the Sacraments and the bounty of God yet no man will judge them so pernicious and of so dangerous consequence that they ought to be abstained from and the Popes prohibition is grounded upon a too frivolous weak and ridiculous reason to have any weight or authoritie in the judgements of the wiser Neither is there any who doe not sufficiently see it to be meerly a humane and a politique invention to conserve a false doctrine and an usurped jurisdiction if he will but strictly remarke it as God hath given mee grace to doe CHAP. V. Of Traditions and that they ought not to be taken for Iudge or Rule of our Faith THe Romish Church finding her selfe but weakly sustained by the Scriptures and not being able to maintaine her doctrine by the written Word of God hath be thought of an unwritten word called Tradition making it of the same power with the holy Scriptures and is therefore called Divine Tradition and Apostolique and not humane which seemed to me a brave field to lay open all her fancies Now the rule and way of the Romish Church to know and declare those Apostolique Traditions is this When the beginning and originall of any doctrine or Ecclesiasticall ceremony is not knowne neither exactly by whom or in what yeare it was instituted since the time of Jesus Christ and his Apostles it is holden amongst them of Divine and Apostolique Tradition As for example because it is not certainly knowne who was the first that invented holy-water and imployed it in Baptisme and to other uses it is esteemed to come from Christ Jesus and his Apostles although it appeare sufficiently from the holy Scripture that Christ and his Apostles did never use that ceremony but onely baptized with pure and naturall water So because it is not knowne who it was that first did pray to the Saints that doctrine is said to be of Apostolique and divine Tradition and to come from Christ and his Apostles although it appeare not in any place of Scripture that ever any Apostle did pray to the Saints that were before them or recommended it to us but the contrary and so of the rest of their Traditions Is not this a fine rule and prety invention whereon to ground an infinite number of divine and Apostolique Traditions for Printing not being in use but within this two or three hundred yeares there were but few things written before that and that seldome to be left to posteritie and that which was written for the most part dyed and vanished by the death of the Author or shortly after for not being transcribed as it is with a great number of particular writings especially if they doe not concerne temporall things So that in so many ages an infinite number of things ceremonies doctrines and errors have been invented in the worship of God by the superstition vanitie and presumption of some particular men of which now it is impossible to know the originall and first Author either because it was never written by any or if it hath been written the writings have been lost if therefore all those things must be esteemed divine and Apostolique out of question there will be a numberles number of divine and Apostolique Traditions And upon these considerations I marveiled no more at the great number of Traditions that are in the Romish Church which I can assure you to be such that if they were all redacted to one volume it would assuredly be greater than all the books of the Bible for their number is almog infinite and not certainly known to this day the number yet not being perfect and hardly is there any generall Councells in which some one or more new ones are not discovered Those of the Romish Church who will not admit nor acknowledge the Scripture as Judge of faith strive neverthelesse to serve themselves with it the best they can to confirme their doctrine But I pray you with what reason in the point of Traditions To prove that the holy Scripture is not a sufficient rule of faith and that we must have recourse to a word not written which they call Tradition 1 Thes 2.15 they alledge this of St Paul Wherefore my Brethren be yee stedfast and hold fast the Traditions which yee have learned either by word or by our Epistle Thence they inferre that St Paul had preached many things to the Thessalonians which he had not written to them in his Letters and therefore wee must beleeve more things than those which are written We ingeniously confesse that the whole doctrine of salvation and that which St Paul might have preached to the Thessalonians is not in these two little Epistles and affirme that we must beleeve more things than those which are conteined in them but thence it will not follow that that which St Paul had preached to the Thessalonians of the necessitie of faith and salvation is not conteined in the Old and New Testament for there is great difference betwixt the two little Epistles to the Thessalonians and all the rest of the holy Scripture and the consequence is very bad as every one may judge Besides when St Paul saith Keep the Traditions it will no more follow that by this word Traditions an unwritten word ought necessarily to be understood and that besides the written word of God there is yet an unwritten word equall in authoritie to the other for by the word Tradition may be understood that which is given and left either by word or writing and not necessarily some word not written for the holy Scripture is also a tradition that is a doctrine which hath been left us And although wee should grant that St Paul had preached to the Thessalonians many things which are not written in the holy Scriptures and exhorted them to keepe them it will therefore not follow that he did exhort them to keep all those Traditions as necessary to salvation for there are none who will not confesse that St. Paul might have preached and said many things which were not absolutely necessary to salvation nor faith but onely convenient and helpfull as our Saviour did in his preaching and although our Saviour should give us charge to remember them all and keepe them he doth not therefore meane that wee should be equally obliged to keep them all and that wee should keep them otherwise and in another fashion than he gave them to us that is the Articles of faith as Articles of faith and necessary to salvation the Commandements as Commandements the examples and parables as such things essentiall to faith as essentiall the ceremony and things accidentall as such and it is a very bad consequence drawne by the Romish Church that because St Paul exhorteth the Thessalonians to keep the Traditions he commandeth us all to beleeve and keep them as pertaining to faith and of equall authoritie with the Scripture a word not written and Traditions meerly humane as divine Traditions and chiefly all the Traditions of the Romish
done by the grace of the Father of lights who is never deficient in necessitie and from whom I confesse doth proceed the great gift of faith And if a Pagan should be Judge of this controuersie and others betwixt us and the Romish Church I verily beleeve he would suddenly condemne that Church of an unjust usurpation and intolerable errour in this point as all the rest which by the grace of God we shall handle hereafter and give sentence in favour of my beliefe which I protest I have chosen as the holiest purest and most conformable to the doctrine and intentions of the Sonne of God and his Apostles Now all the question and difficultie of this point consisteth the knowledge of those two which of them is the most certain rule and sure Judge most to be beleeved and most proper for our faith whether the Word of God or the Pope of Rome and his traditions The Church of Rome saith it is the Pope but I hold with the Orthodox doctrine of this Kingdome of England and the reformed Churches that it is the Word of God We shall shew hereafter that our Saviour never gave that power and authoritie to the Pope and therefore he cannot pretend it but here I shall prove that the holy Scripture is and ought to be the sole rule and true Judge of our faith grounding my selfe upon these following reasons CHAP. II. That the holy Scripture is the onely Iudge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church THat man without question hath a true catholick and perfect faith and is in a true beliefe who beleeveth all that Christ Jesus hath caught and neither beleeves nor will beleeve more in the matter of faith for the Son of God being that divine and infinite wisdome and knowledge which came into the world to save mankinde and teach them true faith hath preached and taught all that was necessary to faith and salvation so he who beleeves all that Jesus Christ hath taught and nothing more hath a true and perfect faith and it is impietie to beleeve the contrary Now it is true that whatsoever our Saviour did preach necessary to salvation is in the holy Scripture and therefore the holy Scripture containes all the doctrine which is necessary to faith and out of the written Word of God nothing necessary to faith is to be sought For the Evangelists and holy Writers having undertaken by the motion and command of the holy Spirit to write the actions and doctrine of the Son of God for the instruction of all the faithfull that should come after it is not credible that they should have written but a part and omitted something that was necessary to the perfect faith and for the instruction and forming of a true Christian otherwise wee must say that the Gospel is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ but onely a part of the Gospel and the New Testament is but a part of the New Testament of the Son of God And note that they were inspired and commanded by the Spirit of God to leave to Christians and the whole Church the life and doctrine of Jesus Christ they being assisted and helped by his speciall grace to that end Moreover they have not onely within one chapter or two but every one of them a great number where undoubtedly they have had space enough to comprehend all the doctrine necessary to salvation and being foure that which one of them might have forgot and left out might be supplied by the other their purpose being specially to write the doctrine and precepts of the Son of God which were necessary to salvation and if there were any thing more to be beleeved than that which is in the Evangelists we must thinke that it should be found in the Epistles either of St Peter or St Paul or some others of the chiefe Apostles who all except St Paul were witnesses of the doctrine and actions of the Apostles for many years and many of their Sermons fully might have touched it a little So it is voyd of all reason to thinke that Christ Jesus did preach any other thing necessary to salvation than that which is contained in the holy Scriptures And if it were not in the holy Scriptures it would follow that the Evangelists were faultie and blame-worthy and their writings imperfect for that Author is greatly to be blamed who being expresly commanded to write of some important subject writes many things not necessary to his purpose and passeth by more important and principall things Now the Evangelists having undertaken by the command and motion of the holy Spirit to write the doctrine of faith and salvation preached by Jesus Christ for the instruction of the faithfull they have written many things not absolutely necessary to salvation as a number of Parables Histories and Miracles for illustration or farther confirmation of fundamentall doctrines and therefore wee must say that having written such things they have not omitted more necessary and important things otherwise they were blame-worthy and their writings would be imperfect Now seeing there was but one holy Spirit that moved them and guided their pens and their writings in this worke one of them might have omitted something which the holy Spirit would leave and teach us by the other or by the writings of other Apostles but that there is any thing necessary to salvation omitted by them all is more than can be beleeved by any Christian Furthermore we see that the Evangelists and Apostles have left us sufficient instructions in their writings to lead us to perfection and the practice of most excellent vertues wee must beleeve them with better reason that they have given us sufficient instructions to a perfect faith which is the foundation of all vertue and perfection and without which there can be no perfection nor vertue or otherwise it behooved us to say that they taught men to be perfect not giving them sufficiently instructions to be Christians which should be an intolerable foppery Even as if a Mason would teach his apprentise to build an excellent house not instructing him how to lay the foundation or if a Master would instruct his scholar to read not teaching him to know his letters We must therefore believe that they having left us so noble and sufficient instructions to become perfect they have also left us sufficient doctrine in their writings to obtain a perfect faith which is the necessary ground of all vertue and perfection and doubtlesse there are none but obstinate and blinde persons who will deny it 2. Tim. 3.15 Doth not Saint Paul also speaking to Timothy say Thou hast learned from thy infancy the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus We must say then that the holy Scriptures being able to make him wise to salvation contain all the doctrine necessary to salvation otherwise they could not make him wise to salvation that is sufficiently
