Supper not only a signe but a seale also to everie several particular faithfull man of the full and free remission of all his sinnes and of that immaculat perfect complete righteousnesse which hee hath by and in Christ Iesus Where therefore you may note by the way that the Doctrine of Assurance of Salvation is a most certaine true and undoubted doctrine inasmuch as these verie Sacraments themselves doe assuredly testifie and seale up the same even to everie several and particular faithfull and godly person that receiveth them S. Augustine somtimes useth the word in the large sense and acception but when hee speaketh of Sacraments in the more proper and strict sense he reckoneth them as wee doe saying Haec sunt Ecclesiae gemina Sacramenta These be the two Sacraments of the Church And againe he saith that Christ and his Apostles have delivered unto us a few Sacraments in stead of many Baptisme and the Lords Supper So S. Ambrose likewise treating purposely of the Sacraments speaketh of two as the reformed Churches doe Yea Innocentius the third speaking of them maketh mention of these two which we receive not of the rest which we refuse And even Cardinal Bessarion also saith Haec duo sola Sacramenta in Evangelijs manifestè tradita legimus VVee reade these twoâ—Sacraments onely to be manifestly delivered in the Gospel It is true that Bellarmine proveth the word Sacrament to be sometime given in some writers to the other five but that is as I said before when the word is taken in a general or large signification for anie Signe or token in which case it may indeed more properly be called a Signe then a Sacrament These five therefore namely Confirmation Pennance Matrimony Orders and Extreame unction wee reject from being Sacraments properly and strictly so called the other two namely Baptisme and the Lords Supper wee embrace as being altogether perfect and sufficient not onely to enter and plant a man into the Church but also to cherish increase confirme strengthen and maintaine him in it unto the end and therefore no need is there of anie moe to be Sacraments for anie of those uses ends or purposes 2 First then touching Confirmation It is granted that the Christians in the ancient Church caused their Children after that they came to yeares of discretion to come before the Bishop who examined them in the principles and fundamental points of Religion and instructed them further for their confirmation therein and that this action might have the more reverence and esteeme hee laid his hands upon them and praied unto God for them that hee would encrease and continue the good things that hee had begun in them But howsoever this was a laudable usage yet doth it not follow that therefore it was a Sacrament Yea your maner of Confirmation with Chrisme or Oyle for you make this Oyle to be the outward signe of this your supposed sacrament hath no institution or commandement from Christ therfore it can be no Sacrament for it is well knowne that everie sacrament must have an outward visible signe or element ordained and appointed of God for that purpose as in Baptisme the outward visible signe or element is water and in the Lords Supper the outward visible signes or elements be bread and wine and all these of Gods owne instituting and appointing But what institution or appointment from God can be shewed for this your Chrisme or oyle to be used as a visible signe in Confirmation Iust none at all in Gods booke Inasmuch therefore as this outward visible signe of Chrisme or Oyle used in Popish Confirmation is none of Gods instituting it can be no sacrament It is true that wee finde in the Scripture that the Apostles sometimes used Imposition or laying on of hands but therein wee reade of no Oyle or Chrisme they used Yea moreover by that their imposition or laying on of hands the miraculous gifts of the holy Ghost were given as appeareth in the same places of Act. 8.17.18.19 c. Act. 19.6 which power of giving the miraculous gifts of the Holy Ghost by that meanes is now ceased and is not to be found in the Popish Church at this day nor in anie other Church and therefore should not be attempted Howbeit as touching another kinde of Imposition of hands used in the ordination of Ministers shall be afterwards spoken 3 Concerning Pennance The Papists call it Pennance which the Greekes call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and the Latines Poenitentia or rather Resipiscentia and wee call it Repentance which consisteth properly in the change of the mind and affections and not so much in the outward afflicting and punishing of the bodie Yea the outward afflicting and punishing of the bodie anie manner of way howsoever is to no purpose if there be not inwardly a true change of the minde and affections You may call it Pennance if you will externally so to punish the bodie but allowable or good Christian repentance it will never be without a change of the minde and alteration of affections and becomming a new man For Repentance is an outward true godly sorrow for sinnes committed ioyned with fervent prayer unto God for the forgivenesse of them and hath in it an earnest desire purpose and endevour not to commit them anie more and is indeede a dying to sinne and a walking in newnesse of life and is testified by fasting weeping and mourning and by such outward tokens and declarations of it as wee reade of in holy Scripture to be approved Now that this which wee call Repentance and the Papists call Penitencie or Pennance is no Sacrament proper to the New Testament is hereby manifest First because it was in the time of the Old Testament and ever since the time of mans fall and transgression required in all ages and of all persons that they should repent for their sinnes committed Secondly it wanteth a visible signe instituted of God for this purpose to make it a Sacrament such as water is in Baptisme and such as bread and wine is in the Lords Supper and for want of this outward signe also it can therefore bee no Sacrament But Bellarmine saith that Christ instituted the Sacrament of Pennance when after his resurrection he said to his Apostles VVhose sinnes yee remit they are remitted and vvhose sinnes yee retaine they are retayned and he saith further that the vvords of absolution be the outward signe and that the remission of sinnes is the grace therby signified This is farre fetcht to prove it a Sacrament But first I demand of Bellarmine or of anie other How words of Absolution or anie words whatsoever uttered and spoken can be an outward and visible signe Words be audible I know when they be uttered and spoken but how are they visible when they cannot be seene for not audible but visible signes be required to a Sacrament Yea if words uttered by a Pastor or Minister
chiefe or supreame not onely in respect of Dukes Earles or other temporall Governors as the Rhemists would have it but in respect of all the rest likewise were they Bishops Pastors Clergie men or whosoever for hee writeth that his Epistle not to Heathens but to Christians and amongst them not to the Lay people onely but to such also as were Presbyters and did 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doe the office of Bishops amongst them requiring even them as well as the rest to yeeld their subiection and submission unto him And doth not S. Paul also require the same subiection and obedience to be performed by all maner of persons to their King and Princes For thus he saith Let every soule be subiect to the higher Powers for there is no power but of God and the powers that be be ordayned of God VVhosoever therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that resist shall receive to themselves Iudgement or Condemnation And againe hee saith VVherefore ye must be subiect not onely because of vvrath but also for Conscience sake Now then if every one must be subiect to Kings Princes and these higher Powers which thus beare the civill sword as both these Apostles of Christ doe here cleerly testifie it is apparant that Kings and Princes and these higher powers be and must needs be granted to be supreame to whom all the rest within their Dominions be thus required to be subiect Yea S. Paul writing that his Epistle to the Church of Rome and requiring every Soule therein to bee subiect to these higher Powers sheweth that not onely Lay people but all within the Ecclesiasticall order also even as manie as have soules should be subiect to these higher powers And therefore S. Chrysostome upon this place saith directly Sive Apostolus sive Evangelista sive Propheta sive quisquis tandem fueris c. Everie soule must be subiect to the higher powers yea though you bee an Apostle or an Evangelist or a Prophet or whosoever you be And he further addeth saying Neque enim pietatem subvertit ista subiectio For neither doth this subiection overthrow pietie or godlinesse And so saith Theodoret likewise upon this Text Sive est Sacerdoâ— aliquis sive Antistes sive Monasticam vitam professus us cedat quibus sunt mandati Magistratus whether he be a Priest or a Prelate or professe a Monasticall life hee must submit himselfe to those to whom Magistracie is committed Theophilact upon the same Text speaketh in like sort Vniversos erudit sive Sacerdos sit ille sive Monachus sive Apostolus ut se principibus subdant cuiusmodi subiectio nil prorsus est Dei sublatura cognitionem S. Paul instructeth all saith he whether he be a Priest or a Monke or an Apostle that they should subiect themselves to Princes which kind of subiection will in no sort take away the knowledge of God Likewise speaketh Oecumenius Instruens omnem animam audiens ut licet Sacerdos quispiam sit licet Monachus licet Apostolus potestatibus subijciatur That S. Paul teacheth and instructeth everie soule that though he be a Priest though a Monke though an Apostle he must be subiect to these higher Powers Bernard also writing to the Archbishop of Senona alleageth this Text Let every soule be subiect to the higher powers and addeth further Si omnis anima vestra Quic vos excepit ab universitate If everie soule must be subiect then must your soule also for who hath excepted you from this universalitie Yea Aeneas Silvius who was himselfe afterward a Pope of Rome called Pope Pius the second alleaging this Text saith Omnis anima potestatibus sublimioribus subdita sit nec excipit animam Papae Let everie soule be subiect to the higher powers neither saith hee doth he except herein the soule of the Pope himselfe And Gregory who was also himselfe a Pope of Rome in an Epistle to the Emperor Mauritius in the person of Christ saith thus unto him Sacerdotes meos manui tuae commisi I have committed my Priests to thy hand And in another Epistle hee saith that Dominari non solum militibus sed etiam sacerdotibus concessit God hath made the Emperor ruler not only over Souldiers but over Priests also Hee further calleth the Emperors his Lords saith that Potestas super omnes homines dominorum meorum pietati coelitus data est Power over all men is given from heaven to the pietie of my Lords And this supremacie doth also Optatus expresly acknowledge saying Super Imperatorem non est nisi solus Deus qui fecit Imperatorem Above the Emperor is not anie but God onely that made the Emperor And this againe did all the ancient Christian Church acknowledge in Tertullians time saying thus Colimus Imperatorem ut hominem à Deo secundum solo Deo minorem Wee Christians honour our Emperor as the man next unto God and inferior onely to God Againe hee saith that they held their Emperors to be under the power of God onely à quo sunt secundi post quem primi from whom they bee the second and after whom they be the first Kings therefore who have the like preeminence authoritie within their kingdomes that the Emperors had within their Empire must of all that will be right and Orthodox Christians bee acknowledged to have the Supremacie or which is all one the supreme government over all persons within their own kingdomes and dominions of what sort soever whether they be Lay or Ecclesiasticall And this is further confirmed by the sixt Toletan Councel which speaking of Chintillanus the King saith thus Nefas est in dubium deducere eius potestatem cui omnium gubernatio superno constat delegata Iudicio It is an heinous offence to call his power into doubt to whom it is apparant that the governement of all is committed by Gods appointment How intollerably iniurious then is the Popish Clergie which will not acknowledge this subiection but if it so fall out that anie of them be Robbers Traytors Rebels Murtherers or how great offendors soever in a Commonweale yet hold themselves neverthelesse free by reason of their Order from â—riall for those offences in Kings Courts This you see is directly repugnant to the Institution and word of God and to the opinion and practise of the Primitive and ancient Church and was moreover long sithence condemned as it was well worthie by Marsilius of Padua as a new devise and not so new as pestiferous occasioning the ruine of States and inducing a plurality of Soveraignties in one kingdome yea from hence all scandals grow and which standing saith he civill discord shall never have an end Is not then the position of such Priests and Iesuites as Emanuel Sa is iustly to bee condemned who in his Aphorismes at the word Clericus affirmeth that Clerici rebellio in
