they made some vpon indifferent things as to abstaine from things strangled and from blood giving them out in the name of the holy Ghost and commanding them to be kept by the first Christians which Lawes albeit they restrain'd libertie yet they were not against Christian libertie which cōsists principally in three things to witt in freedome from the slavery of sin in freedome from the fear servitude of the Moral Law by receiving the gift of Charity through Christs grace whereby we willingly and ioyfully-fullfill the Law and lastly in freedome from the bondage of the Iewish Ceremonial Law which S. Peter calls a heavie yoak These are the liberties wherewith Christ has made vs free as was shown me at more length and are not as the Covenanters do imagine a libertie to do what every man lists or to be vnder no obedience of Spiritual or Temporal Lawes Against which licentious libertie S. Peter gives warning in these words Be subiect vnto every humane Creature for God 1. Pet. 2.13 c. as free and not as having freedome for a cloke of malice And S. Paul to the Galatians You are called brethren into libertie Gal. 5.13 only make not this libertie an occasion to the flesh c. Now all the Lawes of the Catholique Church against which the Ministers make heaviest complaints as about lentfasting abstinence from flesh on frydayes the single life of Church men and the like may be easily shown to have been observed in the primitive times to be most iust nowayes Tyrannous or against our Christian libertie but that they rather tend vnto Christian perfection which is the greatest libertie of a Christian and that the Ministers who speak so much against these holy Lawes make their libertie as S. Paul speaks an occasion to the flesh or as S. Peter saith a cloke of malice But it would indeed seem very strange if it were not so ordinary among you that yourselves do such things without all authority which you blame in the Catholique Church vnto which Christ has given so great authority For have not you dureing the space of some few years heaped vp more Lawes and decrees in your Assemblies then exceed all the body of the Canon Law And yet you cannot deny but the most part of these Lawes is made vpon indifferent things and some of them in the Iudgment of many Protestants vpon false things as your Lawes for swearing subscribing the Covenant You pretend much Christian libertie which you promised to the people but indeed you kept them in more then Iewish slaverie For to passe by many other instances you would not suffer the people vpon Sundayes after they had been much wearied hearing both your long some Sermons prayers to be seen on the streets or to go and recreat themselves in the fields which truly was greater then a Iudaïcal servitude The Catholiques find the yoak of Christ sweet and the Lawes of his Church their loving Mother not heavie But many Protestants find the yoak of your Presbytery which they esteem a cruel step-mother to be very bitter and think your Lawes not only against their Christian libertie but also insupportable Now we come to your other heavy accusations against the Catholique Church which for brevities sake we must only touch Yow accuse her doctrin as Erroneous against the sufficiency of the written word But without all reason For she teacheth that the written word is sufficient in this sense that it containes immediatly the substance of our faith all the articles necessary necessitate medij for mans Salvation and also it containes mediatly all that we are to beleeve in that it remits vs to the Church which it assureth vs is governed by the holy Ghost in all truth Whence it evidently followeth that we draw that truth out of the scriptures which we draw out of the mouth of the Church for whosoever deputes an other to speak for him speaks mediatly by his mouth So S. Augustin reasoneth Aug. lib. 1. cont Cres c. 33. Albeit saith he we can produce no example of Scripture concerning this matter yet hold we the truth of the same Scripture seing we do that which is conformable to the Vniversal Church which the authority of the same Scripture commends vnto vs. And in this sense the written word is most sufficient But it is not sufficient in the common sense of heretiques who will have the dead letter of the Scripture to be sufficient without having recourse to the Catholique Church for the true sense of it and who will have nothing to be beleeved but what is formally expresly containd in it For that is directly against the Scriptures themselvs which referre vs to the Church and bid vs stand fast and hold the Traditions That is also against the doctrin of the auncient Fathers S. Chrysostome saith Chrys on 2. Thess 2. It is evident that the Apostles did not deliver all things by writing but many things without and those be as worthy credit as the others Epiphanius saith to the same purpose We must vse Traditions Epiph. hares 61. for the Scriptures have not all things That is contrary to the practice of the Covenanters who beleeve somethings without Scripture and diverse points against it as we have seen above And lastly it has furnished weapons to the Socinians and Anabaptists to fight against the Presbyterians who now by experience are become more wise then at the beginning For in their new Confession of faith at Westminster Confess West 6.1 art 6. they say That the whole Counsel of God concerning all things necessary to Salvation is either expresly set down in Scripture or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture So that the Scripture which was before sufficient without Church and Traditions is now not sufficient to Salvation without Logique and Consequences which doctrin makes them fall into another grosse folly to quite the Church the pillar and ground of Truth and have recourse to Philosophie and fallible consequences wherein these new sects are not behind with them but by the same principle do vndermine them You next accuse the Catholique Church of erroneous doctrin against the perfection of the Law the office of Christ and of his Evangel But you do not make good your accusations neither show yow wherein these pretended Errors do consist Yet it may be easily shown that your accusations are false and that your selves are guilty of the same crimes For the Catholique Church teacheth that the Law of Christ is most perfect and that the very substance of perfection consists in keeping it and that none can be perfect without fulfilling it And albeit it be true that she teacheth there be some Evangelical Counsels which make a man more perfect then the precise keeping of the Law yet that doctrin is nothing against the perfection of the Law For this was the doctrin of Christ of S. Paul and of the holy Fathers Our Saviour having said
reckons in the first place Basil l. de Sp. S. c. 27. Aug. tract 118 in Euang. Ioan Chrys iul quod Christus sit Deus Nazian orat 1. in Iulian amongst the Apostolical Traditions and which S. Augustin call the sign of Christ without which no benediction is rightly perfected It was so much honoured in the primitive times that it was erected as S. Chrysostome testifyes vpon the topes of Kings Crownes Scepters and imprinted vpon the front or head of man the most noble member of his body as vpon a living pillar and it is most efficacious against temptations and the affrightfull apparitions of Devils whereof Iulian the Apostata found experience as S. Gregory Nazianzen relates with many circumstances Therefore you are very rashly Enemies to this glorious sign of the Son of man and some of you very wickedly do call it the sign of the beast and it may be iustly said the Catholiques Crossings are much better then your cursings By detesting the anoynting of the Catholique Church you detest S. Iames Iames 5 Mark 6.13 who prescribed it and the holy Apostles who practiced it as S. Mark testifies saying They anointed with oile many sick the Primitive Church which vsed it Aug. in Pref. psal 26. enarr 2 whereby S. Augustin shewes the excellency of Christians to whom all now Vnction belongs which was only proper before to Priests Kings By detesting the hallowing of Gods good Creatures you detest your own practice in blissing your meat with long graces and the elements of your Sacrament with long prayers S. Paul shewes that Every Creature may be sanctifyed 1. Timoth 4.4.5 by the word of God and prayer The hallowing of Gods Creatures to pious vses is not superstition but the contrary practice is profanation The Popes worldly Monarchie as you call it has agreed better with all the Monarchs of the world and that for many ages then your worldly Democracy has consisted with one or two Monarchs in one corner of the world for the few years you have lasted And the Sacred Hierarchie of the Church which you without all modestie call wicked has not produced such wicked effects for the space of 16. hundred yeares and above as the Anarchy of your Presbytery has done in lesse then the space of twentie You abiure also the three solemn Vowes of voluntary chastity poverty obediēce which have been shown above to be works of greater perfection This shewes that the Prophet Esay did not mean