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
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
of all the Casuists Doctors of that Church which is taught in the Schooles preached in the Pulpits and published in all the Bookes which handle this matter and I know that no man of learning dare deny it Oh! how sweet is the yoke of Christ in respect of that of the Romish Church and how it is more easie and sure for to be saved to follow the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles than in following the doctrines inventions of men And can that Church be the true and beloved Spouse of the Son of God that redacteth her followers even to an impossibilitie of salvation and out of hope of eternall glory CHAP. XXIX A Comparison of the Protestant and Reformed Church with the Church of Rome and in which of them two is Salvation most certaine I Have often marveiled that the Church of Rome whose doctrine is so far different from the doctrine of Christ and which accounteth lesse of the Word of God than any other sect that is or hath ever been amongst Christians which preferreth her traditions and inventions to the holy Scripture and followeth the institution of the Sonne of God so little in all his Sacraments which imitateth so little the life order established and followed by the Apostles in her Prelats and Discipline in a word which is so corrupted and vitiated as well both in doctrine and discipline and where Gods Commandements are so little observed his Sacraments so much prophaned the Sabbath so little sanctified where prophane vices and abhominations raigne so much and where disorders and corruptions are to be seen almost in every place and in all sorts of persons that neverthelesse it is shee amongst all others condemneth more freely and quickly others and which braggeth shee onely is in the way of salvation and all others are damned that consent not to her beliefe And upon this doctrine which the Pope causeth his followers preach and maintaine to retaine and draw to him the people by feare being neither able to doe it by Scripture nor reason are builded and published strange conclusions extreamly dangerous and pernicious to all other States but his owne and that by the Jesuits and a number of other Doctors of his faction to wit that all they of all other sects except their own whom they terme all hereticks are worthy of death and their Protectors also that it is a sacrifice to God to exterminate them either by fire or sword or any other meane whatsoever that they are not obliged to keepe promise with them in any thing whatsoever they being unworthy and uncapable of it That a Prince of a contrary Religion to theirs being an hereticke as they terme him is consequently excommunicated by the Pope who pretendeth to have authoritie over him as a Christian and that after the Excommunication thundred out against him he is but a Tyrant and Usurper and falne from all rights and uncapable of the Crowne that no Christians should hold him for King nor are obliged to obey him that it is great pitty they should be suffered to live and possesse the earth which should be onely for them and those of their beliefe and a number of the like seditious doctrines which are written especially by Becanus Mariana Suarez Bellarmine and others And Parsonius an English Jesuit and Rector of the English Colledge at Rome wrote a Booke in the Reigne of that vertuous Queen Elizabeth which went secretly up and downe this Kingdome wherein he laboureth to maintaine that those many hundred years the Kings of England have not been lawfull Kings both for having saith he being criminall of Leze Maty or disinherited or bastards or for being hereticks and so excommunicated by the Popes and fallen from their right and that neither the King of Scotland to wit James of thrice worthy memory nor his posteritie nor any other of his beliefe could pretend nor ought to be admitted to that succession nor yet the Earles of Hertford Darby Hastings and others who were next and indeavoureth to prove that it did appertaine by right to the King of Spaine as heire of Portugall And upon those impertinent propositions and other imaginary pretences the Pope was resolved to seize upon England and supposing the King of Spain and his sister would finde too great resistance he had intention to send his Cosen the Duke of Parma a great friend of his See who being descended from Portugall by his Mother pretended some right to it or else the Cardinall Pharnesius the Dukes yonger brother and procure him to mary the Lady Arabella if need were to accommodate the busines and to that effect many strange practises and factions were at worke as well within as without England by the Papists of the Island which may be seene more at large in a Letter that famous and learned Cardinall Arnauld d' Ossat writ from Rome to Henry the 4. King of France dated the 22 of Novemb. 1601. and is the 191 Epistle of his seventh Booke there he mocketh all those fantasticke designes and writeth besides to the King his Master that the Pope knowing his inclination to assist the King of Scotland in pursuing his just title would labour to divert him so far as he could and make him favour his designes and many other things of this State which are in those curious Letters and shew the great inclination the Pope hath for England not as they say Propter Christum sed propter Lazarum not for the love of Christ but for the love of himselfe And howsoever those practises and maximes and the like dangerous and pernicious opinions rellish not nor are approved of the more judicious and noble spirits of that partie who well see all to be but a Papall invention to multiply his followers and consequently to augment his revenues and tributes for there are no States of his beliefe out of which he draweth not profit and where he hath no subjects there is nothing for him yet they