to be more probable viz. that which was published at the Synode of Reignsburg by Everard Archbishop of Salsburg That the Pope by saying Errare non possum I cannot Erre doth say as much as if he had sayd plainly Deus sum in Templo Dei I sit as God in the Temple of God These Erring Paradoxes of the Popes unerring Prerogative to some other inferiour usurpations in the Church Directions are as the sonnes of Anak compared to the Grasse-hoppers Notwithstanding these may not be omitted Nec vox hominem sonat some part of Christs owne power is trenched into by these also Bishops are directours to the Church but Frier Hist Trent lib. pag. 599. Simon a Florentine sayd that every spirituall power dependeth on that of the Pope And that every Bishop might say I have received of hic fulnesse And he is Episcopus Episcoporum the Bishop of all Bâ—shops say their sacred Ceremonies Sacr. Cerem lib. 1. fol. 129. or the Great Wheele in the great worke of directing the Church without whose motion all the directive authority of all the Bishops in the world besides is plainly immoveable Finally the Councils have beene esteemed to have the chiefest authority of directing the Church next to Christ But now therein the Pope is to the Church as the Church is to the moone Rev. 12. 1. He keepeth it under his feet Besides what I have already delivered of this point to this purpose Heare the beginning of their great Trent Councill The Bishop of Trent Hist lib. 2. pag. 133. Bitonto anno 1545 invited in his Sermon the whole world to submit it selfe to that Councill which if it did not then might it bee justly said That the Popes light is come into the world and men loved darknesse better than light Blasphemously mis-applying that to the Pope which the holy Ghost doth apply to Christ Iohn 3. 19. And at the end of the same Synode in the last Session it being propounded whether the Confirmation of that Councill did depend on his Holinesse All those holy Fathers did say Amen Three onely excepted Or if any mention the Creeds as a shorter directour or neerer to Christ than the Councills Know we moreover that the Pope hath composed a new Creed proposed it to the whole Church as necessary to salvation and imposed it on the Bishops especially by the obligation of an oath This was the Act of Pope Pius the fourth and is the History of Onuphrius in the Onuphr in Vit. Pij 4. lise of the same Pope Hence therefore from two propositions of one of our owne learned Countrymen implying Mr. Mountague his Appeale part 2. cap. 15. the assumptions of them fully cleared I will frame one conclusion which would God al our CountrymeÌ„ would take into their serious considerations To dissent from the Rule or to propose any thing as Credendum against the Rule is Antichristian Give me leave to insert this parenthesis and he who doth so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is an Antichrist 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or The Antichrist But the Pope c. Ergo. Againe Mr. Mountagu Appeale part 2. cap. 3. the prerogative of Not erring doth advance a man into his Makers seat Therefore the Pope is advanced into his Makers seat Therfore The Pope is an Antichrist yea even 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the phrase of my Text Hee as God sitteth in the Temple of God Secondly The Pope doth direct all yet is not direction all the Rule which the Pope usurpeth over the Church Directtion may be genile it perswadeth but direction by way of command it is coercive it constreyneth And this way also doth the Pope rule the Church Hence Turrecrem lib. 2. cup. 107. the Papists stile his See magistra mater fidei the mother and Mistresse of their Faith Againe the Evangelists command beleefe on the paine of damnation To imply the Papall command to be such the Pope is termed by one Humble Gabriel Evangelista 5 the fift Evangelist Baron to 6. appendice Capistr fol 1. ex Distinct 19. Cap. Sic omnis Bell. de Verbo Dei lib. 3. ca. 10. Trent Hist lib. 7. Pope Clement 8 did not reject it Nay Baronius doth approve it Yea the ordinances of the Pope are to bee imbraced tanquam ipsius Dei as the ordinances of God himselfe And Bellarmine the industrious qualifier of all Popish paradoxes doth say Verbum Pontificis docentis è Cathedra est aliquo modo verbum Dei that is The word of the Pope out of the Chaire is in some sort the word of God But Laynez more plainly and peremptorily saith that that saying of Saint Matthew 18. 17. He who will not heare the Church is to be esteemed as an Heathen is to bee understood there of the Pope And that the suffrages of these Authors may not be shifted of as private opinions heare a full Councill that of Trent a Councill which was the mouth of the Pope as the Pope was the head of that Councill Omnibus Christi fidelibus interdicit ne posthaec de sanctissima Eucharistia aliter Concil Trid. Sess 3. sub Iul. 3. pag. 108. B. credere dicere aut praedicare audeant quam est in praesent hoc decreto definitum Such a command as Christ himselfe cannot give a greater The matter the Eucharist one point whereof the same Council coÌ„fesseth to be contrary to divine institution The manner to beleeve to command beleefe is proper to God The measure that they should not Dare to beleeve an imperious command And the men Omnibus all Princes and People Now to command all the Church not to dare to beleeve what God instituted I take it to be imperious without parallell And thus doth the Pope as Christ Rule in the Church of Christ Thirdly to direct and by way of command is to direct and command but man onely But to direct by way of countermand is to set his face against heaven and to controll God himselfe Now to make up this measure of sinne and to make plaine who is the man of sinne this doth the Pope also Herein observe what they say he can doe and what hee hath done That of the Canonists is common The whites way sect 30. p 1. 125. Pope hath fulnesse of power to dispence against the Apostles against the old and new Testament Trent Hist lib. 7. D. Cornelius in a disputation at Trent brought the authority of the said Canonists that the Pope may dispence against the Canons against the Apostles and against all the Law of God except the Articles of Faith and Laynez concludeth Trent Hist lib. 8. as roundly It cannot be denied that Christ had Power to dispence in every law therefore it must be confessed that the Pope his Vicar hath the Bell. de Rom. Pontif. lib. 3. cap. 14. same authority Bellarmine I acknowledge doth mince this point The Pope saith he non potest dispensare contra sed juxta Apostolum