of you but of the members of the true Church when he prophesied of them Esay 19 21. saying They shall Vow Vowes vnto our Lord pay them But your first chief Reformers Vowed these solemn Vowes and brake them And it may be iustly said that these 3. Solemn Vowes are much better works then your solemn League Covenant You renounce also the Clerical Tonsure which you call shavelings of diverse sorts But that this was a most ancient Ceremony Dionys lib. de Eccles Hierarchia c. 6 Athan. lib. de Virginitate Hier. epist ad Savinianum Beda hist. Anglor lib. 5. c. 22. S. Denis Athanasius Hierom and others do testifie◠and Venerable Bede affirmes that S. Peter did first of all carrie a Crown of haires the rest of his head being poll'd The mysterious significations of this ceremony may be seen in Bellarmin lib. 2. de Monachis cap. 40. And albeit no other reason be brought the very venerable antiquity of it alone is sufficient to shew that these shavelings of sundry sorts are better then your new Round-heads of sundry sects Then you detest according to your phrase the Popes corrupted bloodie decrees made at Trenf But that is ordinary for all Novelists to carrie hatred to and calumniate these Sacred General Councels by whose authority their corrupted errors are condemned so did the Arians to the great Councel of Nice That which you speak of a cruel bloody Band subscrybed there is a meer calumnie for no such thing was done there But indeed it is no calumnie to call your Covenant which was approved and subscrybed at your Assembly of Glasgow a cruel and bloudy Band as the effects have proved It is by such cruel and bloudy Bands that false religions must be propagated or rather enforced against mens Consciences But the Catholique Church trusting in the promise of Christs assistance and being armed with the force of truth goes on vpon other principles You are pleased also not only to detest the Decrees of the Councel of Trent but likwise the subscrybers Approvers thereof whom you call Conspirators against the Kirk of God But albeit your passion leads you to detest their doctrines yet civility should oblige you not to detest their persons especially since some Approvers thereof are the most Eminent Princes of the world to whom you ought to carrie respect And whereas you take vpon you the name authority of the Church of God it has been shewed above that your Kirk has lyen too long hid to be the Kirk of God You call your Kirk a Reformed Kirk but it ought rather to be called a new formed Kirk because it is substantially different from the old and it is so far from being truly Reformed that it is deformed in the principal points of the Christian religion as we have seen concerning the Apostles Creed our Lords prayer the Commandments Sacraments besides many other substantial articles above touched That which you say of the Popes Vain Allegories Rites Signs is frivolous It is known that these Allegories which you blame were vsed by the holy Fathers particularly by S. Augustin who excelled in the Allegorical sense of the Scriptures whose Allegories are not vain but most grave and will be preferred by all sound iudgments to your Ministers vain Tropes and figures against the clear Scriptures as we have seen in the matter of the holy Sacrament Of Traditions we have spoke sufficiently above All the rest that followes in your Covenant excepting the two vntruths touched above in the first section and your Oath for maintaining the Kings authority is nothing but a concatenation of most fearfull and horrible Oaths whereby you tye yourselves vnder highest curses and paines to maintaine these your grosse errors and Heresies which ought rather to be deplored then confuted especially since you are begun to find the effects of these enormities Thus I have briefly collected the principall observations which my Catholique Friend and I made vpon the Covenant although I have passed by many things that were in his papers that this book might not exceed the iust bignesse But by what has been said may be in some measure seen what counterfeit mettal the Covenant is and what a masse of Errors and old condemned heresies it containes ioynd with blasphemous Execrations of the principal points of the holy Catholique faith and what an Idol the simple people was made to adore It is truly to be regrated that our Nation which
ch 17. p. 183. seq Their SPECIAL and groundlesse Faith 9 9 They deny all Satisfaction or works of Penance for sins and so they teach men are not to make any Satisfactions for their sins p. 500. Their doctrine of sinning WITHOVT Satisfactions 10 10 They teach Iustification by faith only against the expresse words of Scripture Iames 2. v. 24. as may be seen above ch 17. p. 182. Iustification by faith ONLY 11 11 Albeit some were great sinners yet so soon as they took the Covenant they were esteemed Saints and all their sins forgiven them though indeed they becam no better This is a greater Opus Operatum which the Presbyterians ascribed to their Covenant then that which the Catholiques assign to the holy Sacraments as may be seen above p. 202. 203. The Opus Operatum of the Covenant which SAINTED without dispositions even the worst Covenanters 12 12 They do not only abiure works of greater perfection not coÌ„manded but counselled but also they neglect works of duty commanded teaching hat the Commandments are impossible to be kept p. 502. 5â—3 Their Omission of works of DVTY tending to EDIFICATION 13 13 They teach that all their works are evil and therefore are demerits which may be iustly renounced p. 504. 505. 4. They often give and sell pardons from their stoole of Repentance or else all the great people must be Saints only the poore must be sinners For it is very rarely seen that any person of condition doth sit vpon their stoole of Repentance See p. 506. Demerits 14 14 They bragged that they should never leave off till they went with their Covenant Covenanting Armie to destroy the walls Citie of Rome p. 507. 508. SELLING of Pardons 15 Their intended WARLIK peregrinations to destroy holy places 16 16 The English Independents did call ordinarly the Presbyterian K rk-SessioÌ„s Bawdy-Courts For by them the fines were imposed vpon the fornicators But now that power is taken from them and given to the Civil Magistrate These Sessions are not so good as the Catholiques Stations above p. 508. Their Kirk SESSIONS 17 17 They do not consecrate their Communion Wine and albeit the Ministers say a long prayer at the beginning by which they would seem in some measure to hallow that which is present which is but a small quantity yet the rest is brought sometimes out of the Tavern and vsed without any benediction See of Holy water above p. 510. 511. VNCONSECRATED wine 18 18 See above how at the beginning of their pretended Reformation they vnhallowed many Bells p. 511. 512. Their VNHALLOWING and selling of Bells Their 19 19 The true Church has only power to cast out Devils Luther tryed once to do this but it succeded ill with him as may be seen above p. 512. WANT of power to coniure Spirits and cast out Devils 20 20 The Presbyterian Ministers do much hate the sign of the Crosse calling it the badge of Anti-Christ as may be seen in Spotswoods historie lib. 6. p. 324. See above p. 513. the Antiquity efficacy of that glorious sign of the Son of man Their CVRSINGS and Detestations of the SIGN of the CROSSE as also 21 21 The holy Apostles vsed Vnctions as may be seen above p. 514. which custome has been ever observed in the Church ibidem As also the Church did ever hallow some Creatures for holy ends as Water burial places Churches Bells c. which the Presbyterians have often made common and turn'd into profanes vses of VNCTIONS of benedictions of Creatures for holy ends together with the PROFANATIONS of these hallowed Creatures Their Domineering Presbyterian 22 22 How the Presbytery domineered over all sorts of persons may be seen above ch 4. and 5. of Presb. Triall 23. Their severity cruelty may be seen ibid. DEMOCRACY and 23 cruel ANARCHY 24 24 Their solemn League Covenant which intended the setling of Presbytery in all the 3. Kingdomes is not such a work of perfection as are the 3. Solemn Vowes of chastity poverty Obedience which they here abiure and which their first Reformers Vowed but did not keep And therefore their Solemn League may be better renounced then the three Solemn Vowes abiured Their Solemn LEAGVE and CovenaÌ„t with all their ROVNDHEADS of Sundry SECTS Their cruel Decrees made at GLASGOW to extirpate the Catholique Religion where their Covenant which has proved a bloudy Band was confirmed against the holy Catholique Church And lastly we reiect all their 25 25 See above pag. 229. 