are but too much followed by multitudes of that sect and the attempts against the lives of Kings the abominable treasons execrable plots and conspiracies set on foot both within and without have often been the dangerous effects of that damnable and bloudy doctrine And to speake truth a State of a contrary Religion to theirs is not secure where many of them thinke to have power and pretend to have authoritie for the Pope never faileth to have his Agents amongst them whereof they which are of any religious Order are the most dangerous because they being Members of great companies are men who have intelligence and factions and besides they depending altogether on their Generalls who for the most part are Italians and engaged to the Pope and they having made vow of obedience to him what affection soever they beare towards their Princes they dare not but further and advance the Interests of the Bishop of Rome in every thing for they are destinated to that end and if they faile they
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
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
desire a dispensation and verily it seemeth that the doctrine of the Romish Church aimeth onely at greatnesse and profit so was the doctrine of indulgencies purgatory invocation of Saints and confession founded with others the like which we shall explain more amply hereafter Furthermore they say the Scripture is a dumb rule and therefore insufficient to be Judge which is a great injury done to the word of God and against both reason and practise for although the Kings edicts be in paper and have no voice notwithstanding they have as great power amongst the good subjects as if they were pronounced out of the Kings mouth and there is no man of understanding who will esteem them lesse for that to be sufficient rules and judges for matters contained therein When God commandeth to have no other gods but him nor to have no strange gods before his face is this a dumbe rule and hath it not as great power as when God pronounced it to the Prophet Moses upon Mount Sinai certainly a law hath as much or more force being put in writing and signed with the Kings hand or his Secretaries as if it were pronounced out of his mouth and if the King write or pronounce an act it is ever the same act and hath the like force It is therefore wrongfully and without reason they tax the word of God as an insufficient rule or judge because it is onely written for it hath the same power and force as if God did pronounce it every day from his mouth and so ought we to receive and respect it Now let us see if the commandment not to reade the Scriptures be just or not for the consideration thereof is of great importance CHAP. IV. 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 A Malefactour who knoweth his fact to be condemned by the law apprehendeth nothing more than that the Judge cast his eye upon that Law wherein he knoweth his condemnation to be written so I perceive that the Pope seeing there is nothing that condemns his doctrine so much as the holy Scripture and the word of God feareth nothing more than that this Scripture come to be knowne and considered for which cause he hath done all he was able and planted his fiercest Batteries to hinder the reading thereof And in the last generall Councell at Trent where many Canons were made concerning bad and dangerous Books and many clausses and degrees of those Books the holy Scripture is placed in the first clausse and in the first Chapter as one of the most pernicious and dangerous Books in the world and by those Canons they who shall reade it in the vulgar tongue must incurre as great and greater malediction and Anathema as those who should kill their father and mother or reade the Alkoran or the most wicked filthy and detestable Booke in the world for a simple Priest or a Bishop can absolve a man from excōmunication for other things but to read the Bible in a vulgar tongue that is in English French Spanish or Dutch there is none except the Pope himselfe or his Deputy can absolve him and to have it in his house or to reade it in Spaine Italy or where the Inquisition reigneth is a fact that deserveth burning and the permission can be given by none but by the Pope so neither the Priests nor Doctors of the Universities nor all the Bishops of the world who call themselves the successours of the Apostles nor the Cardinalls of Rome themselves have power to reade the Scriptures and give License to others there is but one in the world to wit the Pope who hath that power because he holdeth that none but himselfe in the world can understand it well and know the meaning of it this seemeth to me a strange policy Now because the Pope who is but a man and is thought ordinarily to be inclined to his pleasures as much as any man in the world will not be troubled with those who aske License to reade the Scriptures he hath appointed at Rome a certaine company of Cardinalls called the Congregation of Cardinalls in matters of faith to whom he hath given permission to reade it and power to give License to those who aske and whom they shall thinke capable through the whole world So those of France Spaine England Hungary and Poland yea even of the East and West Indies who would have License to reade the Scriptures must according to the Canon of that Councell write or send to Rome either by themselves or by exchange and obtaine License in writing for that condition is expressed in the Prohibition and I my selfe had it in that sort which doubtlesse cannot be had in remote Countryes without great paines charges and time so that by this means the poore though they were the most capable and judicious the most zealous and affectionate Christians in the world are deprived of reading the Word of God it may be for ever in the Romish Church I know indeed a great many Bishops in that Church scorne that