learned to be saved for wisdome to speak properly is no other thing but a supereminent and excellent knowledge and Saint James saith Iam. 1.12 that the word of God is able to save us if it be able to save us it is sufficient to do the same and contains all that is necessary to salvation and therefore he who believes that which is in the holy Scripture and no more hath the perfect faith Yes but saith the Romish Church Christ Jesus remits us to the Church Matth. 18.16 for it is said He who will not hearken to the Church let him be as a Pagan and a Publicane that is an excommunicate and anathema therefore we must have recourse to the church as Judge of all controversie and obey its determinations The onely consideration of the occasion of this passage and the words themselves may serve for a sufficient answer our Saviour preaching to his Disciples and teaching them the method they ought to use in brotherly corrections that it may be done according to the rules of charitie speaks to them in this manner If thy brother have offended against thee go and reprove him thou and he alone if he hearken unto thee thou hast wonne thy brother but if he will not heare thee take with thee one or two more that out of the mouth of two or three wetnesses every word may be established and if he will not heare them tell it unto the Church and if he refuse to hear the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen and a publicane By which ye see that Jesus Christ speaks onely of the order which ought to be kept in fraternall correction that is we ought first to reprove in secret next in the presence of one or two witnesses and then in case of obstinacy declare it to the Church and if he will not receive correction from the Church let him be accounted as a pagan that is as a man without faith and religion and as a publicane that is as one whom we must shun for in those times the publicanes were odious to all the people But the Romish Doctors who make use of every thing to prove their doctrine infer by those last words that all power is given to the Church that we must have recourse to the Church in every thing and that all men ought to render perfect obedience to the Church in all things whatsoever and note that to have recourse to the Church and to obey the same is in the school of Rome to have recourse to the Pope and obey him Innocentius cap. 3. so Pope Innocent the third in the chapt novit extra de Judic would fain vindicate to himself the cognizance of some differences betiwixt John king of England and Philip August king of France because saith he it is written in the Gospel tell it to the Church as if by the Church the Pope onely were understood and this interpretation is confirmed by Bellarmine in his book of the authority of Councells cap. 19. Bellarm. de Concil cap. 19. the Pope saith he should tell it to the Church that is to say to himself But the consequence is not good from a particular case to all the other thou must have recourse for the correction and amendment of thy brother to the Church when there is no other easier way therefore we must have recourse to it in all things that will not follow on the contrary he declareth that even in brotherly correction we must not have recourse thereunto but in extremity and also because Christ Jesus saith that in case of obstinacy and known sinne we must hear the Church that is receive correction and admonition from the Church it is not meant that in vertue of those words Kings and Princes should submit themselves to the authority of the Pope in all things and I suppose that there is none but the Pope of Rome and his adherents would draw such an unreasonable consequence because he thinks to finde his profit therein CHAP. III. That the holy Scripture is clear in that which concerns things necessary to salvation ONe of the greatest subtilties which the Romish Church hath found to hinder the people from reading the Scripture and to make them believe they have good reason for so doing and perswade them that the Scripture is an unsufficient rule and Judge of our faith is that they alleadge the holy Scriptures to be obscure and difficult to understand and therefore christians ought not to rush in upon the reading of them in the vulgar tongue that is to say which they understand best without expresse permission from the Pope who saith he as the onely vicar of Jesus Christ in the world and infallible hath the true understanding of the Scripture and that we cannot admit it for Judge and rule of faith but onely the sence and explication of the Church that is of the Pope as I have shewed before And to prove that the Scripture is hard to be understood they search and pick out of purpose some obscure passages which the most learned have much adoe to understand but which are no wayes absolutely necessary to salvation or if they were they are sufficiently and clearly enough explained in other places as for example Psal 16.16 Psal 18.9 Hos 12.1 Ezek. 19.10 of the first part of Psal 16.16 The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places surely I have a goodly heritage or this other psal 18.9 There went up a smoke out of his nostrils or fire out of his mouth devoured or some other prophesie as that of Hos 12. Ephraim feedeth on wind and followeth after the East wind or Ezek. 19.10 Thy mother is like a vine in thy bloud planted by the waters with an infinite number of the like whereof the Prophets are full which are not necessary to salvation or if they be necessary to salvation they are sufficiently explained in other places as that which Christ said to Nicodemus Joh. 3.3 Except a man be born again be cannot enter into the kingdome of God it is explained after in the fifth verse Except a man be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God by which it is evident Christ Jesus would say he who is born carnally of flesh and is not regenerated spiritually by grace and faith cannot enter into the kingdome of God and so of other passages which neverthelesse are very rare in the new Testament in respect of that which is clear under pretext of those passages which are nothing in comparison of the rest they make the simpler sort believe that that the holy Scripture is so obscure and difficult that it is a rashnesse extremely dangerous for a christian to think he can understand the meaning thereof as a certain Dame at Court told me not long agoe not knowing me and that no man ought to presume to read the same in a vulgar tongue without expresse license the power whereof is
THE CHRISTIAN AND CATHOLIKE VERITIE OR THE REASONS AND MANNER OF THE CONVERSION OF FRANCIS DE NEVILLE FORMERLY A CAPVCHIN PREACHER The Popes Missionary and Superiour in sundry COVENTS of the same ORDER A Treatise very usefull for all Christians and especially for such as are POPISHLY-affected or not fully setled in their beliefe And for the further Confirmation of the FAITHFULL Wherein many SECRETS of the ROMISH Clergie heretofore UNREVEALED are DISCOVERED Dedicated by the Author to the High Court of PARLIAMENT now Assembled 1642. See the Contents at the next Page LONDON Printed by T. P. and M. S. for H. Blunden at the Castle in Cornehill 1642. THE CONTENTS OF the CHAPTERS AN Historicall Prelude concerning the Author Chap. 1. How the Romish Church acknowledge no other Judge in matters of Faith but the Pope page 1 Chap. 2. That the holy Scripture is the onely Judge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church p. 4 Chap. 3. That the holy Scripture is clear in that which concernes things necessary to salvation pa. 8 Chap. 4. That the holy Scripture is given us by God to read and meditate in the same and that the prohibition of the Pope to read it is altogether unjust and contrary to the will of God p. 12 Chap. 5. Of Traditions and that they ought not to be taken for Judge or rule of our faith p. 20 Chap. 6. Traditions condemned by the holy Scripture p. 25 Chap. 7. That we cannot ground our beleef upon the books of the ancient Fathers p. 27 Chap. 8. Concerning the chief point of controversie to wit that S. Peter had no Primacy in the Church and that the Primacy of the Pope is an unlawfull usurpation p. 30 Chap. 9. Proved from holy Scripture that Christ had never intention to leave S. Peter or any other Apostle for his successour or generall Vicar after him p. 40 Chap. 10. Proved by the holy Scripture that the Apostles did never acknowledge S. Peter for superiour and universall Head of the Church p. 43 Chap. 11. That although S. Peter had had the preeminence the Pope hath no right to challenge it to himself and that the Primitive Church never acknowledged this universall superiority in the Bishop of Rome p. 48 Chap. 12. In what manner and at what time the Bishop of Rome usurped the Primacie pa. 53 Chap. 13. How the Bishop of Rome hath and doth labour to maintain his usurped Primacy and after what manner the Pope is elected at this present p. 57 Chap. 14. A notable reflection upon the usurped power of the Pope and his election and how much all Princes Prelates and Christians even Romanes are interessed therein p. 64 Chap. 15. How absurd is and how little ground hath the pretended infallibilitie of the Bishop of Rome and that it is not without cause he is called Antichrist p. 71 Chap. 16. The summe and conclusion of the former discourse concerning the usurped Primacie and infallibility of the Pope p. 75 Chap. 17. Of the Invocation of Saints p. 78 Chap. 18. That profit temporall is the cause of the Invocation of Saints and Images in the Romish Church p. 84 Chap. 19. Of the Miracles of the Romish Church p. 89 Chap. 20. Of the holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper and the Communion under both kinds p. 101 Chap. 21. Of the Masse and of Prayers in a strange tongue p. 107. Chap. 22. Of Auricular Confession p. 113 Chap. 23. Of Purgatory p. 122 Chap. 24. Of Indulgences p. 131 Chap. 25. Of the Congregations and Religious Orders p. 136 Chap. 26. Of Justification p. 141 Chap. 27. Of the heavinesse of the yoke of the Church of Rome in comparison of the yoke of Christ. p. 147 Chap. 28. If one can be saved in the Romish Church p. 151 Chap. 29. A comparison of the Protestant Reformed Church with the Church of Rome and in which of them two is salvation most certain pa. 156 TO THE MOST HIGH AND HONORABLE COVRT of PARLIAMENT of England now assembled in the yeer of the Lord 1642. Most Illustrious Assembly WE owe the homage of Service in those places where we first breathed not where we were conceived this little Treatise had indeed his conception beyond the Seas but being brought into the world in the Land and in the time of Your Authoritie it is to You it oweth homage and to whom it is bound to render all the dutifull submissions a vassall oweth to his Lords and will account it self exceeding glorious if ye but daign to vouchsafe it with your favorable acceptance for it trusteth that once being acknowledged for Yours it will be the more welcome in other places and your Patronage alone will be a sufficient protection to defend it against all the attempts of its enemies and evill willers And I am fully perswaded it could never have obtained a more happy nor Honorable protection in this world For that famous Assemblie consisting of the supreme and royall Majesty as the most worthie Head thereof of the Illustrious Nobilitie and the choicest Persons of the whole Kingdom as the Members of it there is none in this State who will not think themselves obliged to receive it favourably and if it shall passe the Seas to travell through forraigne Countreys it will questionles be more regarded there being no Canton in Europe where the wisdome of this Noble Assemblie is not admired and redoubted and where all that it avoweth and protecteth is not highly prized But as there is no good thing in the world which meeteth not with some contrarietie no vertue that is not opposed no prosperity that is not crossed I doubt not but it will find contradictions and obstacles both at home and abroad at home from some evill Christians secret enemies of the peace and tranquillitie of this Church and Estate abroad from the Enemies of the truth and every where from envious and malicious spirits But I trust it shall be as the nest of the little Alcion which under the protection of the most High contemneth the surging billows of the Ocean and which though tossed with the waves remaineth still victorious above the floods Or rather as the Rocks which cannot be moved with stormes but continue firm against all the assaults of winds and tempests So I shall let it travell under those favourable hopes with expresse charge to proclaim in all places where it shall passe the greatnesse of your glorie While in the meane time I shall endeavour to shelter my self here from all dangerous stormes under the shadow of your wings to enjoy the sweetnes of peace and happines which this whole Land expecteth from your wisdom and one who for the glory of God hath sought hither for refuge as I may hope from your bountie And there in greater securitie than the Dove that is chased by the Hawks doth find being once gotten into the holes of the Rock I shall meditate the rest of my dayes the wonders of the Almighty and
earnestly pray to him that it would please him to poure out upon their royall Majesties and their Princely Progenie upon your most Honorable Persons and this whole Land all the heavenly and earthly blessings that can wish Most Illustrious Assembly Your most humble and obedient Servant FRANCIS DE NEVILLE London this 28. of March 1642. Authoris Submissio SAcrosanctae Individuae Trinitatis Catholicae orthodoxae Ecclesiae authoritatis omnis sanae sincerae non praeoccupatae mentis judicio censurae haec quae scripta sunt hic subiecta sunto To the Reader FRiendly Reader if you finde any thing faulty and unpolisht in this Booke Know that the English tongue is strange to the Author to whom newly and as it were miraculously escaped out of Popish persecutions and strict imprisonment Tranquillitie and many other accommodations were wanting requisite for the perfection both of composition and impression yet neverthelesse if you understand French the Authors naturall Language may supply what is here defectuous and if it come againe to the Presse you shall have every thing more exact and perfect in the meane time be favourable in all and especially in some faults occasioned by the Printer such as are these following Errata quaedam PAge 15. v. 24. Bishops leg Doctors p. 43. in Tit. Spirit l. script p. 68. v. ult Infallible l. Insatiable AN HISTORICALL PRELVDE CONCERNING THE AVTHOR CHristian and courteous Reader there is nothing in the world made for it selfe but all for man and man for God who is the last end of all things and as the members of one body doe ayde and serve one another for the enjoying the priviledges and felicitie their nature is capable of so men being Members of the same body 1 Cor. 11.3 whereof Christ is the Head as St Paul saith ought to serve one another to bring themselves to God who is their last end and blessednesse It is that which moved the Apostles to Preach the Gospell through the world with so great travaile and paines It is that motive of charitie that moved St Paul and others to leave unto us the writings and doctrines which we have in the Canonicall Books It is onely this Consideration also that hath engaged mee to undertake this present Treatise wherein I onely intend to lead and conduct you to God If you walke straight to the paths of the true Church and faith I intreat you in reading this Treatise to give thankes and praises unto God with mee for the mercies and marvailous deliverances he hath wrought for mee in bringing me out of darknesse and from the shadows of death If you waver and be in doubt of the truth of the way you will finde here matter to assure and confirme you And if you be gone astray out of this way I hope reading this Discourse you shall be directed into it againe Especially if you be in the Romish Church it is to you chiefly I speake and for whom I write this hoping examples will be of greater power than words with you For friendly Reader I have been a long time even as you in the same blindnesse and doubtings you are in and because I was told that it behooved mee to beleeve without further enquiry and have onely the good faith as they say of the Colliar which is to referre himselfe to the faith of his Curate without further examination I assayed to doe the same bending my will that way but so soone as I began to have a little judgement J had a thousand combats in my minde in that blinde obedience which J could not see grounded upon any sure foundation J heard of an holy Scripture but J was almost twenty yeares old before J knew what it was J was permitted yea and recommended to reade and learne even by heart Virgil Cicero Homer and Plutarch all of them Pagan prophane Authors and proper to teach paganisme the Idolatry of the false gods no man desiring mee to reade or learne the holy Scriptures which the holy Ghost left to make us wise unto salvation and to instruct us in Christianitie and the worship of the true God as the Alphabet and rudiment of Christians Is not this a strange malice or blindnesse All that was spoken to mee in matter of faith was that it behooved mee to beleeve without further search and refer my selfe to the faith of our Teachers And what did J often say in my selfe If those who lead us be blinde or dissemble the truth through perversenesse or for other interests Mat. 15.14 the blind leading the blined both must fall into the ditch if our Leaders will goe to hell and be damned J shall then be as they referring my selfe to them J saw they were but men full of infirmities and imperfections as others that their words were words of men subject to deceit and lyes where J did finde nothing sure to settle a firme beliefe so that J did conclude in my selfe that faith being a certain knowledge and beliefe it could not be sure but upon a certaine and infallible foundation and so J concluded there was nothing but the Word of God alone and not the word of man that could assure us of true faith and of the way to salvation and that that Word of God being left to us in the holy Scriptures it was the dutie of every man to search and examine if the faith and doctrine preached were conformable to it and that no wise and judicious man should refer himselfe to another every one being to give an account for himselfe in the day of Gods Judgement and none received there to warrant and baile another This then moved mee to compare the doctrine of faith which was taught mee with that which Jesus Christ did preach and there J found so great difference in many points that it might be said to be altogether another doctrine than that of the Sonne of God Happy was it for mee J understood the Latine as my Mother tongue for J was above twentie yeares old before J durst reade or keepe by mee the Bible in the vulgar tongue under paine of greater Excommunication said they then is pronounced against one who should reade a Book of the Black Art or kill his father or mother and there is none but the Pope alone hath power to doe it or can give License Even so did J obtaine it by that means but this by the way They produced indeed for every thing the holy Scripture but for the most part in a meaning so far different from the truth that there is no error heresie nor dissolutnesse which may not be grounded and maintained in like manner upon and by the holy Scriptures J did heare them speake of Traditions and that we ought to submit our selves to the meaning and judgement of the Church but when J came to examine the Church and the infallibilitie of those Traditions J found that all was resolved in the judgement and head of the
