that is in Heaven above c. signifie the one and the other I mean both Idols and Images Secondly I say that besides this distinction of a Worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is new and not found in the holy Scripture the Roman Church according to her own Confession and the Doctrin of her Angelick Doctor Thomas Aquinas Worships the Cross with a Worship of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Truth is especially seen upon Good Friday at which time ye may see that not only the Monks Priests Bishops Cardinals and the Pope himself bow and kneel down before it and kiss it all Singing Ecce lignum Crucis venite adoremus but that all the common People imitate them also and even that Princes and Kings lay down before it their Crowns and Scepters They confess also that they do Worship the Images of God the Father with a Worship of Latria and likewise those of the Son and the Holy Ghost Objection This Worship say they that they do render to the Cross and Images of the Godhead and Saints is Relative it is not related to the Cross and Images but to God and Saints and that is the reason say they why they are not Idolaters I Answer That these words of Samuel Prepare your hearts unto the Lord and serve him only and that those of Jesus Christ in St. Matthew Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God and him only shalt thou serve do quite destroy all these distinctions of the Church of Rome concerning the Relative Worship of Latria and Dulia For that it is a flat Idolatry to Worship God in any Image I evidently shew it by the Children of Israel when they made the golden Calf to be a Representation of God Exod. 32. For the Text shews that it was a flat Idolatry for which many of them were Plagu'd and Punish'd And yet their Worship was Relative for their meaning was to Worship the true God in the Calf for they were not so simple as to think or believe that that dead Idol or Image was God The Idolatry then of the Church of Rome by Worshiping the Cross and the Images of the Godhead and by bowing down before the Images of Saints Martyrs Apostles and kissing them and imploring their assistance and offering Frankincense unto them is as gross and wicked as theirs was The Origine of the Worshiping mages proceeds from Irenea Empress of Constantinople about the year 790. She called a Council at Nice wherein by Intreagues and Threatnings she did so prevail that it was concluded we ought to Worship Images notwithstanding the Oppositions that were then made in all Parts For the Emperor Carolus Magnus did at the same time call a Council at Francfort wherein that of Nice was Condemn'd and the Decree of Worshiping Images made void But because they remained still in Churches this Superstition of Worshiping them to which the Ignorant People was always inclin'd got at last the uppermost It is then true as I have clearly made it appear that the Church of Rome is Idolater Thirdly I shew that she is Heretick for all those that are obstinate in their Errors are Hereticks The Church of Rome is obstinate in her Errors therefore she is Heretick The Major Proposition is true and all Divines are of that Opinion As for the Minor which is in question I prove it thus All those that refuse to obey the Holy Scripture in several Points of Faith and Practice are obstinate in their Errors The Roman Church refuses to obey the Holy Scripture in several Articles of Faith and Practice Therefore she is obstinate in her Errors The Major Proposition is true also and it is the consent of all Divines As for the Minor behold as I prove it All those that do add to the Holy Scripture and diminish from it several Articles both of Faith and Practice refuse to obey the Holy Scripture for Deut. 4. 2. It is commanded us neither to add to the Word of God nor to diminish from it And St. Paul 1 Cor. 4. 6. Forbids to think above that which is Written But the Church of Rome adds to the Word of God and diminishes from it several Articles both of Faith and Practice Therefore she refuses to obey the Word of God therefore she is obstinate in her Errors therefore she is Heretick That the Church of Rome does add to the Word of God and diminish from it several Articles both of Faith and Practice is that I shall endeavour to shew evidently 1. I say that she adds to the Word of God several Articles of Faith which she obliges to believe under the Pain of Damnation For though it be manifested in several places of the Holy Scripture that Jesus Christ is our Saviour Redeemer and Mediator that there is no Salvation in any other and that there is no other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved Acts 4. 12. That we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and that he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 John 2. 1. And that there is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the Man Christ Jesus Tim. 2. 