prohibition as altogether unjust and ridiculous and calling themselves the successors of the Apostles thinke they have sufficient authoritie by their office and dignitie to reade the Scriptures and to give license to those of their Diocesse whom they esteeme capable without sending to the Pope whom many among them hold onely for their equall But such is the order of that Councell held by them to be generall and called most holy and hath been confirmed since and made stricter by an expresse Bull such is also the practise of all the Orders and the resolution of their Canonists and the absolute will of the Bishop of Rome so that if he be universall Bishop and have power to command over all Christians as they affirme in the Romish Church this ought to have place and be obeyed by the Papists under paine of eternall damnation and Anathema This is also so exactly observed almost every where among them that hardly shall a Bible be found in an hundred houses yea there are many Priests and Pastors in whose houses it is not to be seene it may be was never seen and who have never read it I say not onely not wholly but who have never read one whole Chapter if it be not perchance in their Brevier or in the Booke of the Masse or other Books where some little parcells may be found If there be any Christians found who reade it in the vulgar tongue which they understand best besides the curses and Anathemaes that are thundred against them by the Romish Church they are imprisoned and in danger of death where the Inquisition is in force and are accounted commonly every where as heretickes or people who have an evill opinion of the Church although it were an impression and translation approved by themselves Thence out
from the dead to convert his brethren God who is understood by Father Abraham did he not answer They have Moses and the Prophets let them harken to them that is let them reade and see what they say for Moses and the Prophets were already dead and could not speake but by their Bookes St John the Evangelist having written the Apocalyps which is the most obscure and difficile Booke of all the Scripture in the opinion of all the learned whereof St Jerome saith that it containes as many mysteries as words yet St John who writ it forbiddeth not the reading thereof to Christians nor saith that none but the Pope of Rome or the Bishops and Doctors have power and presumption to reade it but stirreth up every one to reade it and proclaimeth a blessing upon all those that reade it by those words Blessed is he that readeth Apoc. 1.2 and they that heare the words of this Prophesie and keepe the things that are written therein Apoc. 1.2 When Philip went out of Jerusalem by the commandement of the Lord Act. 8.27 to goe for Gaza he did meet with the Eunuch of the Queene of Ethiopia who being a man that sought the Kingdome of God did reade the old Testament the Apostle did not reprove him for reading the Scripture but explained to him a Prophesie of Isaiah that was difficile to be understood and that reading was a means and helpe to finde true faith and to embrace Christian Religion In the time then of Jesus Christ and his Apostles the reading of the holy Scripture was not forbidden neither was it thought to be pernicious The Romish Church commendeth also St Cecill whose feast they keep as of a great Virgin and Martyr for carrying continually in her bosome the Books of the Evangelists and they hold she lived in the times of St Clement who is esteemed one of the first Bishops of Rome after the death of St Peter The Scriptures then were not as yet prohibited nor the reading of the same thought pernicious or dangerous to the simple sort for she was but a simple young damsell brought up in Paganisme As we reade of St Jerome who lived about three hundred yeares after that he did recommend nothing to Paula and Eustochium Mother and daughter both great Romane Dames so much as the assiduous reading of the holy Scriptures and that it should be their most ordinary study and frequent meditations By these and an infinite of other examples which I might alledge if I feared not tediousnesse we see that the reading of the Scripture was permitted yea recommended and laudable in Christians and that neither by Christ Jesus nor his Apostles nor the Romish Church in those times was it thought to be pernicious None will say that the Gentiles Jewes and Christians of those times were of greater judgement than those of our times or that they were more capable to read the holy Scriptures and the most difficile Prophesies for that should be ridiculous Neither dare any one say that the Prophets and Apostles and Jesus Christ himselfe or the first Pastours of those times had not as much and more understanding than the Pope or the Church of Rome in our time and yet they did not conceive that some would abuse such reading for that should be a great impietie notwithstanding this must be the inference from such a prohibition But to speake truth it appeareth to be no other thing but a policy and malicious subtiltie of the Romish Church for the present too much corrupted or rather from those who governe the same for feare that the people reading the holy Scriptures perceive the errours and falsenesse of the doctrine therein preached seeing so little conformitie in it with the Word of God And truly according to the Maxime of policy and for the conservation and upholding of their doctrine they have as great reason as Mahomet had to destroy all the Universities and Colledges of learning within the reach of his authoritie for my part I doe not remember to have seene any Christians who have not in reading the holy Scriptures faln soon to an infinite number of doubts about the beliefe of the Romish Church it being almost impossible to be otherwise and as black is never better seen than when it is brought neere to white in the light so the lies