reserved by the Pope alone to distribute to all christians and cannot commonly be obtained without a great deal of money especially for those who are remote from Rome and that for the explanation thereof we must submit to the Church that is to the Pope as I have already shewed So there is nothing but the explication of the Pope which can be a rule of faith and which is infallible doctrine and so the Pope maketh himself sole Judge of all matters of faith to determine that which is and that which is not is not this an intollerable extravagancy and worthy to be laught at by all men of understanding seeing it is without warrant from Gods word as may evidently appear The Pope saith then the Scriptures are very obscure and must not be holden for a rule of faith nor be read for fear of mistaking the meaning It is true that the Scripture consisting of many books written by divers authours at divers times yea and in divers ages and for divers ends contain great diversitie of style for in some places it is historicall in others propheticall in some metaphoricall in some morall and in some mingled and although all that is contained in those diversities of the holy Scriptures be written for our salvation as saith Saint Paul and we ought to make our profit thereof Rom. 13. neverthelesse it is not to be doubted there both are and ought to be many obscure things according to the nature and qualitie of the style in which the things are writren for prophesies parables and metaphors are ever accompanied with obscurity But as our Saviour did make but a short speech upon earth and having lived some 33 years preached but 3 or thereabouts during which small time he did preach and teach clearly and soundly all things which were necessary to salvation so that the most simple and ignorant might understand him and be sufficiently instructed by his sermons Neither is there any but Reprobates who will say that God being come to save mankind did not give sufficient instruction and clear enough for all men to be saved Otherwise how could he have condemned Corasin and Bethsaida and pronounced those words against those towns Matth. 11.20 c. Wo be unto thee Corasin wo be unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes But I say unto thee that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement then for thee And thou Capernaum if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained unto this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement then for thee Out of all question those cities would have received clear and sufficient instructions for their salvation otherwise he would have condemned them wrongfully And if Christ Jesus did preach clearly all things necessary to salvation so that those who followed him and heard him preaching might attain to perfect faith The Evangelists having set down his life and doctrine to us especially that which was necessary and also endeavoured so farre as they were able to make the same known to us as clearly as our Saviour had preached it otherwise they should be very blameworthy and we should have great reason to except against them that our Saviour having preached a doctrine so clear and easie to be understood of all men they should have left it in so obscure and hard terms that none except the learned Divines were capable to understand what not the learned Theologians nay none I say in the world except one man to wit the Pope were able to understand and give its true meaning and explication No no it is blasphemy to imagine it but we must beleeve that the doctrine of the Evangelists being the same our Saviour preached is left to us with all the facilitie and clearnesse was possible and sufficient to instruct to true faith and salvation neither can they be blamed of any defect especially being directed and assisted by the holy Spirit to that end This impertinency also may be confuted by the onely reading of the Scripture and those who tax the same of obscurity or hardnesse do it undoubtedly out of malice or ignorance never having read it nor it may be never seen it whereof are an infinite multitude in the Romish Church For certainly it is so clear especially in those things which are necessary to our salvation that the most ignorant and simple may understand it and that oftentimes better then many learned whose presumption of their science seeking subtile and curious interpretations in the simple words of our Saviour beyond the purity and sincerity of his intentions are by his just judgement deprived of the true meaning of the same As the Sonne of God himself saith in those words Mat. 11.26 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes t is so Father because such hath been thy good pleasure And be assured no man how ignorant soever providing he hath common sence shall ever reade the holy Scripture with the spirit of simplicitie and a mind onely desirous to seek the way and means of salvation but the holy Spirit who hath indited the same will give him with a singular consolation and satisfaction an easie and clear knowledge of all things necessary to salvation But if any passages somewhat hard be found which is very rare in the Evangelists they may be passed over as not absolutely necessary or rather for greater satisfaction the opinion of learned men may be asked about it nor must we marvell if sometimes we find diversity in their explications for being matters not absolutely necessary nor touching the essence of Faith the controversie in such points is not of great importance But to say that we must instruct all and not read it for fear of mistaking some things is a meer invention of the Romish Church or rather of the Bishop of Rome who desiring to establish many articles of Faith to maintain his authority and the greatnesse riches of his estate and Clergy and seeing nothing clear in the holy Scripture to authorize his doctrine hath gone about to make Christians beleeve that the Scriptures were obscure and that it belongs to him onely to declare their true meaning and determine that which belongeth or belongeth not to faith and that they ought not so much as once presume to read them Further he hath straightly forbidden them under pain of Anathema and an eternall curse fearing lest the people coming once to read them should there find the condemnation of his false doctrine and the more prohibitions there are the more also is the gain and profit he maketh thereby upon those who
of all question doth proceed that great ignorance which is to be seen amongst the people in the Church of Rome there not being ten amongst an hundred instructed sufficiently to salvation or that can give a sufficient reason of their beliefe I say even according to the doctrine of their own Church This is specially to be seen in the Countrey Parishes and in many Cities also where though there be more frequent preaching the Communion and confession be oftner haunted yet the people are nothing the better instructed in the faith for all that nor know they sufficiently that which concerneth their salvation this defect can be imputed to no other cause but the forbidding the reading of the Scriptures which is the Booke of life appointed by God for the instruction and consolation of the faithfull for howsoever they make many Catechismes and the Preachers endeavour often to instruct the people in their beliefe they are but little the wiser or better instructed for all that for they nourish them not with the Book of life to wit the Word of God which is the true bread of the faithfull instituted by God for their instruction and comfort Where on the contrary in the Churches of the reformed Religion there is not one almost but he can give a reason of his beliefe if he have any judgement and is instructed in the faith though often they cannot reade but have onely heard the Scripture read and you shall finde in many places an infinite number of simple and ignorant people in humane learning who know the Bible a great deale better than many great Bishops in Popish Universities and famous Preachers among them which I protest I have often seen with great admiration as did many others also to the great confusion questionlesse of the Romish Church what ever they can alledge As for my part I confesse I could never finde any sufficient reason in that prohibition for reading the Scriptures for if the Scripture we call the Old Testament is the same Word of God that was left unto us by Moses by the Prophets and servants of God as is most certaine I see nothing more common in that Word than straight commands to reade heare meditate ruminate and observe the same to write it upon the posts of our houses and carry it tyed to our fingers that is to have it continually before our eyes and in our hearts I should make too large a volume contrary to my intention if I should cite all the passages which are clearly to be seen in it to this effect peruse but the Bookes of Deuteronomy and Numbers the Proverbs of Salomon the Psalmes of David and divers of the Prophets All those commandements and exhortations are given to all men as well the learned as the ignorant the poore as the rich which cannot be understood of the Bible onely in a strange tongue but in a language that is best understood of every one which is the vulgar That which is said of the old Testament may be more easily proved of the New which is as the last Will Christ Jesus our Father hath left us as his children by which we must know his intentions and that which he desireth us to doe to become worthy children of so good a Father and to possesse the inheritance he hath purchased for us through his merits and bloud Is there any man of judgement in the world who can beleeve that he hath left us his Commandements last Will and intentions as altogether needfull to salvation and not suffer us to reade the same and that there was but one man in the world to wit the Pope who had power to reade and explaine the same to others Where is that so important prohibition set downe Where is it so spoken have not we as much part in the inheritance of Christ Jesus as our Father the Pope By what right should Christians be deprived of the reading of the will and intentions of their Father the will of God and his holy Commandments which they ought to know and doe under paine of eternall damnation Is there any power or authoritie under heaven that can hinder them seeing God enjoyneth and commandeth the same the thing being of so great importance to them that none can be answerable for them in the day of Judgement Is there any power on earth that can dispence them No no this prohibition is altogether unjust and against both reason and the will of God Yes but some will say the intentions of God his Testament and the holy Scripture are made knowne to Christians by the sermons which they call commonly the Word of God It is true the preaching of the servants of God and Orthodox Preachers are highly to be esteemed for they may learne and profit much thereby but there is great difference betwixt a mans and the Word of God because the Word of God is altogether divine and holy and the infallible truth of which we cannot doubt and the Sermons of Preachers howsoever they be called the Word of God are not to speak properly the Word of God except onely that which is simply produced out of the holy Scripture the rest are onely humane words subject to faults and defects to passions and errors especially in the Romish Church where many among them cite oftner Plato Seneca Plutarch or some other than they doe the holy Scriptures and if they cite them it is so far from the true meaning thereof that they may rather be tearmed prophane than piously cited and sincerely explained Finally it is to deceive Christians to make them beleeve that Sermons should serve them in place of reading the holy Scriptures the Word of God is filled with a better spirit than all the best Sermons in the world for there it is the holy Spirit who speaketh to us whereof we ought not to doubt nor can we enter into any suspition of deception but Sermons being onely the words of men instituted to instruct and stirre us up to God wee ought indeed to respect them much and heare them willingly but we are not obliged to heare and receive them with so great respect as the holy Scriptures and we ought also to examine and confer them with the Scriptures as did those Noble Bereans having heard St Paul preaching to see if that which he said unto them was conformable to the Word of God as it is set downe Act. 17.11 neither did St Paul nor St Luke Act. 17.11 nor any other ever blame them for that action And our Saviour himselfe reproaching the Jewes that being sent from God his Father they would neither receive him nor beleeve in him saith to them Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 for in them yee thinke to have eternall life for they are they which testifie of me And in the History of poore Lazarus and the wicked rich man is written in St Luke chap. 16. Luk. 16.28 when this damned wretch desired that God would shew miracles and raise some
