PAPISTS NO CATHOLICKS AND POPERY NO Christianity H B LONDON Printed for the AUTHOR 1677. Imprimatur G. JANE R.P.D. Hen. Episc. Lond. à sac dom Jan. 10. 1676 7. TO THE Christian Reader THe Council of Trent confirmed by the Pope is the Chief Oracle of the Church of Rome From it she receives all Doctrines necessary to be believed unto Salvation Romish Catholiques hold it for a principle That whatsoever is delivered therein for Doctrine is an Article of Faith and must stedfastly be believed upon pain of Damnation He that doth not is pronounced an Heretick and is made liable to their supposed Curse What little reason there is that Papists should yield such blind obedience to that Council may appear by this plain and true Testimony which was given thereunto by a Bishop an eminent member of that Church and Council who was present thereat which is as followeth ANDREAS DVDITHIVS Bishop of Quinquecclesisiae and Embassador in the Council of Trent for Maximilian II. Emperor In an Epistle to the said Emperor wherein he delivers his Judgment about granting the Cup to the Laity and the Marriage of Priests writes thus of the Council of Trent WHat good could be done in that Council where voices were taken by number not by weight If argument if reason might have prevailed if we had had some and those not many to take part with us though we should have been but a few yet had we overthrown the great forces of our Adversaries But when all stood upon number wherein we were much inferior we could not get the better the Pope was able to set an hundred of his against every one of ours And if an hundred were not sufficient he could upon a sudden have created a thousand to succour them that were ready to faint and perish Therefore we might see every day hungry and needy Bishops and those for the most part beardless yonkers and wastfully riotous come in flocks to Trent hired to give their voices according to the Popes humour unlearned indeed and foolish but of good use to him for their audaciousness and impudency When these fellows were joined to the Popes old flatterers then Iniquity got the upper hand and triumphed neither could any thing be decreed but according to their liking who thought it the highest point of Religion to defend the power and riot of the Pope There was in the Council a grave and learned man who could not endure this indignity but the Council by terror threatning and baiting him as one that was 〈◊〉 good Catholick drew him to yield to that which he did no way like of In a word things are brought to that pass by their dishonesty who came thither prepared and made for the nonce that it seemed to be a Council not of Bishops but of Puppies not of Men but of Images who as it is reported of Daedalus statues were moved not by their own but by other mens nerves and muscles Those hireling Bishops most of them were like Country Bag-pipes which must have breath blown into them before they can sound The Holy Ghost had nothing to do with that Conventicle all things were argued by humane policy which was wholly employed in maintaining the immoderate and indeed most shameless Lordship and Domination of the Popes From thence were Answers looked and waited for as it were from the Oracles of Delphos or Dodona From thence the Holy Ghost who as they brag is President of their Council was sent shut up in the Carriers budgets and packs who a thing worthy to be laught at when the waters were up as it falls out many times was fain to stay till they were down again before he could repair to the Council By this it came to pass that the Spirit was not carried upon the waters as in Genesis but along beside the waters O monstrous and incredible madness nothing that the Bishops as it were the body of the Church resolved of could be of any force unless it came first from the Pope as the head of the body The Popish Faith is Pius Quartus his Creed at Trent so that we may justly demand of Papists where was their Religion before Trent which was since Luther HATH not the Church of Rome the Lords Prayer Yes except the Doxology Wherein doth she differ from the Reformed Church in that great Duty of Prayer The Reformed Church placeth the virtue of Prayer in Faith grounded upon the Promise of God But the Romish Religion confines the virtue of Prayer to several repetitions of the same words by count and in a Language the people understand not And that if one Pater Noster or Ave Maria be neglected once and the prescribed number be not fully compleated then all the merit of that Prayer is lost Which is as scandalously opposite as if it were done in a meer despight against the express order of the great Apostle St. Paul in his Epistle to the Corinthians especially from the 13. to the 17. verse Whereas their own Aquinas and Lyra both confess that the common Service of the Church in the Primitive times was in the common Language and the Christians of Dalmatia Habassia Armenia Muscovia Russia and the Reformed parts of Christendom have the service of God in their vulgar tongue Hath not the Church of Rome the Creed Yes But their Popes have besides at Trent coined a great number of new Articles of Faith the Author to the Preface to Bishop Jewels works and Doctor Sharp's Looking-glass for the Pope page 271. reduces them to 12. and published by Pius Quartus with straight charge to be received of all men upon peril of Salvation Nor doth the Pope only dare to make and impose new Articles of Faith upon the People but most impiously to detract from and alter the very X Commandments of the Lord Jehovah Witness their Decalogue so often published by the Church of Rome which is as follows 1. I am the Lord thy God thou shalt have no other Gods but me 2. Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain 3. Remember to sanctifie the Sabbath day 4. Honour thy Father and Mother 5. Thou shalt not kill 6. Thou shalt not commit adultery 7. Thou shalt not steal 8. Thou shalt not bear false witness 9. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours wife 10. Thou shalt not desire thy neighbours goods Wherein the second Commandement is not only left out as it is usually in their Psalm-books and Catechisms because it perfectly condemns their Idolatry But they divide the tenth Commandement into two whereas the holy Ghost foreseeing the Abominations of Antichrist in the last days was pleased by way of anticipation to place Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house before that of Thy neighbours wife in Exodus and in the fifth of Deuteronomy in the tenth Commandement thereto place thy neighbours wife first before thy neighbours house so that the Bibles printed among themselves will
publick Rules which cannot consist with the Doctrine of Salvation Obj. But do not Protestants hold a Papist may be saved Ans. We say as a man that hath the Plague may live but not by the Plague so Popery being the bane of Christianity and enmity to mans salvation those that are saved among them must be saved from Popery not by it As famous Bishop Jewel Def. Apol. Par. c. 22. Div. 1. saith If we should content our selves to turn to the Pope and to his errors we should kindle Gods wrath against us and clog and condemn our souls for ever And in another place he saith so the case stood that unless we left the Pope we could not come to Christ. And Doctor Broughton God can save a man at the last but as Gods word is infallible so said he if a man lives and dyes in the faith of all the Articles of the Council of Trent he cannot be saved Doctor Reynolds another shining light of the University of Oxford in his Verses upon the third Conclusion handled in the Schools November 3. 1579. saith If that ye seek eternal life see that you Rome forsake Doctor Whitaker a man for his learning and judgment approved of the Churches of Christ abroad and of this of England We say saith he that the Church of Rome must be forsaken of all men that desire to be saved And a little after he adds That there can be no salvation hoped for in the Church of Rome D. Whitaker de Eccles. cont qu. 6. cap. 1. Mr. Perkins in his Reformed Cathol in the Prolog Sect. saith That all those that will be saved must depart and separate from the Faith and Religion of the present Church of Rome He also writ a Treatise to prove a Papist cannot go beyond a Reprobate the same do all Protestants affirm of all those in whom Popery is predominant practically and overcometh Christianity Here is the Judgment of those Learned Divines and therein the consent of both the Universities Oxford and Cambridge For their Books especially the three last were allowed for Printing by the Principal Doctors of the several Universities then Resident in them Nor is it to be taken for the Judgment of the Universities only but also of the whole Church as it appears evidently by the continuance of it from time to time in the writings of those famous learned men successively one after another It was divers years proclaimed openly in the Publick Schools by Dr. Reynolds ratified afterwards by Dr. Whitaker in his Publick Lectures of Divinity and confirmed by Mr. Perkins and by every one of these published in print with the approbation of our Church and State And this hath been the judgment and practice of the Churches of God in all Protestant Countries for the space of more then an hundred years to declare and testifie our separation from the Church of Rome in respect of Faith and Religion to be a matter of absolute necessity especially if we consider that every Parish throughout the whole Land is enjoined to have the Book of Bishop Jewel with the rest of his works in their several Churches for all men to read and that they were all new printed to that end Obj. Though that might be the Judgment of the Church of England in this case yet what is the sentiment of the Church of Ireland of the Religion of the Church of Rome Ans. Doctor Downham Bishop of London-derry in his Sermon Preached before the Lord Deputy of Ireland and the whole State April 22. Anno 1627. having taken for his Text Luke 1. 