and false doctrine being confronted and placed by the truth cannot but appeare immediately And there are but few learned men who perceive not this cleerely enough but being interessed in that party and being bound to it with humane cords and bands they strive to dissemble the same that they may conserve their goods and dignities and by the spirit of pusillanimitie or avarice endeavour to suffocate and tread underfoot the prickings motions caused by the truth but blessed are they whom neither wealth nor honours nor any worldly or humane consideration hinder to come to Christ and who embrace his holy doctrine and can say with St Paul Phil. 3.8 Phil. 3.8 I account all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Saviour Since then courteous Reader the reading of the holy Scriptures is of such vertue that it discovereth the lies and is so much recommended to us by God the Father who hath spoken to us by his Prophets and servants and by his Sonne Jesus Christ who hath preached it to us from his owne mouth and by the holy Spirit who hath charged us therewith by his Apostles and Evangelists be in love with it reade it againe and againe without wearinesse Let no power nor authoritie in the world no prohibition of any whosoever hinder you from the reading of it for it being against the will and intention of God there is no power nor authoritie in the earth can binde us from it On the contrary God who commandeth it must rather be obeyed than all the Popes that forbid it although they were universall Pastours as they falsely brag themselves to be and undoubtedly it is a great sin to neglect and set at naught the commandements of our God in that point to obey man and therefore I exhort you againe to read the holy Scriptures couragiously and often to have them continually before your eyes to compare the whole doctrine of our salvation with them and hold them for a sure rule of all truth to meditate and ruminate them uncessantly and obey the holy Spirit who preacheth to us therein for I doubt not but yee may reape great profit for your soules necessary instruction for your salvation and a singular consolation And because that some one by Gods punishment and just judgement abusing the same finds death instead of life is that a sufficient reason to deprive others thereof forbid the reading of it Because the Sunne the fire or the water occasions sometimes great damage to certain persons ought the use thereof be forbidden to all men therefore as most dangerous some there are who abuse both
when Printing did begin they being either lost or consumed by fire or time or by the Wormes or a multitude of other accidents which we see doth eat and consume the very stones and Iron Now those first Manuscripts have been copied out by divers Writers and that from hand to hand from time to time to be dispersed and preserved from age to age and run over Kingdoms and after a multitude of Transcriptions passed by example since our Saviours time to us how many faults and what alteration have been made in those Books and in the doctrine of those Fathers for there is no man almost how able soever who can brag that he can transcribe a sheet of paper without committing some one or more faults how many will there be then in a great Volume as one of St Augustins or St Chrysostoms And as those Clerks or Transcribers who were called Amanuenses were for the most part mercenary and did all for money and profit living by that trade it is likely they took not much care but thought onely upon a quick dispatch that they might gaine the more and when they found any thing that seemed a fault to them whether it was really so or not they changed and corrected it according to their minde and passion it faring with faults as with balls of snow which the more they are rolled grow the bigger so far was their faults to be lesned by their Writers thav they were rather augmented and multiplied the old continuing or rather growing worse and daily more new ones being made so that some little time after it might be said of every Book that it was in a manner no more the same Book but altogether another being so much changed and altered And the Romish Church growing in power and authoritie when shee found any thing in those Books contrary to her doctrine and the increase of her greatnesse or against her designes and intentions shee did condemne the same as falsified and falsly attributed to the Fathers and correct it after her own minde and fancy and when Printing was come in use shee made choice of that which was most conformable to her doctrine or rather moulding and forming it by her agents and supporters to her own minde caused it so to be printed suppressing and forbidding other Copies as spurious and corrupted said they by some heretiques or malicious people or falsly attributed to their Authors and so who can now say in the world certainly that the writings fathered upon Irenaeus Cyrillus Augustin and other ancient Fathers are the true and genuine Writings of those Fathers not falsified or supposed And if it hath been so hard a matter to preserve the holy Scripture which is but a little Book in comparison of those others in its purity through so many ages when Printing was not in use What can we say of those great Volumes which were not in so great request nor so much respected and where the change and alteration was not of so great importance to care so much but where every one took often the authoritie to change according to his fancy and accommodate the Father to his minde to authorise his beliefe I think there is no man of good judgement in the world who seeth not cleerly the force and power of this so manifest truth and that it is impossible to ground any certaine beliefe such as that of faith ought to be upon so uncertaine grounds Besides that though they were most certaine yet being men subject to mistakes and errours