Regem non est Crimen loesae Maiestatis quia non est subditus Regis The Rebellion of a Clergie man against the king is no Treason because he is not the kings subiect And so likewise saith Bellarmine Non sunt amplius Reges Clericorum Superiores Kings be no longer Soveraignes or superiors to Clergie men Doe not these appeare to bee most grosse disloyall and detestable opinions But thus a New King is raised over the Popes Clergie that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith They have a King over them vvhich is the Angel of the bottomlesse pit who in Hebrew is called Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is in English a Destroyer namely the degenerate Bishop of Rome that grand 〈◊〉 as 〈…〉 proved who hath thus bereaved and robbed Kingâ— of 〈◊〉 naturall borne subiects and of their ancient Supremacie and most rightful authoritie over them 2 That the King is a Governour within his owne kingdomes and dominions is a matter so evident as that it needeth no proofe for he is called Rex à Regendo â— King in respect of his rule and governement And S. Peter agreeing hereunto teacheth that not onely the King but even other Magistrates also that be under the King be Governours and instituted for the punishment of evill doers for the praise of them that doe well S. Paul also speaketh the like of Princes or Governours that beare the sword that They are not to be feared for good vvorkes but for evill vvilt thou then be vvithout feare of the power Doe vvell saith hee so shalt thou have praise of the same for he is the minister of God for thy good But if thou doe evill then feare for he beareth not the sword in vaine for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doth evill You here then cleerely perceive that Kings and Princes bee Governors and 〈…〉 before that they be supreme which being put together necessarily concludeth them to be under God the supreme Governors within their owne Dominions Now that their governement and authoritie extendeth to causes Ecclesiasticall as well as 〈…〉 is a thing likewise verie manifest for as there is here no exception of anie person so is there also no exception or difference put of anie cause but whosoever transgresseth or offendeth or doth evill be it in what kinde of cause soever hee is here made subiect to this sword power and authoritie of Kings and Princes and punishable by it And doth not verie reason it selfe also perswade this For even in Christian States it is possible for Bishopâ— and other Ecclesiasticall ministers to transgresse and offend as touching the execution and administration of their Ecclesiasticall offices and functions as well as other men may in their offices and places As for example If they or anie of them would not suffer a childe or anie other to bee baptized which were not to be denied baptisme or if they should excommunicate anie upon meere spleen and malice without anie iust cause or if after a iust excommunication the person excommunicate should afterward publiquely testifie his repentance and thereupon desire to be reconciled and received againe into the Church and yet for all that should most uniustly be held out and be denied absolution or reconciliation Do not these and such like offences though committed by Ecclesiasticall persons and in causes Ecclesiasticall deserve punishment by the Civill Sword and authoritie of a Christian King If you say That such an offendor may be censured by such as be Clergie men and have Ecclesiasticall authoritie over him That hindreth not but that a King may neverthelesse punish him also civilly especially where the Lawes of the kingdome do so permit or appoint For in such cases without anie wrong or iniurie may one and the selfe same offence be punished both wayes viz. both Civilly and Ecclesiastically Your selves doe know that Bishops and Clergie men cannot by vertue of that their Ecclesiasticall office and authoritie punish anie offendors civilly but onely Ecclesiastically as namely by deprivation or excommunication or such like censures of the Church But Kings and Princes punish offendors in ecclesiasticall causes after another sort namely not ecclesiastically as Bishops doe but Civilly as by corporall imprisonment pecuniarie punishment and such like temporall paines belonging to their authoritie So that both Civill and Ecclesiasticall authoritie doe and may well stand together without doing anie wrong yea as friends and helpers the one to the other But to illustrate this matter yet further Admit Clergie men have excommunicated a man or sentenced him to be deprived or pronounced him to be an Hereticke or done all they can against him by the power of the keyes and of the Church censures and that neverthelesse he still and evermore persisteth a scorner and contemner of all that they can doe against him Is it not meete and requisite thinke you that such a one should be punished civilly and by the Kings authoritie For what other remedie is there left in such a case You see then how expedient and necessarie the governement and authoritie of a Christian King is even in respect of the Church and Church affaires as well as of the Common-weale and Common-weale causes and that in respect of offendâ—rs in Ecclesiasticall causes that be unruly wilfull obstinate and contemptuous the Church hath as much neede of him as the Common-weale Whilest therefore the king punisheth offendors in Ecclesiasticall causes not ecclesiastically and by Church censures as Clergie men doe but civilly and by a regall power and authoritie it is such a cleere evident a right as none can with anie colour of reason gainsay or disallow Yea even Heathen and Pagan Kings have this power and authoritie to make lawes and proclamations for the worship and service of the true GOD and to inflict punishment upon the breakers violaters of those their lawes and proclamations although they doe not alwayes put that their power and authoritie in execution for God as they ought but most commonly abuse it against him And yet sometime we see they doe extend it and put it in execution for God as it is evident in the examples of Artashast King of Persia Nebuchadnezar King of Babell and Darius King of the Mâ—des as also by some other Heathen Emperors mentioned in Eusebius If then as is manifest Heathen and Pagan kings have this power and authoritie albeit they doe noâ— alwaies extend it and put it in execution for God by what right or reason can it be denied to Christian Kings and Princes so to doe Yea by Gods owne most gracious providence Christian Kings and Queenes are to be nursing fathers and nursing mothers to his Church and Religion for so the Prophet Esay directly witnesseth And therefore is it that they not onely may make Lawes for Christ for so S. Augustine likewise saith that Serviunt reges Christo leges ferendo pro Christo Kings serve Christ
by making lawes for Christ but they may also command and externally compell their subiects if they stubbornly be Reâ—â—sants and wilfull to become obedient in that behalfe For so did the godly and religious Kings of Iudah as for example King Asa King Manasseth and king Iosiah The Donatists were the first that denied this authoritie of Kings in matters Ecclesiasticall Against whom therefore S. Augustine disputeth at large in sundry places VVhy doe the Donatists saith he acknowledge the force of the laws to be iustly executed against other malefactors and deny the same to be done against heretickes and schismaticks seeing that by the authoritie of the Apostle they be alike reckoned with the same fruits of iniquity yea if a King should not regard such things why then saith he doth he beare the sword Againe hee saith Mirantur quia commoventur potestates Christianae adversus detestandos dissipatores Ecclesiae Si non ergo moverentur quo modo redderent rationem de Imperio suâ— Deo They marvaile that these Christian Powers be moved against the detestable wasters of the Church If they should not be moved against such how should they render an account to God of their rule or governement Thinkest thou saith he to Vincentius that no man ought to be forced to righteousnesse vvhen as thou readest that the Master said unto his servant Compell all that you finde to come in c. Where is now saith he to Bonifacius that vvhich these Donatists harpe at so much viz. That it is free for a man to beleeve or not to beleeve what violence did Christ use whom did hee compell Behold Paul for an example Let them marke in him first Christ compelling and afterward teaching first striking and then comforting Let them not mislike that they be forced but examine whereto they be sorted And cyting that part of the second Psalme Be vvise ye kings understand yee that iudge the earth Serve the Lord in feare hee saith thus How doe kings serve the Lord in feare but when they forbid and punish vvith a religious severitie those things which be done against the commandements of God As Ezechias did serve him by destroying the groves and Temples builded against the precept of God As Iosiah did in like maner As the king of Nineveh also did forcing the vvhole City to please God As Nebuchadnezar likewise did restraining all his subiects from blaspheming God with a dreadfull law 3 As for the reason of Gaudentius that the peace of Christ invited such as were willing but forced no man unwilling the same S. Augustine again answereth it speaketh on this manner VVhere you thinke saith he that none must be forced to truth against their wils you be deceived not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God vvhich maketh them willing afterward vvhich were unwilling at the first Did the Ninivites repent against their will because they did it at the compulsion of their king VVhat needed the kings expresse commandement that all should humbly submit themselves to God but that there were some amongst them vvhich never vvould have regarded nor beleeved Gods message had they not beene terrified by the kings Edict This princely power and authoritie giveth many men occasion to be saved vvhich though they vvere violently brought to the feast of the great Housholder yet being once compelled to come in they finde there good cause to reioyce that they did enter though at first against their wills And when Petilian also obiected that no man ought to be forced by lawes to godlinesse S. Augustine still answereth and saith Preposterous vvere discipline to revenge your ill living but vvhen you first contemne the doctrine that teacheth you to live vvell And even those that make lawes to bridle your headinesse are they not they that beare the sword as Paul speaketh not in vaine being Gods ministers and executors of wrath on him that doth ill Yea S. Augustine teacheth further directly that it is the office dutie of Kings and Princes to compell their subiects although not to faith yet to the outward meanes of faith which is comming to the Churches and assemblies of Gods people there to heare the word of God read and preached and to doe other Christian dueties there used For howsoever it be granted that God only worketh faith in mens soules and not Men nor the power of Kings yet thereupon it followeth not but that Kings may neverthelesse command and compell them to external obedience and cause them to present their bodies in those Churches and assemblies where the ordinarie meanes of faith and salvation is to be had And as for Gods inward working upon their soules and his blessing upon that outward meanes when they be in those Assemblies Kings and Princes doe and must leave those things unto God alone as being things not included within their power to give nor within the power of anie earthly creature whosoever Some of the Donatists in ancient time rather then they would be forced from their fancies were so wilful unnaturall and impious as that they slew themselves yet did this nothing hinder the Church of God but that Donatists for all that were compelled by vertue of Princes lawes to their due obedience without anie respect or regard had to such their wicked and desperate doings I vvas once so minded saith S. Augustine that I thought no man ought to be forced to Christian unity but that vvee should deale by perswasion strive by disputing and conquer by reasoning lest they proved dissembling Catholickes vvhom we know to be professed Heretickes But afterward as himselfe sheweth he altered this opinion upon better advisement teaching That as it is fit that men that be in error touching Religion should be admonished instructed and dealt withall by perswasion so if they neglect scorne or contemne admonitions and instructions or doe grow wilfull stubborne perverse and obstinate upon no ground of reason they are iustly worthie to be punished according to the lawes For what a vaine idle thing is it for anie to say It is against their conscience to come to our Churches there to heare Gods word read and preached to pray unto God with us to thanke him for all his benefites to be present and partakers of his Sacraments and of other godly and religious exercises there used and yet can shew no reason at all for this their doing A blinde conscience such as this and every other is that hath not anie good reason to shew for it selfe is to be corrected and reformed and not to be followed And therfore doth S. Augustine yet further say expresly touching this matter That it is enioyned Kings from God ut in Regno suo bona iubeant mala prohibeant non solum quae ad humanam societatem pertinent verum etiam quae ad Divinam Religionem that in their Kingdomes they should command good
decrees of these former generall Councels dare and doe affirme the Pope to be above all general Councels to be supreme Iudge over all and not subiect to the iudgement of anie upon earth Is not this intolerable pride and most abhominable licentiousnesse and lawlesnesse in the Pope of Rome and most grosse notorious and palpable flatterie in his followers The Popes Supremacie ecclesiasticall then which he claimeth over all Bishops and Councels and the civill Supremacie which he likewise claimeth over all Kings and Emperors appeareth to be not onely a meere Noveltie but a thing also extreamely iniurious to all Bishops and Councels and to all Kings Princes and Emperors also and is therefore iustly worthie of all to be detested and reiected 6 For must not the Supremacie civill which hee also claimeth over Emperors Kings and Princes to depose them from their Crownes and Kingdomes and to assoile their subiects of their allegeance be a most strange and a most damnable impietie when God himselfe saith thus By mee Kings raigne and not by the commission or permission of anie Pope and when in Daniel a voice from heaven proclaimeth That it is not the Pope but The most high that beareth rule over the kingdome of men and giveth it to vvhomsoever hee vvill and when moreover not the Pope but God himselfe is hee that is intituled King of kings and Lord of lords Besides it is a thing cleerely out of the commission of the Apostles and consequently out of the commission of all Bishops and other Ministers of the Gospel for they be the Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and not of earthly kingdomes that bee committed unto them And therefore it is not within the compasse of this their Divine and Ecclesiastical commission to meddle with anie earthly matters much lesse with earthly kingdomes or to depose anie Kings from their Thrones or to give away their kingdomes or to disanull the duetie and allegeance of subiects which by the law of God and Nature they owe unto their Soveraignes Did anie Apostle yea or all the Apostles together in ancient time take upon them to depose Nero or anie other Emperor were he never so great a persecutor or were hee never so wicked Or did anie Bishops in the ancient Church take upon them to depose anie of them that were hereticall Arrian Emperors in their times and persecuters of the Oxthodox and right beleeving Christians Yea did anie Bishop or all the Bishops in the world together take upon them to depose the Emperor Iulian though an Apostata though a man Anathematized though a most impious person and a scorner of Christ and of all Christian Religion By this one president then of Iulian the Apostata if there were no other you may easily perceive that no excommunication or Anathematization nor anie power of the Keyes whatsoever committed by Christ to Bishops Ministers of the Gospel have anie force included in them to depose Emperors Kings and Princes be they never so wicked or adverse to Christ or Christianitie yea that Bishops in no sort neither directly nor indirectly or in ordine ad Spiritualia as they speake or for advancement of anie pretended or Revera Catholike cause