242. how by Trops and figures the clear words of Christs institution of the holy Sacrament are perverted by them against the sense of the holy Fathers and of the auncient Church VAIN TROPES AND FIGVRES perverting the true literal sense of the divin Scriptures against the constant exposition of the holy Fathers together with all their 26 26 Their denying of privat baptism is a Presbyterian Tradition derived from Calvin as may be seen above p. 212. without or rather against the word of God and the practice of the auncient Church The same may be also said of their denying private Communion c. PRESBYTERIAN Traditions brought in without or against the word of God and Doctrin of the 27 27 As the Catholique Church is only the true Church of Christ so S. Cyprian has observed that all heretiques like Apes do take vpon them the name and falsly Vindicate to themselves the authority of the Church Cypr. Epist ad Iubaian holy CATHOLIQVE Church the Pillar ground of Truth To the which holy Catholique Church we MOST WILLINGLY ioyn our selves in Doctrin Disciplin and all holy RITES as members of the same vnder Christ Iesus the Supreme invisible Head and the 28 28 See above section 4. p. 432. where it is shewed that S. Peter was ordain'd by Christ Supreme Pastor of his Church and that the Bishop of Rome succeeds vnto S. Peter in the same charge BISHOP of ROME the Successor of S. Peter Prince of the Apostles the Visible and Subordinate Head or Governour thereof 29 29 As the Catholique Church remaines constant in her doctrin and government so the Scottish Protestant Church has been very inconstant for it has changed diverse doctrines and very sensibly its disciplin three or foure times since the beginning of their pretended Reformation so that a man cannot wisely swear constant obedience to such an vnconstant Church See above ch 2. and 7. of Presb. Trial. Promising by the assistance of Gods Grace to continue in the obedience and Communion of the same Church all the dayes of our lives 30 30 As it is a malicious calumnie to say that any Catholique is stirred vp by the Pope to deny and abiure the Catholique religion against his conscience vpon hope of the Popes Dispensation So it is a known truth by diverse fresh experiences
infidelis c. Who them except au Infidel will deny Christ to haue been in Hell Behold what in S. Augustius iudgment are all Presbyterians who do contradict the prophecy which he saith cannot be contradicted and who vnderstand it in a contrary sense which S. Peter did expound least any man should presume to vnderstand it otherwise Which is indeed to goe against the Scriptures both the old and new Testament the Prophets and Apostles the holy Fathers the whole Church and in a word as S. Augustin speaks to be Infidels S. Hierome expounding that place of S. Paul in the 4. to the Ephesians Hier. in cap. 4. ad Ephes And that he Christ ascended what is it but because he descended also first into the lower parts of the earth saith The inferiour parts of the earth are taken for Hell to which our Lord Saviour did descend Where it is also shewed for what end our Saviour did descend He saith S. Paul ascending on high did leade captivity captive and gaue gifts to men Vpon which the same S. Hierome saith Our Lord and Saviour descended into Hell that being Victorious he might lead with himself the Soules of those who were kep't there inclosed Whence it came to passe that after his resurrection many bodies of the iust were seen in the holy Citie The Apostle sheweth the same truth in the 2. chapter to the Collossians Coloss chap. 2. ver 15. where he saith And Christ spoyling the Principalities Powers hath ledde them confidently in open shew triumphing them in himself I passe by for brevities sake Pet. 1 Ep. c. 3. v. 19. some other passages as that of S. Peter how Christ in his Spirit did goe downe and preach'd vnto the Spirits in prison and the like which are vnderstood by some of the holy Fathers of Christs descēt to hell these already brought appeared to me to be most clear sufficient Moreover I found S. Aug. vnderstanding the words of Christ to the good theefe This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise far otherwise then the Presbyterians do For he saith Non ex his verbis c It is not to be thought by these words Aug. epist 57. ad Dardan that Paradise is in heaven for the man Christ Iesus was not to be in heaven to witt that day but in hell according to his Soule and in the grave according to his flesh And a little beneath he subioynes The Scripture clearly shewes that he was in Hell according to his Soule But as the same holy Father shewes out of the 87. Psalme He was so in hell that he was free among the dead and did there begin his triumph over all infernal powers principalities and freeing the Soules of the iust from their captivity did carrie them gloriously with himself vnto the heavens into which he did first enter and opened them vnto all true faithfull Christians For so it was fitting That he who is the head of the body the Church Colos 1. ver 18. the beginning the first borne of the dead as S. Paul speaks the first fruites of these who are asleep 1. Cor. 15.20 may in all things hold the Primacie I know these things are laughed at as if they were fables by the Presbyterians who founds their faith vpon their owne groundlesse fancies and will believe nothing which doth not suite to their humours albeit it be most clearly contain'd in the Scriptures so vnderstood by the holy Fathers and so believed by the Christian world But I intend God willing to prefer these solid grounds to Puritanical imaginations which are without yea and against Scriptures the holy Fathers and whole ancient Church and lastly against the clear words of the Creed As I saw the true and clear sense of this article so I found that the Ministers haue vsed many crooked windings turnings to obscure and deny the true sense of it For first they haue not stood to corrupt the letter of the Scripture 2. they followed a sense invented by Calvin which was not only false but by many esteem'd blasphemous 3. When for shame they had abandonned that sense the Presbyterians haue of late invented a new one not so impious but very ridiculous And lastly to compleate the work they haue denyed the whole Creed to be Apostolical which is the cleanliest way that hath been yet vsed For their corrupting of the words of Scripture Beza Calvins entire brother may cary the prize For in the Bibles of his translation he turnes these words 2. Acts 31. Thou wilt not leave my soule in Hell After this manner Thou wilt not leave my body in the grave And when this manifest corruption of Gods word was obiected to him by Protestants he answers in defence of his version against Sebastian Castalio Beza cont Sebast Cast ap Bellar. lib. 4. de anima Cha c. 12. saying No man can doubt but here is mean't of the body grave vnlesse one would be blind in the mid-day This must be a strange light or rather a strong illusion which the Presbyterians alone see But the reason which Beza gives there a little before for his changing Soule into body and hell into graves is very remarkable I did not this rashly saith he since we see that this place is chiefly wrested by the Papists for establishing their Limbe and the ancients also devised from it the descent of Christs soule into hell Our Presbyterians in Scotland were one degree inferiour to Beza for they did not corrupt two words as he did but only one as may be seen in the great bibles printed at Edinburgh by Andrew Hart where they reade thus the foresaid text Thow wilt not leave my Soule in the grave putting grave for hell which corruption was amended in the new Translations that was made by order of King Iames who said in the conference at Hampton-Court that he had never seen a true and sincere translation of the bible in English but of all these he had seen that of Geneva was the worst Having thus corrupted the text they did also invent corrupt senses of it Calvin the great Foundator of Presbytery vnderstands by Christs descent to hell that he suffered in his Soule the paines of a damned man and that doubting of his Salvation he vtteted words of desperation For thus he writes in his Institutions Diros in anima cruciatus Cal. lib. 2. instit cap. 16. sect 10. damnati ac perditihominis pertulit c. that is he suffered in his soule the horrible paines of a damned lost man And writing on the 27. chap. of S. Mathew ver 46. he saith that a word of desperation did fall from Christ And a little after Sowe see saith he Cal. in 27. Math. v. 46. that he was vexed on all sides that being overwhelmed with desperation he ceased from calling vpon God which was to renounce Salvation O most strange doctrine which I find to be condemned by many