wee were not obliged to make their opinions our Judges if they be not conformable to the Word of God which is the rule of all truth For which cause I shall not strive in this Booke to alledge many passages of Fathers but onely shew my opinion grounded upon strong reasons and upon the vertue of the Scripture My intention not being to make a great Volume but onely a little Book of small cost and little time and paines both for my selfe and the Reader CHAP. VIII Concerning the chiefe point of Controversie to wit that St Peter had no primacy in the Church and that the primacy of the Pope is an unlawfull usurpation AS I have ever beleeved that the chiefe and most important point among all the controversies betwixt the Catholique reformed and the Romish Church is that of the Primacy of the Pope and whether he be Vicar of Christ Jesus on earth universall and generall Bishop over all Christians and be head and superiour of the Catholique Church So it was the first motive of my conversion and that which I esteemed to have most need to be well considered and examined as being the ground of all the Romish beliefe which once over-turned shee must of necessitie fall to the ground And howsoever there be many other points of great importance this neverthelesse is as the Center where all the rest do meet and the axletree on which they all move and the foundation that upholdeth them because that whatsoever point of faith or Scripture is in controversie those of the Romish Church will have none but the Church for Judge or as I have shewed the Pope saying he is Vicar of Christ Jesus and head of the universall Church and consequently sole Judge in matters of faith And being the Pope of Rome pretendeth this authoritie onely so far as he vaunteth himselfe to be successour of St Peter to whom he saith that Christ Jesus hath given this power I have diligently examined the question to see what reason and ground the Doctors of the Romish Church have to maintaine the same and howsoever they reject the Scripture and will not admit it to be Judge of controversie they are neverthelesse necessitated to have recourse to it and receive it for Judge in this point For the question being of the Pope he must not be Judge and party and it would be an insufferable impertinency to goe about to prove the Pope by the Pope and maintaine that he is head of the Church because maintaineth he and affirmeth it he must then of necessitie declare and produce his other titles and shew by what vertue he posseseth this authoritie there being no proscription in matter of faith and conscience for otherwise the Religion of the Gentiles and Idolaters would have been thought the best and the doctrine of the Evangelists would never have been planted for which cause also he laboureth to prove this his Article by the Scripture And to that end we shall first set downe the strongest of his reasons by way of objection the weaknesse and nullity of which I shall shew And although it be sufficient enough for evidencing his power to be unlawfull and usurped making it appeare that his titles are false and of no force and that wee are not obliged to bring proofes out of the Scriptures for that which is not a point of our faith it being sufficient for us that it is not in the Scripture which we hold for sole rule
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
did the same what then Will we be wiser than Jesus Christ and his Apostles the people in those dayes was more rude and lesse capable of mysteries than now adayes for they were but newly come out of Paganisme or Judaisme CHAP. XXII Of Auricular Confession THis point of Auricular Confession is also for the present holden to be of greater importance in the Church of Rome than the Masse and there is no vertue nor any other duty so much recommended at this day as a full and faithfull confession of all sins and even a generall confession of the whole life In a word all the perfection and excellency of all Christian doctrine at this day in the Romish Church aimeth at that point and although ye should give all your goods to the poore Concil Trident. Tolet. Lest Bonac and others and were the best man in the world and indued with all the excellent parts of bounty and vertue yet if ye confesse not often and exactly all your sins great and small all the adherent circumstances which aggravate the same and tell faithfully and punctually the number all the rest is nothing and without that say they it is impossible to be saved or please God in any fashion for those who have the occasion and commodity to do the same after they have sinned To prove this doctrine which is an Article of Faith in the Church of Rome they produce no passage of the Scripture that hath either force or reason for to alledge that of S. James Iam. 5.16 ch 5.16 Confesse your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed is without sence or reason because that which is subjoyned and pray one for another sheweth clearly that as S. James recommendeth not prayer onely to the Priests so he commandeth none to confesse their faults to the Priests alone For as he speaketh of a reciprocall prayer and mutual assistance so speaketh he of a mutuall confession betwixt particulars after quarrels and offences as the Cardinall Caietan confesseth and acknowledgeth well in his Commentary in this Epistle it is not there spoken saith he of a sacramentall confession as appeareth because he saith Confesse one to another Now the sacramentall confession is not made one to another but to the Priests onely but it is spoken of the confessions by which we mutually confesse our selves to be sinners that they may pray for us and of the confession of faults which are done by one another to be mutually appeased and reconciled but there is no appearance that S. James speaketh here of Auricular Confession neither of confession to the Priests alone And