therefore I conceive neither reason nor authority why any man should make a particular of that which Saint Paul doth propose as a generall The conclusion therfore is plain and true The Apostle doth here describe the adhaerents of Antichrist non a natione sed conditione ipsorum Doun part 2. Dem. 6. not from their Region but from their Religion Antichrist shall prevaile on such as receive not the love of the trueth Now whether these men be Iewes or Christians it skilleth not Having cut off this cavill I come to the naturall exposition The Object of Antichrists prevailing power is here foretold to bee men who will not receive the love of the trueth Of the Truth I may distinguish as the Greekes doe of the Word there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Veritas Christi Veritas Christus the truth written and the Trueth begotten the first Matth. 22. 16. thou teachest the way of GOD 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in trueth the second Iohn 14. 16. I am 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Truth Christ did the former Doctrinally and he was the latter Essentiallie The Text speaketh of both but of the first properly and primarily it being most convenient thereunto For the fallacy is a deceiveablenesse of unrighteousnesse that is false doctrine Therefore the Apostasie is from the true Doctrine or the trueth taught us in the Gospell By the truth then here we are to understaÌ„d the Gospell The Gospell is termed the trueth for three causes from the infallibility use and efficacy thereof First each syllable is true and shall come to passe Math. 5. 18. Secondly it maketh a man true and absolute in the knowledge and practise of Holinesse 2 Tim. 3. 16. Thirdly the Gospell is veritas magna praevalebit the Gospell is that trueth which above all things beareth away the victory The Gospell is a true sword to cut downe all errour and transgression Heb. 4. 12. Marke moreover it is the obseruation of our blessed Bishop Iewell marke hee doth not say Because they receive not the trueth but because they receive not the Love of the trueth therfore God sendeth theÌ„ strong delusions Of which sinne and punishment wee have an example and withall a wonderfull resemblance of the Roman Church in the persons of Hophnie and Phineas 1 Sam. 2. It is said in the twelfth verse They knew not the Lord. Now that they did know the Lord and his Will it is evident first from their Vocation in the thirteenth verse they were Priests and therefore their Lips did preserve knowledge Secondly from their Information both by the people in the sixteenth verse and also by their Father who verse 24 said Nay my sonnes for this is no good report that I heare The meaning then is they did not love the Lord which is all one as if they had not knowne him Adde to these three other remarkeable observations First their Sinne Whoredome verse 22. Secondly the cause of their continuing therin they made themselves fat with the offerings of the people verse 24. And the punishment which was twofold They would not hearken because the Lord would slay them in the same verse The parallell whereof wee may perceive in the Papacy punctually in all particulars The Church of Rome cannot be said not to know God it appeareth from their Vocation they have a Priesthood and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Word Rom. 3. of God and learning labour and languages to peruse them Wee cannot say therefore They doe not know God but alas which is far worse They doe not love God To know him they have information sufficient from the Fathers most of their opinions have little some of their opions having no mention made of them in those ancient Writers from their owne fathers divers of the Bishops of Trent relenting but the Pope did controule them Finally they have had information from our Father I doubt not but God doth check the consciences of many of their learned that they see the trueth but doe not receive the love thereof Their sinne also is whoredome spirituall whoredome their See Babylon spirituall Babylon and the Mother of Fornication Their cause of continuing therein They make themselves fat with the offerings of the people they swimme in worldly wealth and honour The same Punishment they may feare shall feele Hophni Phineas did not hearken because the Lord would slay them And my Text telleth us that those who receive not the love of the trueth God will send theÌ„ strong delusion that they may be daÌ„ned Now that the Church of Rome doth not receive the love of the Gospell though they have the Gospell I thus demoÌ„strate it Because they use the Gospell either onely or principally for their owne turnes They have Gods Covenant in their mouths but hate to be reformed Quia superbi Ps 30. 16. 17. sunt nec noverunt Moysis sententiam sed amant suam non quia vera est sed quia sua est saith Saint Augustine They are surly and selfe-conceited and receive not the judgement of the Gospell but the judgement of the Church of Rome they love the Romish opinion not because it is the true opinioÌ„ but because it is the Romish opinion Those words of the men in Matth. 26. 