Church which are almost without number And mark that in all ages this hath been the malice of hereticks to have recourse to Traditions when the Scriptures faile them Tertull. de Monog cap. 2. Joh. 16.12 Bellarm. lib. 5. de verbo Dei so Tertullian being become hereticall in his Booke de Monogania cap. 2. maintaineth the heresie of Montanus by those words of our Saviour I have yet many things to say unto you but yee cannot beare them now Which is the passage Bellarmine citeth for Traditions cap. 5. of his Book of the unwritten Word and yet it appeareth by the following verse that our Saviour by those things which they cannot for the present beare meant the things which are to come as the prophesies concerning the things which were to fall out which are to be seen in the Epistles of the Apostles and in the Revelation of St John and such like things and not any doctrines of faith Irenaeus in the second chap. of his third Book saith Irenaeus cap. 2. lib. 3. that when any did convince the hereticks with Scripture they began to accuse the Scripture saying that the truth could not be found in the Scripture by those who knew not the Tradition because it was not given in writing but onely spoken verbally Now this is practised by the Romish Church more than by any sect that hath ever yet been because seeing Scripture doth faile her to maintaine her tyranny and innumerable superstitious policies she hath invented a word not written which shee calleth Traditions equalling their authoritie with the holy Scriptures and those Traditions are invented and augmented from time to time according to the will and fancy of the Popes for some of them have invented the Masse and some other ceremonies and one or other of them have now and then added to them or taken from augmented or diminished the same some of them have invented Purgatory others Indulgences some the invocation of Saints others the reliques some the Communion under one kinde and yet to this day their number is not perfect neither is it yet known to the Romish Church that which our Saviour preached as necessary to faith and salvation for as there were new Articles of faith made in the Councell of Trent which was the last generall Councell amongst them as that of justification and originall sin so doe they hope to make yet more in the next Councell as it may be of the conception of the Virgin Mary of predestination with or without merits or some others Here is another objection those of the Romish Church thinke to be of great force and which I my selfe have often used disputing against those of the Romish Religion pretending thereby to prove the necessitie of Traditions and to referre our selves to the Church for say they who gave you the holy Scripture but the Tradition and whence know yee the Canonicall Books from those that are not Canonicall but by the determination and tradition of the Church It is true that every particular man receiveth the holy Scripture from the Church he liveth in whether it be a pure or impure Church so the Apostles had received from the Priests and Scribes enemies of Jesus Christ the books of the old Testament but in that the Church doth onely the office of a Witnesse and not of a Judge it onely witnesseth that those Books are holy and Canonicall but it judgeth not them to be holy nor giveth them any authoritie and the Tradition of the Church witnessing those books to be divine and holy is onely a protestation of her subjection to the Scripture and not an usurpation of her authoritie above the written word of God He who sheweth the King to a stranger is not therefore above the King nor giveth he any authoritie to the King and a Book-seller shewing to a buyer the Book of the Statutes of the Kingdome doth not for that authorise those Statutes and some man may receive the holy Scriptures from the Church and afterwards use it to condemne the same Church And as the testimony of innumerable eyes and eares seeing the lightnings and hearing the thunder maketh us say that it thundreth and lightneth so the testimony of innumerable Churches assuring us that the holy Scriptures are from God cause us to give an assent to them as divine Where it is to be noted that as for the Books of the New Testament wee ought to take the testimony of the Churches under the New Testament so for the Books of the old Testament we ought to follow the judgement of the Churches of those times and refer our selves to their testimony without making them for that Judges of the controversie Nor doth it appertaine to him who is to be judged by the holy Scripture and the word of God to make himselfe Judge of that word of God so it is a great impertinency to inferre from this objection the necessitie of Traditions to be of the same vertue with the pure word of God CHAP. VI. Traditions condemned by the holy Scriptures VVE have seen the testimonies of the holy Scripture and the reasons they of the Romish Church bring to establish the doctrine of Traditions Now let us see the testimonies of the same Scripture which the Orthodox and reformed Church alledge to condemne those Traditions and consider which of them are of greatest strength As for mee having maturely considered the passages I cannot see how their force can be eluded or rather that men yeeld not to their cleernesse The Prophet Moses saith to the people of God Deut. 12.13 Deut. 12.13 Yee shall doe that which I command you before the Lord neither adding nor diminishing there from and more cleerly in Chap. 12. Yee shall adde nothing to the word which I command you nor take nothing from it and Salomon in his Proverbs saith Pro. 30.6 Adde thou nothing unto his word least he reprove thee and thou be found a lyar Which being not deniable but that it is said of the Church what doth the Scripture thereby but condemne most cleerly the Traditions which are questionlesse new inventions added to the holy Scripture For my part after I began to consider attentively the words of the Apostle St Paul on this subject I could never see how those of the Romish Church can maintaine the doctrine of their Traditions as pertaining to faith and equall in authoritie to the holy Scriptures Gal. 1.8 Mark I pray you with me those words Gal. 1.8 If we our selves or any Angel from heaven preach to you any other Gospel than that which hath been preached unto you let him be accursed Note these words Let him be accursed which are of no small importance and observe the word besides Praeterquam quod is in the vulgar translation of St Jerome which is more fully expressed by the word besides than by the word otherwise as it is in some corrupted impressions and above all note that he saith not against but besides Praeterquam
quod Now what I pray you are all the traditions of the Romish Church but doctrine and things besides the Word of God Besides that which St Paul and Christ Jesus and the other Apostles did preach yea even contrary for all doctrine taught as necessary to faith out of the Scripture is also contrary unto the Scripture seeing it is against the prohibition to adde to the Word of God Mat. 15.9 and God condemneth them who teach for doctrine of faith the doctrine and commandements of men And mark that Christ Jesus in this chap. of St Matthew did specially condemne the Pharisees because they transgressed the commandements of God by their traditions and what I pray you were those traditions they were not things expresly forbidden in the law of God but simple additions and willing devotions without the word of God and which outwardly smelled of nothing but devotion puritie and holinesse as to fast three times a week to wash the cups the platters to tithe Mint and Annise to make conscience to heal any sick man on the Sabbath day to make long prayers to abstaine from certaine meats and that not through a conceit that those things were polluted but through a willing devotion and humilitie of spirit or through a desire to mortifie the flesh but because those things were taught as being of equall authoritie with the doctrine of faith that is the cause wherefore they are condemned by the Son of God as contrary to his holy Word There is no doubt but by this passage of the Apostle St Paul we cited before are also condemned all the Traditions of the Romish Church which are taught and preached to be of equall authoritie with the holy Scriptures which truely are besides the Word of God and the Gospel that was preached by our Saviour and his Disciples for how cometh it to passe that they should have preached so many things pertaining to faith and salvation and never speak any thing of them in any of their Books nor in the acts of the Apostles which is the History of the most remarkable actions and Sermons of the Apostles for more than twenty yeares see if there be any thing spoken there of the invocation of Saints of Indulgencies Purgatory prayer for the dead of the Communion under one kinde or of the rest and if those and the like things be not in the holy Scriptures they are besides the Word of God and consequently he that preacheth them is accursed and Anathema and they are not to be received as pertaining to faith And to shew that the Traditions which the Church of Rome teacheth as Articles of faith doe not come from Christ Jesus and his Apostles nor cannot be said to be Apostolique nor divine but papall and humane to say no worse there is almost none of them the history of that Church sheweth not by what Pope or Bishop they were invented and at what time they had their beginning Baro. Annal Eccle. Gualter Chronol Durant de ritib. see the Authors who handle the same least I should be too prolix in this matter being desirous to lay open another of not much lesse importance CHAP. VII That wee cannot ground our beliefe upon the Books of the ancient Fathers THose of the Romish Church to authorise their Traditions which are besides nay contrary to the Word of God send us to the Fathers as to other Judges to determine our differences whose doctrine they affirme to be conformable to that which they teach Certainly I have thought Antiquitie in it selfe to be very venerable and worthy to be respected especially the Fathers whose grave and learned Books deserve praise of all good spirits principally if their doctrine be conformable to the Word of God which is the sole infallible rule of all good doctrine And to speak truly I finde that the Fathers of the first ages condemne in a number of places so manifestly the errors and superstitious doctrines of the Romish Church that I have marvailed oftentimes how they can have the boldnesse to alledge them in their favour It is true that as in the time of St Paul the mystery of iniquitie was already working so it is not to be marveiled that they being men some things have now and then insensibly crept into the writings of some of them which were not altogether so pure and seeme somewhat to incline to superstitions which by little and little insinuated themselves into the Church But I beleeve that though all their Books should seeme manifestly to contradict the faith of the Reformed Churches wee are not obliged to receive them as our Judges neither as irreprochable Witnesses and howsoever I esteeme highly of the Authours yet wee cannot ground any Article of faith upon their Writings but so far as wee finde them to conforme to the Word of God which is the toucstone of all truth neither are wee bound to have recourse to them any wayes For if we were obliged to have recourse to them and receive them for Judges of our faith that were to bring our faith and the point of our salvation in an impossibilitie at least morall because all Christians should be obliged to have them and to have them all or the most part which is not possible but to the richer sort and having them they should be obliged to reade them almost all and that wholy to the end they might compare one with another and see if they agree one with another in the same doctrine and if they be conformable to themselves every where and so none but those who had great leasure could reade them and being almost all of them either in Latine or Greeke or other strange tongue but few of them in vulgar tongues what should they doe who understand neither Latine nor Greeke There would be none then but the richer and learneder and those who had no other imployment but to reade could be assured of their faith and so all others should be without faith and knowledge of those things which concerne their salvation and consequently in a manifest way of perdition by their ignorance Notwithstanding our Saviour his coming was to teach the poore as well as the rich the ignorant as the learned the Merchants and Tradesmen as well as those who are not so much imployed Besides it is impossible to build upon their Writings any beliefe of faith for as Printing was not in their time but onely two or three hundred yeares since those who have written in the Primitive Church even to our time since our Saviour which hath been thirteen or fourteen hundred yeares have left us nothing but Manuscripts which behooved to be transcribed that they might be dispersed Now there is no man who will not confesse that the Originals and first Manuscripts written or at least revised and corrected by the Fathers which composed them have been seen but of a few and little or nothing of them all is to be found at this time nor was found
unto him goe and governe my subjects well what foole is there in the world will beleeve that by these words the King giveth him an ample unlimited power over all his Kingdome subjects and createth him thereby his successour in all his estates after his death would not he be thought to be hypocondriacally affected who would make himselfe beleeve it the King understandeth questionlesse thereby his people and subjects which are in the Province and place where he is sent as Governour and not those who are in other places If a Bishop send a Priest to governe a Parish or a Church and say to him goe I recommend my people and my sheep unto you teach them well and instruct them faithfully take great care to feed my flock with good doctrine ought this Priest therefore to imagine with himselfe that all the people in his diocesse are subject to him and that the Bishop giveth him ample power over all his Bishopricke and maketh him his successour by those words Let him perswade himselfe as much as he can as doe the Hypocondriaques but I beleeve he should finde some to speake withall if he would undertake the exercise of such authoritie without some other Commission for by that it is sufficient he beleeves that the Bishop recommendeth to his charge the sheep which he hath committed to his guard and leading So it is without sence and reason they imagine to inferre by those words that Christ hath given all power over the Church to St Peter and established him his Vicar and Successour in his place but onely he commandeth him to preach and declare the Gospel every where as he did in other places to all the other Apostles without distinction of Jewes or Gentiles Countreyes or Estates but generally in every place where they should be sent And after this manner doth the Romish Church use the holy Scripture to prove the Articles of their beliefe Another objection of the Church of Rome is Our Saviour cōmanded St Peter Mat. 17.27 Mat. 17.27 To take the first fish he could catch and take a piece of money out of its mouth and pay the tribute for them two therfore he made him his successour after his death and hath given him the Primacy over the whole Church and over the other Apostles See here the meaning of this history some Collectour or Publicane cometh to St Peter who was with our Saviour as the first he found it may be or perhaps the most ancient and considerable of all and said unto him that their Master did pay no tribute to the Prince St Peter telleth it to Christ who commandeth him to go to the sea and the first fish he could catch to take a piece of money which he should find in his mouth and pay for him and himself to the publicane to eschew scandalls hereby it appeareth that he maketh him his successour and vicar after his death and that he hath the Primacy and superiority over all the other Apostles and Christians Is not this a consequence handsomely deduced by wise men and neverthelesse it is one of the Romish Church The publicans and collectours for the Prince come to a noble man to ask of him some subsidy and tribute they addressed themselves to the first they met withall or to some old servant and tell him that his Master hath not paid the subsidies the servant goeth and telleth it to his Master who commandeth him to go to such a place and take money to pay for him and himself which he doth to