint Luke spoken of Iohn Luke 1.17 He shall goe before him to wit Christ in the spirit and power of Elias is plainely confuted that erronious opinion of some of the Rabbines who held that Elias should rise eyther in his owne bodie or his soule to enter into some other bodie in that hee sheweth him to returne onely in power and spirit in the person of Iohn Baptist And as touching the calling of the Iewes by Enoch and Elias forasmuch as no place in all the Scripture doth shew the returne of Enoch and that Saint Iohn Baptist was onely that same Elias that the Prophets fore-told should come it is cleare the Iewes shall not be conuerted by them Rom. 11.11 ver And the rather because Saint Paul declareth Romans 11.11 verse that their conuertion shall be by the Christian Gentiles and that Erasmus writing vpon the same place Erasmus Paraf declareth that when the fulnesse of the Gentiles be come into the Christian Church and all be of one Religion the Iewes onely excluded they will storme and rage at the Christians for a while but ere long will ioyne themselues vnto them therefore they shall bee conuerted by the Christians and not by Enoch and Elias Wherefore what prophecie is there yet to be fulfilled that should proue the great Antichrist not yet come or what one sound argument hath Bellarmine made to proue the Pope not to be the same THE TENTH and last OBIECTION 34 This Obiection is to proue the day of Iudgement a day certaine to be knowne of man which because our Sauiour as he was man said was vncertaine to himselfe I leaue to meddle with that matter but whensoeuer it doth come I doubt it will come too soone for Bellarmine and all that are led by him to cleaue vnto the Beast of Rome as may appeare in the 14 Chapter of the Rouelation where it is thus written Reuelat. 14.9 10 11. If any man worship the Beast and his Image and receiue his marke in his fore-head or on his hand the same shall drinke of the Wine of the wrath of God yea of the pure wine which is powred into the Cup of his wrath and he shall bee tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and before the Lambe and the smoake of their torments shall ascend euermore and they shall haue no rest day nor night which worship the Beast and his Image and whosoeuer receiueth the Print of his name And this is it which their Saint Bridgit cannonized for a Saint by Pope Boniface the ninth saith of the Popes their Prelates and all that are seduced by them e Bridgit in her first Booke 41. Chap. In stead of honour they shall haue eternall shame and confusion and looke how high they haue ascended aboue others through pride as low shall they be brought vnder others in Hell Their members that is to say saith she all their followers and fauourers shall be cut off disioynted and pulled in peeces like vnto a wall that is casting downe wherein is not left one stone standing vpon another neyther shall my loue and mercie euer warme them nor build them vp againe into eternall mansion in the Heauens but they with their heads secluded from all good comfort shall be tormented eternally Wherefore it behoueth euery man as he tendereth his owne saluation to turne from Poperie in time lest dying therein he be vtterly depriued of eternall saluation And thus much for answere to these Obrections for the clearing the Pope from being Antichrist Now it remaineth in the next chapter to answer the other Obiections which deny Christian Rome now in her latter dayes to be that Babylon the seate of Antichrist which the Angel in the 17. Chapter of the Reuelation Reuela 1 l. and 18. Chap. calleth the Mother of Whordemes and abominations of the earth And which the other Angell in the eighteenth Chapter saith Is falne and become the habitation of Deuils the hold of all foule spirits and Cage of euery vncleane and hatefull Bird. CHAP. III. Tending to resolue all men that Christian Rome now in her latter daies is that Babylon the seate of Antichrist which the Angel in the 17. Chapter of the Reuelation calleth the Mother of Whordomes and abominations of the Earth And which the other Angell in the 18. Chapter saith is falne and become the habitation of Deuils the hold of all foule spirits and cage of euery vncleane and hatefull Bird. 1 WHosoeuer wil diligently pervse the thirteenth Chapter of the Reuelation Reuela 13.1 2. shall euidently perceiue that Romish Babylon is described by two manner of Beasts the one corporall the other spirituall The corporall Beast is disciphered by the similitude of an vgly Monster beeing in shape like vnto a Leopard his feet like Beares feete and his mouth