73. St. Matth. to St. Peter may be aptly applyed to this purpose Certainly thou art one of them for thy speech bewrayeth thee Herein the Bishop of Rome is Saint Petâ—rs Successor Certainly they are those who use the Gospell to their owne turnes for their speech doth bewray them although they sweare and curse that they doe it not Thus they speake Docet spiritus sanctus omnes modo ordinato Suarez Apol. lib. 1. cap. 11. num 8. communem scilicet plebem per Doctores ipsos autem Doctores per Concilia maxime per Vicarium Christi The Holy Ghost saith Suarez doth teach all but in an ordinary maner to wit the common people by the Doctors and the Doctors themselves he doth teach by Councils but principally by the Vicar of Christ Pontifex potest Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. c. 14 moderari praecepta Apostolorum prout Ecclesiae expedicrit Bellarmine saith the Pope can moderate the Precepts of the Apostles as shall seeme expedient for the Church Scripturas recipio secundum sensum Ecclesiae it is the second Article of their second Creed established by their Councill of Trent that they receive the Scriptures indeed but as the Church shall expound them Their words are plaine enough containing a plaine injury against man and as plaine an indignitie against God First they and wee contend Who hath the trueth The Iudge Wee call for the Scriptures peradventure they will permit them But with this proviso Prout Ecclesiae expedierit prout Ecclesia exposuerit The Scripture shall be Iudge betwixt the Reformed and the Church of Rome But As the Church of Rome shall bee pleased to expound it Let any impartial man judge
Templa Dei Antichrist saith he shall sit in the Temple of God that is in the Temples or Churches of Christians for these alone may truly be termed the Temples of God Baronius more plainly yea Baron anno 72. sect 28. as peremptorily as any Protestant that ever set pen to paper in this point This yeare saith he the Iewes were subdued to the Romanes Nunquam posthaec servire desierunt aut desinent usque ad sinem mundi after which they shall live in perpetuall servitude even to the end of the world Neque spes est aliqua restituendae iterum Hierosolymae vel Templi denuo excitandi Neither is there any hope that that City shall be ever restored or that Temple ever built againe According quoth he to that Prophesie of Daniel 9. 27. He shall make it desolate even unto the consummation Also hee confirmeth it by a second argument drawne from Experience When as saith he the Apostate in hatred of the Christians and the Iewes in contempt of Christ hoping 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sâ—zâ—menus lib. 5 cap. ult to make Christ a lyar and a false Prophet indeavored to re-edifie the Temple the workmen were terrisied with hideous apparitions and dreadfull fires issuing out of the earth which forced them to desist from that building To his judgement may be added this reason the Temple was a type of the Dounam de Ant. part 1. lib. 1 cap. 2 sect 1. Church of Christ and therefore when the Church of Christ was once planted like other Types and Figures the Temple of the Iewes was utterly to be abolished And this seemed to be no singular opinion of any private person but the universall Tenent of the most and best Divines of that age Hence S. Chrysostome composed an Oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Chrysost Orat. 2. contra Iudaeos tom 6. onely to prove this point That the Temple of the Iewes should never be repaired Yea Suarez himselfe more plentifully and as substantially Suarez Apolog. lib. 5. cap. 5. nu 5. as if Truth did extort confession from the mouth of that Adversary who doth labour to contradict it and suppresse it He speaketh so to the purpose that I now purpose to shut up my interpretation of this place only in his owne words Quod Paulus per Templum Dei Ecclesiam intellexerit probabile est sic interpretatur Hieronimus Hugo Chrysostomus Occumenius Theophylactus Theodoreti verba haec sum Templum Dei appellavit Ecclesias in quibus Antichristus primam sedem arripiet I will English it for no Englishman can speake more plainly to our conclusion That S. Paul saith Suarez by the Temple of God doth mean the Church it is probable for this is the exposition of Hierome Hugo Chrysostome Occumenius Theophylact and Theodoret hath these words Saint Paul doth call the Temple the Church in which Antichrist will usurpe the chiefe See I conclude from the Phrases of my Text from the Testimonies of the Scripture and from their owne Confession The Papists themselves alledging the authority of the most and best of the Fathers and establishing this assertion with reason That the Temple shall not be built againe Therefore The Man of sinne shall sit in the temple of God and the verie Church of Christ shall be the seat and place of Antichrist Thus have ye the Explication What this Temple is I proceed to the Application Where it is The last sentence I quoted I will make my first entrance into the second point This is the saying of Theodoret cited by Suarez templum Dei appellat Ecclesias in quibus Antichristus arripiet primam sedem that is Paul doth call the temple of God the Church in which Antichrist shall usurpe the prime See Hence I argue The prime See of the Church is the seat of Antichrist But Rome is the prime See of the Church Therefore Rome is the seat of Antichrist Therefore the Pope the other properties of this Text and Chapter being his by a just application is Antichrist sitting in Rome the principall Church of Christ But here the Papists oppose a plausible objection Bell. de Pont. Rom. lib. 3. ca. 13 that by this we confesse the Church of Rome to be the Church of Christ I answer we doe so with these limitations First the Church of Rome may be termed Vhitak Contr. 4. Quaest 5. the Church of Christ because heretofore it hath beene a true Church As they themselves call the Host Bread because it was bread before the consecration And Isay 1. 