5. Nevertheless those of the Church of Rome call the blessed Virgin the She-Redeemer of the World as it may be seen in Bellarmin c. 4. of Indulgences And in the Litanies and Hymns Composed in her Honour they call her the Queen of Heaven Mother of God and their Hope and give her such Titles as belong to God only They implore the help of Saints they put their Trust and Confidence in them and take them for their Advocates and Mediators as we may see in several Prayers wherein they speak thus O great Saint in whom I put my Trust and Confidence Pray for me miserable Sinner c. And though Jesus Christ Teaching his Disciples how they ought to Pray bid them to call upon his Father and say Our Father which art in Heaven And although the Almighty spake thus by his Prophet Isaiah 45. 21. There is no God else beside me a Just God and a Saviour there is none beside me Yet those of the Church of Rome will have us to implore the help of Saints to trust in them and take them for our Advocates and Mediators as it is declared in the Council of Trent Sess 25. It is then evident that this Doctrine being not found in the Holy Scripture they add to the Word of God and think above that which is Written Object We Pray say they and beg the Favour of the Saints as we pray a Friend at Court to Request a Kindness from His Majesty I Answer they ought not to do so for it is Written We have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And we do not read that any other is our Advocate If the King's Son should say when ye will ask my Father any Favour come ye unto me and not unto another if after this Declaration some body should
after his Death into Hell and there was tormented and that Lazarus's Soul he being Dead was carried into Abraham's Bosome a place of Joy and Comfort To the Thief which was Executed with Christ at his Passion and believed in him Jesus Christ answered This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Which shews that the Souls of the Faithful never come into Purgatory-fire to be burnt and tormented for all their Sins are forgiven and consequently the Punish ment incident to the same is forgiven also and their Souls pass from Death to Life that is they go to Heaven Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord from henceforth they rest from their labors and their works follow them If from the time of their Death they have Blessedness and Rest then they are not in any Purgatory-fire to be burnt and tormented The first place saith St. Austin Hyp. L. 5. the Faith of the Catholicks doth by divine Authority believe is the Kingdom of Heaven the second is Hell a third place we are utterly ignorant of neither can we find such a one in the holy Scriptures And in his Enchiridion ad Laur. c. 67. He saith That those that believe a Purgatory-fire are much deceived and that through a humane Conceit Know ye saith he de van secul 1. c. That when the Soul is separated from its Body she is immediately placed in Paradise for her good Works or cast into Hell because of her Sins Object The Primitive Church say they did pray for the Dead as Tertullian de Corona Militis doth confess Therefore it is a good proof that she believed a Purgatory I Answer That when the Primitive Church did pray for the Dead she did not believe they were in any place of Torments nor that there was a Purgatory She only believed that the Souls of the Faithful should only enjoy the sight of God after the day of Resurrection She prayed then for the filling up of their Glory she prayed to be joyned with them and be partakers of the Resurrection of the Faithful She prayed that Jesus Christ would hasten their Resurrection and she prayed also for the Patriarchs the Prophets the Apostles and Martyrs that God would be pleased to increase their Glory but she did not implore their assistance nor believe a Purgatory as it is related by Justin Martyr 9. 60. and 76. Iren. L. 5. Tertul. Cont. Marc. L. 4. c 13. The Origine of Purgatory is Virgil in the sixth Book of his Eneids wherein he saith that the Souls before they enjoy Blessedness are differently purged in different places as you may see in these following Verses Ergo exercentur poenis veterumque malorum Supplicia expendunt aliae panduntur inanes Suspensae ad ventos aliis sub gurgite vasto Infectum eluitur Scelus aut exuritur igni c. Thirdly I shew that the Church of Rome adds to the Word of God when she teaches that the general Councils and Popes are Infallible that the latter have Authority or Pre-eminence over all other Bishops that they have power to Depose Kings and Princes from their Thrones and are above them for this Doctrine is not found in the holy Scriptures 1. I say that their general Councils and Popes are not Infallible for St. Austin Tom. 6. l. 2. cont Donat. plainly teaches that God alone and the holy Scriptures are Infallible or cannot Err. The general Councils saith he which are gathered of all the Christian World are often corrected the former by the latter when by any tryal of things that is opened which was shut and that is known which was hidden If a general Council may be corrected as saith St. Austin therefore it may err Wherefore he speaks thus to Maximian Bishop of the Arians Neither ought I to alledge the Council of Nice nor thou the Council of Arimini to take advantage thereby for neither am I bound nor held by the Authority of this nor thou of that Set Matter with Matter Cause with Cause or Reason with Reason try the Matter by the Authority of the Scriptures l. 3. c. 4. The Council of Constantinople condemned the setting up Images in the Churches and the