shunne noise and scandall this servitour ought he here for to presume with himself that he will succeed to all the goods and estate of his Master and that thereby preheminence is given unto him over all his other companions and fellow-servants and should he not shew himself altogether ridiculous who would maintain the same to draw such consequences and to found one Article of faith and the most important of them all upon so frivolous conjectures and weak proofs is to make fools of men there must be other proofs and more authentique and clearer declarations to pretend lawfully the greatest power and most advantagious succession in the world Take here yet another parcell of the same dough or rather more frivolous St Peter say they was the first who was called to the Apostleship therefore Christ made him his Successour and Vicar and gave him after his death the superiority over his fellows and the whole Church St John saith that Andrew having found Jesus Christ Ioh. 1.41 went and told his brother Simon and brought him to Christ so that by that means Andrew should be the first of the Apostles who found the Messiah and knew Christ but put the case it were Peter and that he was the first chosen of the Apostles and called to the Apostleship will it follow thence that Christ Jesus made him his Successour The first souldier that is inrolled in a Company by his Captain is he for that his Successour after his death must he have the superiority after his Captains death over all the rest without other declaration or title at all especially the Captain having never declared any thing that way but provided other waies for the government and leading of his company there is certainly neither rhyme nor reason for deducing such consequences so all this serveth onely to deceive the simple and weaker spirits but every man of judgement seeth well enough their weaknesse to believe or give credit thereto Now I protest they are the strongest arguments the Romish Church produceth out of the holy Scripture to prove the primacy of St Peter and consequently that of the Pope for there is nothing spoken of the Pope in the holy Scripture nor doth he pretend any right thereto but so farre as he termeth himself the Successour of St Peter and if they be attentively considered as they ought I perswade my self there is no man in the world provided he hath any sparks of common reason who will not judge them too small and weak to prove so important a doctrine which is the foundation of all the Romish belief and this certainly is more then sufficient to shew that the power of the Pope is usurped that he hath not the authority he pretendeth over the Church and that wrongfully he calleth himself the universall Pastour over all Christians and Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth he not being able to shew or prove his succession and power by any passage of Scripture which hath any strength or likelihood But I minde not to stay there not for any obligation but for greater satisfaction of those who are desirous of salvation and the truth I will prove the negative by Scripture and thereby shew that our Saviour had never intention to leave St Peter nor any other Successour or Vicar in his place and that the Apostles never acknowledged S. Peter nor any other for universall Pastour but Christ we shall also see hereafter how the
doe it it should especially have been at this time an occasion and if he hath not done it here nor elsewhere it is an infallible and certaine proofe that he will leave no other superiour over the Church but himselfe and the holy Spirit Mat. 28.20 and he saith that he would remaine and stay with them alwayes even to the end of the world Besides our Saviour being upon the Crosse recommendeth his Mother to St John and St John to his Mother if St Peter should have been his Successour and Vicar after his death he might even then have spoken something but neither did he it there nor before nor after he was risen although he was conversant amongst them and with his Disciples oftentimes for the space of fortie dayes is not this then a most manifest and cleere proofe that he would leave neither Successour nor generall Vicar in his roome and that it is without sence or reason to say he left St Peter If the testimony of all the men in the world should be found to contradict this same would it be of greater force and strength than this The Word of God ought to triumph over all neither should any thing be opposed to it and it is blasphemy to attempt it there needeth no glosses here for this is cleere enough but either must a man renounce all that is in the holy Scripture or acknowledge this doctrine and truth nor could ever I conclude otherwise having considered it Here you may see good Reader by the holy Scripture that Jesus Christ had never intention to leave any man for Successour and universall Vicar or generall head in his place and that he himself alone would be governour and director for ever and none other but himselfe Therefore it is wrongfully that the Pope of Rome groundeth and maintaineth his authoritie upon that Now let us see by the holy Scripture that the Apostles did never hold Peter for his Successour or universall head of the Church CHAP. X. Proved by the holy Spirit that the Apostles did never acknowledge St Peter for superiour and universall head of the Church IF St Peter hath been instituted by Christ generall Pastour of the Church and Superiour over all the Apostles and Christians I undoubtedly beleeve that the other Apostles did know it perfectly for although Christ should never have declared any thing to them yet the holy Spirit who instructed them in all truth would have taught them this so important a point So it is that it may be proved even by the Scripture it selfe that the Apostles did never acknowledge this superioritie and primacy in Peter and therefore we may safely conclude that he never had it I finde in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 15.7 that the first Councell of the Church after the death of our Saviour was holden at Jerusalem where St James was Bishop and not St Peter that Paul and Barnabas and others came expresly that the Apostles and Elders did assemble to confer about something touching Circumcision and after great debate Peter saith Luke rose up and spake and after him Paul and Barnabas declaring what signes and wonders God had done by them among the Gentiles and so soone as they had done St James answered saying Men and brethren hearken unto mee Simon hath declared how God c. Wherefore my sentence is that wee trouble not them which among the Gentiles are turned to God but that we write unto them c. Now judge I pray you by this passage if Peter may be thought chiefe in this so noble and famous action if there be any of the Apostles who may be thought superiour in this assembly it is questionlesse St James the Councell holding in his Citie and Church It is true St Peter speaketh after some dispute not first as is pretended for they had already disputed and spoken but St James pronounceth sentence in this assembly and as Judge and of most authoritie in the Councell it being done in his Church he imposeth silence to speak and pronounce the sentence as is the custome of the Judges and saith Wherefore my sentence is or now I Judge Ego autem Judico as St Jeroms translation hath it which questionlesse he did not as superiour to all but as Bishop of the place where the assembly was holden and to whom for that respect the first place and greatest authoritie was due as there is no Bishop in the world that giveth not place to another in his owne Church and within the bounds of his Jurisdiction But if Peter had had the primacy he would have pronounced the sentence as Judge and as Master and superiour over them all and it was his to say Ego Judico I marvell also that St James speaking to him if he thought him Vicar of Christ said not our Master Simon or the universall Vicar and Pastour or gave him not some great title such as is now given to the Pope it being a great over-sight to omit it but he saith onely Simon hath told if Simon was his superiour and universall head of the Church St James was greatly to be blamed in this point for some irreverence or little respect but knowing that there was but equalitie among them he useth him as his equall keeping onely the authoritie and dignitie of his own Sea It is said in the Acts chap. 11.1 that St Peter having converted and baptized Cornelius the Centurion and all those men who were Gentiles he came up againe to Jerusalem and being there they who were of the Circumcision that is the converted Jewes would have reproved him and contended with him saying Why wentest thou into men uncircumcised and didst eat with them Peter beginneth and declareth all the matter unto them in order and justifieth the action if St Peter was head of the Church and generall Pastour of all Christians and of all the world I marvell first how they had the boldnesse to reprove him for preaching to the Gentiles whose Pastour he was as well as of the Jewes and I admire also that St Peter seemeth to excuse himselfe before them upon a particular revelation and commission and did not rather tell them that being universall Pastour he had power over all soules and it belonged to him to preach the Gospell to every creature not onely to the Jewes but also to the Gentiles certainly he did not acknowledge as yet that generall power and universall primacy in himselfe nor yet did Christians acknowledge it in him for out of all question they would have spoken otherwise to him and he would also have answered in other tearmes especially if he had thought to have had that infallibilitie which the Pope of Rome vindicateth to himselfe which he saith he hath gotten by the succession and in the person of St Peter Moreover the Apostles sent Peter and John to preach in Samaria would the Pope now adayes receive any such commission Acts 8. and goe preach to the Indians or in Russia by Commission
from some other Bishops in France or Italy Further St Paul saith Gal. 2.16 that the preaching of the Gospel of the Uncircumcision was committed to him as that of the Circumcision to St Peter and when James Cephas and John who seemed to be pillars perceived the grace saith he that was given unto mee they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship that is they received mee for companion that we should goe unto the brethren and they unto the Circumcision Here if you please you may observe that he attributeth no more to Peter than to John and James but calleth them all three Pillars and nameth not Peter but James first which shewed that he acknowledged no superioritie amongst them above the rest and saith further that the right hand of association was given him that is they received him for companion to goe and preach to the Gentiles as they to the Jewes Is there any Bishop in the world who dare write himselfe companion to the Pope and the charge to preach to the Gentiles was it not the most honourable and greatest and most fit to the universall Pastour of the world which if St Peter had been it was to him rather than to St Paul to whom it did belong it being also said that he hath been Bishop of the chiefe Citie of all the Gentiles although there be no proofe or likelihood of it fit in the Scripture but of this hereafter Gal. 2.11 And a little after in the same chap. When Peter saith he was come to Antioch I withstood him to the face because he was to be blamed for before that certaine came from James he did eat with the Gentiles but when they were come he withdrew and separated himselfe fearing them which were of the Circumcision and the other Jewes dissembled likewise with him in so much that Barnabas also was carried away with their dissimulation But when I saw that they walked not uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel I said unto Peter before them all If thou being a Iew live also after the manner of the Gentiles and not as doe the Jewes why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as doe the Iewes Here you see how Paul saith that he withstood Peter to his face because he was to be blamed yea and reproved him sharply for his dissimulation and evill example if Paul had acknowledged Peter for his superiour and head over all Christians it is out of all doubt a great fault in Paul to resist his superiour to his face and so to write and if he did acknowledge in him that infallibilitie whereof the Pope braggeth how saith he that he was to be blamed and faulty there can be no other thing answered to this but that Paul did not acknowledge any superioritie or infallibilitie in Saint Peter otherwise there is none of good judgement in the world who would not think Paul guilty of a fault and crime of contempt and yet no man even to this day nor any Pope durst ever condemne this fault in Paul and did also he onely acknowledge Peter as his equall and fellow-Apostle whom he was bold to reprove and I beleeve that every man who is not interessed and is void of passion will judge with me by those passages of Scripture and with the orthodox belief that the Apostles did never acknowledge this superiority and Primacy in Peter and that it is in vain to the Pope to vindicate the same to himself Peter having never had it Finally if Saint Peter himself did think he had this universall authority over all the Apostles and all Christians and all the Churches of the world I marvell he never made it appear nor used it at any time and that there is nothing spoken of it in the Acts of the Apostles which are the history of the Apostles for more then 20 years I marvell also that he did not addresse some Epistles to all the Christians in the world but contented himself to write onely to some Jewes who were dispersed by the persecution of Saint Steven and I marvell yet most of all he did not put some titles before his Epistles to make known his Primacy he doth not write Peter Bishop of Bishops or universall Pastour of the Church or great Vicar of Christ on earth 1. Pet. 1. nor any such thing but onely Peter an Apostle of Jesus Christ to the strangers which are scattered in Pontus Galatia Cappadocia Asia and Bythinia there is not so much as one word in both those Epistles that favoureth of his Supremacy his words are not the words of a Master nor of a Superiour or Soveraign doth a Soveraign ever write long letters to his subjects and never speak to them as a Soveraign how humble soever he be without using any word of Lord and Master or giving any commandement It appeareth then hereby and by that which we spoke before that the Apostles did never acknowledge this Primacy of Saint Peter nor did he ever acknowledge it himself and I beleeve I have sufficiently proved this by Scripture to be judged by any man of judgement that those arguments of Scripture to prove this negative to wit that Saint Peter had no Primacy are beyond all comparison stronger than those which the Romish Church doth produce to prove the affirmative of this Doctrine to wit that Saint Peter was Head of the Church I know that the Doctours of the Romish Church want not explications in their favour upon those passages whether found out by them or some of the auncients for there is no errour that may not finde some colourable pretext but we shall give sufficient answers thereto in the next chapter and J protest I never found satisfaction nor I beleeve shall any man of sound judgement find satisfaction therein for this truth is too clear and evident to be contradicted Now let us see if the Bishop of Rome who calleth himself Successour of Saint Peter was acknowledged by the primitive Church and those first ages to have had this Primacy and universall superiority over the whole Church CHAP. XI That although Saint Peter had had the preeminence the Pope hath no right to challenge it to himself and that the Primitive Church never acknowledged this universall Superiority in the Bishop of Rome THe first question to be cleared here should be whether Saint Peter were ever Bishop of Rome or if he ever was at Rome for the Pope of Rome pretendeth onely his Primacy by succeeding Saint Peter in the Sea of Rome to which saith he is annexed the generall chair and universall power over all christians If any truth may be drawn from the Scripture in this point it is out of all doubt more probable yea and more certain that he was never Bishop nay that he was never there then otherwise for it was a strange and hard thing to beleeve that he was there and founded that Church established there his Sea and chair which the Pope esteemeth the first