yet he was not without sin for being a Priest he was to offer vp Sacrifice not only for the sins of others but also for his own sins as S. Paul affirmes whereas Christ Iesus was the only priest who being free of all sin did offer vp Sacrifice only for the sins of others Et elswhere he saith Because sin doth often steal vpon vs in light matters Id. lib. de nat gr cap. 38. sometimes vnawares they were both iust and not without sin So that by the distinction of mortal venial sin which is sufficiently expressed by our Saviour when he said Math. 5.22 Who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of Iudgment Who shall say Raca shall be in dāger of a Councel And who shall say Thou foole shall be guilty of Hell-fire Which is also clearly contain'd in the holy Fathers and is consonant to right reason these places of Scripture which shew that some kept the Commādments the others which teach that the iust are not alwayes without sin are both true easily reconciled But the Presbyterians quite the first and to maintaine their errour adhere only to the last which they also falsly expound against the sense of the holy Fathers the very words of the other Scriptures After these Principal Scriptures which they bring Luth. tom 1. fol. 196. Cal. lib. 3. Instit c. 14. sect 9. Shel p. 146. I considered next their chiefe Maximes reasons Luther Calvin do teach that all the best actions even of the greatest Saints are mortal sins and the Presbyterians do generally insist in the same doctrine From which indeed it followes very clearly if it were true that the Commandments are impossible to be kept I will bring a Protestant Minister giving his Iudgmens of this doctrine which was taught by his two first Apostles It may be obiected saith M. Shelford in his foresaid treatise that the very best works of the Saints are vnclean impure menstruous mortall sins therefore it is impossible for any man to keep the law I answer saith he They that say so cannot in my iudgment be excused from extream blasphemy Yet seeing it is out of ignorance they may happily obtaine pardon as the Iews did who crucifyed our Saviour Can the works the fruits of the holy Ghost be impure Hath Christ purchased to himself nothing but a filthy impure generation which can do nothing but sin and that mortally How can this but derogate from the grace wisdome of God from grace that it cannot purify the heart from filthinesse from his wisdome iustice to reward menstruous rags for so they term them with heaven Thus he So that in his iudgemens this maxime of M. Luther Calvin is not only false but also blasphemous against the merits of Christ the power of his grace 1. Cor. 7 2◠It is likwise clearly against the Scripture For S. Paul saith If a Virgin marry she sinneth not but if we believe the Presbyterians she sinneth whether she marie or marie not Christ saith of S Mary Magdalene Marc. c. 4.6 she hath wrought a good work on me But if these men speak true she wrought an evill work In a word I found their words to be against Christs words and the holy Scriptures I found also that their reasons were very vnsolid as for example when they say none doth keep the Commandments therefore none can keep them For although the antecedent were true the consequence is very false And it is iust as you would say Adam did not keept Gods Commandment in paradise Therefore he was not able by Gods grace to keep it Which is most ridiculous a false kinde of reasoning for we can do many things with the help of Gods grace which we do not S. Hierome clears this matter when writing against the Pelagians he saith God hath commanded things possible Hier. lib. 3. cont Pelag c. 1. of this no man doubts but because men do not these things that are possible therefore all the world hath need of the mercy of God Then when expresse Scripture is produced shewing that diverse haue actually kept the Commandments I haue heard some Presbyterians say that no such men are living now a dayes This they do iudging all men by themselves Of such persons S. Hierome saith Hier. in cap. 5. Math. Many iudging the Commandments of God by their own weaknesse not by the strenth of the Saints think all the Commandment of God to be impossible But if diverse kept the Commandments in the law of nature vnder the law of Moyses how much more may it be iustly thought that many haue kept them in the law of grace when the law of the Spirit reigneth when the motives of the love of God as the death passion of Christ and the like are much more efficacious then they were before his coming when these things were knowen but very obscurely At least this confession of theirs to witt that diverse are recorded in the Scriptures to haue kept the Commandments shewes that they are not absolutly impossible For this cause as would seeme the Presbyterians being pressed also with the waight of other reasons haue begun to say of late that the Commandments are not absolutly impossible but only that they are impossible to be kept perfectly But this being an ambiguous expression very apt to deceive I was desirous to know in what sense it was true in what not and in what sense the Presbyterians intend it Wherevpon a Catholique who did much assist me in this triall shew me that in this matter concerning the observation of the Commandments there may be distinguished two kinds of perfection to wit perfection in parts and perfection in degrees The first is when one having the love of God endeavoureth to keep not a part only but the whole law of God as Iosias did who turned vnto God according to all the law of Moyses To this perfection all men are obliged for he who offends in one is guilty of all as S. Iames teacheth And as all are obliged to this perfection of keeping the whole law so by Gods grace they may perform it Perfection in degrees is when the commandments are kept in the highest degree of perfection as the Angels and Saints in heaven do love obey God most perfectly Now as the commandments cannot be kept here in this life according to that highest degree of perfection so neither are they required to be kept so perfectly of vs. But they may be kept in an inferiour degree of perfection which God doth iustly exact of vs. For clearing of which matter the same Catholique shew me that there are three states of perfection containd in Scripture 1. They are called perfect who alwayes actually love God and refer all actually to his glory This state of perfection is only proper to the blessed Saints in heaven as it cannot be attaind to in this
to consider these passages which they do ordinarly bring and cote on the margent of their Confession and I found that not one of them containes in expresse words the Presbyterian article contradictory to the Papists as may appeare to any man who will read the words These passages are three and the first is in S. Iohn who saith As many as received him he gave them power to become the Sons of God who believe in his name The two others are in S. Paul Iohn ch 1. v. 12. Rom. 3.28 Rom. 5.1 who saith We conclude or as it is in the Catholique translation We account a man to be iustifyed by faith without the workes of the law And againe being iustifyed therefore by faith let vs haue peace toward God Now in none of these places can I find it written that man is iustifyed by faith only or as it is in their new Confessiō faith is the alone instrument of Iustification I find indeed that the Scripture saith there that man is iustifyed by faith but I can not find where it saith by faith only that word only or alone which is the maine point in this matter cannot be found in the Scripture albeit M. Knox in his foresaid sermon falsly pretends that it is expressed in Scripture I admired to see both our first and last Reformers after such huge pretences to want expresse Scripture for this maine article of their religion but I admired much more when I found the Catholique article which is flatly contradictory to the Protestants to be expresly in the Scriptures S. Iames saith Iames 2.21 24. Abraham our father was he not iustifyed by works offering Isaac his Son vpon the altar And again Do you see that by works a man is iustifyed and not by faith only Where S. Iames directly contradicts the doctrine of the Protestants for they say A man is not iustifyed by works but by faith only and S. Iames saith a man is iustifyed by works and not by faith only I wondered how we could brag so much that we had always the Scripture for vs against the Papists and yet when I tryed the matter I found ever hitherto the contrary as may be found by any man who will not renounce his senses of hearing and seeing But to find this in other points I did not think it so strange as in the present which is called the principal point of the Protestant religion and wherein we did so much glory against the Papists who haue much the better of vs if we will acknowledge the expresse words of Scripture and stand to them But the Presbyterians pretend that although their article be not word by word in Scripture yet the equivalent is there when S. Paul saith a man is iustifyed by faith without the works of the law which they say is all one as if he had said by faith only I found many weighty reasons against this Ministeriall glosse 1. At the beginning of their Reformation they promised vs the pure word of God and now they give vs for it their gesses or the word of man which is a weak ground of faith 2. which is yet worse Their words interpretations are in expresse termes against the word of God in another place to witt in S. Iames as we have seen 3. They affirm that all points necessary to Salvation are clearly contain'd in Scripture How comes it then that this most necessary substantial point which they call the life of Christianity is not there yea how comes it to passe that not only it is not in Scripture but the quite contrary is word by word in Scripture and that not simply affirmed but proved by many reasons examples and these who affirm the contrary are