Council of Nice Act. 4. ordered afterwards they should be set up One of these Councils being contrary to the other must needs be Erroneous And that is granted by it self when in a set Form of Prayer which is appointed to be said after the conclusion of every Council they pray that God would spare their Ignorance and pardon their Errors de ord celeb conc The Pope himself may Err for Pope Innocentius doth teach lib. ad Bonif. cont Epist Pelag. c. 4. That young Children cannot be saved except they receive the Baptism of Christ and also the Communion of his Body and Blood And Pope Gelasius Comperimus Consecra de distinct 2. did decree That all they should be Excommunicated which would receive the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper but in one kind But this Doctrine is now taxed for an Error by all Papists and the Council of Trent Sess 21. Can 1. made a Decree contrary to the Doctrine of the Pope Gelasius If any body saith this Council assures that all and every Faithful are obliged by God's Commandment to receive one and the other species in the holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper let him be Anathema Therefore it is evident that the Popes may Err And this may be seen in their own Decrees wherein it is written That they are to be judged of none except they be found erring from the Faith part 1. cap. dist 40. cap. si Papa Whereby it appears that they thought their Popes might Err in matter of Faith or else that exception was put in vain For all Men are subject to Error all Men are worse in their Words and Sinners in their Works There is none True and Infallible but God and his holy Scriptures because they are inspired of him He is the God of Truth he cannot Lie Tit. 1 2. 2. I say that the Popes have no Authority or Pre-eminence over the other Bishops though those of the Church of Rome stifly holding the contrary give them the Title of Universal Bishops and call them Gods on Earth Kings of Kings and Lords of Lords as saith Albanus de potest pap part 1. n. 22. And Antonius part 3. n. 22. And upon the Triumphant Arch Erected in the honour of Sixte the Fourth it was written Oratio vocis Mundi moderaris hâ—â— henas Et meritò in Terris diceris esse Deus But this Doctrine being not found in the holy Scriptures it is consequently manifest they do add to the Word of God Objection The Popes say they have Authority or Pre-eminence over all other Bishops because they are Successors to St. Peter and St. Peter had such a Pre-eminence and Authority over the rest of the Apostles because Jesus Christ told him Thou art Peter and upon this Rock I will build my Church I grant that Christ said to
they are deceived for they ought to remember that the Keys given were the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven and consequently by this Authority of the Keys he cannot meddle with Terrestrial Kingdoms to shut out those that are in them And they ought also to remember that he has no more Authority by the Power of his Keys or of Binding and Loosing than any other Bishop for the Keys were given to all the rest of the Apostles as well as to St. Peter For Christ speaks thus Receive ye the Holy Ghost whosoever Sins ye remit they are remitted unto them and whosoever Sins ye retain they are retained It is then manifest that it is contrary to the Will of Jesus Christ that any Minister of the Gospel should claim Authority above another for they are all indifferently joyned in one Commission and consequently have all equal Authority And therefore the Pope has no more Authority by the Vertue of his Keys than any other Bishop that is to say none at all to Depose Kings and Princes from their Thrones His Duty is rather to obey them and teach the same Obedience to others as the Apostles of Christ did For in the first Epistle of St. Peter 2. 13. It is Written thus Submit your selves to every Ordinance of Men for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supreme And St. Paul to the Romans 3. 1. saith Let every Soul be Subject to the higher Powers And Jesus Christ himself said that his Kingdom was not of this World He refused to be made a King he payed Tribute to Caesar and commanded others to do the same If then Christ were Subject to Caesar is it not a great shame to the Pope to exalt himself above Caesar I mean above Kings Some Papists do Answer that he got this Sovereign Authority by Donation from the Emperor Constantine but let it be granted that some Christian Emperor was so foolish as to give his Empire which is neither likely nor credible yet I say it was not Lawful for him to take it if he will be a true Minister of the Gospel or lawful Successor of the Apostles For Christ has expresly forbidden his Apostles and in them all the Ministers of the Gospel all such Dominions when he told them Matth. 20. 