74. In the midst of his Sermon openly read the Protestation subscribed by the Archbishop and all the Bishops of that Kingdom That 1. The Religion of the Papists i. e. of Rome is Superstitious and Idolatrous 2. Their Faith and Doctrine Erroneous and Heretical 3. Their Church in respect of both Apostatical To sell them therefore a Toleration is to set Religion to sale and with that their Souls which Christ redeemed with his precious blood To give them Toleration is to make our selves accessary to their Abominations and to the damnation of their Souls Obj. Hath not the Church of Rome the testimony of the Fathers on her behalf Ans. I shall answer this concerning Rome as contradistinct from the Reformed Churches of Christ with the saying of a worthy Divine That Roma nihil aliud quam vitia Patrum retinet Rome retains nothing but the errors of the Fathers Obj. But hath not the Church of Rome had a long continued peace and prosperity whereas the Reformed Churches have been still most of them in troubles and afflictions Ans. 'T is true the Church of Christ is sometimes fluctuant as the Ark of Noah sometimes moveable as the Ark in the Wilderness and sometimes at rest as the Ark in the Temple In persecution removes in peace having this Motto Premimur non opprimimum But the Popish Church though she saith in her heart I sit a Queen and am no Widow and shall see no sorrow therefore shall her plagues come in one day death mourning and famine and she shall be utterly burnt with fire for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her As she hath fallen culpably so shall she fall penally like that of Jericho which can never be re-edified as Sybilla long since foretold Tota eris in cineres quasi nunquam Roma fuisses When the Wars began in Germany Anno 1619. A massy stone fell down upon a great brass Image of St. Peter that had Tu es Petrus c. fairly embossed upon it standing in St. Peters Church in Rome and so shattered it to pieces that not a letter of that sentence whereon Rome founds her claim was left whole to be read saving this one piece of the sentence aedificabo Ecclesiam meam I will build my Church This was left fair and entire Obj. But are not those of the Church of Rome true Catholicks Ans. Christians were termed Catholicks ex obedientiae omnium mandatorum Dei From their Obedience to the whole Faith of Christ in Doctrine and Manners And he that wilfully offends in one is guilty of all and therefore they that through nesarious pride forsake and contumeliously reject or prophanely alter any point of the Orthodoxal Faith or audaciously add any thing thereunto are not to be reputed Catholicks but rather Antichrists Obj. Wherein doth the Church of Rome directly contradict oppose or alter the express word of God Ans. In many more particulars I shall instance a few First They worship Angels contrary to the express prohibition of Saint Paul Col. 11. 2. Secondly They adore the Cross and the figure of it with adoration of Latria which is the term whereby the soveraign Adoration wherewith they adore God is expressed which is directly and formally against the express words of our Lord Jesus Christ Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve Thirdly They make graven Images and
people But the Church of Rome endeavours to keep the people in ignorance especially in the business of Religion and therefore forbids them the use of the Scriptures giving them service in an unknown tongue amusing them with Images exterior ornaments and addresses the people to where they know nothing giving them undiscernable marks as the succession of Chairs whereof some are more antient than that of Rome and their successions imbroiled with many interruptions and contradictions in History The Ministers of the Reformed Church will be judged by the word of God but the Priests of the Romish Church will be judges of the word of God which argues their guilt for when they are accused of Heresies and Blasphemies they will be themselves judge of this question and consequently will be both judge and party The Protestant Ministers have a charge and calling the institution whereof is found in the holy Scripture for the word of God speaks oftentimes of Pastors Doctors and Ministers This being as clear as the day the calling of the Priests of Rome falls necessarily to the ground and is of no use for in the Ordination of their Priests they are not charged to preach the Gospel But they are expresly established to be sacrifiers of the body of Jesus Christ which is an Imaginary Charge never established by Jesus Christ nor practized by the Apostles and whereof there is not any one word in all the New Testament And yet these are they which question others concerning their Calling whereas there is not any word of the sacrifiers of the body of Christ. The Reformed Church in the Sacrament of the Eucharist indeavours to raise up mans heart to Jesus Christ which is in heaven But that of Rome abaseth Jesus Christ and puts him into the hands of men they make their breaden God adore and then eat him up And according to their doctrine Christ did eat his whole self and drink his own body for they will have the body to be in the Cup which is highly scandalous both to Jews and Turks