have anie such authoritie For Iulian still remained an Emperor and his Christian souldiers and subiects notwithstanding that he was so great an enemie to their Religion were neverthelesse obedient dutifull and serviceable unto him as S. Augustine also sheweth and affirmeth So farre off were they from rebelling or withdrawing their allegeance from him and so farre off also were the Bishops of those times from perswading abetting or counselling anie such wicked matter unto them Yea whereas Bellarmine and some other Papists affirme that the Christians in the primitive and those ancient Churches were therefore obedient because they wanted sufficient power and force to withstand their wicked Emperors doe they not herein speake more like politicke Atheists then Christian Divines Where is Obedience for conscience sake which God requireth of all Christians as S. Paul witnesseth if such Popish doctrine as this were true But besides Tertullian expressely confuteth it witnessing that such was the affection and disposition of the Christians in those times being ledde thereunto by dutie conscience as that they neither taught nor put in practice any course of disloyaltie or disobedience or bare armes against their Emperor albeit they had as he there sheweth sufficient force to have done it Yea the Christians in those times notwithstanding all their great number strength their sufficient power to rebel if they had bin so ill disposed were neverthelesse so farre from rebelling or procuring rebellions to be made against the Emperor of their times that contrariwise they were quiet and suffered all things patiently and prayed for him that Almightie God would grant unto him A long life a secure raigne safetie in his Court valiant Souldiers a faithfull Counsell dutifull subiects a quiet kingdome and all those blessings and comforts that his heart could desire Sigebert mentioning the Popes proceedings against Henry the Emperor divers hundred yeares since saith thus Bee it spoken vvith the leave of all good men This novelty that I say not heresie had not as yet sprung up in the vvorld that Gods Priests should teach the people that they owe no subiection to evill Princes and though they have sworne allegeance to him yet they owe him no fidelitie nor shall be counted periured that devise against the King yea That hee that obeyeth him shall be counted for excommunicate and he that doth against the King shall be absolved from the guilt of vvrong and periurie Vincentius likewise testifieth the same matter Where you see how directly they both condemne these trayterous and rebellious positions of Poperie which be at this day by too manie amongst them cherished and maintained for points of Catholike doctrine and that notwithstanding the pretence of the Popes authoritie and of a Catholike cause they be long since condemned and accounted and recorded to be meere Novelties if not Heresies Now then you perceive I trust that as the Pope hath no Supremacie lawfull in Ecclesiasticis so much lesse hath he anie Supremacie lawfull in Temporalibus within the Kings Dominions or elsewhere within the Dominions of anie other King And I assure my selfe that such are your loyalties and such the odiousnesse and apparant untruth of the trayterous and rebellious positions delivered in these later times by Iesuites and such like Popish Teachers against Kings for maintenance of the Popes pride that yee unfainedly and utterly abhorre detest those positions of theirs together with their practises as they are indeed iustly worthie I would yee did also detest the rest of their false doctrines as I hope upon better information ye will even for truths sake and the safetie of your owne soules 7 But to proceed what cleerer or greater argument can there be against the Popes Supremacie
some have done that the King is therein called Supreme head of the Church they are deceived The words of the Oath at this day to take away all offence that any might conceive in that point being not supreme HEAD but supreme GOVERNOR And as touching this Title of Governor within his owne Dominions none can with anie reason gainesay it inasmuch as beside that which is before spoken King Alfred reigning long sithence was likewise called Omnium Britanniae Insulae Christianorum Rector The Governor of all the Christians vvithin the Isle of Britanny The Councell also held at Mentz in Germanie the yeare 814 in the time of the Emperor Charles the great and Pope Leo the third calleth likewise the Christian Emperor Carolus Augustus Governor of the True Religion and Defendor of the holy Church of God c. And a little after they say thus VVee give thankes to God the Father almighty because he hath granted unto his holy Church a Governor so godly c. In the yeare 847. there was also held another Councel at Mentz in the time of Leo the fourth and Lotharius the Emperor where they againe call the Emperor Verae Religionis strenuissimum rectorem a most puissant Governor of the true Religion The like was ascribed to King Reccesumthius in a Councell held at Emerita in Portugale about the yeare 705 in these words VVhose vigilancie doth governe both secular things vvith very great piety and ecclesiasticall by his vvisedome plentifully given him of God Where you see it expressely acknowledged that the King is a Governor both in causes secular and ecclesiasticall And this Councell of Emerita had also good allowance of Pope Innocent the third in his Epistle to Peter Archbishop of Compostella as Garsias witnesseth So that the Title of Governor even as touching matters ecclesiasticall as well as civill or secular attributed to the King he governing in them after a Regall manner and not in that Ecclesiasticall manner which Bishops and Clergie men use can no way justly be misliked but must in all reason be well approved and allowed Howbeit I grant that King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt had that Title of Head in their times given unto them but not of the universal Church upon earth as the Pope hath but of the Church onely within their owne Dominions and not within their owne Dominions neither in such sort and sense as the Pope taketh upon him to be Head over all the Churches in the world that is to rule and governe them at his own pleasure and as he lift himselfe Indeed Stephen Gardner Bishop of Winchester when he was in Germanie upon the Kings affaires was there a very ill Interpretor of that Title Supreme head of the Church vvithin his owne Dominions given to King Henry the eight reporting that the King might thereby prescribe and appoint new ordinances in the Church concerning faith and doctrine as namely forbid the marriage of Priests and take away the use of the Cup in the Sacrament of the Lords Supper and in things concerning Religion might do what he listed This manner of declaring the Kings power and authoritie under that Title did so much offend the reformed Churches that Calvin and the writers of the Centuries did complaine of it and that iustly and worthily bearing that sense but in no other sort or sense did they dislike it Yea even that Title of Supreme head being rightly understood needed not to have offended anie for they had iâ— in no other sort or sense then the King of Israel likewise had the title of Head of the Tribes of Israel of which Tribes the Leviticall Tribe was one Or then Theodosius that Christian Emperor had the like within his Empire of whom Saint Chrysostome saith that non habet parem super terram He hath no peere or equall upon earth and affirmeth moreover of him that hee was summitas Caput omnium super terram hominum the Head and one that had the Supremacy over all men upon earth Yea by the Title of supreme Head attributed to King Henry the eight and King Edward the sixt was no more meant but the verie same that was afterward meant to the late Queene Elizabeth of blessed memorie or to King Iames our now Soveraigne Lord under the title of Supreme Governor for that they are both to be taken intended in one the selfe same sense is verie manifest even by a direct clause in an Act of Parliament viz. the Statute of 5. Eliz. cap. 1. in which also is declared how the Oath of Supremacie is to be expounded And the words of that Statute be these Provided also that the Oath viz of Supremacie expressed in the said Act made in the said first yeare of her raigne shall be taken and expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queenes Maiesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Maiesties raigne that is to say to confesse and acknowledge in her Maiestie her heyres and successors none other authoritie then that vvhich vvas challenged and lately used by the noble king Henry the eight and king Edward the sixt as in the said Admonition more plainly may appeare Where first you may observe the Authoritie attributed to King Henry the eight and to King Edward the sixt and to Queene Elizabeth as touching this point intended and declared to be all one And secondly you see it enacted how the Oath of Supremacy is to bee expounded namely that it is to be taken expounded in such forme as is set forth in an Admonition annexed to the Queens Majesties Iniunctions published in the same first yeare of her Raigne The words of which Admonition therefore as more amply conteyning the explanation of the same Oath I have here thought good to adde for your better and most full satisfaction in this matter The Title whereof is this An Admonition to simple men deceived by the malicious HEr Maiesty forbiddeth all her subiects to give eare or credite to such perverse and malicious persons vvhich most sinisterly and maliciously labour to notifie to her loving subiects how by the vvordes of the Oath of Supremacy it may be collected that the Kings or Queenes of this Realme possessioners of the Crowne may challenge authoritie and power of Ministery of Divine offices in the Church vvherein her said subiects be much abused by such evill disposed persons for certainly her Maiestie neyther doth nor ever vvill challenge any other authority then that vvhich vvas of ancient time due to the Imperiall Crowne of this Realme that is to say under God to have the Soveraignety and rule over all maner of Persons borne vvithin these her Maiesties Dominions and Countries of vvhat estate eyther Ecclesiasticall or Temporall soever they be So as no forraine Power shall or ought to have any superioritie over them And if any person that hath conceived any other sense of the
in Christ and not of their owne inherent righteousnesse or through their owne merits or workes in anie sort An example whereof we have in S. Bernard himselfe who though hee lived in the times of Poperie and was himselfe an Abbot yet in the extremitie of his sickenesse and the end of his dayes this was his refuge I confesse saith hee I am not vvorthy neyther can I obteyne the kingdome of heaven by mine owne merits But my Lord obtayning it by a double right by inheritance from the father and by the merit of his Passion he being content vvith the one giveth me the other and clayming it by the gift vvhich he hath made me thereof I shall not be confounded Againe he saith My merit is the Lords mercie I am not poore in merits because he is rich in mercies I have greatly sinned but I vvill remember the vvounds of my Lord c. Contarenus a Cardinal did also in that time hold justification by faith in Christ and so did sundry others in those dayes Now so long as a man holdeth the foundation though he erre in other points that be not fundamentall he may be saved as S. Paul sheweth and S. Augustine Gregory Nyssen doe also declare But thirdly if it were so that some of our forefathers and ancestors were in their life time as likely enough it is that too manie of them were horribly polluted defiled with the corruptions of those times yet who can tell how they dyed For sundrie live wickedly who neverthelesse may dye verie godly and penitently as did that good Theefe at Christ his Crucifixion It is therefore no good argument to say They lived in the profession of Poperie Ergo they died so for diverse we see die otherwise then they lived and God was as well able to give them a right faith and repentance and to convert them unto himselfe before their death or at the instant of their death as anie others Yea I thinke that few or none that be well advised or considerate persons whatsoever they professe at other times will dare to dye Papists that is in a beleefe and confidence to be saved by their owne workes and merits or by a righteousnesse inherent in their owne persons but that they will then at that time of their death relye wholly and altogether upon Gods mercie and Christ his merits renouncing utterly their owne as S. Bernard did For even Bellarmine himselfe also writing in these late times notwithstanding whatsoever he had said before in defence of merits yet concludeth against them and teacheth that Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia benignitate reponere It is the safest vvay to put our vvhole confidence onely in the mercy of God and his bounty But fourthly manie and sundrie living in those times and being much grieved and groning under the Popes tyrannie made hold to utter their complaints and to cry out as loud as they could or at least as they durst against both Pope Poperie Amongst whom was the forenamed S. Bernard who calleth the Popes doctrines or pastures Daemonum potius quam ovium pascua Pastures rather for Divels then for sheepe where hee further inveigheth against the Pope and his Clergie saying Omiserandam sponsam talibus creditam paranymphis O miserable spouse vvhich art committed to such Leaders or such Overseers And againe he saith O good Iesus all Christendome seemeth to have conspired against thee they are chiefe in persecuting of thee vvhich seeme to hold the Primacy and to beare principality in the Church Iniquitie is come from thy Vicars even from those that seeme to governe thy people They have possessed the Fort of Sion seised upon the munitions and they burne vvith all their power the vvhole City Miserable is their conversation and miserable is the subversion of thy people c. They doe wickedly against Christ and there be many Antichrists in our times A stinking infection this day creepeth over all the body of the Church and the Deeper it is so much the more desperate and the more Inward that it is so much the more perillous for if it vvere an open Enemy he might be cast out and he vvould wither or if it were a violent Enemy a man might hide himselfe from him But vvhat is now to be done vvhither shall the Church drive him or vvhere shall she hide her selfe from him All friends and yet all enemies all kinsfolkes and yet all adversaries They are in pretence the Ministers of Christ and yet they serve Antichrist VVoe saith he to this generation because of the leaven of the Pharisees vvhich is Hypocrisie If yet it be to be Termed Hypocrisie vvhich is not able to hide is selfe it is so abundant nor yet seeketh to conceale it selfe it is so impudent And in another place he saith further That the Beast spoken of in the Revelation cap. 13. to vvhich a mouth is given to speake blasphemies and to make vvarre with the Saints of God is now gotten into Saint Peters chayre as a Lyon prepared to his prey 4 You see then that manie hundreth yeares before the daies of King Henry the eight and before Luther or Calvin were borne the Pope of Rome and his Clergie were complained of and exclaimed against But this shall yet further appeare for your better satisfaction For under the raigne of Hugh Capet in France about the yeare of our Lord 1000 there was held a Nationall Councell at Rhemes wherein was President Arnold that famous Bishop of Orleance It was there handled and proved by the Canons of former Councels That the Bishop of Rome had nothing to doe in France That a Councel vvas more to be respected then his Sea That the time was vvhen Rome brought forth good or tolerable Bishops but now alas saith this Arnold in place of these shee bringeth forth nought else but Monsters And there reckoning up diverse wicked Bishops of Rome and among the rest one Boniface a Monster exceeding in wickednesse and having his hands imbrued in his predecessors bloud he addeth And must so many the good servants of God over all the world needs be subiect to such Monsters and then concludeth Reverend Fathers vvhom doe you thinke this man to be which sitteth upon the high Throne glittering in gold and scarlet For vvhom doe you take him Verily if he be vvithout the love of God and be puffed up and extolled for his knowledge onely he is Antichrist sitting in the Temple of God shewing himselfe as if he vvere God But if he be neyther founded in love nor set up for knowledge he is an Image and as an Idoll in Gods Temple and to goe to him to aske counsell or for answers is to aske counsell of a stone And therefore he cryeth out O Lugenda Roma O Rome to be lamented Againe about the yeare of our Lord 1100 the whole Church of Liege uttered the like voice For where Pope