the fifth Section in that when as Eulogius Bishop of Alexandria offered to Gregory in the superscription of his Letters the title of vniuersall Pope Gregory not onely flowted him for his folly but also besought his holinesse to offer it him no more for that as he said it was a title beyond all reason to be giuen to any 15 The first that I find that went about to arrogate vnto himselfe the Title of Pope The first that souâ—ht to bring in the name Pope was Leo Bishop of Rome as may appeare in that his Legates in the Councell of Chalceden contended both for the title and authority howbeit they were withstood by the whole Councell and decreed against as I shall proue in the 19. Section of the 8. Chapter 16 Well then all things being made cleare that before there was a Church planted at Rome there was a Christian Church which had then none other vniuersall head but Christ and that seeing the Church which wee haue now doth acknowledge none other head who can iustly denie our Church to be a true member of the most ancient Apostolique Church Againe forasmuch as the matter is made as apparant that the Church planted afterwards by Peter and Paul for by both of them was the Romish Church planted to Gregories dayes to wit to the yeere of Christ 605. did not approue nor tollerate any other vniuersall head who can denie the Church of Rome during that time to be a fellow member with our Church of the most ancient Catholique Church 17 But now albeit we haue proued that for want of an vniuersall Pope to be head so many hundred yeeres there could be no body or Popish Church yet forasmuch as we see that there is now such a Church and know also that it hath beene of long continuance it resteth that in the next Chapter we shew both when it first began how far and wide it did extend it selfe and how ignorantly many haue dealt in their writings to giue that title of Popish Gouernours to the successours of Saint Peter calling them Popes and more wickedly the Papists in calling them vniuersall Popes to the horrible deluding of the multitude in making them to beleeue that the Popish Church and the Church which Saint Peter planted in Rome were both one and the same which if it be true then was the founder thereof Antichrist for so saith their Saint Bernard the Pope is And so saith their Ioacham the Abbot And so saith their Auentine and so saith Gregory the Great And so saith their Saint Vincent and proueth Boniface the third to be the head as the other and diuers moe proueth his successours to be his incorporate body as appeareth in our second Chapter and as now in the next Chapter we shall more largely proue CHAP. VI. Tending to resolue all men that the Popish Church and the succession of singular vniuersall Popes had their first beginning but in the yeere of Christ 607. and that also from that time that they had a Church wee had a Church continually among them till about 20. yeeres before Luthers time And as before they had a Church which did extend it selfe farre and wide so euen then and at all times in other parts of Christendome as in Asia Affrica Macedonia Misia Valachia Russia Muschouia c. we had as great a Church as they if not greater Which being proued both their antiquity vniuersality and succession of vniuersall Popes will proue but a fond fable and a meere illusion of Antichrist 1 THE Papists haue of long time borne the World in hand that we had no Church before Luthers time howbeit as we proued in the former Chap. by sufficient testimonies that for the first 606. yeeres next after Christ they had no Church so will we now God willing in this Chapter proue that their Church had her first beginning but in the yeere of Christ 607. Note therefore Christian Reader what their Writer Vrspergensis saith his words be these a Vrspergensis in Phoca At the request and suite of Pope Boniface the Emperour Phocas appointed the Sea of the Apostolike Church of Rome to be head of all Churches Also their Writer Sabellicus saith b Sabellicus Ennead 8. l. 6. Pope Boniface the third at the first enterance into his office was an earnest suâ—ter vnto the Emperour Phocas that the Church of Rome might be head of all Churches which thing hardly and with great labour was granted to the Apostolique Sea of Rome Now Christian Reader iudge thou how true it is like to be that the Church of Rome had preeminence from Saint Peters time seeing it is granted vnto her but now in the yeere of Christ 607. as also the Popes owne Decretall and Platina doth witnesse as we shewed in the former Chapter Wherefore the Bishop of Rome being now in this yeere first made and established vniuersall Father of all Christian Bishops and Rome the mother of all Christian Churches it is cleare that in this yeere of Christ their Church first began For as before Christ was there could be no Christian Church so before there was an vniuersall Pope there could be no Popish Church But now an vniuersall Pope being made and established supreame head of the Church they may be bold to say they haue a Church and we may be as bold to say that from this yeere of Christ and no further they may demand of vs where our Church was to Luthers time and also to answere them The head of Antichrist and the body of Antichrist that so much