And note in all sacrifices that which is offered must be consecrated and they pretend to sacrifice the body of our Saviour which cannot be consecrated For who can consecrate the Son of God who is he alone that doth consecrate us So then the sacrifice of the Mass doth in this appear to be null And as to their Objection Take eat this is my body It must be either cibus animae vel corporis if bodily food how can it nourish the soul if spiritual how can it enter into the body Besides Deus non potest facere qua naturae suae sunt contraria Now Ambrose resolves this with us and says That Corpus nutritur pane symbolice anima vero corpore Christi Which agrees with the whole scope of the Scripture speaking of it every where in a spiritual sense and â—â—guratively Moreover if Christs Body be really present in the Sacrament as Papists affirm where is the outward visible sign And the Institution of the Eucharist being but to last usque quo venerit until I come If Christ be really corporeally and substantially present in the Sacrament as the Church of Rome teacheth her creatures to believe upon pain of damnation their Transubstantiation is a meer cheat for the Sacrament then ceaseth The Council of Trent also determined that there are neither more or less but just seven Sacraments whereas instead of seven the Romish Church hath thirteen For themselves say That the Sacrament which they call Orders is subdivided into seven which have each of them a particular form and different Ceremonies Vid. The Porters Readers Conjurers Acolytes Subdeacons Deacons and Priests But let them justifie if they can their seven or thirteen pretended Sacraments In the mean time the Reformed Church doth as clearly as the Sun evidence that there are but two and that these two are sufficient seeing one of them which is Baptism is the Sacrament of our spiritual birth and entrance into the Church And the other which is the Eucharist is the Sacrament of our nourishment and growth untill we attain unto the measure of the perfect stature of our Lord Jesus Christ. Besides The Reformed Church hath no Rules which teach Vice But the Romish Religion hath many Rules which teach to disobey God in doing evil Such is the Rule of the Council of Constance That no faith is to be kept with Hereticks Such is the Doctrine which saith The Pope may dispense with Oaths and Vows i. t. may give a man leave to forswear himself and not make good what he hath promised to God Such is the disobedience of Children to their Parents authorized by the Church of Rome when a child enters into a Monastery or Nunnery against his or her Fathers will Such is the allowance of Bawdy-houses for which the Pope receives a Tribute out of Rome it self Such is the revolting of Subjects against their Prince when the Pope dispenseth with them for the allegiance they have sworn to their King Such are the Taxes in the Popes Chancery wherein Letters for absolution are given for every sin at a certain price But offences done against the Pope are always rated higher then sins against God Such is their calling Marriage a great Sacrament that it might appertain to the Church and thus take from secular Judges the cognizance of cases matrimonial Such is the order of Canonists and Scholasticks which they have set up against the power of the Civil Law which antiently maintained the power of the Emperor and Princes and they have confirmed those Canonists and their Decretals to be unquestionable thus as much as in them lies to annihilate the authority of the holy Scriptures Such are their plae fraudes pia mendacia their aequivocations their godly deceits and lies as are made and told for the advancement of Religion and to stir up Devotion Hence they bely their Adversaries in their Lives Doctrine and Deaths as we know in Luther Calvin Beza Bishop King and others Hence they counterfeit false Fathers and by their Index Expurgatorius make the true ones speak as they list and thrust thousands of lies on the poor people as the history of Loretto the Dalmatian Priest who having his bowels plucked out of his body by the Turks took his guts in his hand if we will believe it and went many days to Loretto and there was cured They also abuse the credulous people by their Legends in Latin English and other Languages That the power of St. Patricks prayer as they write made a sheep bleat in the belly of him that stole it and of an Heretick who was converted by seeing St. Anthonies horse worship the Host with innumerable like ridiculous fopperies Obj. But may not bad actions happen in a good Religion Ans. This of the Church of Rome is not only a malady of manners and these examples are not only bad actions but they are prescribed Laws and