Paschall the second would have warre made upon the Emperor promising to give remission of sinnes and assurance of everlasting life to all that would doe it and on the other side to excommunicate all those that would shew obedience to him They say thus Because VVee keepe the Law of God they obiect against us that vvee transgresse their new Traditions But God saith unto them vvhy do you transgresse the commandements of God by your Traditions God commandeth to give unto Cesar the things vvhich are Cesars and to God that which is Gods which S. Peter and S. Paul doe lâ—kewise teach honour the King let every soule be subiect to the hâ—gher powers Hee that commands every soule to doe this whom doth hee exempt from this earthly power Because therefore wee honour the King and serve our Lords and Maisters in the simplicitie of our hearts are wee therefore excommunicated c vvho can reprehend a Bishop for keeping his faith and loyaltie to his Prince and yet they that teare in sunder the kingdome and Priesthood with new Schismes and new Traditions promise to absolve them from the sinne of periurie that breake their faith to their king Suppose say they our Emperor vvere an hereticke yet is he not to be repelled as such a one by us by taking armes against him yea they alledge that the Prophet Ieremy praied for Nebuchadnezzar and S. Paul for Nero and adde further VVhich of the Popes of Rome hath by his Decrees given authoritie that a Bishop should use the sword of vvarre against any offendors All from Gregory the first used the spirituall sword alone unto the last Gregory vvho was the first that armed himselfe and by his example others vvith the sword of warre against the Emperor c You say that if a man be excommunicate for vvhat cause soever if he dye in that estaete hee is damned But the Authoritie of the Church of Rome say they helpeth us in this point vvho teach that the Bishop of Rome hath power to absolve any that is uniustly excommunicated by others If then the Bishop of Rome may doe this vvho will say that God cannot absolve whomsoever the Pope hath uniustly excommunicated yea the Popes curse of Excommunication they make no reckoning of but contemne and despise it but above all say they vvee feare that which the spirit of God by the mouth of the Psalmist hath said viz. Cursed are all they that decline from his commandements That Curse of excommunication vvhich Pope Hildebrand Odoardus and this Third have by a new Tradition indiscreetely brought in vvee vvholly reiect and vvee hold and reverence those first holy Fathers unto this day vvho by the motion of Gods spirit not carried vvith their owne affections have otherwise ordeyned c. forasmuch therefore as vvee sticke to the Ancient rule and are not carried away vvith every winde of Doctrine we are called Excommunicates false Clerkes c. Howbeit let Pope Paschall lay aside his spirit of presumption and let him advisedly consider vvith his Counsaylors how from Silvester to Hildebrand the Popes have obtayned the chaire at Rome vvhat and how manie outrages have beene committed by the Ambition of that Sea c. As for those Legats à latere vvho run through the world to fill their purses vve say they wholly reiect them according to those Councels of Affricke held in the times of Zozimus Caelestinus and Boniface for that vve may know theraby their fruits there proceeeds from their legations no correction of manners or amendment of life but the slaughters of men and the spoyle of Gods Church c. That there should be such desolation of the Church such oppression of the poore and vvidowes such crueltie such rapine and vvhich is worse such effusion of bloud without respect of good and evill and all this and worse then all this Done by the Commandement of the Pope vvho would beleeve it if his owne mouth had not spoken it VVee remayne astonished at the novelty of these things and vvee enquire from vvhence this new Example should come That the Preacher of peace with his owne mouth and the hand of another man should make vvarre against the Church of God c. Where further they directly affirme Rome to be Babylon and say that the Apostle so calleth it as foreseeing by a Propheticall spirit The confusion of that dissention vvherewith the Church at this day is torne in pieces c. And a great deale more is spoken in that Epistle of theirs which though it be long and large is worthie the reading over And this no doubt moved the Bishop of Florence also in the yeare 1106 publiquely to preach that Antichrist was borne and then in Esse which Pope Paschall understanding of and being much grieved therewith tooke the paines to goe himselfe in person to Florence to stop the mouth of this Bishop And fearing as it seemes to stirre in the matter too much contented himselfe onely to admonish him to desist from this bold enterprise lest otherwise indeed the truth of that matter should more strongly breake out But yet further about the yeare 1150. The letters of the Emperor Fredericke Barbarossa to the Princes of Germany be sufficiently knowne wherein he sheweth unto them that the Pope had no other drift but to set his foot upon the Emperors head that so hee might the more easily overcome the members And upon this it was saith Radevicus That the Pope vvas not ashamed to maintaine that the Emperor vvas his man and held the Empire of him Yea the Popes are gone so farre saith Aventinus that they affect both domination and deitie so that they vvill be feared of all as God yea more then God pretending that they are not bound to give account of their Actions to any That amongst them be many Antichrists and that indeede there be none more pernicious to the Christian Religion then the Popes The same Emperor in his letters to King VVencislaus saith that the high Bishops of Babylon that is of Rome doe sit long over the Temple of God and seise upon the divinity that to please the desire of these false Christs thâ— Princes doe ruinate one another and all states be in a combustion That they be blinde vvhich see not that they be cruel vvolves which under sheepes cloathing spoyle the flocke of Christ. And that this was the Iudgement also even of sundry of the Germane Church as wel as of the Emperor appeareth by the oration of an Archbishop to the States of the Empire for saith he He that is the servant of servants as if he vvere God coveteth to be the Lord of Lords hee disclaymeth the counsell of his brethren or rather of his Lords He feareth lest hee should be forced to give account of that vvhich he doth and usurpeth every day over the lawes Hee uttereth great things as if he vvere God Hee coyneth new devises in his minde to appropriate the Empire to himselfe
at my vvords But thirdly be not Lay-men of the Church of God aswel as those that be Church-Ministers And may not these be Theodidactoi that is taught of God and instructed by his spirit aswell as others for the right understanding of the Scriptures especially in all points necessarie to salvation Yea doe wee not see and finde experimentally that manie great Scholers and learned men doe notwithstanding all their learning erre verie much in the exposition and understanding of the Scriptures for why else doe they differ so much and hold contrarie opinions All which what else doth it shew but that indeed not anie humane spirit how learned soever but a divine spirit onely is the opener and the right expositor and understander of those sacred and divine writings And this S. Paul also hath before assured us that the things of God no man knoweth but the spirit of God Now this Spirit of God none can denie to be grantable as well to lay-men as to those that be of the Ecclesiasticall Ministerie Yea everie childe of God hath Gods Spirit given unto him For if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his as S. Paul witnesseth Inasmuch therefore as lay persons have received or may receive the spirit of GOD whereby it is that the Scriptures be rightly understood and are of the number of Gods Church and people no reason can be shewed why they should be debarred by others or why they should debarre themselves from the reading and searching of those Scriptures which they may possibly understand by the grace power of Gods Spirit within them aswell as others especially if they reade and search them as I said before in the feare of God and with all humble reverence and with often and earnest praiers unto God for the right understanding of them and with a godly purpose of minde to beleeve follow and doe thereafter For as S. Paul saith againe The spirit of God searcheth all things even the deepe things of God If anie finde difficultie and hardnesse in some places of the Scriptures he must not thereby be discouraged but provoked rather to use so much the more diligence in them For that which is difficult and hard in one place is as the ancient Fathers themselves have told us made more plaine and easie by another And touching such places of difficultie beside praier unto God and conference of Scriptures together it will be good also to reade Interpreters and to consult with godly and learned Pastors and Teachers and use all such good meanes for the understanding of them as God hath allowed For the godly and learned Pastors and Teachers be Gods own ordinance in his Church to them usually above others doth he give more speciall gifts for the edifying and instruction of his people and for the opening and unfolding of those harder and difficulter places of the Scripture so that they are not to be neglected but to be resorted unto and to be evermore much honored reverently esteemed If peradventure by all meanes used a lay-man or an ecclesiasticall Minister shall not understand some hard and obscure Scripture yet let him reverence as becommeth him that which he understandeth not and therein suspend his judgement and opinion untill it please God further to enlighten him For whereas some alledge that lay persons should not reade the Scriptures lest through misunderstanding of them they might possibly fall into some errors or heresies it hath beene before answered that such a reason is verie feeble and of no weight inasmuch as it may as well serve to disswade Pastors Doctors and Ministers of the Church from reading the Scriptures because there is also a possibilitie for them as well as for lay persons in the reading of them to misunderstand them and so to fall into errors and heresies as wee finde experimentally that sundry of them heretofore have done and still doe And whereas some againe imagine and feare not to say that the permitting of the Scriptures to bee read of the lay people in the vulgar tongue is the cause of all the schismes sects errors and heresies that now flow in the world they are herein mightily deceived by mistaking the cause for not the reading of the Scriptures either by lay persons or ecclesiasticall Ministers but the misunderstanding and misapplying of them through the frailtie and corruption that is in mens minds wresting and forcing them to serve their owne humors fancies and conceits is the cause of all those schismes sects heresies and errors and this is not the right using but abusing of the Scriptures Now even Reason and Philosophie doe teach as well as Divinitie that Of vvhat things there may be an use of the same things there may be also an abuse and it is a Maâ—â—ime with all that abusus rei non tollit usum an abuse of a thing doth not take away the lawfull use of it Manie men you know doe abuse meate and drinke to surfetting gluttony and drunkennesse shall that be therefore made an argument to perswade anie from all eating or drinking or is therefore eating and drinking the cause of mens gluttonie and drunkennesse or is not their owne excesse and intemperate humor the cause of it So albeit manie abuse the Scriptures wresting and wringing them to a wrong sense and to their owne humors and fantasies as doe Papists Anabaptists and other Sectaries and Heretickes yet must that bee no argument therefore to disswade anie from the reading of them or from taking that lawfull use comfort profit and benefite that may be had out of them and for which they were ordeined Yea the true cause both of the beginning and continuance of all the schismes sects errors and heresies that now be in the world is in verie deed for that men will not suffer themselves to be over-ruled by the Scriptures but will contrarie to the Scriptures and to the true sense of them follow their owne waies conceits and inventions or the devises of other men Let none therefore pretend or alledge excuses for their owne sloth or negligence in this case but with all alacritie betake your selves even ye that be lay persons as well as the rest to the reading of the Scriptures with reverence humilitie praier and a right inclined minde and affection to beleeve live and doe thereafter And then shall yee not need to make anie doubt of Gods blessing or good successe and profit unto you by the reading of them yea then shall yee see and discerne the errors heresies Idolatries filthinesse and other abhominations of the Popish Church and Religion which otherwise ye will not be able to discerne This is the condemnation saith Christ that light is come into the vvorld and men loved darkenesse rather then light because their deeds vvere evill for every one that evill doth hateth the light neyther commeth hee to the light lest his deedes should be reproved But
