A PILL TO PVRGE OVT POPERIE OR A Catechisme for Romish Catholikes Shewing that Popery is contrarie to the grounds of the Catholike RELIGION and that therefore Papists cannot be good CATHOLIKES LONDON â—rinted for Beniamin Fisher and are to be sold at his shop in Pater-noster Row at the Signe of the Talbot 1623. A PILL TO PVRGE OVT POPERIE OR A Catechisme for Romish Catholikes Shewing that Popery is contrarie to the grounds of the Catholike Religion and that therefore Papists cannot be good CATHOLIKES The Speakers A weake Christian A Minister DIALOGVE I. Christian AMong the diuersities of opinions that are in the world how may I know which is the truth whereto J must cleaue and who are the true Church and true Catholikes Minister a 1. Ioh. 4.1 Beleeue not euery spirit that is euery doctrine which men bragging of the Spirit doe teach but try them whether they be of God or no b 1. Thes 5.21 Examine all things hold fast that which is good C. Whereby shall I try them M. By the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 Act. 17.11 C. I am vnlearned and the Scriptures are hard to be vnderstood M. There are indeed many things in them hard to bee vnderstood 2. Pet. 3.16 but such things as are necessarie to be knowne of all to saluation are plainely set downe Prou. 8.9 The meaning of which place is this The Word of God in points necessarie to saluation is easie vnto all that haue a desire vnto it Turne to the places of Scripture added to euery answere of the Catechisme and you shall finde this to be most true C. Is there no other way and meanes whereby to try and know the truth and the true professors thereof M. Yes it may be done euen by the aforesaid grounds of Religion Whatsoeuer doctrine is agreeable thereunto is true and to be receiued but whatsoeuer is contrary to the same is false and to be reiected As many as do sincerely and soundly imbrace professe and practise the same they are the Catholike Church that is parts and members of the Catholike Church and true Catholikes indeed But such as teach professe and practise things contrary thereunto are not the true Church nor true Catholikes C. The Papists say that they onely are the true Church and true Catholikes and that we are not M. So the Iewes cryed a Ieremy 7.4 The Temple of the Lord b Ioh. 8.33 41. We are the seed of Abraham the children of God But Christ told them they were the children of the diuell Joh. 8.44 C. Are not the Papists then good Catholikes M. No but rather grosse Heretikes C. What is an Hereticke M. One that doth erre in any fundamentall point of Christian Religion and doth obstinately teach maintaine and defend the same C. Doe the Papists erre in the fundamentall points of Religion M. They doe teach and maintaine many false opinion against the very grounds of Religion as by and by shall be shewed in many particulars C. Are all Papists then Hereticks M. No for there are no doubt many of them that doe erre of simplicitie and ignorance and which would bee brought from their errours if they had the meanes namely the Scriptures in their owne language preaching catechizing and the like We doe not therefore account them all Hereticks but onely those before mentioned C. How doe you proue that they are not good Catholicks M. I proue it thus They are good Catholicks which are of sound faith and good life Aug. lib. quaest in Mat. Chap. 11. but Papists are neither of sound faith nor good life therefore they are no good Catholikes C. How doe you proue that they are not of sound faith M. Euen by the Apostles Creed which may serue in stead of a rule whereunto the faith of all men ought to agree contrary whereunto they teach many things C. Shew me wherein M. The Creed is a confession of faith containing the summe of the Gospell and of such things as are necessary to be beleeued of all that will be saued They haue deuised many other new Articles of faith besides and contrary to the Articles of the Apostles Creed which they hold necessarily to be beleeued of all that will be saued As namely Indulgences and a treasurie of Saints merits the reall presence the Popes Supremacie Purgatorie and such like In the Councell of Trent the curse Anathema is pronounced vpon all such as deny these or any of them Master Perkins first Vol. page 621. The Creed teacheth what euery one in particular is to know and beleeue and a true faith cannot stand without certaine knowledge The Papists maintaine an implitite or an ignorant faith namely that it is enough to beleeue as the Church beleeueth though they know not what the Church is nor what the Church beleeueth And â—hey commend this faith by the example of an old deuout â—ther a Colliar who being tempted of the Diuell and asked how he beleeued answered That hee beleeued as the Church beleeued being asked againe how the Church beleeued he answered As I beleeue whereupon the Diuell as they say was faine to depart C. It should seeme it was but a simple Diuell for if hee had beene wise he