resemblances of things in Heaven and bow down to them and worship them beside they make Images of God himself and represent him both in carved work and painting which are used in their Churches and are received almost everywhere as Bellarmin confesseth in lib. 2. of Images c. 8. And is not this contrary to this Law which God himself uttered with his own mouth and wrote with his own finger Thou shalt not make to thy self any graven Image nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above thou shalt not bow down to them nor worship them and also contrary to what God expressly forbids in Deut. 4. and Isay chap. 40. And this they audaciously do notwithstanding the penalty that is added to such Vid. Confounded be all they that worship carved Images Psalm 97. 7. Fourthly The Romish Church commands under pretence of Religion on certain days to abstain from certain meats and forbids Marriage to Priests and thus directly opposes St. Paul and expresly teaches what this great Apostle calls a doctrine of devils Col. 2. 2 Cor. 10. 2 Tim. 4. 1 2 3. Fifthly The Popish Church professes to believe that Jesus Christ is on earth in respect of his humane nature which is contrary to what he himself saith in St. John ch 18. 16. and contrary to the express words of St. Peter Acts 3. That the Heaven must receive him until the times of the restitution of all things Sixthly The Romish Church teaches that Christ is offered often in the Sacrament of the Ma's which directly contradicts the Apostle who expresly saith and without exception That he is not offered often Seventhly Papists teach the Mass is an unbloody sacrifice and yet propitiatory for the remission of the sins of the quick and dead which directly opposeth the Apostle who saith in express words without shedding of blood there is no remission And where there is remission of sins there is no more offering for sin but in the sacrifice which Jesus Christ offered to God on the Cross there is remission of sin therefore there is no more offering for sin and consequently it is false that the Mass is an offering for sin and a propitiatory sacrifice Eighthly Our Lord Jesus Christ in the Institution of his holy Supper presents the Cup to all those to whom he had distributed the bread saying to them Drink ye all of this c. But the Church of Rome forbids the people the use of the Cup of the Lord and therefore directly and formally opposeth our Lord Christ and his Apostle St. Paul who ordains in express words Let a man examine himself and so let him drink of that Cup. Papists believe and teach that the Souls of those that dye in the Lord are tormented after this life in a fire which they call Purgatory which is directly contrary to the Holy Ghost who declares in express terms that Blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the Spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works do follow them and against the express words of the book of Wisdom which was Canonized by Trent Council The souls of the just are in the hand of God and no torment shall touch them The Popish Church ordains a prodigious number of Festivals against the express clause of that Law which the Soveraign Law-giver hath given Six days shalt thou labour whence we argue thus Whosoever forbids people to work six days of the week on pain of a mortal sin doth manifestly set himself above God who expresly permits us to work six days But the Pope and his Prelates do forbid people to work six days of the week on pain of a mortal sin Therefore the Pope and his Prelates do manifestly set themselves above God Papists say that the works of regenerate men are Christs works in them not their own and as Christs they save and so are saved by Christs merits Whereas St. Paul saith we are not saved by such works as God hath ordained regenerate men should walk in Eph. 2.10 And St. Paul opposeth all works done in matter of Justification and Salvation to the Grace of Christ Rom. 11.6 Phil. 3.8 Rom. 3. 27. This their finest web being so clearly cut in sunder by those plain texts they grosly dare avouch and teach that a man is saved by works and can merit the eternal felicity of Heaven and degrees of glory and bliss and thus directly fight against the doctrine of the Son of God and of his blessed Apostles Luke 17. When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do And Ephes. 2. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of works lest any man should boast And in Rom. 6.11 The wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. And if it be by grace then it is no more of works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then it is no more of grace otherwise work is no more work And thus Papists works become not only unprofitable unto them but plainly damnable yea and blasphemous because they ruinate the very foundation of our faith and make frustrate the all and alone sufficient sacrifice of our Redemption viz. the death and passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Shall we then call those Catholiques or think such men believe in Christ and are Christians indeed when St. Ambrose saith Non videtur ab his exhiberi fides Christo à quibus evacuatur passio ejus atque distrahitur It seems not that such men do believe in Christ who go about to frustrate and distract his passion Obj. Is not then a Papist a true Christian Ans. No. Qua◠Papist But as a thief is a true man in regard of his essence as he is a creature indued with