which they are daily about to try and would gladly execute if they could he sendeth Agents and imployeth spyes and men disguised especially of some orders who goe secretly from house to house preaching his Indulgences and pardons to move the people to acknowledge him and restore his former revenues for this is the onely end of all his Inventions what ever pretext of faith and Religion he pretend but the carriers of those Indulgences are no more in request and are onely good for nothing but to cheat women and weak spirits the world hath had so many of his Bulls and pardons that they beleeve they will have no more need but may live without them the ages to come and wise Princes chose rather to keepe their moneys for the ease of their subjects and conservation of their estates than to send it to the Pope to maintaine his Court in riot and inrich his kindred the falsenesse of his doctrine appearing too cleerly now to be embraced by judicious and cleer-sighted men CHAP. XV. How absurd is and how little ground hath the pretended infallibilitie of the Bishop of Rome and that it is not without cause he is called Antichrist THe Bishop of Rome is not onely content to challenge the primacy and superioritie over the whole Christian Church but to strengthen and increase his credit he falleth into a folly insupportable to every wise and understanding man for he attributeth to himselfe the same infallibilitie and truth that God doth affirming and maintaining that he cannot erre no more than God when he pronounceth any sentence in matter of faith This seemed to me a cunning subtilty if it were as easily to be beleeved as invented for wanting the word of God and sufficient Scripture to establish his primacy and universall superioritie he hath resolved to attribute to himselfe the infallibilitie to make men receive the Scriptures according to his explication to ground his authoritie and establish his doctrine thereby And this Article of infallibilitie is at this day come to such a passe in the Romish Church that it must be beleeved as pertaining to faith and necessary to salvation it being forbidden under the paine of being holden for an heretique and Anathematized for preaching to the contrary and truely it is a doctrine which in policy ought to follow that of the primacy for the accomplishing of a perfect and absolute authoritie But as wee have shewen this primacy to be usurped and invalid so doe we beleeve we have sufficiently nullified all that followeth upon those prerogatives whereof this is the principall Notwithstanding for the greater satisfaction of the courteous Reader wee shall answer briefly the principall reasons they bring to prove this doctrine The first Objection is drawne out of a passage alledged before where it is said Mat. 16.18 Mat. 16.18 Thou art Peter and upon this Rocke will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevaile against it This say they being understood of St Peter is to say that errour and untruth shall not prevaile against Peter nor have victory over him and that he shall never be deceived nor erre nor consequently the Pope who tearmeth himselfe successour of St Peter Notwithstanding St Peter having erred after these words were pronounced and denied his Master which is the greatest fall that can be in the faith sheweth that those words are not understood of St Peter but of the faith and confession he made at that time which being most true and the truth it selfe shall never be overcome nor surmounted by the gates of hell but shall continue in strength eternally and so it is in vaine for the Pope to ground his infallibilitie upon words which are not spoken of St Peter nor consequently of him as is most manifest and as I have shewed before Another Objection which the Romish Church thinks stronger and more expresse is this Luk. 22.32 The Lord said to Simon Luk. 22.32 Simon behold Sathan hath sought to winnow thee as wheat but I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not and then when thou shalt be converted strengthen thy brethren For my part I perceive not what they would conclude thereby but that the faith of St Peter should never faile and yet wee see that it failed much and that St Peter did stumble and erre grossely in the faith having denyed his Master a long time after those words were spoken If then that be understood as they would have it the prayers of Christ should be of none effect which is blasphemy to thinke wherefore we must finde out a truer meaning of those words and say that is understood of small falling Christ Jesus saying to Simon Simon I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not finally that is to say if peradventure thou succombe and fall as thou wilt at least raise thy selfe and enter againe into the profession of faith and being converted by a true repentance thou must confirme thy brethren and let this fall make thee wiser in time to come and be a means to thee to confirme others and exhort them to take heed least they slide and fall as thou This is doubtlesse the true and lawfull meaning of those words as every understanding man may judge and not the explication of the Romish Church which every reasonable man will finde to be altogether absurd and invented of purpose to establish a false doctrine And although it could be proved that St Peter did never fall and we should confesse that the infallibilitie was given to him Will it therefore follow that it is given to all his successours also and that which was said to one person and of one person must be said to all his successours and of them all if they apply to the Pope all that was said to St Peter the Apostle and in his favour by Christ Jesus why doe they not apply as well all that was said to his disgrace and so the Pope must be called Sathan because Christ did call Peter so those words must also be applyed to the Pope Thou shalt deny mee as our Saviour spake them to St Peter This certainly hath too often falne out to the great hurt and scandall of Christian people although I confesse that our Saviour speaking to Peter did not meane it of those who should be thought his successours Now these are the strongest passages and arguments on which this pretended infallibilitie is grounded which is the whole foundation and basis of all the Romish Doctrine now in controversie which being proved to be usurped against reason and equitie as the primacy whereon it is grounded you see in what estate of errour and heresie that Church is in and how blinde and deceived they are that follow it It was thought formerly strange that the Pope of Rome was called Antichrist and I confesse it was long before I could be satisfied with the application of this name to the Pope thinking it was too rigorously spoken and with too small
counsell and not a commandment but they might say as much of all heresie and the word I beleeve sheweth they make an Article of faith of it which obligeth them all But let us grant if you will that all the Saints who are with God in glory offer continuall prayers to him for the increase and prosperitie of the whole Church and all the faithful as some Doctors beleeve and perhaps might be granted although we have no knowledge thereof from the holy Scripture and so it cannot be a point of faith it will not therefore follow that they hear all our prayers and know our necessities in particular or that we ought to invoke them and the fashion in which the Romish Church explaineth this point sheweth sufficiently its nullity For they say the Saints do not hear our prayers themselves but beholding and contemplating the divine Essence they see them there as in a glasse and so have knowledge of them and although say they they see whole God yet they do not see him wholly nor do they see all which is comprehended in that divine Essence for so should they have an infinite knowledge but they see onely that which God will manifest and reveal unto them Now to beleeve God manifested unto them all the prayers that are directed unto them is a groundlesse conjecture there being no Word of God to inform us thereof nor any returned from those places to bring us news And although this might be there being nothing impossible to God neverthelesse all confesse and agree that every thing which is possible to God cometh not therefore to passe nor ought we beleeve it to be done if the Word of God declareth it not to us as matter of faith besides there are so great absurdities in the explication of this doctrine that I marvell how it can enter into the spirit of a reasonable man For they confesse that our prayers go first to God and then from God to the Saints and after they return from the Saints to God which is as one praying to St. Nicholas for example if God say to him Nicholas know that such a man in such a place upon the earth asketh thee such things whereof I advertise thee that thou may pray to me and then I will advise if I shall heare thee that is to make God Mediatour towards the Saints before the Saints be Mediatours towards God Furthermore the Saints have not an infinite knowledge and vertue and as they know not all things so doe they not know them all at one time and are not as God who provideth for the generall government of the world and all particular things therein without any trouble or disturbance for the infinitenesse of his divine essence giveth him that power but the Saints are not so for although their power be great yet it hath its owne bounds nor I cannot conceive how a Saint at the same instant can heare all the prayers made to him here on earth nor how he can provide for all as they make the simpler beleeve For let us suppose if yee will that it is Saterday which day the Romanists dedicate especially to the blessed Virgin Mother of God or one of her great holy dayes among them as of her Nativitie her Assumption or any other from the dawning of the day to mid-day there are a million of millions of Masses said every moment in those places where Popish Religion is planted and a numberlesse number of prayers at one and the same instant are directed to the blessed Virgin every particular person imagining shee heareth them perfectly and indeavouring to make his wants knowne to her to the end he may be relieved or suppose shee knoweth them already and that they onely labour to pray to her and aske her helpe and reliefe they will be forced to confesse that the prayers and necessities of every particular person goe first to God who alone knoweth the hearts and then from God to the Virgin and from her againe to God last of all they returne from God to the Virgin that shee may give order and make them feele their prayers are granted if God think it expedient Now if there be two thousand persons in a Church that pray to the Virgin at one time it must be done by every one of them in an instant and if there be ten thousand in a Citie which pray at one time that must be done by every one of them so and if that be done proportionably through all the Cities of a Kingdome even of many Kingdomes where a numberlesse number of people pray to the blessed Virgin at the same instant shee must have at one time an infinite multitude of businesses to heare and necessities to provide for and at the same instant God informeth her of an infinite number of prayers directed to her for an infinite number of wants shee returning an infinite number at the same time to God and in the meane time while shee returneth them to God and prayeth to him according to the information it pleased him to give her God at the same instant advertiseth her of an infinite multitude of other prayers which indeed may well be done by God at an instant but not by the Virgin Mary who being onely a finite creature is not able to thinke and advise upon so many affaires together at one time no more than we but needeth some time and succession to know provide for all though we confesse that a separated soule may know sooner than united to the body and that shee know by a single apprehension and not by discourse but being finite her power of knowing is finite and shee cannot know all together nor thinke upon all at once being ever in state of glory And let us but grant the least time to every businesse we would quickly be far from our intent for there being some dayes millions of millions of affaires and prayers directed to her through the world shee cannot imploy the smallest time imaginable in every businesse but shee must be more than a yeare to thinke and looke upon all the affaires which are directed to her in one day nay in one houre nay in a quarter of an houre And because it falleth out often in a yeare we must of necessitie fall into an inexplicable labyrinth to every tongue inconceivable to every understanding and impossible to every creature how perfect soever shee is there being nothing but that which is infinite capable of such things the which ought not to be acknowledged in any Saint whatsoever But to what purpose I pray you shall we addresse our selves to Saints seeing we have our Lord Jesus Christ who is the true Mediatour the Soveraigne and onely Advocate betwixt us and his Father who commandeth us to come and addresse our selves unto him who giveth us the confidence and assureth us that he will comfort us Mat. 11.28 Come unto me saith he all yee that are weary and heavie laden and I will ease