21. wicked Hierusalem is called the faithfull City because it had beene so Secondly the Church of Rome doth usurp the name of the Church of Christ Thirdly it is the Church of Christ in the opinion of the Papists And finally it doth still retaine the relicks of the Church in that respect therefore wee may call it the Church of Christ Or to answer in the very words of Suarez himselfe Congregatio in quae Antichristus adorabitur Suarez Apol. lib. 5. cap. 15. nu 8. vocabitur Ecclesia templum quia antequam perverteretur erat ecclesia templiâ— Dei That is the Congregation of Antichrist is called the Church and Temple of God because it was the Church and Temple of God before their Apostasie Or yet more acurately with acute Tilenus Tilen syntag part 2. disp 36. thes 25. c. We say that the Church of Christ may be considered two wayes Vel ratione externae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel internae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is in regard of the outward profession of the truth or of the inward possession of the truth The Pope or Antichrist may sit in the Church of Christ in the first sense but according to the second only the servant of Christ can sit in the Church of Christ I will divert a little to discusse one great point Whether the Romane Church be a true Church In which discourse I will insist on these foure particulars First I will declare What the Church is Secondly the reasons to affirme the proposition Thirdly the restrictions limitatioÌ„s therof And finally I will remove away some stones whereat the Protestants do stumble and pluck away some plumes wherewith the Papists doe magnifie themselves Both from this one ground because wee yeeld them to be Templum Dei a true Christian Church Such indeede is the charity of the Popish Spalatens Cons Red. pag. 12. Bell. de Notis Eccl. lib. 4. ca. 8. Dico secundo Church that they peremptorily pronounce Ecclesias Haereticas ne Ecclesias quidem omnino esse all hereticall Churches to bee indeed no Churches yea precisely to name the very particular As namely that the great Church of the Graecians is also no Church Whereby they also define all those infinite soules to bee also damned For extra Ecclesiam nulla est salus There is no saluation out of the Church But nobisnon licet esse tam impios we dare
in this that the Emperors must sweare to be subâ—ect to the Pope Thus was it taken by Lewis the sonne of Charles the great to Paschal the first by Otho the first to Iohn the twelfth by Henry the fourth to Gregory the seventh by Fredericke the third to Nicholas the fifth by Charles the fifth to Clement the seventh and finally by our King Iohn to Pope Innocent Adde hereunto that the Emperour doth Sacreâ— Cerem lib. 1. fol. 26 35 54 56 113 120 163 c. perforce serv le offices to the Pope Hee must beare up his Traine when the Pope doth walke Hold his Stirrup when he doth ride hee must support his Chaire with his shoulder when hee is caried poure water on his hands when hee doth wash and when he doth eate the Emperour must bring in the first dish and present the first cup to his Holinesse his Highnesse wee may terme it for he doth Exalt himselfe above the Emperors in an high measure And as the Pope doth testifie his exaltation historically to our â—ares so doth he represent it also emblematically to our eyes The Pope hath a Triple Diadem Dr. Sheldon Mot 4. pag. 51. which some say doth signifie that the Romane Emperor doth receive three Crowns from him one of Iron at Aquisgrave another of Silver at Millane and the third of Gold at Rome I may censure this action of the Pope in the phrase of a servant of the Pope Too many crowns Monarchomach part 1. Tit. 5. so purchased to expect any in Heaven Innocent the second caused his owne and the Emperors Picture to be set up in the Laterane Palace himselfe sitting in his Pontificall Throne and the Emperour kneeling before him and holding up his hands with this inscription Rex venit ante fores jurans prius Vrbis honores Post homo sit Papae sumit quo dante Coronam That is When the King of the Romanes is elected he attendeth on the Pope who first administring him an Oath to become his man or servant doth afterwards give him the Imperiall Sacrar Cerem lib. 1. sect 4. fol. 48. Trent Hist lib. 8. Crowne But his prime insolence is without peradventure that oath of Allegiance Hence I conceive it came to passe anno 1563 that Ferdinand the King of the Romanes demanded the words of the Oath which when he had perused he refused saying that Thereby he should confesse himselfe to be the Vassall of the Pope This is the universall insolence of the Pope to bring under both Kings and Emperours That is to exalt himselfe above all that is called God or that is worshipped I will deliver plainly what answer the Papists shape to extenuate this shamelesse usurpation of the Pope over Kings Emperors three waies three sorts of Papists assay to build up this Palace of Babel Some by negation some by dissimulation and the third sort by qualification For the first All Papists doe concurre that the Pope hath supreme power over the soveraigne Majestie of Kings and Emperours But concerning the nature of that power they are divided into three severall opinions The first is of Carerius and other popish parasites who affirme Alex. Câ—rerius de Potest Rom. that the Pope hath power absolute over the whole world both in things Ecclesiasticall and Civill Pont. lib. 2. c 9. Bellarm. de â—â—rt Rom. lib. 5. cap. 6. The second is of Bellarmine and his followers who maintaine that though the Pope hath not meere Temporall power over Kings directly yet he hath supreme authority to dispose of the Temporalities of all Kingdomes by an indirect prerogative tending in ordine ad spiritualia to the advancement of the spirituall good The last is of Barclaius and the moderate Papists Barclaius lib. cap 3. that the Pope hath Spirituall power to excommunicate Kings but no temporall