although it were true that S. James did speak here of the confession to Priests it will not follow that he spake of Auricular confession for there is great difference and as it is very necessarie to salvation to confesse all our sins to God and profitable to confesse our sins publiquely also and before men in token of repentance and griefe and to edifie our neighbours so none can denie that it is both profitable and good to confesse our sins to the Priest not for any obligation they have to do it there being no commandment or Word of God but to discharge his conscience and seek remedie for his imperfections consolation in his infirmitie and counsell in the ordering of his life And howsoever the Priest may minister matter of comfort to a penitent and afflicted soul upon the assurance he may give him that his sins be forgiven him if he be truly penitent have a true faith in Christ notwithstanding he ought not presume to give a formall absolution but onely declarative or else deprecative nor think to pardon sins as do the Priests of the Romish Church there being none but God alone that can pardon sins Mark 2.7 as Mark. 2.7 but onely assure and declare thar if there be true faith and repentance there sins are remitted or pray to God that he will remit them And as for that which was said to the Apostles by our Saviour That whatsoever they should bind on earth should be bound in heaven and whatsoever they should loose on earth should be loosed in heaven It is clear from the consideration of the whole passage that it is onely understood of the exteriour power of excommunication which we ought to acknowledge in the Church not of the power to absolve from interiour and secret sins for see the passage which I exhort the Reader diligently to consider Mat. 18.15 c. If thy brother trespasse against thee go and tell him his fault betwixt thee and him alone if he shall hear thee thou hast gained thy brother But if he will not hear thee then take with thee two or three more that out of the mouthes of two or three witnesses every word may be established and if he shall neglect to hear them tell it unto the Church and if he neglect to hear the Church let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a Publican Verily I say unto you that whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Thereby it is evident that Christ meant onely to speak of the band of excommunication and ejection out of the Church and that all that the Apostles should bind on earth with the bands of excommunication should be thought and esteemed bound in heaven and before God and that which they should loose and absolve on earth restoring and reconciling them to the bosome of the Church should be holden absolved and restored before God and might partake in the prayers of the faithfull Neverthelesse many Priests in the Church of Rome holding themselves successours of the Apostles in that beleeve that from those words they have power given them to absolve from all sins indifferently without any reservation seeing that even the same words are said to them at their consecration But the Bishops give their glosses and exceptions upon and say that it is to them it belongeth being properly and especially the true successours of the Apostles and the Priests but by commission which they can amplifie and diminish at their pleasure in the absolution of sin limiting their power in certain causes and reserving others to themselves forbidding the Priests who are under their jurisdiction to absolve them and the Pope who tearmeth himself Bishop of Bishops and attributeth the whole and absolute power of the Church to himself clippeth the authoritie of the Bishops in this using them as they use the Priests forbidding they should give absolution for every thing but reserve certain causes to himselfe wherein he forbid them to meddle and as the Priests murmure against the Bishops for that so do the Bishops against the Pope beleeving no sin nor case whatsoever to be exempted from their jurisdiction according to the words of Christ and thus do they agree among themselves on the explication of those
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
thinke it is his good deeds which have merited the crowne to him No truly for many would doe a great deale better greater and more laudable actions who will not therefore enjoy that possession and heritage but it is the onely goodnesse of the King which is the cause and his onely voluntary and free adoption which giveth him right to that succession So fareth it in this matter By faith in Christ wee are adopted to be his children and heires of his glory and as his adopted children we ought to strive to please him in all things and if we offend him and transgresse his commandements and commit crimes against him we make our selves unworthy of that heritage and of his favours and if we be not reconciled to him we shall be deprived thereof and never possesse it But if we be obedient to his Commandements and do our dutie those are not neverthelesse our good workes and actions which merit that favour for many may doe the like works and actions either of charitie of almes of justice honour father and mother or the like who not being adopted by faith shall not obtaine such an heritage nor the glory of God so wee must not trust to our workes and imagine they justifie and save us And if it be sometimes said in the Scripture that the recompence followeth the workes and if we doe well we shall have our reward or the like Wee must not thinke this recompence followeth the workes and is precisely given for their merits but because of the faith in Christ and in his promises which accompany them or rather which give them their excellence I confesse that in former times when I would make a serious reflex upon the workes which I did which were esteemed good and ranked amongst the best in the eyes of the world as