of it as was comprehended within the Romish iurisdiction was from thence first vnder this head of Antichrist Boniface after him vnder this his incorporate body of Popes Boniface 2. Popes Callender Vitalius 1. Iohn 3. Steuen 2. Dusdedit 1. Deodatus 1. Iohn 4. Hadrian 1. Boniface 3. Domnus 1. Sisinus 1. Leo 2. Honorius 1. Agatho 1. Constantinus 1. Steuen 3. Seuerinus 1. Leo 1. Gregory 1. Paschalis 1. Iohn 1. Benedict 1. Gregory 2. Eugenius 2. Theodore 1. Iohn 2. Zacharie 1. Valentine 1. Martin 1. Cuno 1. Steuen 1. Gregory 3. Eugenius 1. Sergius 1. Paul 1. Sergius 2. Leo 3. Iohn 10. Honorius 2. Bonifacius 6. Benedict 2. Domnus 2. Inocentius 1. Benedict 8. Nicolas 1. Benedict 4. Calestinus 1. Clement 4. Hadrian 2. Boniface 5. Lucius 1. Iohn 18. Iohn 5. Benedict 5. Eugenius 3. Benedict 9. Martinus 2. Iohn 11. Anastatius 2. Clement 5. Hadrian 3. Iohn 12. Hadrian 4. Inocentius 5. Steuen 4. Iohn 13. Alexander 2. Vrbanus 4. Formosus 1. Gregory 4. Lucius 2. Gregory 10. Bonifacius 4. Siluester 1. Vrbanus 2. Vrbanus 5. Steuen 5. Iohn 14. Gregory 7. Boniface 7. Romane 1. Iohn 15. Clement 2. Inocentius 6. Theodore 2. Sergius 4. Calestinus 2. Gregory 11. Iohn 6. Benedict 6. Innocentius 2. Alexander 4. Benedict 3. Iohn 16. Honorius 3. Iohn 19. Leo 4. Benedict 7. Gregory 8. Martin 5. Christopher 1. Gregory 5. Calestinus 3. Eugenius 4. Sergius 3. Clement
the Church hath none other head but Christ yea as well that part that is Millitant as that that is Triumphant and both together because they both make but one Church And therefore writing to the Church of Corinth in his 2 Epistle 11. chapter 2. verse he said thus vnto her I haue prepared you for one husband to present you a pure Virgin to Christ And to the intent that all might know that the Church Triumphant and the Church Millitant hath both but one and the same head hee writing to the Church of Ephesus chapter 1.20.21.22.23 said thus vnto them of Christ God hath set him at his right hand in heauenly places farre aboue all principalitie and power and might and domination and euery Name that is named not in this world onely but also in that that is to come And hath made all things subiect vnder his feete and hath giuen him ouer all things to be the head of the Church which is his body euen the fulnesse of him that filleth all in all things And to the Colossians chapter 1. verses 16.17.18 thus For by him were all things created which are in heauen and which are in earth things visible and inuisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him And hee is before all things and in him all things consist And hee is the head of the body of the Church hee is the beginning and the first begotten of the dead that in all things hee might haue the preeminence for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulnesse dwell By which it is manifest Christ Iesus alone is the head of the whole Church The Pope cannot claime antiquity of Bishopricke from Peter because Peter was not the first bishop but Iames. and not Peter and therefore the Pope cannot rightly claime the vniuersall headship from him If Peter had beene the supreame head of the Church why was hee not then the first Bishop of the Church but agreed with Iames and Iohn to make Iames the Iust the first Bishop as Clement the first witnesseth in these words * Clement lib. 6. Hypotip Ierusalem the most ancient mother church and not Rome Peter Iames and Iohn after the Assumption of our Sauiour challenged not this prerogatiue vnto themselues but appoynted Iames the Iust Bishop of Ierusalem And as these words of Clement proue Peter not to be the first Bishop so doe they proue Rome not to be the first Church where the first Apostolicall Bishop was placed but Ierusalem therefore not Rome but Ierusalem must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church 14 That must needes be the most auncient Apostolike Church whose ministers Christ himselfe appointed the Apostles first to be which was the Church of Iewrie as appeareth by S. Mathew chap. 10.5.6 where after he had repeated the names of the twelue Apostles which Christ had chosen said These twelue did Iesus send forth and commanded them saying Goe not into the way of the Gentiles and into the Cities of the Samaritans enter yee not but goe yee rather to the lost sheepe of the bouse of Israell Therefore the Church of Ierusalem was the most auncient Apostolike Church and not the Church of Rome which was the chiefe of the Gentiles 15 Againe that Church must needes be the Mother of the most auncient Catholique hâ—urch in which Christ himselfe first planted the Faith and Religion which should be Catholique and by the meanes of whose Ministers the Catholique Church should receiue it which Faith and Religion Saint Mathew chap. 26.55 and Saint Luke chap. 21.37.38 witnesseth Christ taught vnto the people daily in the Temple of Ierusalem and commaunded her Ministers the Apostles to publish