compared to Devils 4. The holy Fathers primitive Church did never vnderstand the Scriptures in that sense but in the contrary How then could I in sense considering these things make the Ministers words and interpretation which are not Scripture yea which are against Scripture and against the holy Fathers the beliefe of the primitive Church to be the principal article of my faith S. Augustin shewes that some men in the Apostles own time did misinterpret the same words of S. Paul as the Presbyterians do now and made it the ground of the same errour Aug. de gr lib. arb cap. 7. But men saith he not vnderstanding what the Apostle saith we account a man iustifyed by faith without works thought that he said faith would suffice a man albeit he live ill and have no good works Which God forbid that the vessel of election should think c. Secondly the same holy Father shewes that to roote out the errour of those who by misconstruing S. Pauls words did gather from them iustification by faith only the other Apostles did principally direct the intentions of their Epistles S. Peter saith he Aug. lib. de fide oper c. 14. knowing that some wicked men took occasion from some obscure sentences of S. Paul as being secure of their salvation which is in faith had no care to live well gave advertisment that there were some things in his epistle hard to be vnderstood which men perverted as they do the other Scriptures to their own perdition See vpon what a dangerous ground the principal article of our Reformation is founded and how dangerous also it self is But S. Iames Aug. ibid. saith S. Augustin is so highly offended with these men who think that faith without works can availe vnto salvation that he compares them even to Devils And then hauings brought these words of the Apostle Thou believest that there is one God thou dost well the Devils also beleeve tremble he subioyns Quid verius brevius vehementius dici potuit what could be said more truely more briefly efficaciously Thus S. Augustin And that he alone did not condemne this errour maintained the Catholique doctrin opposite to it Cent. Mag. cent 23. 4. 5. cap. 4. Aug haeres 54. is manifest by the Confession of the Centurists who for this cause taxe the most ancient fathers as S. Clement Origen S. Cyprian S. Hierome S. Ambrose Augustin Chrysostome many more Moreover the same S. Augustin shewes that this errour of iustification by faith only was the ancient heresy of Eunomius Iren. cont haeres c. 20. and S. Ireneus ascribes it also to Simon Magus And yet this ancient heresy against the Scripture the holy Fathers is obtruded vpon vs as the principal article of our faith by our Reformers who yet pretend to believe nothing but pure Scripture Therefore I resolued by Gods grace not to believe any longer such a wicked opinion as the principal article of my religion but vpon the contrary I intended to embrace follow the Catholique doctrin opposite to it which I found to be in expresse termes in the Scriptures which were so vnderstood and beleeved by the holy Fathers I vas much
really present in the Sacrament Although this be a most important question and is much agitated by the curiosity of carnal reason yet I was soone satisfyed in it because I was resolved by Gods grace to found my faith vpon no other ground but vpon the divine Scriptures as they were vnderstood by the ancient Church holy Fathers And therefore after a little diligence and some conference with a Catholique on this matter I found that the reall presence of Christs body in the Sacrament was conforme to the clear words of the Scriptures which were so vnderstood by the holy Fathers and which in right reason cannot be otherwise vnderstood and that God hath approved this truth by famous miracles And vpon the other part I found that the Presbyerian doctrin is against Scriptures Fathers Councels and right reason that it is an ancient heresy and so false that many Protestants do eagerly oppose it and lastly that such great confusion was in this matter among the first Apostles of this new religion that it is no wonder to see it so much multiplied among their children All which points I will briefly touch 1. The Catholiques bring expresse Scripture for the reall presence to witt the words of Institution of this holy Sacrament related by three Evangelists and one Apostle where our Saviour alwayes saith This is my body This is my blood And to know that he mean'd of his true reall body he adioyneth my body which shall be given for you and my blood which shall be shed for you Now it was his reall body which was given for them and his reall blood which was shed for them S. Iohn ch 6. Therefore it was his reall body reall blood which they received in the Sacrament Moreover S. Iohn relateth along discourse which our Saviour had to the Iewes in which he affirmes that he was the bread of life that came down from heaven And the bread which he was to give was his flesh for the life of the world and vnlesse they eate his flesh and drink his blood they should have no life in them And notwitstanding that the Iewes murmured at all these things saying How can this man give vs his flesh to eate and this is a hard saying who can heare it Yet our Saviour did with many asseverations affirm it over and over again yea and the suffered them to depart from him because they would not believe this divine mystery Now Christ is not a mocker or deceiver of men to speak one thing yea and to averre it with asseverations which are equivalent to oaths and to intend the contrary Christ is not ignorant of the vsual manner of speech Therefore since he tells the Apostles plainly that the Eucharist is his body delivered for them it must be his body as the Catholiques beleeve and cannot be not his body as the Presbyterians imagine If the Scripture be Iudge of controversies then this controversie is decyded for that Iudge to which Protestants make ordinarly their appeales hath so determined the cause against them that they dare not stand to the clear words of their Iudge in so much that some learned Protestants do confesse that the Scripture taken in the native proper and literal sense is plainly for the Catholiques against themselves and namely Morton when he speaks thus to the Catholiques If the words he certainly true in a proper and literal sense Morton deinstit Sacrament lib. 2. c. 1. then we are to yeeld to you the whole cause And therefore they are enforced to runne to their tropes figures But I found the holy Fathers making no such glosses on our Saviours clear words taking them in their proper sense S. Augustin citing these words of our Saviour this is my body Aug. in ps 33. speaks thus A man may be carried by the hands of others no man is carried in his own hands but Christ was carried in his own hands when recomeÌ„ding his body he himself said this is my body For he carried himself in his own haÌ„ds And again We receive with a faithfull heart and month Idem contr adversar legis lib. 2. c. 9. Ambros lib. 4. de Sacram cap. 4. Chrys lib. 2. de Sacerdotio Cypr. de Coena Domini the Mediator of God and man the man Iesus Christ who giveth vs his flesh to eate S. Ambrose saith clearly Before consecration it is bread but when the words of consecration come it is the body of Christ Heare him saying take eate This is my body c. S. Chrysostom saith He who sitteth above with the father in that same instant of time O miracle O the bounty of God! is touched by the hands of all and he gives himself to those who will receive and embrace him S. Cyprian The bread which our Lord gave to his Disciples being changed not in shape but in nature by the omnipotency of the word is made flesh Many more testimonies of these and of the other holy Fathers in all the first ages even vntill the time of the Apostles Concil Nicen. apud Bellar. lib. 2 de Euch. aristi c. 10. Concil Ephes apud eund lib. 2. cap. 25. may be seen collected by Coccius and Gualterus So that I found both the Scriptures Fathers giving sentence against the Presbyterians The first for the letter and the other for the sense This same truth is also confirmed by the testimonie and authority of the vniuersal Church in general Councels as the first Nicen Councel whose words Bellarmin cites The third generall Councel of Ephesus to which S. Cyrill of Alexandria did preside by which Synod the epistle of S. Cyrill to Nestorius where the real presence of Christs body in the Eucharist is contain'd was approved as it was thereafter by the fourth and fift generall Councels to speak nothing of other more late Councels Besides all these authorities it was also made evident vnto me by the light of reason that our Saviours words concerning the institution of this Sacrament cannot be but literally vnderstood For 1. the principall articles or points of our faith are not delivered in the Scriptures but in proper and clear words But this by all mens Confession is a principall mystery of our faith Therefore it is delivered in clear and plaine tearmes 2. That cannot be ascrybed to Christ without blasphemy which no reasonable or prudent man would do But no reasonable or prudent man would make his testament in obscure and figurative words for that were the high way to deceive his children heires and put them at variance Therefore since Christ at the institution of this Sacrament a little before his death was making his Testament as is manifest by his words when he calleth the Chalice Luke 20.22 the new Testament in his blood by which he left vnto his children the most precious legacie of his body for their comfort nourishment he spake properly clearly and not figuratively 3. Chrâ—st promised the Iewes