yee cannot so much as shew the points of your religion wherein yee differ from us by the testimonie of the sacred and Canonicall Scriptures to have beene in the Apostles times and taught or approved by them as wee can doe ours And as touching Perpetuitie your Church hath it not but ours verie clearely hath it as having beene not onely in the times of the Apostles but in all succeeding ages also and posterities as is before sufficiently and plainely declared in the first part of this booke Chap. 2. For the true Church is builded upon so strong and invincible a Rocke namely upon Christ Iesus himselfe whom Peter confessed as that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it If all the power of hell and divels as is here manifest cannot prevaile against the Church of God that is the companie of Gods Elect and the number of his true and right Worshippers It is evident that this Church that is a companie of right and true worshippers of him must be granted to be perpetuall and to have continued throughout all ages and generations especially considering what God himselfe further speaketh saying thus I will makâ— this my covenant with them my spirit that is vpon thee and my words which I have put in thy mouth shall not depart out of thy mouth nor out of the mouth of thy Seede nor out of the mouth of thy Seedes seede saith the Lord from henceforth even for ever Yea that our Church was in Esse and had continuance even during the hottest rage of the raigne of that Romish Antichrist besides all other arguments this is a manifest one namely because the Popish Church still molested pursued and persecuted our Church under the names of Berengarians VValdenses Albigenses VVickâ—evists Lutherans Calvinists Lollards Heretickes Scismatickes and such like And yet very true it is that such may be sometime in some place the state of the Church by reason of rageing persecution against it as that even a right godly man and true worshipper of God may thinke himselfe to bee left alone without anie followers or copartners with him there in the right service of God As for example Elias complained in his time and of that place where he then lived that hee was left alone and That they sought to take avvay his life also And yet for all that was not Elias left alone although he so supposed and spake for God told him that he had even there namely in Israell where Elias then was reserved unto himselfe Seven thousand right worshippers of him which had not bowed their knee to Baal If the Companie of Gods chosen Church and elect people and right Worshippers of him be as is here evident sometime in some place unknowne even to a right godly man and Prophet of God no marvell is it though they sometimes lye hid and be unknowne to their enemies and persecutors to whose devowring pawes and bloodie hands without urgent cause they had no reason to shew themselves It is therfore no good argument which Papists make when they say that at some times during the raigne of Poperie they neither saw nor knew nor could heare of anie Protestants for if it were so as they say that they could finde none nor knew of anie at sometimes yet even then might there bee and were there also some such true and right worshippers of God albeit they lay hid from them and kept themselves as they had reason from their knowledge and mercilesse crueltie The reason then which they make against the continuance and perpetuitie of our Church because it was not as they say at all times seene of the world nor had their exercises of Religion at all and singular times publikely knowne to the world appeareth to be verie idle and of no force As for the answer which the Rhemists make to the former complaint of Eâ—ias that the faithful in his time were forced to keep close by reason of the persecution of Achab Iesabel which was onely in the Kingdome of the ten Tribes that is in Israell and yet neverthelesse that at the verie same time in Ierusalem and in all the Kingdome of Iudah the externall worship and profession of faith was openly observed well known even to Elias himselfe Admit all this were true which is not proved yet what will they then say to this that the Church at other times hath beene so hidden that there was no open or publike exercise of Religion to be sâ—ene no not in Iuda or Ierusalem it selfe no more then in those ten Tribes of Israell as namely in the daies of Ahas the sonne of Iotham King â—f Iuda of whom it is said that hee walked in the way of the Kings of Israâ—ll yea and made his Sonne to goe through the fire after the abhominations of the Heathen and in whose time the Altar of God was removed and an Idolatrous altar by the high Priests consent 〈…〉 Yea in the daies also of Hoseah King of Israell it is testified that not onely Israell but Iuda also kept not the Commandements of the Lord their God but walked according to the fashion of Israel vvhich they vsed How was the Church then visible in that sort and sense that wee speake of that is to say was it such a Church as had publike exercises of Gods religion splendently seene and openly apparant to the world Againe in the daies of Manasseth King of Iuda when Hee did evill in the sight of the Lord after the abhomination of the Heathen and erected altars for Baall and worshipped all the hoast of heaven and served them and when hee also built Idolatrous altars in the house of the Lord yea when it was recorded that this King Manasseh led the people out of the way to doe more wickedly then did the heathen and made Iuda also sinne vvith his Idols I say when Iuda became thus corrupted and Idolatrous aswell as Israell Had then the Church her outward practise of Religion according to Gods commandement and appointment to bee openly seene of the world And was it not so likewise in the daies of Amon King of Iuda Sonne and successor to Manasseh vvho did evill in the sight of the Lord as his father Manasseh did for he walked in all the waies his father walked in and served the Idols that his father served and worshipped them Thus you see that the Church of God was sometimes not openly seene but lay hidden and that as well in Iuda and Ierusalem as in the ten Tribes But perceiving this Church of Iuda and Israell to make against them then they flie to another devise and say that the Christian Church hath better promises then the Church of the Iewes Howbeit they can shew none as touching this point better for the one then for the other Yea for the Church of the Ievves to continue untill the first comming of Christ there be as strong as good promises to be seene as for
not then a shame for him if he had any shame in him thus to intrude himselfe into such an high and soveraigne Authoritie without anie commission or warrant from Christ the King of his church Besides themselves acknowledge and that rightly that the companie of the glorious and invisible Saints in heaven and the companie also of the visible Saints on earth do all make but one church and one Bodie to Christ Iesus though their states be differing that is to say though the one sort be triumphant and the other militant Inasmuch then as they all make but one church one bodie unto Christ Iesus how can it be shifted or avoided but that Christ Iesus must be the head aswell of the saints on earth as of the saints in heaven aswell of the visible militant company as of the invisible triumphant Yea Bellarmine himselfe will not allow anie Christian to bee tearmed or called a member of the Pope How then can the Pope rightly be the head of the church for if all true Christians vpon earth bee and be to be termed the members of Christ and not of the Pope it must be granted that not the Pope but Christ onely is their head for the head and the members be relatives And whereas in this matter they talke of a ministeriall head which is not vitall it is also but a phantasticall and vaine distinction For there can be no head in true and proper appellation to this one bodie of Christ which is his Church but that which is vitall The Pope as appeareth even by this their owne distinction is but a dead head and hath no life in him to give to anie of the members of Christ or wherby vertue grouth nourishment or increase may distil or be derived from him as from the head to anie of the members What then should the bodie of Christ doe with such a livelesse and dead head or what good profit or benefite can anie reape or receive from thence A dead bodie is fittest for such a dead head but the living and mysticall bodie of Christ hath and requireth another manner of head namely that which is vitall which is Christ Iesus onely of whose fulnesse they have all received as S. Iohn speaketh Neither is there anie such necessitie as they also vainely fancie for the visible and militant Church to have such a visible head for albeit Christ Iesus be absent from his church militant here upon earth in respect of his bodily presence which he hath carried with him into heaven yet in his Deitie and by the power of his spirit is he alwaies present with the same his church For so himselfe witnesseth saying I am with you alwayes unto the end of the world And therefore alwaies doth S. Iohn testifie that notwithstanding the manhood and bodily presence of Christ be in heaven and there remaining yet neverthelesse by his almightie power and spirit he walketh and is in the midst of the seven golden Candlestickes that is In the midst of the seven Churches for so the text it selfe expoundeth the Candlestickes saying thus The seven Candlestickes be the seven Churches Vnder the name of which seven churches be also all other churches upon earth shadowed out unto us as Augustine Primasius Haymo Beda Thomas Aquinas and others affirme Seeing then that Christ Iesus notwithstanding his bodily presence remaining in heaven is neverthelesse by his almightie power and spirit present with all the true Christian churches in the world and walketh in the midst of them to guide governe comfort teach order rule susteine uphold and direct them and give all gifts and graces requisite It is manifest that he is sufficiently present with them in the church militant to doe all the offices of an head unto them so that they need not in anie sort the Pope to become an head unto them for anie of those uses or ends Yea is it not a verie great absurditie for anie to suppose or imagine that the Pope or anie one man mortall whosoever being on earth can better rule order guide and governe the whole militant church then Christ Iesus himselfe can doe being in heaven by his wisdome almightinesse and power of his Spirit But yet further when Christ in his manhood was to ascend up into heaven he promised neither the Pope nor anie one Bishop over all the rest to be his Vicar on earth or to supplie his roome and absence but the holy Ghost onely For thus he saith I tell you the truth It is expedient for you that I goe away for if I goe not away that Comforter will not come unto you And this comforter is the Holy Ghost the spirit of truth as is there expresly affirmed And againe he saith that After his departure they shall have another Comforter that shall abide with them for ever even the spirit of Truth vvhom the vvorld cannot receive because it seeth him not neither knoweth him Doe not these texts verie plainely shew that the holy Ghost is and is to be accounted Christs Vicar upon earth ever since his departure into heaven that is to say is in his stead and place unto the militant Church and to abide with it for ever And therefore doth Tertullian say accordingly that Christus misit Vicariam vim spiritus sancti qui credentes agat Christ sent the power of the holy Ghost to be his Vicar or in his steed to leade and direct the beleevers Howbeit if some Bishop will needes be so intituled namely Christs Vicar as being an Ambassador for Christ and in Christs steade yet let him then know that he is not so alone but that all godly and faithfull Bishops and Ministers be so likewise For which cause it is that the ancient Fathers doe call them all alike Vicarios Christi the Vicars of Christ But S. Paul yet further sheweth that not Christ himselfe tooke upon him this honour to be head of the church without his fathers appointment and constitution If therefore the Pope will take it upon him it is good reason he should likewise shew where God hath so constituted and appointed him which he is not able to doe Yea S. Paul sheweth againe That onely he is head of the Church vvhich is farre above all principalitie and povver and dominion and might and every name that is named not onely in this vvorld but in the vvorld to come And therefore this is such a high peerelesse and supereminent an honour and prerogative as that it is proper to Christ Iesus onely and not communicable to anie creature Lastly you may perceive by S. Paul that Christ is so the head of the Church as the husband is the head of his wife And is there anie honest wife that will bee content to have two heads that is two husbands though for distinction sake you should terme the one a ministeriall head or howsoever else you would please to call him 6 Now touching Miracles