reason but not a true man in regard of his honesty or goodness So the Popish Church is a true Church in regard of the essence of a Church as a Church is a company which profess Christ and are baptized but it is a false Church in respect of its heretical doctrine Obj. But can a man belong to the visible Church of Christ and to the Synagogue of Satan Ans. They maybe of the visible Church in regard of some part of their outward profession who in regard of their inward disposition of mind and of their external conversation yea and of the greatest part of their outward profession also are hateful unto God and execrable in the eyes of the founder part of the visible Church of Christ. So may a legion of devils incarnated if they will profess the name of Christ and be admitted by the Baptism of Christ may be of the visible Church so was Judas an Apostle and a traytor too but the more wretched because an
Apostle So the Pope pretends to be the Vicar of Christ though his enemy and the more wicked because he pretends to be Christ's Vicar So the Church of Rome is a Church and the Pope Antichrist who hath impudently pearched and with all ungodliness erected his seat therein As the Scripture teacheth us that Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God But it is not possible that such should belong to the mystical Church which is the whole Company of Gods Elect in Heaven Earth and not yet born In which Invisible or Universal Church alone is Salvation Because that only consists of the true Servants of Christs and such as are Christians indeed Obj. But what is the main difference betwixt Christianity and Popery Ans. Christian Religion doth most honour God and most humble man but the sum of Popery is to disenthrone God and to deifie man Obj. Wherein doth Popery principally consist Ans. In merit mediation satisfaction supererogation and pardon which is an humane invented Religion or an Antichristian superstructure to undermine and as much as possible to overthrow all that is truly Christian. This Popery the very word of a Mediator doth sufficiently refute for if a man can merit mediate satisfie supererogate pardon and do all himself what needs he either Saviour or Mediator Beside the Holy Scripture gives us a general Rule which is alone sufficient to make us reject the Mass Purgatory Papal Indulgences Invocation of Saints Veneration of Reliques Adoration of Crosses and all Humane Invented Traditions For it tells us That they worship God in vain who teach for doctrines the commandements of men Mat. 5.9 and to such as add or detract from Gods commandments Cursed be he that addeth or detracteth from the least of these sayings Rev. 22. And to such as create new Articles of Faith praeter quam or contra quam beside or contrary to the doctrine of the Scripture if an Angel from Heaven preach any other Gospel then that you have received let him be accursed Gal. 1.8 Obj. How came this Popery to be so greatly confirmed Ans. To establish this mock Religion or cheat upon Christianity the Popes at last forged that Council or rather Conventicle of Trent and there added numbers of new Articles of Faith having these Pillars to prop her sandy foundation viz. allurements and all vain-glorious enchanting enticements on the one hand and all manner of prodigious tortures by fire sword c. on the other Trent for Romes last support was forced to borrow of Lucifer his main engins and for executioners the Jesuites and the prati de l'inferni as they are termed in Spain i.e. The holy Fathers of the horrid Inquisition these are the perpetrators of Romes bloody Bulls This Popery is that which is generally preached in Spain Italy c. vide Sands Survey of the Western Religion and seldom is Christianity except on certain days and then with that mixture of Popish vanities enough to destroy the good seed of the Gospel of Christ. For refusing and denying this Trentine Popery but for denying nothing of Christianity have so many thousands of Orthodox Christians been massacred drowned burned in all parts of Europe by that Antichristian Romish Hierarchy Obj. How is it that the World could be so long deceived by Rome Ans. Because the Lambs horns were upon the head of Antichrist and if a Traytor carry the colours of a Prince in War all the common Souldiers stock to him and fight under his Banner till the Traytor be known and the Treason be discovered So the Popes of Rome pretending the common principles of Faith and Manners and giving themselves out to be colour-bearers to Jesus Christ without which they could not so easily have insinuated themselves into the hearts of the world most of the Western Churches whom they had wrought by policy and power flocked unto them But when their pretences were discovered and we would no longer take their parts against Christ then the Popes made a faction and head against us in that Council of Trent and Excommunicated us as if it were our fault that would not drink their poison and not theirs who were so trayterous and wicked to force it upon us Obj. What are the marks of Antichristian Papists Ans. They