the same afterwards to the vniuersall world Mathew 28.19.20 therefore Ierusalem and not Rome is the Mother of the most auncient Catholique Church 16 MoreoueÌ„r There was no Romish Church at all 14. yeeres after Peter was called to be an Apostle Ierusalem must needs be the mother Church of all Christian Nations for that in her all the Apostles receiued the holy Ghost and the gifts of tougues that euery Nation might be taught by them in their owne language what to beleeue and doe to be saued the which they had largely put in practise during well-neere foureteene yeeres immediately after their calling before Peter came to Rome For they cannot denie but that Peter came not to Rome till the second yeere of Cladius the Emperour which was in the yeere of Christ his incarnation 44. Before which time Peter planted many Churches in diuers Coasts For themselues affirme in their Rozarie that before he came to Rome hee spent his time preaching in Iewry Syria Antiochia and other places Many Churches were planted in the world before Peter came to Rome Therefore seeing that besides those other Churches which were planted by the rest of the Apostles Peter planted many before he planted a Church at Rome it is cleare that when as he had planted a Church in Rome shee could be but one of the Daughters and not the Mother of the most ancient Catholique and Apostolike Church 17 Lastly it must needs be the most ancient Church and the Mother of all the Churches Millitant from which the Church Triumphant hath her name deriued but Saint Paul Galathians 4 and Saint Iohn Reuelations 21. sheweth her name to be deriued from Ierusalem therefore Ierusalem and not Rome was the Mother of all Christian Churches Millitant That is to say the onely figure of the vniuersall Mother for as Saint Matthew Chapter 23.9 sheweth the vniuersall Father to be not in earth but in Heauen so Saint Paul Galathians 4.26 sheweth the vniuersall Mother not to be in earth That must needs be the most anâ—iâ—nt Church Millitant troÌ„ which the Church Triumphant hath her name derâ—ued but in Heauen 18 And now Christian Reader as wee shewed thee at large in our fifth Chapter that before the yeere of Christ 607. there was no Popish Church in Rome and here that before the yeere of Christs incarnation 44. there was no Romish Church at all so will we now shew thee more plainly that after there was a Romish Church and that shee was become most famous for her Faith and Religion that yet euen then shee was not the Mother but a Daughter not the head but a chiefe member of the Apostolike and Catholike Church Tertullian who liued in the next age after the Apostles wrote thus b Tertul. de praescription centra Haereticos Runne ouer and behold the Apostolique Churches whereas the Apostles Chaires are yet still continued and whereas the Authenticall writings of the Apostles are pronounced sounding out the voyce and representing the face of each one of them The next Countrey to you is Achaia There haue you the Church of Corinth If ye be not farre from Macedonia there haue you the Church of Philippi and the Church of Thessalonica If ye may goe
Corint 1. 1. Cor. 1.30 saith also thus of Christ God hath made him vnto vs wisedome and righteousnesse and sanctification and redemption that according as it is written Hee that reioyceth let him reioyce in the Lord. But it seemeth that Cardinall Allen liketh not of this kinde of reioycing for as we heard before hee cheareth vp his Chickens to reioyce in their owne righteousnesse assuring them that that is it which before hand in this life maketh sure worke for the purging of sinne and after this life for the deliuering the soule from death and for lifting it vp into euerlasting life And therefore if their doctrine be true they haue as great cause to reioyce in their owne strength of saluation as in all whatsoeuer Christ hath done for the strength of mans saluation and in themselues as in the Lord. Neuerthelesse besides this which wee haue already alleadged our Sauiour himselfe hath stricken downe their proude peacockes tayle in saying Luke 17. Luke 17.10 Matth. 25.30 When yee haue done all those things which are commaunded you say we are vnprofitable seruants And Mathew 25. Cast therefore that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenesse there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth Shewing plainely what is our due by our owne deseruings And thus much by proofe of Scripture concerning this poynt also Now let vs heare the auntient Fathers 22 Saint Bernard saith a Bernard in his booke of Free-will Who is he that is ignorant of the righteousnesse of God He that iustifieth himselfe Who is hee that iustifieth himselfe He that presumeth of merites any other where than of the grace of God Saint Augustine saith b Augustine in his Booke of Predestination of Saints the 1. chapter I do confesse that I am grieued that there is no place giuen to