signes or vvonders wee say that those which were done by Christ and his Apostles and in those ancient and primitive Churches be sufficient for the confirmation of that most ancient primitive Christian and Apostolicke faith and religion conteined in the booke of God which wee professe Yea now in these daies saith S. Chrysostome the vvorking of miracles is ceased and they be rather counterfeit miracles saith he vvhich be found amongst them that be false Christians Againe he saith There be some that aske vvhy men vvorke not miracles novv in these dayes If thou bee beleeving saith he as thou oughtest to be and if thou lovest Christ as he should be loved thou needest no miracles for signes be given to unbeleevers and not to beleevers Againe S. Cyrill saith that to vvorke miracles maketh not a man one iot the more holy seing it is common to evill men and to such as he obiects or reprobates For so the Lord himselfe witnesseth saying Manie shall say unto mee in that day Lord Lord have not vvee prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out divels in thy name done manie great vvorks And yet will he neverthelesse professe unto them I never knevv you depart from me ye vvorkers of iniquitie And on the other side working of no miracles hindereth not a mans holinesse for Iohn wrought neither signe nor miracle and yet was this no derogation to his holinesse for amongst them that are borne of vvomen arose there not a greater then hee as Christ himselfe testifieth Yea that miracles signes or wonders may be done by false Prophets and false teachers is further manifest for even Christ himselfe saith that There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and they shall shevv great signes and vvonders so that if is vvere possible they should deceive the very Elect. S. Paul also directlie testifieth that in the Antichristian Church there shall be the vvorking of Sathan vvith all power and signes and lying VVonders Which saith S. Augustine be called lying signes and VVonders for this cause that either mens senses be deceived thinking that to be done which revera is not done or else because if they be done in deed they draw men to beleeve that they could not be done but by the power of God whereas they know not the power of the Divell For S. Iohn in the Revelation mentioneth spirits of Divels vvorking Miracles to deceive those that be of the Antichristian Church By all this then you see that the Miracles wrought in Poperie be no argument or proofe that therfore it is the right or true Church or that the Teachers therein be the right and true Teachers for they may be false Prophets and false Teachers and the Popish Church may be as indeed it is the false and Antichristian Church all these their Miracles notwithstanding But hereof I shall have occasion to speake more fullie afterward when I come to speake of Antichrist and his Miracles In the meane time concerning this point thus much may suffice CAP. III. Of Iustification by Faith onely The right sense and meaning of that position and of the truth of it And that being rightly understood it excludeth not good workes nor importeth anie licentiousnesse at all in it but the cleane contrarie IT is a thing well knowne how busie and earnest Popish Teachers be not only by word of mouth but by their books writings also to perswade you all that ever they can against ours the most ancient most pure and only right Religion and amongst other their bad devises which they plot contrive for their owne advantage and behoofe this is not the least that they accuse our Religion to be a doctrine and religion of much licentiousnesse and that in sundrie points which therefore must be answered And manie there be also that be too hastie and over credulous to beleeve them as if all that they speake and write were to be held for undoubted truth and oracles without further enquirie or examination But howsoever they thus boldly presume they for all that be not able to take anie iust exception against our Religion or to shew or prove it in anie point whatsoever to be an allower of anie the least impietie or licentiousnesse if it be rightly understood It is true that sundrie that professe Protestancie live licentiously and wickedly and so doe manie also that professe Poperie likewise live wickedly licentiously If therefore they allow not this for an argument sufficient to convince their religion of wickednesse licentiousnesse which is taken from the wicked lives manners and conversations of men Why will they be so unequall as to make it of anie force against our religion Wise men can easily distinguish inter vitium rei personae betweene that which is the fault of the thing and the fault of mens persons For the religion may be good though some persons that professe it live not answerably thereunto yea the Protestant that is the Christian Religion which we professe is so good godly divine holy and pure as that it neither alloweth nor tolerateth the filthie Stewes nor anie other impuritie nor anie treasons or rebellions nor perjuries nor lying or deceitfull equivocations nor anie other wickednesse or impietie whatsoever but utterly condemneth them all So that for true pietie puritie integritie and all manner of good life and godly conversation the religion of Poperie commeth farre short of it and is in no sort to be compared with it If then anie professing our religion live wickedly or licentiously as too manie do it is the fault of the men that live so dissolutely and not of the religion which requireth and commandeth the cleane contrarie at their hands But for all that they persist and say that even the Protestants religion it selfe is licentious because it teacheth and holdeth that men are justified in Gods sight and before his Tribunall onely by faith in Iesus Christ which doctrine say they maketh men licentious and carelesse of doing good workes Howbeit both they and you must understand that when the Protestants doe say or have said at anie time that Faith onely iustifieth in Gods sight it is and ever was meant and intended howsoever some seeme purposely to mistake it not of anie dead faith which hath no life in it to bring forth anie good workes but of a true and lively faith which is accompanied with good works and is fruitfull and working by love as S. Paul and S. Iames and S. Peter and the rest of the holy Scriptures cleerly declare Whilst therefore they teach both in their Sermons writings with S. Iames and the rest of the Scriptures That the faith that is vvithout vvorks is dead and that such a faith cannot save or iustifie a man but that it must be a true and lively faith that is such a faith as produceth bringeth forth good workes I hope you sufficiently perceive that the doctrine of
before the fall and transgression of Adam it was possible and the Impossibilitie that is now of it is not through anie default of the Law or of God the giver of it but through the imbecillitie and weakenesse which men have brought upon themselves by meanes of that Transgression Neither was the law afterward given to anie such end that men should be able exactly and perfectly to fulfill it and by such fulfilling of it to have eternall life but to shewe us how farre wee are fallen from that ability and puritie wee received in our first Creation and to discover and make knowne our sinnes and transgressions both originall and actuall and the wrath and curse of God due unto us for the same and so to drive and bring us unto Christ the Saviour and Redeemer This is one chiefe use of the Law as S. Paul hath before declared Another use of the Law as touching the tenne Commandements is that wee should walke in the obedience of it to the uttermost of our power although we shall never be able during this life fully and absolutely to keepe and performe it by and in our owne persons In all this I am sure there is no crueltie tyrannie or iniustice Yet we must as I said before endeavour to the uttermost of our powers to walke in it and to doe all manner of good workes although not to that end to expect Iustification or salvation by that meanes yet to other ends and purposes as namely first to shew our obedience dutie and thankefulnesse to God for all his favours and benefits bestowed upon us For as S. Paul saith God hath ordained good workes that vvee should walke in them Secondlie that by those good workes and a Godly conversation VVe may make our calling and election sure to our selves as S. Peter teacheth Thirdly that Other men seeing our good workes may thereby be also occasioned and moved to glorifie God our heavenly father as Christ himselfe declareth So that there bee as you see other good ends why men should observe so much as is possible Gods Law and Commandements and why they should doe all manner of good workes though they repose no confidence of merit or hope of Iustification or salvation therein Howbeit the Rhemists endeavour to prove workes of Supererogation First by that which was laid out over and beside the two pence for the recovery of the vvounded man in Luk. 10.35 but the doing of that was cleerely a worke and dutie of Charitie and therefore commanded and consequently could not bee a worke of Supererogation And as touching the other Text of 1. Cor. 9 which the Rhemists likewise alledge where S. Paul would not bee burthensome or chargeable to the Church of Corinth for preaching the Gospell unto them which neverthelesse he might have charged himselfe sheweth the reason why he did forbeare and abridge himselfe of the use of that power and libertie amongst them namely because hee vvould not give anie hindrance to the Gospell of Christ. Vers. 12. and because hee vvould not abuse his povver in the Gospell vers 18. and because a necessitie vvas also put vpon him to preach the Gospell vers 16. whether he had allowance of the Church or no allowance This therefore was also a dutie in S. Paul the Apostle in this case to preach the Gospell thus frankely and freely rather then it should not be preached at all or rather then the Gospell should be hindred or receive obloquy anie way and consequently they appeare to bee intolerable and super-arrogant vvorkes of Supererogation which bee maintained in the Papacie CHAP. VII Concerning Predestination and assurance of Salvation and that being rightly understood they Inferre no manner of Licentiousnesse or Impietie but the cleane contrary BVt they proceede challenging our Religion further to be a religion tending to licentiousnesse for that it teacheth Predestination and assurance of Salvation in some persons which they also call Presumptuous Doctrine But first even the Papists themselves aswell as the Protestants doe teach that there is a Predestination Secondly in the Doctrine of Predestination it being rightly and discreetely delivered there is no danger or inconvenience but much conveniencie sweetnesse comfort and profit comprised Yea why hath God revealed published it in his word but to the end it should be knowne And that no man might carpe against it S. Paul sheweth that which all reason as well as Religion alloweth namely that God the maker of us all hath at least as much authoritie and power over all men his Creatures to doe dispose and ordaine of them at his pleasure as the Potter hath over his Pots or over the clay whereout he frameth or maketh them especially after that the whole lump of mankind was fallen in the transgression of Adam Hath not the Potter saith he povver of the clay to make of the same lumpe one vessell to honour and another to dishonour And hee further addeth saying VVhat if God vvilling to shevv his vvrath and to make his povver knovvne suffer vvith long patience the vessels of vvrath fitted to destruction and that he might declare the riches of his glorie upon the vessels of mercie vvhich he had before prepared unto glorie In which words yee see that some upon the fall of Adam were left in their sinnes and so bee vessels of vvrath fitted to destruction through their owne sin and corruption and that other some be vessels of mercie and such as God notwithstanding their fall and corruption hath prepared to glorie But to shew this matter further and withall to cleare it of all licentiousnes and impietie doth not S. Paul say thus VVhom God hath predestinated them also hee called and vvhome he called them also he iustified and vvhom he iustified them also he glorified Here you see expresse mention made of Predestination of some unto glorie and withall you see that those which be thus predestinated unto glorie bee the men that be afterward at some one time or other of their life effectuallie called and Iustified and consequentlie sanctâ—fied and at last come to be glorified and therefore they bee and must needs be such as live not a wicked dissolute and licentious but a good godly and holie life after that they bee once so effectually called But yet further S. Paul speaketh thus to the chosen people of God Yee are all the children of light and the children of the day vvee are not of the night neither of darkenesse Therefore let us not sleepe as doe other but let us vvatch and be sober for they that sleepe sleepe in the night and they that be drunken be drunken in the night but let us that are of the day be sober putting on the brestplate of faith and loue and the hope of salvation for an helmet For saith hee God hath not appointed us unto vvrath but to obtaine salvation by the meanes of our Lord Iesus Christ vvhich died
unto thee but my Father vvhich is in heaven And I say unto thee Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke vvill I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not overcome it And I will give unto thee the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and vvhatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and vvhatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Howbeit first you must be put in mind that the confession which Peter here made of Christ to be the Sonne of the living God was likewise the confession and acknowledgement of the rest of the Apostles aswel as of Peter so that Hee for his part was therin but as the Mouth of the rest or like the Foreman of a Iurie pronouncing that verdict and confession for them all For which cause also the Keyes of the Kingdome of Heaven and the power of binding and loosing of sinnes bee there promised to be given to Peter not as to him alone but to him as bearing and representing at that time the person of them all For that Peter at that time represented the person of them all is manifest by these reasons First the question was demanded not of Peter alone but of the rest of the Apostles aswell as of him for the words be not in the singular but in the plural number Vos autem quem me esse dicitis But VVhom doe yee say that I am and consequently the answer that was given must consonantly thereunto be supposed to be the answer of them all For it were a verie uncivill and unseemely part beside undutifull if the rest being demanded and asked the question aswell as Peter should give no maner of answer to their Lord and Master demanding it of them Which they must needs be held guiltie of unlesse their answer be taken to bee included and comprehended in that answere of Peter Secondly when this promise made to S. Peter came to bee performed it was performed to them all alike as you may see in that place of Ioh. 20.22 23. where that promise was performed and accomplished Which also sheweth that the promise made to S. Peter was not made as to him alone but to him as representing at that time the person of them all For the promise and the performance of that promise must of necessitie have coherence and bee made to agree together as most aptlie and rightly expounding one an other And according hereunto doe the Ancient Fathers likewise expound it Origen saith This saying of Christ to Peter I will give unto thee the keyes of the Kingdome of heaven is common also to the rest of the Apostles and the words that follow as spoken to Peter bee also common to them all Again he saith Shall we dare to say that the gates of hell shall not overcome onely Peter and that the same gates shall prevaile against all the other Apostles And againe hee saith If wee speakâ— the same thing that Peter spake wee are become Peter and unto us it shall bee said Thou art Peter for hee is a Rocke whosoever is the disciple of Christ. And againe hee saith If thou thinke that the whole Church was builded only upon Peter what wilt thou then say of Iohn the son of Thunder and of everie of the Apostles Cyprian speaketh in like sort upon these words of Christ to Peter In the person of one man saith