would haue asked him this question What if the Church beleeue that thou art a foole what would the Colliar thinke you haue answered then M. I thinke he would haue said nothing for if he should haue said I beleeue so too the diuell might then haue begged him for a foole indeed And yet such fooles are the simple and ignorant Papists which content themselues with this kinde of faith for thus one may reason with them You are to beleeue as the Church beleeueth but the Church beleeues that you are fooles therefore you are to beleeue so too This their implicite faith euery one of himselfe may haue The diuels in some sence may bee said to haue a better faith then this for they know what is contained in the Scriptures and beleeue it to be true Mat. 4.6 Jam. 2.19 This fond and ridiculous kind of faith is a notable meanes to muzzle people in blindnesse superstition and perpetuall ignorance Againe faith is a certaine and true perswasion of the heart whereby wee are perswaded and in some measure assured of the forgiuenesse of our sinnes and eternall saluation The Papists say It is presumption to bee assured of saluation and will haue men to doubt thereof the which is contrary to the nature of true faith They call the certaintie of remission of sinnes a faithlesse perswasion and the faith of diuels not of Apostles Concil Trid. Sess 6. cap. 9.12 13. Rhemists Annot. 1. Cor. 9. Sect. 9. DIALOGVE 2. C. Shew me I pray you what things in particular they teach câ—â—rary to any Article of the Creed M. I could shew you many but I feare that then I should be tedious to you I will therefore set downe onely the chiefest In the second third Article is described and set forth vnto vs
how the Papists do place others in his roome Now shew me also why he is called Christ what that title signifieth M. Christ signifieth Anointed which title setteth forth his office namely that he is our only true Prophet Priest King C. Doe they teach any thing contrary hereunto M. They doe euen deny this Office of his and so consequently deny the fruits of his comming in the flesh 1. Iob. 4.3 C. Shew me wherein they deny his Office M. Christ is a Prophet to teach his Church and to reueale the will of God vnto vs to whom all are to hearken Mat. 17.5 Ioh. 10.27 Act. 3.22 23. And this hee hath perfectly done in the Scriptures They preferre their owne blinde traditions before the Scriptures they lay aside the Scriptures accounting and calling them dumbe Iudges A nose of Waxe The blacke Gospell Inken diuinitie c. Piggius Contr. 3. de Eccl. Hierarch lib. 3. cap. 3. A certaine popish Doctor reasoning with M. Tindal was not ashamed to say that we were better to be without Gods Law then the Popes They likewise set vp Images to be Lay-mens bookes and so in all this they deny by consequence his Propheticall office Christ is also a Priest and that for euer after the order of Melchsedech Heb. 7.24 And in this his office he hath none to succeede him Theâ— acknowledge not this but maintaine still an outward anâ— corporall Priesthood to offer vp an outward sacrifice eueâ— Christ himselfe Rhem. on Heb. chap. 7.7 Sect. 7.8 C. If this were true why then the Priest were become a Mediator betweene God and Christ the which is most absurd to thinke that any creature should be such a one M. It is indeed most absurd and yet in the very Canon of the Masse they intimate thus much when they request God to accept their gifts and offerings namely Christ himselfe offered as he did the sacrifices of Abel and Noah And which is more absurd than this yea blasphemy for any to affirme they by their former doctrine doe make the Priest to be more worthy in some respect then Christ for the person that doth offer a sacrifice is of more worth honour then the thing which he offereth but the Priest as they say offereth vp Christ to God his Father therefore the Priest that offereth him is of more worth and honour then Christ whom he offereth As Christ is a Priest so he alone and that but once for all offered himselfe and by his one offering once offered hath made a full and perfect satisfaction for all our sinnes so that now there remaineth no more offering for sinnes Heb. 9.12 14 26 10 14 18. They teach that in the Masse there is dayly a sacrifice offered for the sinnes both of the quick and the dead and so they make Christs sacrifice not to bee the perfect and onely sacrifice of the New Testament but set vp another in stead thereof C. They say that their sacrifice is not a new sacrifice or another from Christs but that it is the same M. The Author to the Hebrewes teacheth that Christs sacrifice neither may nor ought to bee reiterated repeated for as it is but one so it was but once offered And this word Once he vseth fiue seuerall times Heb. 7.27 9 12 26 28 30. C. They say that Christ indeed was offered but once after a bloudy manner but he is often offered after an vnbloudy manner M. This distinction of theirs hath no warrant out of Gods Word nay rather it is directly