When S. Gregorie was giving the Sacrament to the people he came to a woman who smiled when he said to her the body of our Lord Iesus Christ preserue thy soule wherevpon the Pope did withdraw his hand lay'd the SacrameÌ„t on the altar After the holy solemnities were ended he enquired at the woman why she had laughed in so dreadfull an action She in end confessed that she could not acknowledge that bread which she had made with her own hands to be the body of Christ Then S. Gregorie prayed God earnestly for her and obtain'd that the bread even in external forme should be turned into flesh by which miracle he both reduced the woman vnto the faith and confirmed the people in it The faith of S. Lowis King of France Bosius li 14 de signis Eccles p. 145. ex Villanaeo an 1258. concerning this Sacrament is much celebrated For when he being advertised that a most beavtifull child had appeard in the holy Sacrament was desired to come and see this miracle he refused to goe saying that these miracles were done for these who doubted but for himself he was most certaine that Christ Iesus was truly present in the Eucharist An other such apparition was seen at Doway in the yeare 1254. continueda good time Spond suppl anno 1254. n. 16. so that great numbers of people came from diverse parts to see it and the memory of it is every yeare celebrated in that town with great solemnity By all which considerations I was sufficiently satisfyed of the Catholique belief concerning the reall presence which I found to be containd in the holy Scriptures beleeved by the holy Fathers and by general Councels and to be confirmed by miracles And therefore I could not any longer believe the Presbyterian doctrin which against all these authorities makes the body of Christ to be as far distant from the Sacrament as the heavens are from the earth 1. I perceived that they scarcely pretend to have Scripture for them but are enforced to runne from the clear words of it to their tropes figures Aug. lib. 3. de doct Christ c. 10. which S. Augustin observed long ago to be the custom of erroneous persons So soone saith he as the opinion of any errour hath once prepossessed their minds they esteeme all to be figures which the Scripture saith to the contrarie And therefore albeit the Scripture saith not once but foure times that the Eucharist is the body and blood of Iesus Christ without ever saying in any one place that it is not his body but only a figure of it they beleeve the one which it saith not and not the other which it affirmes Against them S. Iohn Damascen saith efficaciously Damas lib. 4. Orthodo fidei The bread wine is not a figure of the body blood of Christ God forbid it were that but it is the divine body of our Lord he himself saying this is my body 2. They passe from the Scriptures Fathers and found their negative faith vpon their senses and some carnal reasons Chrys homil 60. ad popul Antioch Against which vaine pretences S. Chrysostom saith well Let vs beleeve God every where let vs not oppose him although that which he saith seem absurd to our sense vnderstanding Let his speech overcome our sense and reason which in all things we ought to do cheefly in the mysteries not only looking to that which lieth before vs but also holding fast his words For we cannot be deceived by his words our sense may be easily deceived these cannot be false this is often deceived Because therefore he hath said this is my body let vs not be holden by any doubt but let vs beleeve and comprehend it wiâ—h the ey 's of of our vnderstanding Cyrill Alex. lib. 4. in Ioan c. 13. S. Cyrill speaks no lesse efficaciously against those who pretend this mystery to be against reason and impossible compareing them to incredulous Iewes A malignant minde saith he doth presently reiect as frivolous false what it doth not vnderstand yeelding to none nor thinking any thing to be aboue it self as we shall find the Iewes to have been For when it became them who had seen the divine vertue the miracles of our Saviour to receive his speech willingly and if any thing seemed difficult to have asked the resolution of him they did the quit contrarie and cryed out together against God not without great impietie How can this man give vs his flesh neither did it come into their minde that there is nothing impossible with God for since they were sensual as S. Paul speaks they could not vnderstand spiritual things and so great a mystery seemed to them to be follie But let vs make great profit by other mens sins Let us have a firme faith in these mysteries Let vs neuer speak nor think that word How That 's meerly Iudaical and the cause of great punishment Thus S. Cyrill 3. The Presbyterians do wrest our Saviours words by a figurative interpretation against all reason as hath been shewed Then I found this Presbyterian doctrin Apud Bellar. lib. 1. de Euch. cap. 1. Gualt Chronolog saecul 1. cap. 1. Elien resp ad Apolog. Bellar. c. 1. Casaub ans to Card. Peron 1. instance fol. 32. English to have been an ancient heresie of Simon Magus and Menander and thereafter of Berengarius who at his death did recant of the Albigenses and of diverse others Yea Gualterus brings some testimonies of the holy Fathers to shew that Iudas the traitor denyed the reall presence and did not believe our Saviours words in the 6. chapter of S. Iohn Lastly diverse famous Protestants have abandoned that doctrin of Calvin As Bishop Andrews who writes thus against Bellarmin We agree faith he with yow of the matter all the contention is about the manner a presence I say we believe not lesse reall then yow Casaubon made the like profession in name of King Iames of the whole Church of England And whereas I heard so much cryed out against Transubstantiation as a thing impossible and a noveltie lately introduced into the Church I found both these allegations to be false For the holy Fathers do shew both the possibility and the verity of it out of the Scriptures Cyrill Hieros Catech. 4. Mystag Ambros l. 4. de Sacram c. 4. lib. de mysterijs initiand cap. 9. S. Cyrill saith Christ changed once water into wine which is near vnto blood and is he not worthy to be believed of vs that he hath changed wine into blood S. Ambrose having shewed the power of Christs speech how by it he gave a being to the world which had no being before saith How much more then operative is it that these things which were might have a being and be converted into another Again the same holy Father calls this change a conversion of nature substance bringing examples out of the old
testament of Moyses rod turned into a serpent of water turned into blood You see then saith he that by prophetical grace nature was twise changed what shall we then say of the divine consecration it self where the words of our Saviour do operate if the speech of Elias was so prevalent that it brought down fire from heaven shall not the speech of Christ prevaile to change the species or nature of the elements Cypr. serm de de coena Domini Greg. Nys Orat. Catech. cap. 37. Damasc l. 4. Ortho fidei S. Cyprian above cited saith that the bread is changed not in shape but in nature and by the omnipotency of the wotd is made flesh S. Gregory Nyssen affirmeth that the bread wine are transelemented And S. Iohn Damascen averreth that the elements are transchanged ascribing also that change to the omnipotency of God albeit we cannot know the manner how it is done Neither is that much to be admired for the same Father saith we can hardly tell how bread and wine or water by eating drinking are turned into the substance of our body blood If we can hardly know the manner of that change which is made every day by nature how can we think to comprehend the manner of this supernatural change which is made in the divine mysteries by the omnipotent power of the God of nature These testimonies besides others shew me sufficiently both the possibility antiquity of the thing signified by transubstantiation to witt a conversion of the whole substance of the bread and wine into the substance of Christs body blood the outward formes or accidents of bread wine remaining Therefore the Presbyterians do affirm very rashly in their new Confession that this change is not only repugnant to Scripture but also to common sense and reason seing the holy Fathers who cannot with any modestie be denyed to have common sense and reason did believe and prove it both by the Scriptures reason At least I resolved to preferre alwayes the common sense of the Fathers to the private sense of the Presbyterians Then when the thing it self is clear it is great follie in some to make out cryes against the word