authority to meddle with their Persons Subjects or Dominions To all these assertions let me propose these inevitable consequents So many as defend the first opinion declare themselves to bee ipso facto actuall Traitours against the Crowne of those Princes under whom they live The supporters of the second are habituall Traitors being alwayes disposed to execute the sentence of deposition if the Pope please to command it They have no Obex but dum desunt vires no hindrance but the want of Ability and Opportunity And the third howsoever indeed it is not perpitious to the Soule of the Estate to take away the life of the King yet is it dangerous to the estate of the Soule to invest a man with a power which is not compatible to any pure creature with a faculty of Occumenicall Excommunication I know not how to terme it otherwise than a paradox dangerous and in some sort damnable also But in truth this opinion thus blanched is not absolutely popish nor they absolute Papists who do maintaine it I suppose that there are many moderate Papists even in our owne Land who are of this last opinion that the Pope hath no temporall power over Kings But what is the opinion of the Romish Church did not the Iesuites persecute Blackwell and his partakers because they would not be Iesuited in this point and was not learned Withrington disgraced if not excommunicated by the Pope for confuting that damnable opinion of Suarez That the Pope can command Kings to be killed c And finally are not they themselues esteemed Schisinatickes for this opinion as appeareth by Barclaius confuted by Bellarmine for avouching this assertion Others dissemble this usurpation by the title of Servus servorum Such an apology is that which Lessius doth frame The Popes saith Lessius de Ant. Dem. 7. he doe call non se solum servos Dei themselves not onely the servants of God sed etiam servos servorum Dei but moreover the servants of those that are the servants of God I wonder saith he what secular Prince did ever use such an humble title in his Letters and Addresses I answer Non minuit fâ—stum sed auget hypocrisin This humble title doth not suppresse their pride but rather expresse their hypocrisie For it followeth in the very next lines No Catholike is so grosse as to thinke that the Pope is to bee adored pro Deo propriè dicto as God himselfe although by some he be termed Deus in terris their God on earth Quia in terris est supremus because he is the highest of all the earth We see then the same Iesuite avoucheth the Pope to be the Soveraigne of the whole World notwithstanding the pretext of his humble Title that he is called the Servant of the servants of God They make it yet more cleare by their owne distinction The Pope saith Baldus cited by our M Higgons myst Babylon Serm. 1. The Pope saith Baldus cited by our learned Convert and truely converted Country-man He is Dominus Dominorum quoad potestatem the Lord of Lords in regard of his Power though Servus servorum quoad
ausi sumus eorum potius consuetudini cessimus quam illos in fidem nostram voluntatemque traduximus If those men could returne from the dead of whom the Papists doe so much bragge when they should see our Churches full and theirs empty peradventure those very men would say if they were such as they are recorded to be these are the things which we never durst preach unto the people but wee did rather yeeld connivence to their profession then labour to convert them to our superstition Thus certainly would some of our Forefathers say if they were alive They would not condemne us who are alive Wee will not condemne them who are dead We doubt not but God was mercifull Hoâ—ker in Hab. Sect. 9. to save thousands of our forefathers who lived in popish superstition in as much as they sinned ignorantly For a more ful satisfaction our forefathers who lived in the time of Popery before the Reformation they lived indeed in a time of blindnesse when the blind did lead the blind and it is to be feared that many fell into the Ditch But withall it may be hoped that many also escaped and were saved I ground this charitable and comfortable conclusion on these three probable premises Many of our forefathers although they lived under the Pope yet were they not Popish fundamentally obstinately nor finally 1. Many were partakers of the errour who were not of the haeresie of the Church of Rome Many did not hold those opinions which either directly or indirectly overthrow the foundation of Christian Religion I instance in one that ingens hiatus Luke 16. 26. that great gulfe betwixt the Papists and Protestants Acts 4. 12. Salvation is by no other I say wee hope that there were many who did not ascribe any part of their salvation to themselves or to any other Creature but to Christ alone As Waldensis is said to observe that the point of merits was not knowne in England in the time of Henry the fift and such wee hope in such a time might finde Mercy with our Saviour and be saved 2. Many also practised Popery but they were so far froÌ„ obstinate rejecting of the truth that we may beleeve they would have received the trueth if it had bin offered unto them and if they had not beene hindered by invincible ignorance Yea we may conceive that some of them did groane under the gossenesse of Popery According to that which is said to bee the common saying of Dominicus Chalderine concerning the Masse Let us Quarrels of Paulus 5. Epist Deâ—ic quoth hee goe to our common Errour And even in our age the learned Author of that excellent History of Trent generously vindicated the illustrious Venetians from the Empire of the perpetuall Dictator of Rome These certainely and many besides these did groane under the Yoake of Antichrist Although Gods wisedome did permit none in our fathers age to take it from their Necks yet may we comfort our selves in that comfortable saying 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not