against the Word for Heb. 9. â—2 it is said Almost all things are by the Law purged with bloud and without shedding of bloud is no remission From whence we may thus reason Without shedding of bloud is no remission but in the Masse is no shedding of bloud therefore no remission And therefore it is no sacrifice for sinne C. Though this their distinction bee not to bee found in the Scriptures yet it is in the writings of the Fathers M. The Fathers indeed make mention of vnbloudy Sacrifices but they hereby vnderstand not outward and bodily Sacrifices for sinne but the Spiritual Sacrifices of Christians and they so call them in comparing them with the bloudy sacrifices of the Law with Christs bloudy sacrifice C. The Papists doe not say that the sacrifice of the Masse is an expiatorie but an applicatorie sacrifice that is it serues not properly to make any satisfaction to God but rather to apply vnto vs the satisfaction of Christ already made M. Their doctrine is that it is a sacrifice propitiatory that is auaileable to obtaine ex opere operato by the very work wrought remission pardon of all their sinnes yea that it is auailable to obtaine all other benefits as peace health and such like Concil Trid. Sess 22. Can. 3. Bellar. lib. 1. de Miss cap. 25. lib. 2. cap. 3. But let it be as you say that they account it but an applicatory sacrifice yet this maketh nothing for them The Sacrifices of the Law did serue to apply the vertue of Christs Crosse and yet the Apostle excludeth them by this reason that where there is remission of sinnes there is no more Sacrifice Heb. 10.18 Wherefore if the Apostles reason be good it concludeth also against their Sacrifice applicatory Againe the Apostle teacheth that therefore the Sacrifices of the Law are abolished by the death of Christ because they were but shadowes of good things to come and could not make the offerers perfect c. Heb. 10.1 2 3. And therefore this kinde of applying sacrifice which they faine themselues hath ceased We need not now a Sacrifice for the application of Christs death for Christ to that end hath appointed the preaching of the Word and hath instituted Sacraments whereby his death with all the benefits thereof are most fruitfully applied vnto vs Gal. 3.1 1. Cor. 11.26 Againe this their applying sacrifice is against the nature of a Sacrament in which God giues Christ vnto vs whereas in a sacrifice God receiues from man and man giues something to God C. The ancient Fathers vsed to call the Supper of the Lord a Sacrifice it should seeme therefore that there is some sacrifice offered therein to God M. It is true that they called it so not that Christ is therein offered a Sacrifice to God but in other respects First because that therein there was an offering and giuing of almes bread wine c. which are a Spirituall Sacrifice Secondly they called the Sacrament a Sacrifice not properly but figuratiuely because there was therein a representation of that Sacrifice which was offered vpon the Crosse and because it is a commemoration of Christs body which he offered for vs and of his bloud which he shed for vs. Thirdly It is called a sacrifice because it is an application of the Sacrifice offered vpon the Crosse vnto our selues Fourthly It is so called because of the sacrifice of prayers thanksgiuings and because in the Lords
Trent This concupiscence which the Apostle sometime calleth sinne the holy Synod declareth that the Catholike Church did neuer vnderstand to be called sinne because it is truely properly sinne in the regenerate but because it commeth of sinne and inclineth vnto sinne If any man thinke the contrarie let him be accursed Sess 5. cap. 1. de pecc orig Wherein they both decree against the Apostle himselfe Rom. 7.23 and also they gaine say themselues for if this concupiscence boile out of originall sinne as out of a fountaine and that is damnable it followeth that concupiscence or lust is also sinne before God and doth deserue condemnation They say that in the regenerate it is veniall But this is an vndoubted principle that all sinnes in themselues and their owne nature are mortall And concerning this veniall sinne it was not knowne among the Fathers for 700. yeeres after Christ And thus you see what grosse things they both teach and practise contrary to the Commandements of God whereby it plainely appeareth that Popery cannot bee of God for thus I reason Whatsoeuer religion doth teach things contrary to the Commandements of God is not of God but Poperie doth so and therefore it is not of GOD and so by good consequence Papists cannot be good Catholikes DIALOGVE 13. C. Hitherto you haue shewed that the Papists teach many things contrary to the Creede the Sacraments and the ten Commandements now tell me I pray you whether they teach any thing contrary to the Lords Prayer M. They doe likewise teach practise many things contrarie thereunto I will but onely name some of them The Lords Prayer teacheth vs to call vpon God