transubstantiation which they may do as well vpon the same ground against the words Trinity Consubstantial If they receive these vpon the authority of the Church and a General Councel why not the other also vpon the same authority If the change of our Saviours figure or Countenance vpon mount Thabour be fitly called Transfiguration Math. 17. v. 2. why may not also this substantial change of the elements into his body blood be iustly called Transubstantiation yea Beza plainly confesseth that if the letter of the Scripture be followed Papistical transubstantiation is established Beza vt infra And we have seen that the letter must be followed As I saw great vnity among the Catholiques in their belief concerning the holy Sacrament so I admired to find such dissension and confusion among Protestants in so substantial a point of the Christian religion and that this confusion should have risen eVen among their chief Apostles and the first builders of their high tower of Reformation Luth. in lib. de Capt. Babyl cap de Eucha Zuing. in lib. de vera falsa relig ca. de Euc. Cal lib. 4. Instit cap. 18. For Luther teacheth that Christs body is truely and really in the Sacrament but that the substance of the bread is not changed into it and that they remayne both together Zuinglius opposed his Master and taught that the Sacrament is only a bare signe of Christs body which is not in or with the elements but only really in t he heavens Then Calvin the third Apostle came in with pretence of a third light wherewith he would illuminate the world and reform these Reformers First he taught with Zuinglius against Luther that Christs body is only really in the heavens and not in the elements Then against Zuinglius he saith that the elements are not bare signes but they exhibite vnto vs the true body blood of Christ which we eate by the mouth of faith And because it seems impossible to eate any thing remaining at so great a distaÌ„ce he telleth yow that this mysterie is vnperceptible as indeed it is in his opinion which is more hard to conceive then the belief of the Catholiques because it is impossible and hath no ground neither in Scriptures nor Fathers But as some grave Authours have ' observed Calvins opinion of the Sacrament ' differs nothing in reality from the opinion of Zuinglius except only in obscurity of words which are trimmed vp to deceive men putting them in hopes of realities but indeed giving them nothing but bare figures For which cause Luther and his Disciples do brand both Zuinglius Calvin and their successors with the infamous name of Sacramentarian heretiques We do seriously censure saith he Luth. cont artic Louan Thesi 27. Idem tom 7. Vvit f. 381. ibid fol. 382. Luther in lib de Missa priuata vnct sacerd com 7. wit om Zuingl in lib da subsidiâ— Encharsstia Tigurini tract 3. cont confes Luth. p. 61. Zuinglians all Sacramentaries as heretiques strangers from the Church of God Again I take God to witnesse the whole world that I do not agree with them nor shall ever agree with them so long as the world endureth but I shall keep my hands free from the blood of those whom these heretiques draw from Christ whom they deceive and murder He leaveth also a perpetual curse to all those who will make peace with them which curse his disciples have diligently shun'd Yea he professeth that amongst other things the Devil counselled himself to deny the real presence to which he did not give consent by reason of Christs clear words to the contrarie But what the Devil could not do in this point with the Master he performed by his Scholler Zuinglius who by his own confession learned this opinion of a Spirit in the night for which cause Luther saith that the Devil doth now ever dwell in the Zuinglians that their blasphemous breasts are insatanized supersatanized and persatanized with many other horrible expressions of which the Zuinglians say did ever a man heare such words proceed from a furious and infernal Devil Luthers Schollers do continue their Masters zeale for one of them very famous Schlussel de Theologia Cavin lib. 1. c. 20. writes that as of old Averroes the Arabian the Pagans Iewes railed at the Christians for their beleef of Christs reall presence so do now hostes abiurati testamenti filij Dei Calvinistae blaspbemi the blasphemous Calvinists the foresworne enemies of Christs tâ—stament and with the auncient Pagans they take great pleasure with poisoned and Devilish blasphemies to deface and inveigh against the receiving of Christs true body which we by Christs words defend And having shewed by all circumstances that the
be so abominable the other is no lesse detestable S. Augustin who censured so heavily the opinion of the Donatists who taught that the Church had perished every where except only among themselves as if he had foreseen this Presbyterian shift which pretends the Church had not perrished but was invisible writes thus against it Aug. de pastor c. 16. Some one may say It may be God hath other sheep but I know not where of which he taketh care but I know them not O how absurd is he vnto humane sense who imagines such things We have seen how this opinion is against the Scriptures Fathers and now in S. Augustins iudgment it 's against sense we shall see presently how it is against reason and famous Protestants All men ordinarly agree in this general notion of the Church that it is a society of people instructed in the faith of Christ governed by lawfull Pastors and having Communion together in the Christian Sacraments But if the Church were invisible there could be no instruction no governement no administration of Sacraments And hence will appear that an invisible Church is against all the ends for which God had established a Church vpon earth The first was to instruct and guide the members of the Church vnto the port of Salvation And for this end are necessary instruction in the faith administration of Sacraments which require visibility both in the Pâ—stors and in the people For invisible Pastors cannot instruct nor administrate Sacraments and therefore the Church which consists of Pastors people must be visible For as D. Humphrey saith Whilst the Ministers teach Humph Iesuit part 2 rat 3. others learn they administrate the Sacraments these receive them c. who seeth not these things is more blind then a Mâ—odiwarp But if the Church were invisible there could be no instruction consequently no faith no Sacraments so none could be directed in this invisible Church vnto the port of Salvation This sheweth that the Church must be visible at least to the members of it The second â—nd for which the Church was ordain'd was to receive the Gentils and to afford to all persons who are astray the means of salvation by entering into the Church This the Prophet Esay speaking of the Church foretold Esay 60.11 Thy gates shall be open continually day and night they shall not be shut that the strength of the Gentils may be brought vnto thee But if the Church had been invisible her gates had been worse then shut for they could never have been found to be knokt at and so the Gentils heretiques albeit never so desirous could never have entered which is against the Scriptures and goodnesse of God This reason proveth that the Church must be visible even to strangers The third end was to compose diffâ—rences which might arise among Christians according to that of our Saviour Math. 18.17 Tell the Church But had the Church been invisible she could neither have been told nor found Invisible Iudges cannot compose differences The fourth end was to oppose all errors heresies Ephes 4.11 For which cause God established Pastors in the Church to conserve the people in the true doctrine froÌ„ the circuÌ„vention of error But had the Church been invisible she could not have opposed heresies they had prevailed without coÌ„troul It there had been no Church to oppose heresies before the Protestants peep 't vp what had become of the Christian religion Surely it had been a puddle of errors or a Masse of Confusion So that this invisible Church is against all the cheef ends for which God established a Church vpon earth It is also against famous Protestants who sharply censure it Melanchton whom Luther equaleth to the Fathers Melan. in Concil Theol p. 393.394 calls it Monstruous It is necessary saith he to confesse the Church to be visible Wherevnto tendeth this monstruous speech which denyeth the visible Church It abolisheth all testimonies of Antiquity it causeth an endlesse confusion and induceth a Commonwealth of vnruly Ruffians or Atheists where no one careth for another Humph Ies par 2. rat 3. Enoch Claph in Antid schi p. â—7 D. Humphrey saith It is a manifest Conclusion that the Church ought to be conspicuous Another Protestant saith of the Puritans They affirm against the Scripture that the Church for some ages was not visible This cannot be a sound article of the Protestant religion which such Protestants so sharply censure Now we shall see how it is against Protestants principles yea and destroyes it self For they ordinarly assign two necessary marks of the Church to witt the right preaching of the word administration