are such as have their heads and hearts poisoned rejecting the word of God and taking pleasure in falshood which is manifested two ways First by an over-eager pursuit of the things of Antichrist without examination as if they should say we will be thus because we will be thus doting upon a spirit of Infallibility Secondly by cruel killing and sacrificing all opposers with fire and sword Idolatry being naturally cruel of such the Apostle saith They shall be damned Obj. Have all Papists been and shall be damned Ans. When the Church was low in the eyes of the world then as God gave his people less so he required less at their hands and such as had the knowledge of the Belief the Ten Commandments the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments these being speciously in the Church of Rome though with hideous corruptions as is before-mentioned and having hearts willing to be informed in the truth when our provident God should offer opportunities with purposes and indeavours to know and do aright and holy obedience to what was known and being ignorant or at least not so fully stated in the pernicious errors of the Popish corruptions though they have been in that Church yet were not of it as many of our Fathers from age to age have been Such in these qualifications might be saved but such are not acknowledged by the Pope to be right Catholicks Here note Gods power and faithfulness in all Ages in singling out his servants in the very tents of Antichrist and delivering them from the power of hell and darkness But such as worship the Beast and his Image and are in inward fellowship and mystery with him being by wilfulness and resolution as it were embowelled in that state Of such the Holy Ghost saith They shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God These latter only are owned by the Pope to be his true Catholicks and not the former You may here see the difference between the antient Christian Catholicks and the new Roman Catholicks and withall consider how vigilant and careful Satan is to distinguish and appropriate his own Vassals that they may also partake with him of his just reward Obj. But do not Papists believe in Christ and hold it the surest way to put their confidence in God for Salvation Ans. Yes but withall that men may put their confidence also in their own and in other mens works Bellar. 5. c. 7. de Justificat And by this confidence in the creature they presently overturn all true confidence in the Creator Beside they teach that we must not only believe but apply to our selves the promise of everlasting life But mark the deceit in applying all for this must
not be done say they by Faith assuring us of our Salvation but only by hope in likelyhood and conjectural Here you may see that great point in the Mystery of Iniquity for by this wavering hope and uncertain application of the promise of Salvation to our selves they overturn half the doctrine of the Gospel for as in coloured words they seem to agree with the true Christian Church in the doctrine of Faith so indeed they deny and abolish the substance thereof that is the particular and certain application of Christ crucified unto our selves Obj. How then do Papists believe the Truths of Faith Ans. Papists believe the truths of Faith not distinctly in themselves but in their common principle wherein all things to be in this manner believed are as they hold contained and that not so much to be the holy Scriptures but absolutely their Church Now their Church to affirm it self cries up their traditions and these not Gods word do they give for the Rule of their creatures and yet these Traditions must stand and fall at the pleasure of the Pope Thus their Church flies to their invented Traditions for bottom and their Traditions Church and Faith fly to the Pope to center all in his personal Infallibility and notwithstanding one Pope can condemn another for an Heretick and yet every Pope must be still Infallible and as Dr. Harden avouches can dispense with all things against the Law of Nature against the Apostles Creed against the New and Old Testament and above General Councils So that the Pope exalts himself above all that is called God for God in the Creation made but creatures but the Pope can make as many Gods as he list Secondly he make himself of more authority then God because he will not have Gods word to be authentical without his allowance but what he saith however contrary to the Text must be ipsissimum Dei verbum Beside this head of Antichristian Heresies assumes to himself the Title of Universal Pastor Rex regum Dominus dominantium Admirabilis Leo de Tribu Judae Radix David His doctrine is also that Papa habet Imperium in Angelos Daemones and is not this to make himself a God Is not this that Beast full of the names of Blasphemy And as his Majesty of blessed memory observed most prudently that there is no Church State nor Man that hath been since the penning of the Revelations to whom those things foretold by the Apostle from the mouth of the Lord Jesus can in any reasonable fort agree but the Church