I say and hope therefore that many of our Forefathers were saved To conclude this point in the words of Hooker in Hab. pag. 28. profound acute Hooker From the man that laboureth at the plough to him that sitteth in the Vaticane to all the Partakers of Babylon to our Fathers though they did but erroniously practise that which the guides did teach heretically to all without exception plagues are due The Pit is ordinarily the end as well of the guide as of the guided in blindnesse Againe those who knowing heresie to be heresie doe notwithstanding in worldly respects make semblance of allowing that which in heart and judgement they condemne as also they who maintaine heresie heretically obstinately holding it after wholesome admonition I make no doubt but that their condemnation without actuall repentance is inevitable Yet what hindereth but that I may say The ignorance of many others doth make me hope they did finde mercie and were saved What hindreth salvation but sin Sinnes are not equall and ignorance though it doth not make to be no sinne yet seeing it did make their sinne to bee lesse why should it not make our hope concerning their life to be greater Great hope therefore I have that many of our Fathers were saved 3. Manie of them did not proceed in those points Popish errors finally As Pighius himself is reported at his death to have disclaimed that damnable opinioÌ„ of Iustification by works Nay we exclude no Papist no not a Pope from the possibility of salvatioÌ„ if Antichrist himself should prostrate himselfe at the Feet of Christ Christ would not spurne at him The whole succession of Persian Princes Daniel resembleth to a Beare 7. 5. because of their successive cruelty towards Gods people But Cyrus Darius Artaxerxes and other particular persons were not guilty of that generall cruelty but favourers of the Church of God So we say that the whole succession of Popes for these thousand yeares have beene Antichristian persecutors of the Church yet amongst them there may bee a Marcellus Coelestine and Adriane who might repent themselves though not reclaime others for Opposing Christ Of whom that Caelestine did resigne Platina in Caelest 5. Bon. 8. the Papacy to save his soule I affirme that in ipso vitae articulo at what time soever GOD might cal them out of Babylon at the last houre And we hope that even then hee gave our Fathers either indulgence for their errours or penitence of their errours that even then they might repent and be saved There are many Scriptures to confirme us in this comfortable conclusion Luke 12. 48. That servant which knoweth not his Lords will shall be beaten with few stripes Act. 17. 30. The time of ignorance God winked at Iam. 4. 17. To him that knoweth to doe good and doth it not to him it is a sinne and 1 Tim. 1. 13. Saint Paul confesseth of himselfe who was a blasphemer and a Persecutor But I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbeliefe I conclude therefore many of our Fathers were the Children of Abraham and had they seene Popery and Antichrist in their time as we see them discovered and displayed in our time they would have detested the Tridentine and Iesuiticall assertions as much as wee doe Whereupon I dare pronounce them in all Christian probability to bee saved through the abundant mercies of our indulgent Saviour Concerning the place I may frame the same conclusions upon the same grounds but in a lesse measure I may conclude that at this day there may be some appertaining to the Bosome of Abraham who now live in the very bosome of Antichrist in Spaine Italy in Civil and in Rome it selfe For invincible ignorance may be an argument of invincible mercy And where Antichrist is most malicious wee may hope that Christ is
Rudder or Anchor and conceive the terrours of that soule which floateth on groundlesse errours to surpasse imagination The Apostles phrase Eph. 4. 16. importeth that the erroneous are like a bone out of joynt it will cost many an hearty groane before they be reduced to their right place They will bee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tit. 3. 11. their owne consciences will be both the accusers and the accused and in conclusion they will become aliens from Gods Commonwealth Eph. 2. 12. Now suppose a traveller in the night and out of the way how will he be troubled a Rebell out of the Kings favour how perplexed The Athenians mutined Iust hist for a time against Alexander but they were glad notwithstanding their brags to be reconciled upon any condition Alas beloved the Erroneous are those Travellers so troubled those Rebels so perplexed and those mutinous Athenians their feare must be great till they be reconciled to their God upon any condition 1 King 2. 30. Ioab having run a wrong course of erroneous election against his Lords liking although he could pretend that he did adhere to the right heire was incouraged by the High Priest and might bee excused by his other former services and was protected by the Altar notwithstanding because he erred against the Kings will the terrours of death did compasse him on every side So let the erroneous gild over their positions with never so many glorious pretences that they adhere to the right heire to the old Religion that they are incouraged by the High Priest by the Pope himselfe that their life otherwise is very innocent and that they have the Altar the onely Catholike Church to protect them Notwithstanding all this if they wander without the warrant of the Lord without the apparant Scriptures the sword of Benaiah hangeth over their heads The conscience of the erroneous cannot but suffer the terrours of the Lord with a troubled minde Loe here the lot of all those who are seducers Vse or seduced Feare and trembling are their companions From the Papist to the Anabaptist all seducers are like the Aspen they cannot but quake continually and like the old Romanes mentioned by