only They teach and practise prayer to Saints In the first Petition we pray for the hallowing of Gods Name They giue vnto Saints departed that which is proper to God and so dishonour Gods Name In the second petition we pray for the erecting of Gods Kingdome of grace in our hearts and also for the meanes thereof namely the preaching hearing of Gods Word They hinder the comming of Gods Kingdome in reiecting the Word of God and in persecuting such as will preach heare and reade it Contrary to the third petition is their doctrine of free-will Contrary to the fifth petition is their doctrine of satisfaction for sin In the sixth petition we pray for strength to withstand Satan his temptations They teach people to driue away the Diuell with holy-water and such like childish toyes These and other such like things they teach and practise contrary to the Lords Prayâ—r DIALOGVE 14. C. If Popery be so contrary to the grounds of Religion then we may â—ot ioyne with the Papists in their profession M. It is true indeede we must therefore doe as the Lord â—â—de Ieremy Chap. 15.19 Let them returne to thee but reâ—urne not thou to them We may ioyne with them in respect â—f ciuill societie but not in respect of Religion and yet eâ—en then we are to take heed left we be corrupted by them â—r he that toucheth Pitch shall be defiled therewith Some thinke that our Religion and the religion of the present Church of Rome are all one for substance and that they may be vnited but they are grosely deceiued for an vnion of these two Religions can neuer be made more then the vnion of light and darknesse and that because the Church of Rome as hath at large bin shewed hath strooke at the very foundation C. If Poperie bee so contrary to the very grounds of Religion then what is the cause that so many yea of the more wise and learned sort do embrace and cleaue to it M. One speciall cause of it is that because men will not receiue the loue of the Trueth therefore God will send them strong delusion that they should beleeue a lie 2. Thes 2.10 11. A second cause is ignorance of the Scriptures and of the grounds of Religion for if men would well acquaint themselues herewith they should easily see the grossenesse of Poperie A third cause is that Popery is very agreeable and pleasing to mans corrupt nature As for example to be iustified by our good works to haue images to worship God in to liue in ignorance to haue pardons for our sinnes to serue God in outward ceremonies as in choice of meate difference of dayes c. these are things very agreeable pleasing to our corrupt nature and therefore one especiall cause why so many embrace Popery A fourth cause is the tyranny of the Church of Rome whose chiefe meanes to vphold her religion is fire sword for were it not for this many thousands in a few yeers would vtterly renounce Popery A fifth cause why so many especially of the Learned dâ— embrace it is pompe and profit that is ambition and couetousnesse This was that which made the Scribes and Pharises eueâ— against their owne knowledge to withstand Christ and 〈◊〉 Gospell And this makes many learned Papists ro do the like They know no doubt that in some things they erre as it doth appeare by the words of Stephen Gardiner on his death bed The Bishop of Chichester seeing him to be in a desperate case comforteth him with the hope of remission of sinnes by the merits of Christ Gardiner hereunto answereth thus What will you open that gappe now you may speake it to me and to such as are in my case but if you teach it to the people then farewell all meaning our authority pompe and profit by absolutions Masses c. These are the speciall causes why so many embrace Popery C. There is one thing more that I would gladly know concerning the Papists and that is whether a Papist may be saued seeing that Popeâ—ie is so contrary to the grounds of Religion M. You are then to marke what a Papist is A Papist as the Rhemists on Acts 11. Sect. 4. doe describe him is one that cleaueth to the Pope in Religion and is obedient to him in all things Euery one now that is vnder the iurisdictioÌ„ of the Pope is not to be counted a Papist for there are some euen in Italy â—paine c. that hold the Grounds of Religion doe sigh and â—rone vnder the Romish yoke and desire to be free'd from 〈◊〉 yea would reioyce to see it Againe there may be some that for want of knowledge â—nd the meanes thereof are entangled with some points of â—opery but yet they hold the foundation which is CHRIST â—ESVS and looke to be saued by his merits and not by their â—wne or any others Such we account not Papists but the â—â—e Church and children of GOD. But by Papists wee meane such as cleaue fast to the Pope in Religion are in all â—â—ings obedient to him will not be reclaimed from their erâ—â—urs refuse to heare the Word of God to read the Scripâ—â—res or any other good bookes Of such we may boldly say â—â—t if they thus continue to the end they cannot be saued DIALOGVE 15. C. I