and Pope of Rome alone I might add much but will only instance the sayings of Pius Quintus recited by Cornel à Lap. in Numb 11.11 When I was first in Orders I had some good hopes of salvation when I was made a Cardinal I doubted but now that I am made a Pope I do almost despair And that saying of Pope Marcellus the Second wherein he seems to be pretty ingenious for striking his hand upon the Table he uttered these words Non video quomodo qui hunc locum altissimum teneant salvari possunt I see not how any Pope can be saved Now let us cast our eyes upon Gods word and promise and firmly believe if Agag be to be slain God is raising up some Samuel to do it yea let us cast our eyes upon Gods work already and we shall see him gone a great way in the accomplishing of his word whereby we may strengthen our Faith in that which remaineth For how hath the word preached discovered him to be that man of sin detected his frauds and impostures with which for many Ages he deluded the blind world How are his Bulls and Excommunications esteemed as wind How do all Reformed Churches detest his Antichristian usurped power over the Scripture Churches and Mens Consciences How do many Princes despise his claws over them How weak are all their Popish endeavours to prevent final ruine viz. Sophistry knotty distinctions to hide and delude the plain sense of Scripture threatnings treacheries Machivilian contrivances wars treasons murders massacres powder-plots firing of Towns and Cities c. Lo these are the inseparable marks of Popery and the brands of their devillish Religion And these do but hasten their incurable destruction rendring them odious to Christian States Princes and People yea and to Turks and Infidels Certainly the date of her reign is almost out and the time draweth on apace wherein both she and her King Abaddon shall be laid in the dust That man of sin the son of perdition c. who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshipped so that he is as God sitteth in the Temple of God shewing himself that he is God 2 Thess. 2. 3 4. The Gospel now being so restored and that Antichrist of Rome so clearly manifested wo be unto them that delight in the whore They shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angels and the Lamb and the smoke of their torment shall ascend for evermore and they shall have no rest day nor night who worship the Beast and his Image Seeing then the followers of Antichrist shall be damned let not our souls enter into their secret As the wicked man shall not meddle with a Christians joy so let not a good man meddle with Antichristian wo. But what are the Doctrines of the Church of Rome that are against the Foundation of Truth and Salvation They are all those which draw from Jesus Christ that honour that is due unto him as Saviour of the World Which are Papal Monarchy this undermines and opposes Christs Kingly Office Traditions as the object of Faith Papal Infallibility c. these undermine and oppose Christs Prophetick Office Justification by Merits Adoration of the Mass and all other Idolatrizing points of Antichrist these undermine and oppose Christs Priestly Office To take pleasure in and to be obstinately given over unto these things cannot stand with Salvation Come hither and I will shew thee the judgment of the great whore c. Rev. 17.1 Babylon the great is fallen c. cap. 18.2 Come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues v. 4. Epigramma G.B. de Roma Papa Non ego Romulea miror quod pastor in urbe Sceptra gerat Pastor conditor urbis erat Quumque lupae gentis nutritus lacte sit Autor Non ego Romulea miror in urbe lupos Haec tantum superat nostrum admiratio captum Quomodo securum praestet ovile lupus The same Translated It is not strange a Shepherd reigns in Rome For he that built it was a Shepherds Groom Nor is it strange that Wolves in Rome abound He suck't a Wolf that did the City found But this is strange and far above my skill How Wolves should keep the flock secure from ill FINIS Quinquecclesiae is a City in Hungary called in German Funskirchin in Turkish Periâ—hen or Petschen Object Ans. Object Ans. Popish abuse of Lords Prayer Obj. Ans. 2. Of the Creed 3. Of the Decâ—… Obj. Ans. 4. Of the Holy Scriptures â—… abuse of â—uity â—…e no Mother â—…e eldest sister 〈◊〉 neither Obj. Ans. Obj. Ans. Papists the first Separatists Popish guiltineâ—… Protestant Ministers have a calling Popish Pâ—… have no calling Popish Mass nâ—â—… â—…r Sacrament 〈◊〉 â—â—â—ish Religion â—â—…hes vice and â—â—â—ish abuse of â—â—â—riage â—heir abuse of Civil Law â—â—â—ish lies Whether a Papist may be saved Romes destruction Papists no true Catholicks Papish gross Idolatry Popish presumptions and impudencies Popish blasphemies Colos. 2. Gal. 4.9 10 11. Papists no true Christians The difference between Christianity and Popery Popery a cheat upon Christianity The marks of Popish Antichristians Marks to know Christian Catholicks from Roman Catholicks Popish deceits The Pope the bottom of Romish Faith The Pope Anichrist Popish doctrines against the Foundation of Truth and Salvation