S. Augustine Deum colunt timorem Aug. epist 44. Maximo horrorem Terrour and horrour are housed in their consciences As the text speaketh their consciences are shaken and troubled perpetually But say the Erroneous the Papists especially we have none of these terrours we have resisted your Religion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are carelesse and fearlesse to shed your blood or our owne blood in the confidence of our Catholike cause We are not shaken nor troubled in conscience for teaching our Doctrine I say notwithstanding their bragges some of them doe feare though they will not shew where their shooe wringeth them Some of them shall feare Morte personam non ferent Death shall unmaske them and discover their consciences pale and wan with feare and trembling If some of them live and dye confident in their errours then I apply that other phrase of my text unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they are besides their mindes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Clemens and Clem. Alex. Protrept p. 2. Ign. ep 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Ignatius their blindnesse is madnesse and franticknesse Mad men will wound themselves and feele not and the franticke will run into the fire and feare not So those men are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they ranne out of their wits when they ran out of the Church and this makes them like Bedlems to be so couragious indeed so outragious in their herefies But how may wee avoid these errours and terrours and be setled in the Truth I can teach men no better than Erasmus taught children Quod lego Scripturis Symbolo summa siducia credo si quid receptum est ab usu Ecclesiae quod non plane cum Scripturis pugnat servo That is that man who doth constantly beleeve whatsoever is taught him by the Scriptures and conscionably obey whatsoever is commanded by the Church provided the Church command nothing plainly contrary to the Scriptures Such a man I say will bee setled in the Truth and seldome or never shaken in minde or troubled concerning any Errours Yea but some speake of all the Scriptures what S. Peter spake of some of the Scripture 2 Pet. 3. 16. they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hard to bee understood I answer Vse these meanes faithfully and thou shalt finde the necessary principles of the Scripture to be a food for the Lamb to wade through and to be food for very Babes to feed on Eschew three things and insue three things Let these sixe points be the practise of thy piety Eschew Pride Prejudice and Profit in searching out the Truth Mater omnium Haereticorum superbia St. Augustine saith t is Pride which progues Aug. contra Manich. 2. 8. men to factions and partakings Simon Magus would be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 8. 9. a great man this was the Magicke that bewitched him to his heresie and sorcerie Prejudice is a second and maine prevention of knowing and imbracing the Truth In hac side eram natus in hac educatus in ea moriar said an Eutichian because hee was borne therein therefore hee would live and dye in that opinion There are many mad Ephesians who will cry out against Paul when they know not the cause wherefore they cry out against him Acts 19. 32. And finally profit and commodity is Truths common adversary there are wretched men who subvert whole houses for silthy lucres sake Tit. 1. 11. and their gaine teacheth them to teach falshood 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to please their Patrons and maintaine errours because errours maintaine them On the other side insue three other things Fidelity Charity and Humility Fidelity towards the Scriptures Charity towards the Church and Humility towards thy selfe Fasten thy Faith on the Scriptures say with the Pythagorians 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he hath said it and therefore we will beleeve it And say with St. Paul Though an Angell from heaven should preach another Gospell and teach thee any thing contrary to the word of God let him be an Anathema accursed by God and man Gal. 1. 8. Next to thy fidelity to thy Father thy God speaking in his Scriptures exercise thy charity to thy Mother to the Church speaking in her Institutions Alexander saith Iustine did lament that hee had wronged his Nurse in his drinke The Church of England is our Nurse and surely they are not sober who wrong it and I hope that at length they will have grace to lament it If any accuse our Church which hath nursed thee let thy love teach thee to take heed of such accusers and abstaine from the very appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Let both Fidelity to the Scriptures and charity to the Church be a garland to
thy Christian head but let Humility be the Flower of that garland O be not high-minded Thinke not thy owne chickens the whitest or thy owne opinions the truest The right way to bee baptized that is to be washed from errour is to imitate the humble Ethiopian Act. 8. 31. to crave a guide to understand the Scriptures Thus putting away pride prejudice and profit if a man read the Scriptures carefully heare the Church charitably and esteeme of himselfe modestly I dare say it confidently that such a man shall understand the truth sufficiently And for a motive to put these meanes in practise let the phrase of my Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 remember us that to be in an errour is to be out of our wits Let us therefore labour to settle our mindes and to be resolved in our Religion Wee must not forget it Such as are out of the truth are out of their wits The Lord therefore settle our mindes and preserve us from all spirituall madnesse Having dispatched the Heresie it followeth that I discourse of the Fallacy Which in the first place we finde here related to be threefold by spirit by word and by letter The first fallacy or tricke whereby seducers did deceivâ— the Thessalonians was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the spirit that is the pretence of some Vision Revelation Inspiration or Spirituall information Thus 1 Iohn 4. 