26. Ye know that the Princes of the Gentiles exercise Dominion over them but it shall not be so among you Which words being prohibitory shew that they must not Reign like Kings of Nations but must serve in the Church and be diligent in the great Charge that Jesus Christ has laid upon them It is then evident by what I have said here before that the Pope has no Authority over Kings and Princes and is not above them This may be seen by these Words of Tertullian in Apolog. We Honour saith he the Emperor as the next Man to God and Inferior to god only And in another place he saith that the King iâ— the second to God the first next after God and before and over all Men. Optatus Cont. Parmen l. 13. saith that there is none above the Emperor but God only which made the Emperor And St. Chrysostome ad Pop. Anthio hom 2. saith He has no equal on Earth And Gregory Bishop of Rome himself affirms that Power is given to Princes from Heaven not only over Souldiers but Priests also Which is confirmed by St. Peter when he saith in his first Epistle 2. 13. Submit your selves to every Ordinance for the Lord's sake whether it be to the King as Supream It is then evident that the Popes are not Infallible that they have no Authority to Depose Kings and Princes from their Thrones and that they are not above them And therefore that the Church of Rome does add to the Word of God when she holds and teaches such a Doctrine Secondly I say and shall endeavour to make it appear that the Roman Church diminishes from the Word of God several Points of Faith and Practice 1. Because she Prays Sings and gives Thanks to God in the Church in an unknown Tongue 2. Because she forbids the Reading of the Holy Scriptures to the common People 3. Because in the Lord's Supper she takes away the Cup from them and from the Clerks that are not Priests 4. Because she forbids every one to eat Flesh in certain Time and Days and all Priests Monks and Nuns to Marry 1. I say that the Roman Church diminishes from the Word of God when she Prays Sings and gives thanks to God in the Church in a Tongue unknown to the common People For St. Paul will not only have us to speak in the Church with a known Tongue but also he shews the Confusion of them that speak in an unknown Tongues Except Pipe or Harp saith he 1 Cor. 14. give distinction in the sound how shall it be known what is Piped or Harped If the Trumpet gives an uncertain sound who shall prepare himself to the Battle So likewise you except ye utter by the Tongue Words easie to be understood how shall it be known what is spoken For ye shall speak into the Air. Therefore if I know not the meaning of the Voice I shall be unto him that speaketh a Barbarian and he that speaketh shall be a Barbarian unto me Object St. Paul saith the Church of Rome thereby speaketh concerning Sermons and consequently doth not speak against her because she Preaches in a known Tongue I answer that St. Paul speaks concerning Prayers Psalms and Thanksgivings If I Pray saith he in an unknown Tongue my Spirit Prayeth but my Understanding is Unfruitful What is it then I will Pray with the Spirit and I will Pray with the Understanding also I will Sing with the Spirit and I will Sing with the Understanding also else when thou shalt bless with the Spirit 〈◊〉 shall â—e that occupyeth the Room of the Unlearned say Amen at thy giving of Thanks seeing he understands not what thou sayest And notwithstanding this Ordinance of St. Paul and the Confusion of them which go against it as it is declared by the Comparisons of the Pipe Harp and Trumpet the Roman Church Prays Sings and gives Thanks in the Church in a Tongue unknown to the common People And though in the Primitive Church all Prayers were made in the vulgar Tongue Linguâ auditoribus non ignotâ omnia peragebantur consuetudo ita ferebat ut tota Ecclesia simul pssalleret And though St. Austin says Deus vult ut quod Canimus intelligamus humana ratione non quasi Avium voce canamus God will have us to understand what we Sing and not be like Parrots which do not understand what they say Yet the Church of Rome doth not obey this Commandment but continue still in that Error The Origine of this Error proceeds from the Popes of Rome who being exalted in an eminent degree of Grandeur could not be contented until they had set up Laws though very irregular and unreasonable and
as it is usual amongst Conquerors had introduced and impos'd their own Language upon those they had subdued and made their Slaves So they have to the uttermost of their Power established their Liturgies Ceremonies and Language in all Churches that they might serve afterwards as a Monument of their Jurisdiction and Authority upon others 2. I say that the Roman Church doth diminish from the Word of God when she forbids the Reading of the Holy Scriptures to the common People For this forbiding of hers is wholly contrary to the Commandment of Jesus Christ who in the 5th chapter of St. John 39 Verse speaks thus Search the scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testifie of me And quite contrary to this Ordinance of St. Paul who writing both to the Bishops and all his Brethren either Men or Women either young or old speaks thus in his first Epistle to the Thessalonians 5. 27. I charge you by the Lord that this Epistle be read unto all holy Brethren And writing to the Colossians 4. 