fastings austerities mortification of the flesh suffering of cold watching and many such things which are common enough in the Congregation where I was when I had done all that I was able to make them perfect and meritorious and when I joyned all the zeale puritie and love of God was possible I did notwithstanding ever finde so many inward defects and imperfections that I could never perswade my selfe they were of great efficacy before God to merit his favour or any heavenly recompences they afflict indeed and bring downe the body and make it more able and apt to obey the Spirit which was St Pauls end and if they be not discreetly used they bring men into many infirmities and diseases but that they might merit Gods favour or glory or be capable to deliver a soule out of Purgatory or satisfie for our sins I could never firmely beleeve any such thing And I know certainly from the knowledge which the governing of a multitude of soules hath taught me this doctrine doth so little assure the consciences that there are none but fooles and presumptuous persons which thinke to merit Gods favour or heaven to themselves or to others thereby And all wise men agree in this that there is nothing but a quickning faith can justifie us before God and howsoever the doctrine of the Church of Rome maketh faith to be onely the ground and faith it is the love of God which justifieth with the ground of faith yet this love of God well explained with the ground of faith it seemeth to be no other thing than a quickning faith by charitie and a beliefe and confidence in the merits of Christ and his promises and so I thinke that the agreement would not be very hard to be made in this point Neverthelesse the Romish Clergie principally the Fryars making but little mention of faith as if it were not of so great importance preach nothing but workes and especially of the body as fasting mortification of the flesh disciplines haire-cloaths and the like and chiefly Almes and it seemeth even in hearing them that the doctrine of good works is all brought to this head and they doe it purposely and all that say they is comprehended under the word Penitence which John the Baptist did preach in the Wildernesse though he understood a repentance from sin and amendment of life And because by Almes men deprive themselves of some commodities that is also comprehended by them under the word Penitence and they know well enough how to illustrate this doctrine by other passages out of Scripture I may say from sufficient knowledge that which our Saviour said of the Pharisees Mat. 23.3 Maâ— 23.3 might be justly enough applyed to them to wit Doe not after their workes for they say and doe not for they binde heavie burdens and grievous to be borne and lay them on mens shoulders but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers but all their workes they doe for to be seene of mâ—n Vers 2â— And vers 27. Woe unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites for yee are like unto whited Sepulchres which indeed appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones of all uncleannesse Even so yee also outwardly appeare righteous unto men but within yee are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie For many preach fasting which love good cheare and do fast as seldome as they can many preach the hairecloath which never made use of it and so of other things which I will explaine no further But because they know well that the people like not much those austerities and corporall mortifications and doe not willingly practise them and that they are beleeved amongst the vulgar to doe many such things because of the externall appearance and they labour of purpose to seeme austere they make them beleeve that their almes will satisfie for all and that if they will become benefactours of their Churches and Orders or be of their Congregations and third Orders or joyne themselves to their fraternities of the scapulaire or girdle and the like or be adopted children of their Orders they will make them partakers of all the good workes which have been are and shall be done amongst them now and for ever through all ages to come for words are of great vertue in those matters What a great number are done amongst them and how and in what excellency and perfection all those fine workes whereof they brag so much and make such a noise in the eares of the people and whereof some prefer themselves to others are done ordinarily they know what I might say and that they have but small ground of glory but howsoever it is they promise them or if I durst say they sell them for they give nothing for naught and that with a number of fine and specious ceremonies to allure others and when they adopt them for spirituall children they give them large Patents sealed with as broad Seales as those of a Chancellary whereby they declare unto them that in vertue thereof they make them partakers of all their austerities fastings haire-cloaths mortifications disciplines prayers pilgrimages voyages travels
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