1. Beleeve not every spirit that is yeeld noâ— credence to every Doctor who doth gild oveâ— his doctrine with the pretence of the spirit oâ— spirituall infusions So the Scholia interprâ—â— this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 false prophets say they use to plead for their false doctrine This say they is the dictate of the Spirit an extraordinary gift we are indued with The second meanes to deceivâ— these Thessalonians was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by word whether spoken or written S. Paul calleth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inticing words Coloss 2. 4. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the shew of wisedome Coloss 2. 23. so speake the Scholia also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Certaine persons say they by their eloquencâ— and inticing words perswaded the poore Thessalonians That the day of the Lord would come in their age And finally the last fallacy is set downe in the next words nor by Letter as from us Two wayes did the seducers endeavour to deceive the Thessalonians in this kinde by quotation and falsification Some did quote that place of St. Paul in the 17. verse of the fourth chapter of the former Epistle Then we which are alive shall be caught up this they alledged that the Thessalonians in their owne persons should see the comming of Christ in that age Others 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 others forged Epistles and spred them abroad under the name of S. Paul say the same Scholia Here then we discover three fountaines of errours and false doctrine Inspiration Disputation and Quotation By Inspiration and the Spirit they deceive the Ignorant By Disputation and Word they deceive the Learned By Quotation or Letter or mis-alledging the Scriptures they deceive both the Learned and the Ignorant S. Paul doth arme them against all these with this Caveat Bee not shaken in minde nor troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by Letter as from us The first sort support their errours by Inspirations These are the Enthusiasts both old and new In old time Montanus and the Montanists in our time Monetarius and the Anabaptists seduce ignorant people by pretended Inspirations This foule errour doth evidently appeare from the act and effect thereof First God doth governe naturall things according to the nature of them therefore hee doth usually and ordinarily instruct men since they have bodies by corporall meanes and not by immediate spirituall infusions Againe these visions may be suggested by the Evill spirit Let them therefore confirme them by Miracles and then peradventure we may beleeve them or rather by the Scripture and then we must beleeve them without peradventure Next they nickname the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the holy Pen-men of the holy Scriptures Impure Quintinus Bell. de verbo Deilib 1. c. 1. with a prophane tongue doth call S. Paul vas fractum S. Peter abnegatorem S. Matthew foeneratorem and S. Iohn juvenem stolidulum Bullinger saith that Thomas Schykerus killed his brother kneeling at his prayers a pretended effect of his godly Inspiration And Sleidan hath historied it that 1525. the Anabaptists did murder 50000. Germanes in one day guided also by InspiratioÌ„ One place may satisfie al men concerning this fantasticall frensie Luk. 16. 31. If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neither will they bee perswaded though one rose from the dead it is the Scripture not Inspiration on which our Faith must rely So S. Cyprian although he had a vision yet hee proved the point he perswaded out of the sacred Scriptures Ne videretur verbum Dei adulterare lest he should seeme to derogate from the Scriptures whilest he did arrogate to Inspirations But I will pursue this monster no further For I assure my selfe if this Viper did but creepe upon the body of our Church the hand of Authority would shake it into the fire Our Land would bee impatient of such an impious assertion A second sort deceive the simple by their discourses and disputations by uttering 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as St. Peter speaketh they make 2 Pet. 2. 18. their swelling words to be the windy bladders on which children swimme in a streame of errours as if they were the most current assertions of Orthodoxall Divinity And indeed Eloquence is very potent for either party Tertullus was no meane opponent of S. Paul himselfe And Faustus the Monke was surnamed Laqueus Diaboli Aug. confess lib. 5. cap. 3. saith S. Augustine the ginne of the Devill Quo multi implicabantur per illecebram suaviloquentiae because hee insnared many ignorant persons by his eloquent discourses On the like ground Alexander did exile all the Oratours out of Athens causas insurrectionis as the only Trumpets of Rebellion Yet must we consider what we ought to think and to doe concerning Eloquence discreetly distinguishing betwixt the use and the abuse thereof We cannot but know that Eloquence is an excellent instrument and assistant to the Truth also Eloquent Apollos was as effectuall a propugner of the Gospell as ever Eloquent Tertullus was an oppugner of the same And the eloquent tongue of S. Ambrose through the Eare did touch the heart of Aug. Consess 5. 14. Augustine with the knowledge and love of the Truth Veniebant in animum cum verbis quae diligebam etiam res quas negligebam saith that holy Father in his heavenly Confessions Who Aug. de Magisho cap. 3. also doth instruct us in our duty in that point Acute falleris sed autem ut falli desinas acutius attendas If they take such great paines to seduce us by their Rhetoricke and Logicke let us take as