hee the Lord did give the Keies to all the Apostles to signifie the unitie of them all for verilie the rest of the Apostles were the same that Peter was endued with equal fâ—llowship both of honour and power But hee did begin with unitie that is to say with one that thereby it might be signified that there is but one Church of Christ. In like sort doth S. Augustine expound it saying VVhen they vvere all asked Peter alone maketh the Ansvver and it is said unto him I vvill give unto thee the Keies of the kingdome of heaven as though hee alone had received authoritie to binde and to loose whereas HE had spoken THAT for them All and received THIS as representing or bearing in himselfe the person of unitie And againe hee saith If there were not a mystery of the Church in Peter The Lord would not have said I will give to thee the Keyes of the Kingdom of heaven for if this were said onely to Peter then the Church hath them not And if the Church hath them then when hee received the Keyes hee signified the whole Church So likewise testifieth S. Hierome Yee will say saith hee that the Church is builded upon Peter hovvbeit in another place the same thing is done upon all the Apostles and all receive the Keyes of the Kingdome of heaven and the strength of the Church is founded equally upon them all Beda doth likewise so expound it saying thus The power of binding and loosing notwithstanding it seeme to bee given onely to Peter yet without all doubt wee must understand that it was given also to the rest of the Apostles Haymo doth also so affirm This authoritie saith hee the Lord gave not onely to Peter but also to all the Apostles because Peter expressed the faith of all the Apostles when he said Thou art Christ the Sonne of the living God So that vvhat the Lord said to Peter he said unto all his Apostles as appeareth Ioh. 20.23 where hee saith thus unto them all alike VVhose sinnes yee remit they are remitted unto them and whose sinnes yee reteine they are reteyned Wherefore the Keyes whereby the Kingdome of heaven is opened and shut to sinners and the power of binding and loosing sinnes appeare to be no more specially or principallie given to Peter then to the rest of the Apostles but they all received that power athority equally alike And here withal you may perceive that the verie person of Peter is not the Rocke or foundation whereupon the Church of Christ is builded for then upon the death of Peter the church for want of a rocke or foundation to uphold it would have come to ruine but it is Christ Iesus himselfe whom Peter there for himself in the name of the rest confessed that is the Rocke and foundation to support and uphold the Church and whereupon it is builded For so also doth S. Paul expound and declare it saying in precise termes thus Other foundation can no man lay then that vvhich is layd alreadie vvhich is Iesus Christ where you see that hee expresly affirmeth the Church to have no other foundation but Christ onely And in another place hee also calleth Christ Iesus the Rocke in expresse termes for he saith That Rocke was Christ yea and Christ himselfe saith Hee that heareth my vvordes and doth them is the vvise man that buildeth his house upon the Rocke What better expositors then these would you have to expound and declare these words By the Rocke then not Peter but Christ is to
know the times and the seasons vvhich the Father hath put in his owne power There is another exposition which the Protestants deliver unto you touching the 42 moneths and 1260 daies otherwise called a Time and Times and halfe a Time mentioned in the Revelation which is this namely that times in Gods appointment certaine of the several persecutions and molestations of the Church be therein limited and prescribed albeit to us they be uncertaine untill the event doe declare them For that a time certaine even in the Revelation of S. Iohn may be thus put for a time uncertaine the Rhemists themselves doe sufficiently declare who expound the Thousand yeares wherein the Divell is said to be bound which in it selfe is a time certaine to be neverthelesse the whole time how long or short soever it be of the New Testament untill Antichrists time If then the certaine time of a Thousand yeares signifie no certaine number of yeares but are put for an indefinite and an uncertaine time as the Rhemists and other Papists also teach what marvell is it or what iust exception can they take against us if wee likewise expound the 42 moneths and 1260 daies otherwise called a Time and Times and halfe a Time for a time indefinite and uncertaine to us untill it be accomplished though God in his foreknowledge hath certainely limited it Yea according hereunto Beda saith By the number of these dayes vvhich make three yeares and an halfe the Holy Ghost comprehendeth all the times of Christianitie because Christ vvhose body the Church is preached so long in the flesh To the same effect he saith upon the 14 verse Hee designeth the vvhole time of the Church comprehended before in the number of Dayes Ambrosius Ansbertus likewise saith The number of 1260 dayes in vvhich the woman tarieth and is fed in the vvildernesse doth so signifie the course of Preaching or end of Persecution in vvhich the old enemy is permitted to rage against the holy Church by that damned man vvhom he shall possesse that neverthelesse it comprehendeth the beginning either of the preaching or of the persecution in vvhich Christ began to preach and suffer yea the vvhole time of this present life which is betweene the beginning and the end Rupertus also expoundeth these daies for so long time as the Church being a stranger in the vvorld suffereth persecution Haymo likewise saith It may be referred unto all the time from the ascention of Christ unto the end of the vvorld Thus you see that even these ancient Expositors expound it not for iust three yeares and an halfe as yee doe but as comprehending in it a much longer time and as being a time certaine put for an uncertaine as wee doe But yet to answere more particularly to those Texts And first to that Text of Revelat. 11. It is there said That the Gentiles shall tread under foot the holy Citie that is the true Church of God two and forty moneths But I will give power unto my two vvitnesses and they shall prophecy saith the Text 1260 dayes clothed in Sackcloth These are two Olive Trees and two Candlestickes standing before the God of the earth And if any man vvill hurt them fire proceedeth out of their mouthes and devoureth their enemies For if any man vvould hurt them thus must he be killed These have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over vvaters to turne them into bloud and to smite the earth vvith all maner of plagues as often as they vvill And vvhen they have finished their Testimony the Beast that commeth out of the bottomlesse pit shall make vvarre against them and shall overcome them and kill them c. You suppose that by these two witnesses here mentioned be meant Enoch and Elias who as you imagine shal come againe personallie into this world to encounter and oppose themselves against Antichrist But first how doe yee prove these two Witnesses to be Enoch and Elias for yee finde them not so named in the Text. And indeed it is but an imagination or surmise which hath no sufficient ground or certaintie in it Yea S. Hierom reiecteth it saith that they be Iudei Iudaizantes haeretici c. Iewes and Iudaizing hereticks that looke for a corporal or personal comming of Elias And in another place he reckoneth such maner of expectation and opinion touching Enoch and Elias as also the opinion touching the building againe of the material Temple at Hierusalem in the number of Iewish Fable Arethas indeed saith of these two Witnesses that it was constantly received that they should be Enoch and Elias but Victorinus who was more ancient then Arethas telleth us otherwise Many thinke saith hee that one of these two vvitnesses is Elias the other eyther Elizeus or Moses but they are both dead Howbeit the death of Ieremy is not found And all our Ancients have delivered saith hee that that other is Ieremy And S. Hillary thinketh them to be Elias and Moses Such uncertaintie there is even in ancient Fathers as well as in other Writers when they goe by coniectures ghesses and imaginations onely without sufficient warrant from the word of God It is therefore to be observed that the Revelation is full of mystical prophetical and alluding speeches As for example where these two Witnesses be called two Olive trees and Candlesticks he alludeth unto that prophecie in Zachary chap. 4.1.2.3.4.5.6 c. Which witnesses of divine Truth and Preachers and Ministers of the Gospel be not unfitly called Candlesticks inasmuch as they beare and hold out the light of Gods word unto the people as also they be well resembled to Olive trees inasmuch as by the meanes of their Ministerie and Preaching of the Gospell the Oyle of Gods grace and of his spirit is powred into mens hearts to mollifie and to convert them unto God Againe in that hee mentioneth two witnesses hee alludeth unto the Law which requireth the Testimonie of two witnesses the testimonie of which number of witnesses is held sufficient to ratifie and confirme a matter So that by these two witnesses he meaneth that hee will ever have even in the greatest furie and rage of Antichrist a competent and sufficient number to beare witnesse of his truth and religion conteined in the two Testaments of the holy Scriptures Likewise hee alludeth partlie unto the times of Elias and partlie unto the times of Moses when hee saith that If any vvill hurt the two vvitnesses fire proceedeth out of their mouthes to devoure their enemies and that these have power to shut heaven that it raine not in the dayes of their prophecying and have power over vvaters to turne them into bloud c. For so in Moses time in the land of Egypt vvere the vvaters in the River turned into Bloud and sundrie other plagues brought upon that land of Egypt for molesting of Gods
hee did leade them about But lastly the verie scope of the Text is also directly against this their conceit and exposition which expound it of such rich weomen as did minister of their substance to the Apostles necessitie For by such rich weomen the Church could not bee charged but was rather helped and relieved by them whereas with the Apostles wives that were poore as their husbands the Churches might lawfully have beene charged For this is the verie scope purpose of the Apostle in that place to shew to the Corinthians that in this point Hee and Barnabas used not that power and libertie which freely and lawfully they might have done in leading about a Sister a Wife with them aswell as Cephas that is Peter and some other of the Apostles did And even S. Hierome against Helvidius to the same effect citeth this text also thus Numquid non habemus potestatem uxores circumducendi sicut caeteri Apostolici Have vve not power to lead about vvives aswell as the rest of the Apostles And Tertullian likewise according to this Text saith Licebat Apostolis nubere uxores circumducere It was lavvfull for the Apostles to marrie and to lead about their vvives Clemens Alexandrinus also by this Text doth proove that the Apostles had Wives and did lead them about Doe they also saith hee reiect the Apostles For Peter and Philip did beget Children Philip also did give his Daughter in marriage And therefore Paul saith in a certaine Epistle Have vvee not povver to lead about a Sister a VVifâ— asvvell as the rest of the Apostles c. 2 Yea that Bishops and Deacons may be maried men and have wives S. Paul himselfe further cleerely witnesseth shewing both what maner of men Bishops and Deacons should be and likewise what manner of weomen their wives should be A Bishop saith he must be blamelesse the husband of one vvife vvatching sober comely a lover of hospitality apt to teach not given to vvine no striker not greedy of filthy luâ—re but gentle abhorring fighting abhorring covetousnesse one that ruleth vvell his owne house having children in subiection vvith all honesty For if a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall hee care for the Church of God Where first you may observe that a Bishop is expressely allowed to be the husband of one wife Some Papists hereunto answere that by being the husband of one wife is meant that a Bishop must have but one wife before his admission to that his Episcopal office but after his admission to that office he must have none at all It is a verie strange answer and untrue For first they hereby expound these words a Bishop must be c. by these A Bishop must be such a one as hath beene c. And so by this exposition of theirs which will have it expounded of the time past onely but not of the time present they make the Apostle to speake as if he had said thus Let such a one be ordeined a Bishop as hath heretofore beene blamelesse but now at the time of his ordination and after is not so such a one must be made a Bishop as before he was a Bishop was watchfull sober apt to teach c. But now after that hee is a Bishop hee may have none of these vertues or good qualities in him Is not such an exposition senselesse impious and absurd And yet if they will expound the one clause of the sentence touching a Bishop to be the husband of one wife as they doe of the time past onely and in no sort of the time present they must likewise expound all the rest of the members and clauses of the same entire sentence in the same manner and so runne into those senselesse and impious absurdities before mentioned But the Apostle himselfe to put the matter further out of all controversie speaking of Deacons saith in the present tense Diaconi sint unius uxoris viri Let the Deacons be the husbands of one vvife Now as touching the meaning of these words that a Bishop or Deacon must be the husband of one wife it is not to tye him necessarily to have a wife but to this that if he have anie care must be taken that hee have no more then one at a time So that this Text maketh against Digaâ—y or Bygamie as wee call it or Polygamie that is against the having of two or more wives at once and not as some take it against the having of several wives one succeeding after the death of the other And so doth S. Chrysostome expound this Text speaking thus He saith not this as making a law that none without a vvife may be made a Bishop but appointing a measure of that matter for it vvas lawfull for the Iewes to be ioyned in the second marriage and to have two vvives at once Theodoret likewise upon these words The husband of one vvife saith thus The preaching then began and neither the Gentiles did exercise virginitie nor the Iewes admit it for they esteemed the procreation of children to be a blessing therefore forasmuch as at that time they vvere not easily to be found vvhich exercised continencie he commandeth of such as had married vvives to ordeyne them vvhich honoured temperance And concerning that saying The husband of one vvife I thinke saith he certaine men have vvell said for of old time both Greekes and Iewes vvere vvont to be maried and that vvith two three or moe vvives at once And even now also vvhen the Imperial lawes forbid men to marry two vvives at once they have to doe with Concubines and Harlots They have said therefore that the holy Apostle saith That he vvhich dwelleth honestly vvith one vvife onely is vvorthy to be ordeyned a Bishop for say they hee doth not reiect the second marriage vvho hath often commanded that it should be used Theophilact doth also so expound these words the husband of one vvife He spake this saith he because of the Iewes for to them vvas permitted Polygamy that is to ioyne marriage vvith many at one time Yea even S. Hierome though no great favourer of marriage and being himselfe inclined to that opinion that he which hath beene twice married should not be ordeined yet in his Commentary upon the Epistle to Titus confesseth and declareth that sundrie did interprete the Text otherwise namely as wee doe Some Interpreters of this place saith he doe give this sense It vvas of the Iewish custome say they that men had two vvives or moe at once as vvee reade in the old Law of Abraham and Iacob and this they will have to be the Apostles commandement in this place that he vvhich is to be chosen a Bishop have not two vvives together at one time The sense and meaning then of those words is evident and plaine enough viz. that hee which is blamelesse or unreproveable that is the husband of one wife and of