16. he saith When this Epistle is read among you cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans and that ye likewise read the Epistle from Laodicea However as if the Church of Rome were wiser than Jesus Christ St. John St. Paul and all other Apostles and holy Fathers who did so much and so often recommend it she forbids it to the common People stifly affirming that it is dangerous that it causes Schisms several Sects and Heresies For in the Council of Trent it is written that if the Reading of the Holy Scripture be permitted in a known Tongue amongst all People it will be more hurtful than profitable The abuse some make of the Holy Scripture ought not generally to condemn the use of it otherwise the best things would be taken away from us because they are sometimes misused The use of Wine would be forbidden because many are Drunk with it and is the cause of several Disorders It is enough to forbid what is essentially bad without forbidding that which is essentially good Jesus Christ doth not only permit the Reading of the Holy Scripture to some particular Jews but he enjoyns it unto all â—earch saith he the Scriptuâ—â—â— And that he may the better 〈◊〉 them he makes them remember That in them they think they have eternal Life He seems in another place to attribute all their Errors to the Ignorance of that Sacred Book when he said to the Saducees Matth. 22. 29. Ye do err not knowing the Scriptures Had not the Eunuch read the Prophet Isaiah he should never have understood him And it was by this Reading he began to be a Christian as it may be seen in the Acts 8. 30. The People of Berea as it appears in the 17th Chapter of the Acts were highly commended that they searched the Scriptures to see whether those things were true or no which Paul did Teach For whosoever he be though he were an Angel from Heaven if he Teach Matters contrary to the Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures we are to hold him accursed as saith St. Paul Gal. 1. 8. All Scripture saith the same Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 16. is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Instruction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works Nevertheless the Church of Rome doth forbid to the common People so good a Book so useful to Piety and so necessary to Salvation Is it not then a great Cruelty to forbid Children to see and read the Testament of their Fathers Is it not an excess of rigour to deprive them of that which nourishes their Souls for an Eternal Life And is it not an extreme Tyranny to hinder them from seeing that which they are to be judged upon 3. I say that the Church of Rome diminishes from the Word of God when in the Lord's Supper she takes away the Cup from the common People and from the Clerks that are not Priests For we read in St. Matthew 26. 27. that in the Institution of this Sacrament Jesus Christ took the Cup and gave it all his Disciples saying drink ye all of it Objection When Jesus Christ said to his Disciples Drink ye all of it He spake to the Priests only saith the Roman Church and therefore the Priests only ought to drink of the Cup. I Answer that St. Paul writing to the Corinthians amongst whom were more Laics than Priests doth evidently shew the contrary for speaking to every one he saith 1. Cor. 11. 28. Let a man examine himself and so let him eat of that Bread and drink of that Cup. St. Ignatius Bishop of Antioch and Disciple of the Apostles in the 69th Year of our Lord Jesus Christ Epist 9. ad Philadelph saith That one and the same Bread was broken to all and one and the same Cup distributed to all Justin Marty tells us That the consecrated Bread and Wine were in his time distributed to every Communicant And St. Chrysostome Hom. 18. upon the second Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians speaks thus There is a time where there is no difference between Priests and thâ—se that preside over as when we receive the holy Mysteries for we are all equally admitted to them It is not now as it was under the Old Testament where the Priest did eat particular things and the People others where it was not lawful to the People to eat that which the High Priest was then eating It is not so now for one and the same Body and one and the same Cup is given to all The Pope Gelasius in the Year 490. 2. Distinct 2. Can. Comperimus did Decree that all they should be Excommunicated which would receive the Lord's Supper but in one kind and his Predecessor Leo did call those Sacrilegious that did refuse to take the Cup. And tho' in the general Council of Constance Sess 13. the Roman Church do confess this holy Sacrament was receiv'd in the Primitive Church with the Bread and the Cup yet in the general Council of Trent she speaks thus If any man say that the Catholick Church had not just Reasons to give the Communion to the Laics and Clerks who did not say Mass under the accidents of Bread only and that she Erred in this let him be Anathema The Reasons saith the Roman Church why they took the Cup from them are many Inconveniencies and several Absurdities I Answer that besides there is no Inconveniency though there should be any it ought not to be above the Commandment of Jesus Christ and St. Paul Christ the Primitive Church and the Apostles were very Wise and Wiser than shall ever be the Church of Rome and since they have commanded and given the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper with the Cup the Roman Church ought to follow their example and obey them The Inconveniencies which they suppose at