and sing the Masse I confesse truly that Christ and his Apostles did sing Masse and that the faithfull communicating and perticipating of the Sacrament after this manner say Masse But if by the Masse they meane to make a sacrifice upon an Altar covered with three Table-clothes with so many prayers before and after in a strange tongue and unknown to the people with so many Ceremonies and lifting up of their hands and eyes with stretching abroad and folding of their armes fingers hands and body with so many crossings upward and downward on the right hand and on the left on the bread the wine the corporall the Altar the forehead breast and mouth of the Priest and where the Priest communicateth ordinarily alone and almost everie day and the people for a long time onely once a yeer for my part after I had read again and again the holy Scriptures I could never find any such thing or any thing like to it and so it must of necessitie be confessed to be a humane invention for the end which I shall quickly shew you and no Divine institution nor Invention Neither can they in reason alledge here the Apostolicall Tradition and derived from Jesus Christ and his Apostles although there is nothing expressed in the holy Scripture nor any written word for if that mystery were of such importance as the Papists would have it at this day it would have been so also in the time of the Apostles who should have had a perfect knowledge thereof it being a doctrine they should have much preached to the people as a thing of exceeding great importance and they being men of excellent devotion and incomparable zeal for the mysteries of faith they should every day or at least often have said Masse and exhorted the people earnestly to be present and hear the same as they do in the Church of Rome now there appeareth nothing at all of this in the holy Scripture St. Paul indeed speaketh to us especially once of the Sacrament of the Supper and of the preparations wherewith we ought to come to it Furthermore we see that the Apostles and primitive Christians did conveene sometimes about Easter to break bread and participate of that divine mystery together but in no other place is there any mention made of the masse in the Romish fashion nor of any sacrifice without blood as they tearme it which I exhort all the Romanists diligently to consider as I have done and I perswade my self they will no more find it there than I Neither will they find any where that the bread of the Supper was an hoast or a round cake or that they kept it in the Temples with so great ceremony and care in Tabernacles and rich cabins as they now do in the Romish Church and I beleeve no other thing can be concluded but that the Romish Church thinketh her self wiser than Christ and his Apostles in obtruding for an Article of faith a doctrine which was never left by Christ and which was neither preached written nor practised by the Apostles for although they had spoken nothing in their Epistles yet Luke who did write all that he could see and learn of their actions would not have omitted this which is esteemed of so great importance in the Church of Rome So it is clearly to be seen in the Histories that it is an invention of the Popes who have from time to time added to it every one of them according to his fancy to day one ceremony and prayer to morrow another now one ornament and vesture and then another sometimes making it of one fashion sometimes of another till at last it was come to that height wherein it is at this day in the Church of Rome it is now a snare to precipitate many Priests into the bottome of hell for not using that disposition which they know to be required therein and which is the cause of the perdition of an infinite multitude of Christians for not hearing it with that respect the Romish Church requireth which they of that beliefe are obliged to obey and in doing against their conscience although erroneous they are judged culpable of sin and all that according to the doctrine and maximes of that Church Now to define properly or describe the Masse as it is at this present I suppose I may say justly that it is a good trade instituted and invented by the Church of Rome to nourish and entertain an infinite number of Priests who become Priests principally to gain their living thereby fit to inrich the Monasteries and Churches and make all the Monks live finely and whereby the peoples purses are emptied and finally a Trade that serveth to condemne many as well as those who say it as of those who are obliged to hear it This definition seemeth a little too rude and at the first sight ridiculous but it is true and the Romanists themselves may confesse it if they will for the taxes and prises of Masses now adaies are for the most part as of bread in the Market and he that giveth not so much getteth none and because silver was scarcer in former times than now so the Masses were not worth so much and a Masse that will not be said now for eight or ten pence was not worth two or three pence in former times and in many places men had more then they desired at that rate and because all things are dearer now than they were so the masses are also And because the religious orders who are insatiable in wealth and who never refuse any wealth whensoever it cometh were loaded with so many masses that they could not say the half of them the Pope who saith he hath power in heaven and earth hath as they say of many smals made one great and of an infinite number of masses which were founded by particulars he hath made but one wherein all the benefactors are comprehended in grosse and in generall termes and so by an handsome Bull hath discharged them of all scruples which if their founders had mistrusted they would have been wary to have left so great wealth and rents as they have done to that effect so they who live at this present amongst the Papists are become wise at the coast of their Ancestors and are loath to commit any such follies and rob and beggar their children to inrich and fatten the Monks But howsoever commonly he that wants money can have no masses and because the Church of Rome holdeth masses to be the principall meanes to deliver a soul out of Purgatory so there are none but poore people who are to stay a long time in that fire for want of money to buy masses as the richer sort and so to be rich is a great help in the Church of Rome to go speedily to Paradise contrary to that which Christ said in S. Matth. 10.25 that it was very hard for rich men to enter into heaven Matth. 10.25 but it is a Church
his Incarnation and passion and the love that he hath testified unto us it is willingly and without grounds to make soules despaire and terrifie the consciences without subject onely to bring profit to the Clergie for this is the meaning and ground of the mystery Now let us see if they have passages out of the holy Scripture for a doctrine so cruell and contrary to the bounty and mercy of God and merits of the blond of Jesus Christ They alledge this of St Paul 1 Cor. 3.14 1 Cor. 3.14 If any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans worke shall be burnt he shall suffer losse but he himselfe shall be saved yet so as by fire and that fire the Romish Church understandeth the Purgatory and so concludeth that there is a Purgatory I have granted that all which is in the holy Scripture is not cleere nor easie to be understood but onely that which is necessary to salvation and this passage is one of the most obscure and difficile in the Scripture but not necessary to salvation and yet the Romish Church will ground an Article of faith upon it and the most strange and terrible of all and contrary to the bounty of God but he who will reade the whole passage will easily judge that it must be understood in an Allegoricall sense and especially the word fire which St Paul addeth on as by fire to shew that it must be understood by similitude saying He shall be saved as by fire that is to say as if he had passed through the fire or were purged and purified by the fire even as we see the mettalls are purged by the fire and the Fornace Now there is no reason for grounding this so important a doctrine which is so strange and difficile to be beleeved on such a doubtfull foundation much lesse on metaphoricall and allegoricall and such words and it is evident from this passage that the Apostle speaketh nothing that commeth mere to the doctrine of Purgatory But the Apostle speaketh of Pastors and Doctors who in teaching retaine the foundation which is Christ on whom some build wholsome and solid doctrines which in that place he tearmeth Gold silver and precious stones others build light and vaine doctrines called in that place Wood hay and stubble and the Apostle saith that those frivolous doctrines being tryed by the word of God as mettalls by the fire shall not subsist and that the work of such a Preacher shall perish and the tryall shall make it knowne that there is no soliditie but as for the person of the Pastour he may be saved because of the foundation Jesus Christ which he hath holden being notwithstanding tryed by the Word of God as by fire So you see that it is there spoken of a tryall which is made in this life and not after death and also of a tryall of the doctrine and beliefe of Pastours by the holy Scriptures and not of a torturing of soules by fire so they have no reason to ground Purgatory on this I know that this passage being obscure and hard hath many divers explications but I beleeve every man of understanding will judge this the truest and most conformable to the intention of the writer if he will but take the pains to consider it but howsoever it being obscure we have no reason to beleeve that the Apostle hath preached an Article of faith to us therein which is not to be found more cleerly explained in any other place of the holy Scripture and if because there is mention made of fire in that place the fire of Purgatory must be understood they may produce an infinite number of passages where Purgatory may be found because there is mention made of fire in them Take here another of as little strength Our Saviour speaking in St. Matth. 12.32 of sins against the holy Spirit saith Matth. 12.32 He that shall blaspheme against the holy Spirit it shall neither be pardoned him in this life nor in the life to come This life to come saith the Church of Rome is properly the fire of Purgatory and so there is Purgatory but this doctrine doth not even agree with that they teach of their Purgatory for they said the sins be forgiven before they enter into Purgatory and that none go thither who are not received in favour with God and so according to them no sin is pardoned in Purgatory Now Christ by those words which are also obscure and difficile to be understood doth onely exagerate the sin against the holy Spirit and saith that he will not pardon it neither in this world nor at the day of judgement where the second condemnation is pronounced and so that he will punish them in this world and after death but there is no man who seeth not that this is too far distant from the doctrine of Purgatory to ground an Article of faith upon it You see neverthelesse the cleerest things which they produce taken out of the Word of God to establish the Purgatory and that so terrible doctrine where you may perceive the small reason and little probabilitie thereof But behold here other far cleerer and manifest proofs drawn from the holy Scripture against Purgatory Christ said to the thiefe who implored his mercy and put his trust in him in the time of his death Luk. 23.43 Thou shalt be this day with me in Paradise that is to say thou shalt be this day happie with me He sendeth him not to Purgatory although he had been a great sinner all his life time and that the death which he suffereth is by force and by order of justice and not for innocencie or for the faith as the Martyrs and S. John saith in his first Epistle 1. chap. 9. The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 if all sins be purged by the blood of Christ there is no need of the fire of Purgatorie to purge them more Col. 2.13 And S. Paul to the Colossians 2.13 saith that God forgiveth us all our offences freely if God forgive us freely as is evident thereby he desireth then no more any other satisfaction on our part nor pretendeth to punish us in satisfaction to his justice If a father correct his children it is for their amendment and not for his satisfaction and can it be beleeved that God who is so good and mercifull doth punish his own with so cruell fires onely for his satisfaction where there is no hopes of amendment But if God afflict us in this world it is for our amendment and not to satisfie himself Heb. 1.3 And in the Epistle to the Hebrews Christ hath made the purgation of sins not out of all doubt by fire nor by the tormenting of souls but by his own precious blood which he hath shed for us And in the Epistle to the Romanes 8.1 Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them who are
by post in Coach on foot heat cold hungar and thirst good and evill for to them that love God say they all things worke to the best according to the Apostle Finally of all the works and many more which are done amongst them and by that means simple people think they go to heaven in their clothes never seeing so much as a sparkle of the fire of Purgatory how great sinners soever they can or will be and imagine they may so sleep soundly But all those Letters are properly accounted among them nothing but cozening tricks as are all those congregations third Orders fraternities of the great and small Cord of the Scapulate and others such small trifles and inventions which have continually faire and devout pretexts But which in truth tend onely to the temporall profit of the ghostly fathers I will say no more for here is a gulfe of mysteries and confusions which I will not discover it being not my purpose CHAP. XXVII Of the heavinesse of the yoke of the Church of Rome in comparison of the yoke of Christ AS the comparison which I made of the doctrine of the Romish Church with that of our Saviour Christ made me see so great a difference therein that I judged with great reason it was not the same doctrine but another invented by men so have I oftentimes compared the yoke of Rome with that of Christ Matth. 11.30 and found his to be light and easie as he saith Matth. 11.30 and the Romish cruell and insupportable instituted rather for the destruction and death of souls than for their salvation and profit as I shall easily make it appear by the consideration of Gods Commandments with those of that Church It is known to every one that God was content onely to give us ten commandments by his Prophet Moses which Christ hath recommended unto us assuring us that if we shall keep them we shall enter into life eternall If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments saith he to the young man in the Gospel and truly howsoever we are conceived in iniquitie and naturally inclined to do evil yet there is none of how little breeding soever who will not judge the commandment of God light and easie to be obeyed by the assurance of his holy Spirit which is never deficient to the faithfull for they are onely grounded upon those two commandments of love to wit to love God and our neighbour which are commandments sweet and easie to everie good nature and soul that is desirous of its salvation Moreover the most part are onely negative that we may abstain from doing evill as not to adore false gods not to sweare not to kill not to steal and the like which seem not to be so hard to every good and honest nature And although all our actions be corrupt and imperfect and we cannot do any thing here perfectly and without fault yet I doubt not but there are many faithfull who keep the Commandments of God sufficiently to hope for eternall life by faith in the blood and merits of Christ But the Pastors of the Romish Church or rather the Bishop of Rome going beyond the Commandments of God by his traditions is not content with the ten Commandments of God but attributing to himself the authority and power of God over man he hath imposed six or seven more commandments upon them besides the ten which are for the most part positive and seem indeed to be but seven but contain above three hundred which every Christian is obliged to accomplish every yeer under pain of eternall damnation if he be in the belief of the Romish Church and the most part of them are so difficult for most men to accomplish that they may rather be said to be gives and snares to cast souls into perdition than a furtherance and help to salvation as I shall clearly shew in the manner following As the Doctors in the Romish Church disdaining to use the termes of the holy Scripture have summed up the ten Commandments in French Rhime and so read them to the people they have done also with the commandments of their Church and say them publikely after this manner The Church commandeth every one to sanctifie the holy dayes On every Sabbath hear the Masse they must and one the Feasts likewise All Lent foure times and Saints Eves for to fast And no flesh Saterdayes nor Fridayes feasts Thy soule sincerely once a yeer confesse Thy Maker humbly also take at Passe Pay all the tithes and duties to the Church I remember when I was a little child they taught us onely six and I have seen for a long time the Commandments of the Church but six in number but within this little time that of Tithes is crept into the books and is read at this day with their other Commandments as of equall obligation with the rest which is obligation of damnation and eternall death according to their common doctrine for they teach and all their Doctors and Canonists hold that those commandments of the Church are of the obligation of mortall sin as well as the ten Commandments of God although there be no mention made thereof in the holy Scripture which is properly to go beyond the Commandments of God with the traditions of men And however they seem to be but seven commandments notwithstanding they will be found to be about 300. or more which every Christian is obliged to accomplish every yeer under pain of eternall damnation except in case of manifest necessitie so there is few dayes in the yeer wherein there are not some one or more to observe besides the obligations we owe to the Commandments of God This may be cleerly proved after this manner for the first Commandment which obligeth men to sanctifie all the feasts instituted that is to say that all the holy dayes which are commanded by the Romish Church be observed and kept as the Sondayes and that the people work none of them nor do any handie nor servile work there being above 50. Holidayes every yeer besides the Sondayes behold alreadie fifty more commandments to be observed every yeer by every faithfull person The second Commandment is to hear the Masse the holy dayes and Sondayes here it is to be noted that it is not sufficient to be idle and abstain from all labour and handy works as well the Sabbaths as all the fiftie holidaies Neither is it sufficient to give themselves to prayer to read and hear the Sermon or be imployed in any pious exercise but moreover they must hear the Masse with attention and reverence so that there being everie yeer above an hundred Sondayes and holidayes there are also above an hundred obligations and commandments under pain of sin and damnation to every Christian every yeer so there is above 150. every yeer The third commandment is to fast all the Vigils the foure times and all Lent where ye are to observe that there are twelve dayes in the foure