so many and manifest authorities of Gods word whereby the grace of God is commended which is vtterly no grace if it be giuen for our merites Saint Bernard againe saith c Bernard 67. sermon vpon the Canticles There is no meane for grace to enter where merites keepeth and occupieth place Therefore saith Saint Augustine d Augustine 31. psalme If thou wilt be a stranger from the grace of God boast thou of thine owne merites Againe he saith e Vpon the 70 psalme Thou art nothing of thy selfe call vpon God thy sinnes are thine owne merites are of God punishment is due vnto thee Whereby wee see all our iustifiers condemned First of ignorance Secondly of presumption Thirdly of blasphemy in making grace no grace by affirming it to be giuen vnto vs for our merites Fourthly of most palpable peruersenesse by thrusting in their corrupt merites whereby the grace of God is vtterly excluded out of the worke of iustification Fiftly by boasting and bringing in their merites into the worke of iustification they haue thrust themselues out of the fauor of God Lastly for that they dare stand out with God to claime remission of sins and eternall life by their merites and to seeme vnto themselues to be that which they are not such as vnto whom by desert the kingdome of heauen is due they shall receiue their due which as Saint Augustine saith is punishment to wit destruction both of soule and body And therefore how true it is that they will either be saued by that meanes whereby they shall be condemned or else they will not be saued let the Reader iudge 23 Saint Augustine reprouing such Heretiques as would looke to be rewarded with euerlasting life for their merites said thus vnto them f Augustine 70 psalme When the reward shall come he will crowne his owne gifts not thy merites That is after wee haue gotten possession of heauen by the onely meanes of faith then according to the measure of grace which God did giue to euery man in this life to worke his will and to set forth his glory hee will crowne them with degrees of glory Luke 19. And this is it which Saint Paul saith 2 Cor. 5 We must all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ that euery man may receiue the things that hee hath done in his body according to that hee hath done whether it be good or euill At which time Saint Augustine saith g August in his Booke of the Spirit and the Letter Cha. 33. God will crowne with fauour and mercy that shall be done at the last iudgement whereas when the iust King shall sit in his Throne to render to euery man according to his workes who shall boast that hee is cleane from sinne or who shall boast that his heart is chaste Therefore saith he it was needfull to make mention of the mercy of our Lord. Indeed he may well say God will then crowne with fauour and mercy and not according to our deserts For whereas that iust man Iob Chapter 9. saith thus of man If God should dispute with him he could not answere him one thing for a thousand yet at the day of iudgement as plainely appeareth in Saint Matthew 25. the Lord will repeate the things which the faithfull had well done not once mentioning any one thing they had ill done were the actions neuer so vile And there also in that Chapter is plainely demonstrated vnto vs what sort of Christians shall be saued and what sort damned Those that shall be saued doe vtterly disclaime their owne righteousnesse and those that shall be damned doe iustifie themselues by challenging to themselues the performing of all those Christian duties which Christ required to be done to his members Now therefore Christian Reader be thou iudge of which of these two sorts the Papists are Also in that Chapter is plainely declared that men are not saued by the bare name of faith but by the true faith that hath the true fruites 24 They will not in any case be saued by that way whereby we seeke to be saued namely by endeauouring to the vtter most of our powers to obserue and doe all whatsoeuer we are commanded and then when wee haue done our best ro confesse the truth against our selues that we are vnprofitable seruants as our Sauiour himselfe commanded and to relie wholly vpon the mercy of God in Christ but they will be saued by fulfilling the Commandements or else they will not be saued Neither will they doe their good workes to the end whereunto God ordained and appointed them to be done as we doe First to shew our loue to God in walking as it becommeth his children Iohn 14.15 Secondly by them to glorifie God Matthew 5.16 Iohn 15 8. Thirdly to make our election certaine to our selues 2 Peter 1.10 Fourthly to winne others to Christ by our godly conuersation 1 Peter 3.1 Lastly to assure our selues for certaine that by hauing the true fruits of the true faith wee haue that faith whereby we shall be saued Iames 2.14 But they will doe their good workes first to purge their owne sinne Secondly by the ouerplus of good workes to purge