Christ slept a long time For from the yeare 870 to the yeare 1050 whom doe you see but Necromancers but Adulterers and Murtherers and Infamous persons prâ—ferred to the Papacie Platius in the life of Benedict the fourth speaketh the like and giveth the reason of all this saying thus This libertie of sinning saith hee hath begotten us these Monsters and Prodigies vvho by ambition and corruption have rather usurpt then possest the holy chaire of Peter there being no Prince to represse the vvickednesse of these men Yea Platina though the Popes Servant and Secretarie yet well knowing their vices and the vices of the people under his government doth in a manner speake as if himselfe despaired of their salvation for thus bee his words Our vices saith hee bee grovvne to thaâ— height that they vvill hardly ever finde mercie in the sight of God But observe yet further how horrible and wicked their reproachings slanderings and defamings heretofore have beene and yet still bee of Gods church people their religion calling them usually Heretickes Schismatickes and by such other odious names laying sometimes most notorious slanders and most impious false accusations to their charge perswading as if our religion were a religion allowing licentiousnesse a condemner and disallower of all good works and as though wee approoved of all dissolutenesse and were enemies to the Virgin Marie to all Saints as though we made God the Author of sinne and evill other such like things which we utterly detest dislike and abhorre and which hee cleane contrary to our opinion and to the doctrine of our Religion Yea they not onely thus dishonour wrong the true Church and people of God upon earth but even the Church triumphant and Saints also in heaven For is it not a great wrong and dishonour to the glorified Saints in heaven to turne them into Idols or to make them instruments of Idolatry or of dishonouring God by invocating praying unto them when as Praier and Invocation is a service worship and honour properly and onely belonging to God Againe do they not much dishonour the Saints when they imploy them about base offices commending the keeping of their Hogs to one of their horses to another the curing of the Scurffe to a third c. Yea even concerning that most chast blessed glorious Virgin Mary Doe they not extreamely dishonour her when they make her to favour Immodestie uncleanenesse For there is an Italian book entituled Miracoli dâ—ella gloriosâ— Virgine Maria printed at Millan in the yere 1547 which saith that a certaine Abbesse being with Child the holy Virgin being willing to cover her crime did in her stead present her selfe before the Bishops in forme of the Abbesse and shewed him by an ocular demonstration that shee was not with Child Caesarius also in his seventh Booke Chapt. 35 reports that the Virgin Marie for twelve whole yeares did supplie the place of a certaine Nunâ—â— called Beatrice whilst shee lay in the Sâ—ewes till at last she came backe again to take her place and freed the Virgin from being in her roome any longer But consider yet further the most terrible cruell barbarous and bloodie persecutions of Gods Church and people committed by Papists About 400 yeares since Pope Innocent the third within the space of a few monthes made more then 200000 of the faithfull to bee slaine whom they called Albigenses In S. Bartholomewes Massacre in the yeare 1572 more then 80000 men were slaine in cold blood In a Massacre in France within a few dayes were murthered 70000 persons And how execrable beyond all measure abhominable and damnable was that their late Plot of Gunpowder-Treason for the overthrow of the whole State of England in Parliament at a blow and God knoweth of how many States and Kingdomes beside Yea what meaneth their Holy League as they call it not long since made for the extirpation and rooting out of all Protestancie Doe they not by all these shew themselves to bee utter enemies and that in the worst sort that can bee to all Civill States Kings and Kingdomes which reiect the Popes usurped Supremacie and his depraved and Antichristian Religion Why else also have they decreed that Faith is not to be kept with Heretickes And why else doe they hold that before Hereticall Iudges and Magistrates as they call them it is lawfull for them to sweare with Equivocations and Mental reservations and in a false deluding and deceitfull manner And why else doe they dislike and disallow Subjects not onely to take the Oath of Supremacie but the Oath also of Allegeance when in very deede and of right neither of both ought to bee refused What also meaneth the resort and comming of Popish Priests and Iesuits into Protestant Kingdomes under colour and pretence of Religion Is it not to make a partie for the Pope or some of his confederates against a fit time And doth it not also tend to sedition and treason in a Common-weale What doth the Popes claime to depose Kings and to give away their Kingdomes when and to whom hee list tend unto but to the setting of Princes together by the Eares aswell as Subiects to rebell against their lawfull Soveraignes Doe not all these things tend to the overthrow aswell of civill States and civill Iustice as of Religion and of Kingdomes and Common-weales aswel as of Gods Church and which maketh the matter yet more and indeede most odious all this they doe under pretence of Christianitie and of a Catholicke cause when it is nothing so but cleane contrarywise extreamely divelish and Antichristian Let then everie equal person now judge whether the Pope of Rome that thus wrongeth God his Church and Religion and not onely Bishops but all Kings Princes and Emperors also their People Kingdomes and Common-wealths and that thus intolerably abuseth the whole Christian world and yet for all that inflexibly persisteth therein without anie remorse or repentance shewed yea which with all his power and strength iustifieth upholdeth defendeth all those his wrongs errors abuses and impieties boasting glorying and delighting in them bee not rightly affirmed to be The Man of sin the Sonne of perdition and the verie undoubted Grand Antichrist in all respects THE CONCLVSION to the same pretended CATHOLIKES NOw then it appearing verie cleerely by the premisses that the Pope of Rome whom his blinded followers so much adore and reverence is the verie grand Antichrist and that the Popish Citie of Rome whereof he is the Head and Ruler is undoubtedly the VVhore of Babylon mentioned in the Revelation of S. Iohn What scruple or doubt should you or anie of you conceive to make all the good hast yee may to forsake that grand Antichrist that his Concubine the whore of Babylon and all his Priests Iesuites Bishops Monks Friars Nunns and the rest of that his Antichristian rabble and to betake and apply your selves with us to the embracing and following of Christ and
that grant and confirmation of Pope Alexander And to make the matter yet more sure in the year MCLXXXVI he obtained a new licence from Pope Vrban the third that one of his sonnes whom he himselfe would should be crowned for the KINGDOME of Ireland And this the Pope did not only confirme by his Bull but also the yeare following purposely sent over Cardinall Octavian and Hugo de Nunant or Novant his legates into Ireland to crowne Iohn the Kings sonne there By all this we may see how farre King Henry the second proceeded in this businesse which I doe not so much note to convince the stoliditie of Osullevan who would faine perswade fooles that he was preferred only to be collector of the Popes Peter-pâ—nce as to shew that Ireland at that time was esteemed a Kingdome and the Kings of England accounted no lesse then Kings thereof And therefore Paul the fourth needed not make all that noyse and trouble the vvhole Court of heaven with the matter when in the yeare MDLV hee took upon him by his Apostolicall authoritie such I am sure as none of the Apostles of Christ did ever assume unto themselves to erect Ireland unto the title and dignity of a Kingdome Whereas he might have found even in his own Romane Provinciall that Ireland was reckoned among the Kingdomes of Christendome before hee was borne Insomuch that in the yeare MCCCCXVII when the legates of the King of England and the French Kings ambassadours fell at variance in the Councell of Constance for precedencie the English Orators among other arguments alledged this also for themselves It is well knowne that according to Albertus Magnus and Bartholomaeus in his booke de proprietatibus rerum the whole world being divided into three parts to witt Asia Africk and Europe Europe is divided into foure Kingdomes namely the Romane for the first the Constantinopolitane for the second the third the kingdome of Ireland which is now translated unto the English and the fourth the kingdome of Spaine Whereby it appeareth that the king of England and his kingdome are of the more eminent ancient Kings and Kingdomes of all Europe which prerogative the kingdome of France is not said to obtaine And this have I here inserted the more willingly because it maketh something for the honour of my country to which I confesse I am verie much devoted and in the printed Actes of the Councell it is not commonly to be had But now commeth forth Osullevan againe and like a little furie flyeth upon the English-Irish Priests of his owne religion which in the late rebellion of the Earle of Tirone did not deny that Hellish doctrine fetcht out of Hell for the destruction of Catholicks that it is lawfull for Catholicks to beare armes and fight for Heretickes against Catholickes and their country or rather if you will have it in plainer termes that it is lawfull for them of the Romish religion to beare armes and fight for their Soveraigne and fellow subjects that are of another profession against those of their owne religion that trayterously rebell against their Prince and countrey and to shew how madde and how venemous a doctrine they did bring these be the caitiffes own termes that exhorted the laity to follow the Queens side he setteth down the Censure of the Doctors of the Universitie of Salamanca and Vallodilid published in the yeare MDCIII for the justification of that Rebellion and the declaration of Pope Clement the eights letters touching the same wherin he signifieth that the English ought to be set upon no lesse then the Turkes and imparteth the same favours unto such as set upon them that he doth unto such as fight against the Turks Such wholsome directions doth the Bishop of Rome give unto those that wil be ruled by him farre different I wisse from that holy doctrine wherewith the Church of Rome was at first seasoned by the Apostles Let every soule be subject unto the higher powers for there is no power but of God was the lesson that S. Paul taught to the ancient Romanes Where if it be demanded whether that power also vvhich persecuteth the servants of God impugneth the faith and subverteth religion be of God our countreyman Sedulius will teach us to answer with Origen that even such a power as that is given of God for the revenge of the evill and the prayse of the good although he were as wicked as eyther Nero among the Romanes or Herod among the Iewes the one whereof most cruelly persecuted the Christians the other Christ himselfe And yet when the one of them swayed the scepter S. Paul told the Christian Romanes that they must needs be subject not only for wrath but also for conscience sake and of the causelesse feare of the other these verses of Sedulius are solemnely song in the Church of Rome even unto this day Herodes hostis impie Christum venire quid times Non abripit mortalia Qui regna dat coelestia Why wicked Herod dost thou feare And at Christs comming frowne The mortall he takes not away That gives the heavenly crowne a better paraphrase whereof you caâ—not have then this which Claudius hath inserted into his Collections upon S. Matthew That King which is borne doth not come to overcome Kings by fighting but to subdue them after a wonderfull maner by dying neyther is he borne to the end that he may succeed thee but that the world may faithfully beleeve in him For he is come not that he may fight being alive but that he may triumph being slayne nor that he may with gold get an army unto himselfe out of other nations but that he may shed his precious blood for the saving of the nations Vainly didst thou by envying feare him to be thy successor whom by beleeving thou oughtest to seeke as thy Saviour because if thou diddest beleeve in him thou shouldest raigne with him and as thou hast received a temporall kingdome from him thou shouldest also receive from him an everlasting For the kingdome of this Childe is not of this world but by him it is that men doe raigne in this world He is the Wisedome of God which saith in the Proverbes By me Kings raigne This Childe is the Word of God this Childe is the Power and Wisedome of God If thou canst thinke against the Wisedome of God thou workest thine owne destruction and dost not know it For thou by no meanes shouldest have had thy kingdome unlesse thou hadst received it from that Childe which now is borne As for the Censure of the Doctors of Salamanca and Vallodilid our Nobility and Gentry by the faithfull service which at that time they performed unto the Crowne of England did make a reall confutation of it Of whose fidelitie in this kinde I am so well perswaded that I doe assure my selfe that neyther the names of Franciscus Zumel and Alphonsus Curiel how great Schoole-men soever