may expect to be blamed and so they ought to be holden for spies and diligent instruments for the progresse of his designes and matches and firebrands which being not able to advance his Kingdome in time of peace labour by all meanes to stirre up warres and dissentions in Kingdomes and Common-wealths to fish as they say in troubled waters and effect in those confusions that which they could not get done in time of peace as it hath been wisely remarked and proposed in this present Parliament not long agoe at a conference with the Lords delivered by a rare and eminent man and daily experience should make that truth but too well knowne in this Kingdome And I may speake something of it for being in the Romish Church and beyond the Seas I was twice spoken to come hither with another who was then professour in Theologie and that by a great Politician who hath expresse Commission from the Pope to send and who was the onely Counsell of that notable Cardinall who these fifteene yeares and above doth keepe in warres and troubles almost all Europe But to come backe to our discourse if God by his providence did not hinder many not suffering that abominable doctrine to be so easily beleeved of every one as it is freely published and if even by the mercy of God there were not some generous and honest minds among them lovers of concord and honour who no wayes beleeving those maximes wou'd not for any thing in the world degenerate from the goodnesse and generous dispositions of their natures to engage themselves in vile actions wee would see worse and more unhappie effects for that is a bloudy doctrine enemy of peace quietnes and neither can nor ought to be rellished by judicious men who make profession of honour for we finde in no place that Christ and his Apostles did plant the faith of the Gospell by fire and sword or that ever they assayed to extirminate all the idolatrous people by death and destroy them that they might people their Lands with Christians but as there is great difference betwixt the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of the Bishop of Rome so are also their actions and proceedings very contrary And I beleeve if the noble and generous minds of that partie would take the pains diligently to cōsider these great differences and the detestable maximes of their Doctors they would questionlesse abhor the doctrine that begetteth them but the subtiltie of the Priests indeavour to stop their eares with an ignorant and blind faith to hinder them from receiving the instructions of the truth which are to be seen in the holy Scripture Oh but I would thinke my labour well spent if it would please the holy Spirit to touch the hearts of some one by the reading of this little Treatise and make them see the blindnes wherein they endeavour to detaine them I have set downe it may be divers things which may give light to informe many who living in darknesse would not have been aware of their darknesse and if any desire a larger information I have written nothing which I am not ready to maintaine by word and give a more ample explanation for the satisfaction and profit of soules If in some thing I have not cited many Authours in some points I have done it purposely to shun prolixitie and the things being common amongst the learned especially in the Romish Church and others not being men to turne over the Bookes of those which write thereof I thought the number of citations would be needlesse and if any in the Romish Church either out of ignorance or malice insult against mee and tax me of any untruth I promise to enlarge this Treatise with more proofes and give cause to all men to confesse that I have written nothing untrue but if the truth apparelled in this manner hath been any way displeasing to some I cannot promise that being otherwise trimmed it will be more pleasing But to assure men the more and confirme them in their resolutions they may have for the true faith I say that even although the difference of the doctrine of the Church of Rome from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles should not condemne her of untruth it would be condemned by her workes for our Saviour saith Mat. 7.17 that the good or evill tree is knowne by its fruits and though it did not appeare that the doctrine of the reformed Protestant Church came neerer to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles than that of the Romish Church and so that shee should be the true Spouse of the Son of God and shee with whom the ancient doctrine of Christ Jesus hath been and is conserved and consequently the perfectest also that is the surest and best and which onely ought to be termed Catholike being the perfection of the beliefe and faith drawne from the conformitie with the doctrine of Christ yet the fruits and works of both shew sufficiently which is the best and surest For my part I professe that although I had not been allured and converted by the doctrine which I have found in the reformed Church altogether conformable to the doctrine of Christ which is not to be seen in the Church of Rome the onely knowledge and comparison of the works of the one and the other was capable to worke this change in mee and when after I was become a member of this Church I did see with how much more holines God was worshipped and served than in the Church of Rome then it was that with a great joy I had reason to say those words of the Patriarch In this place is the house of God Gen. 28.17 and the gate of heaven and have given millions of praises to my God for bringing me to a Church and a Land where his holy Name is so devoutly worshipped his Sacraments administred in such purity his Sabbath so holily kept the Churches so carefully frequented and kept so neatly and decently and Divine Service so reverently done and heard with so much silence I know indeed that as God hath found fault with his Angels and that being men it is impossible but some imputitie will slide into our actions that Christian Religion was never even in the time of the holy Apostles but there was something amisse if not in doctrine at least in the manners and practise of the faithfull and that it is not here below we can find the Spouse of the heavenly Bridegroome without spot or wrinkle in all her actions and that nothing in this world deserveth the name of pure and perfect in comparison with God but onely in comparison of one with another and of the unclean thing with that which is not so unclean and in lesse or more drawing neer to the example institution and intention of Christ Jesus our good Master so it is in that sence I praise the holinesse of the Church I am in for the present that is namely in comparison