times and at least as many vigils which make 24. dayes with fourty in Lent which make above threescore and they are obliged every day to fast under pain of mortall sin and there be very few as all the Casuists affirm who are justly exempted for from the age of 21. till threescore all those who are able to fast without great manifest prejudice of their health ought to do it so that those are 60 new commandments which joyned to the former make alreadie above 200. Moreover he must abstain all the fasting dayes from flesh under pain of mortall sin that is to say neither eat flesh eggs nor butter according to the Statute and some one will easily fast who cannot so easily keep this abstinence so there are 60. more commandments from this which being joyned with the former besides Gods ten Commandments make above two hundred and fourscore commandments of the Church which every faithfull person ought to observe every yeer and are onely comprehended in the first commandments besides those of keeping abstinence every Friday and Saterday and others which we might find in them that rest in the last of which onely which is to pay the tithes and dues to the Church a great number might be remarked and so we should have above 300. Now God having given us onely ten Commandments the most part whereof are negatives and the Church of Rome proposing above 300. whereof the most part are affirmative and without holy Scripture of her own authoritie and particular invention may we not say first that she goes beyond the Commandments of God by her traditions and next that the yoke of Christ is light and easie and the Romish yoke heavie and insupportable and if the authoritie of the Church of Rome be true some men might be saved if there were no more but the Commandments of God which will be condemned for not doing those of the Church and an infinite multitude might fulfill the commandments of God sufficiently to be saved which must be damned because they have not fasted or do not fast all Lent over and other fasting dayes or who have not heard the Masse all the Sondayes and holidayes or who have wrought or caused their servants work on them I leave off to speak here of an infinite multitude of other commandments of that Church which are not common to all Christians but to the Priests alone and those who are in Orders and possesse Benefices as every day to say their Brevier which is very long and wearisome as also of all other precepts and commandments particular to every religious Order which truly make a great multitude of poore souls groane and lament who out of simplicitie and ignorance have unhappily suffered themselves to be oppressed under the weight of their burthens But I will let them groane so long as they will if knowing their error and abuse as do the most part they will not take a necessarie resolution to break all those humane bonds wherewith they are detained in that captivity and follow after the doctrine of Christ whose yoke is easie and burthen light CHAP. XXVIII If one can be saved in the Church of Rome IT is certain that no man can be saved but by the faith which Christ did declare and the Apostles hold and preach which is the onely true and perfect faith without which none can hope for salvation Now I having shewed clearly as ye have seen that the faith of the Church of Rome is another different from that of Christ and his Apostles the consequence is easie to be drawn But as I remember never to have hindred those of the Reformed Religion so much to become docile to the doctrine I preached to them when I was in darknesse as when according to the maximes of the Romish Church I preached to them that they would all be damned without remission so that I may not alienate the spirits of those of the Romish Religion from the reading of this discourse and lest that thinking me too severe they rellish not so well the reasons which they might read in this Treatise I chose rather to let them draw the conclusions themselves and remit the decree to Gods judgement to whom onely it appertaineth to pronounce the sentence of the salvation and condemnation of souls But the thing I especially intend in this Chapter is to shew to those of the Romish Church that even according to their proper maximes and doctrine it is impossible for them speaking morally to be saved I know this proposition will seem a paradox to many but if they will onely take the pains to see and examine the reasons on which I am grounded I perswade my self that even the most learned will confesse and acknowledge it with me for they cannot deny it it being the common doctrine of their own Schools and books which questionlesse a multitude of simple people have never been aware of I will not speak here of the difficultie they of the Romish Church may meet withall as do other Christians in the keeping of Gods ten Commandments for howsoever I know certainly and may speak it truly that they are worse kept and fulfilled in that Church than in the Reformed Religion in England or other places which I have seen yet I will leave this point and comparison till the following chapter and will shew this impossibilitie of salvation onely by the commandments which are added by the Romish Church or rather by the Popes of Rome to the ten Commandments of God and I shall shew it especially in the obligation of hearing Masses on Sundayes and holidaies and in the conditions of the mystery of confession for notwithstanding that according to the maximes of their Doctors the obligation to fast all Lent over and at other dayes commanded ought to damne and destroy many who otherwaies it may be are persons unblameable walking straightly in the observation of Gods ten Commandments yea and in many other things but having too much a do to fast do it not although they might do it if they would but endeavour to do the same and be not of the number of them whom the Lawes of fasting exempted And howsoever also the obligation to keep the holidaies strictly without working or causing others to work should condemne according to their doctrine another great multitude by whom this rigid and straight commandment is hard to be kept for the great charge and imployment of their calling yet that is nothing in comparison of the difficultie that is in the commandments of hearing the Masse which obligeth all Christians and the saying over of the Breviary which obligeth the Priests and the obligation of Auricular confession which is common to all Because ye must know according to the Doctors and Casuists of the Romish Church that for accomplishing the commandment of hearing the Masse it is not sufficient to be there bodily present but to fulfill the precept one must be present in attention and devotion so that he who
in the world it being not so much as once mentioned in the holy Scripture as well as that of Antioch where Peter is said to have been nor did Paul being aâ— Rome ever speak of Peter who should have been there at the same time he was and often recommending the faithfull saith nothing of the chief amongst them to wit Peter Moreover writing from Corinth to the Romans whom he had taught he saluteth a multitude of Saints and christians at Rome naming them particularly but greeteth not Saint Peter at all who should have been Superiour and Master to Paul and all the faithfull so from the reading and consideration of the holy Scripture a strong proof may be drawn to prove that Saint Peter was never Bishop of Rome nor ever was at Rome But I think not the question of so great importance as to detain longer the eyes and minds of the Reader thereupon for though we grant that he was both at Rome and was Bishop at Rome it can give no superiority to the Pope of Rome Saint Peter having never had it as you have sufficiently heard and although he had had it is not an infallible consequence to make an article of faith that the Bishop or Pope of Rome should have it also Moses was established by God in the office of Priest Lawgiver and Prince in Israel but he left no Successour in that office and dignitie for God did not command it Saint Iohn the Baptist also had no Successour in his office nor the Apostles in their Apostleship although then we should grant that Saint Peter was generall Pastour and Head of the Church why should we give him a Successour in that chardge seeing God hath given no such command in his word And when Saint Peter writeth to the Christians he doth not command them to acknowledge the Bishop of Rome for his Successour after his death was there ever any Kingdome or Soveraignty temporall or spirituall in the world established without there were some Laws made about the Succession or form of Election here appeareth no such thing nor any declaration of the will of God upon this subject wherefore then doth the Pope claim this without the word of God and make it an article of faith Further if Peter was established universall Head of the christian Church it was then when the Church was small and the chardge was easie but it being now grown great and christians spread over all the world what shoulders are strong enough to support such a burthen Now if after the death of Saint Peter there behoved a Successour and Head of the universall Church to be chosen let all men who have but the least spark of judgement judge if that office ought not to appertain either to James or John whom Paul to the Galathians calleth the pillars of the Church who lived a long time after Saint Peter or to some other of the Apostles rather then to deferre it to Linus Saint Pauls disciple of whom nothing is extant but his name or to Clement of whom they produce onely some writings which because they contain too ridiculous things to be beleeved are rejected as Apocrypha or to Cletus or Anacletus for it is uncertain to which of those thice Or at least they ought to have honoured those excellent Apostles so farre as to call them and ask their advice for the choosing an Head of the Catholick Church who will beleeve that even in the time of the Apostles a small number of christians at Rome some of them converted Jews some Gentiles should have had the credit to give a Head and Pope to the Catholick Church meerly of their own authority without communicating with the Apostles or other Christians of Ephesus Corinth Jerusalem Asia and the rest who were beyond comparison in greater number and more considerable than themselves being converted before them and auncienter Christians many of them having seen and heard the Sonne of God preach and been his Disciples Where is that word of God which giveth this power to the City of Rome which besides the person of the Emperour who at that time did live there ruling in all cruelty and wickednesse had nothing more considerable than those of other Cities to give a chief Priest a Prelate and a Superiour to all the Apostles then living and to all the Bishops whereof many were Disciples of Jesus Christ and his Apostles and to all Christians dispersed in many provinces and kingdomes he must be very blinde who will perswade himself of such a thing without the word of God or some other authentique priviledge for it out of the Gospel the Acts of the Apostles their Epistles or some other books worthy of belief But if Peter was at Rome and was Bishop which is not likely he that succeeded him might succeed in the office and dignitie of Bishop but not in that of Apostle which was personall neither in the charge of universall Bishop and Head of the Church which Peter never had Nor do we find the first three or foure hundred years and more after the death of our Saviour that any Bishop or other writer did ever give to the Bishop of Rome the title of universall Bishop of generall head and Superiour or any such thing nor that ever any of the Romish Bishops durst lay claim to it We find indeed that many Bishops from diverse places did write to them concerning sundry points of Religion not as referring the determination to them but to ask their advice not as from Judges but as from Doctours and fellow-Bishops who having their chair in the chief Citie of the world might justly be esteemed men of capacitie and merit so we see they are content in their Epistles to call them fellow-Bishops or brethren and companions never Superiors nor Masters nor universall Bishops or Pastours or any such thing It would be too tedious to set down all the Epistles which bear these titles and although I should cite them yet would some men affirm I had left out those in which the title of universall head is found But for an irreprehensible proof of this before any reasonable man let them but read the lives of the Popes written by Popish authours especially by one Du Chesne a modern writer who doth not forget nor omit any thing to prove the Primacy and power of the Popes of Rome there yee may see in the life of every Pope the name and subject of all those who write to him and whereof any knowledge could be had and this man thinketh to draw great advantage for the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome from the multitude of letters written to him from so many places which was onely done for the reason alleadged before but not so much as one word is there to be seen of Superiour or universall head of the Church or any such like thing but onely of fellow-Bishop brother companion coequall or some such thing which shewed no Superiority or Primacy but onely equality as for