of the Sacraments To which the Presbyterians add their disciplin as a third mark I inquire then if this Church which some of them make invisible for 900. some for 1000. and others for 12. hundred years had preaching and Sacraments during that time or not If it had then it could not be invisible for invisible people can neither be instructed nor baptized If it had no preaching nor Sacraments then it hath been a miserable Church or rather no Church at all which wanted these two things which are necessary to constitute a Church If a famous Presbyterian Minister took occasion lately whilst he was baptizing a child on a cold winter day to say against the Anabaptists It is cold dipping to day I love not Sommer Sacraments May not any one say more iustly against the Presbyterians In many dayes an invisible Church cannot be found out I love not a Church wherein for a thowsand years above there were neither sommer nor winter Sacraments Moreover either this invisible Church had some government or it had none If it had any it could not be invisible as is evident and if that governement was Presbytâ—rian disciplin that Church had not been only visible to these who obey'd it but also very sensible to those who did not willingjy stoop to it or else it hath been very far different from the nature of our Scottish Presbytery If that invisible Church had no government then it wanted that which no society can want and without which there is no order but confusion Yea this invisible Church is such a rare device that it destroies it self For no Church albeit never so invisible can be imagined without internal faith at least Now faith coms by hearing Rom. 10.17 according to S. Paul and how shall they heare saith the same Apostle without a preacher But in an invisible Church there could be no preaching or instruction and so no faith and no faith no Church Not so much as an invisible one In a word this invisible Church which wanted preaching faith Sacraments and government hath been a miserable or rather a Chimerical Church Lastly this invisible Church doth highly disparage the Christian religion For it makes the Church of Christ of whose glory above the Synagogue of the Iewes so much is
not vsurped For he who is a iust Possessor is no Vsurper Yea he has been so far from vsurping over the Scriptures the Church c. that he has chiefly preserved them from the Vsurpations and corruptions of Heretiques And first it is shewed that he doth not vsurp over the Scriptures as the Covenanters do calumniate For he neither Vsurps over the letter nor the sense of them Not the first For both the Pope whole Catholique Church professe that they only declare that to be Scripture which they received for such from the holy Apostles and it 's by their care diligence that the letter of the Scripture has descended pure free from corruptions vnto our hands whereas it might have been altogether corrupted or totally perished for Protestants Neither do the Pope or Catholique Church vsurp over the sense of the Scriptures but they preserve that sense which is conforme to the Vanimous consent of the auncient fathers of the Primitive Church Secondly the Pope doth not vsurp over the Church because the care and charge of it was committed by Christ to S. Peter and to his Successors as we have seen and he preserves the Church from the Vsurpation of Heretiques Thirdly He doth not vsurp over the Civil Magistrate The experience of many ages in all Christians Kingdomes Common-wealths is more then sufficient to make this good to manifest the impudent falshood of the Presbyterian calumnie to the contrary Fourthly The Pope doth not vsurp over the Consciences of men but as chief Governor of the Church has lawfull authority to make Ecclesiastical Lawes which bind in Conscience as also all the iust Lawes of Kings other Civil Magistrats do bind in Conscience to which their subiects ought to obey according to that of S. Paul Be subiect not only for wrath but also for Conscience sake Rom. 13.5 And the contrary doctrin of Protestants which affirmeth that neither the Lawes of Church Kings or other Magistrates do bind in conscience is much detested by the Catholique Church and opens a broad way to all disobedience But now it will not be amisse to show how yow are destitute of all lawfull authority and deeply guilty of the same Vsurpations which yow falsly impose on others First all heretiques who go out of the Church and having no lawfull calling or authority take vpon them to be Pastors and impose their new doctrines Lawes vpon the Church are truly Vsurpers and are called Theeves by our Saviour who enter not by the doore but climb vp another way So S. Optatus speaks to the Donatists How comes it to passe Opt. lib. 2. cont Parmen saith he that you who are fighting against the Chair of Peter by your presumptions and Sacrilegious boldnesse contend to Vsurp the keies of the Kingdome to your selves Thus Luther Calvin the two chief Apostles of Protestants were Vsurpers who being private men without any lawfull calling or authority would bring in new doctrines and prescribe lawes to the whole Catholique Church And in this the Covenanting Ministers do imitate them Secondly they vsurped in particular over both the letter and sense of the Scriptures For Luther added the word Only to them in the matter of Iustification and tooke the whole Epistle of S. Iames and the Apocalypse from them Calvin also by his private Spirit made vp a new Canon not known before his time expunging many bookes avnciently received out of the Scriptures which new Rule the Covenanters follow Then for the sense they transgressed the bounds set by the Fathers reiecting the auncient sense preserved by the Catholique Church and invented new senses of their own imaginations which they enforced vpon others as divine Truths In this also you Covenanting Ministers have followed closely their footsteps For you have been no lesse fertile in inventing such new senses then active in enforceing them vpon others Thirdly your pretended Reformers were Vsurpers over the Church who having no lawfull calling nor authority tooke vpon them to be Reformers of the Church who would impose their own fancies as lawes divine Oracles on the Church who insolently would take vpon them to iudge and condemn the whole Catholique Church and who vnder pretext of Reformation have destroyed almost all that is sacred in the Church barbarously destroying many excellent Churches and Sacrilegiously vsurping and plundering the riches Ornaments of them This Luther and Calvin did at the beginning and this you have compleated in a great measure above all their progenie Fourthly you are also very guilty of Vsurpation over the Civil Magistrate The late riseing of your religion cannot furnish vs old histories but for your short time you have been prettie bussie and afford vs a good store For in our Countrey there have been only 3. or 4. Princes since your religion Began and none of them has been exempt from your Vsurpation First The Queen Regent was deposed by you from her Regency and died shortly thereafter for grief Secondly How you vsed her daughter Queen Mary Stewart it is notoriously known to the world For after you had imprisonned her enforced her to renounce her Crowne you never desisted till by persecuting of her vnto death you made her purchase a more glorious Crown and yet by your calumnies after her death augment her glory in heaven Thirdly Basili con Doron How you Vsurped over King Iames her Son he himself hath registred to your no small infamy And albeit you did not prevaile against him yet you have payed home that deficiency with Vsury to his Son the late King Charles By this may be seen whither the Pope or yow do Vsurp more over the Civil Magistrate Lastly you have been great Vsurpers over mens Consciences as may be known to passe by all other instances by your furious vrgeing this same Covenant vpon many Protestants against their Consciences for which they give you the Title of Soule-Tyrants By all which may be seen that you are very guilty of the same Vsurpations which you falsly obiect to others SECTION V. That the Lawes of the Catholique Church are not Tyrannous nor her doctrin concerning the Scriptures and office of Christ erroneous AFTER you have renounced the Popes authority as vnlawfull then yow renounce his Lawes as Tyrannous and the doctrin of the Catholique Church concerning the Scriptures the office of Christ as Erroneous For thus you speak in your Covenant We detest all his Tyrannous Lawes made vpon indifferent things against our Christian libertie His Erroneous doctrin against the sufficiency of the written word the perfection of the Law the office of Christ and his blessed Evangel If you renounce all lawes made vpon indifferent things pretending that they are against your Christian libertie then you renounce the most part of all Lawes both Civil and Ecclesiastical which are ordinarly vpon such matters and in a certain manner restrain libertie Then you may renounce also the Lawes of the Apostles Acts 15. for
last section is sufficient where the Scots are said to have become praestaÌ„tissimi omniuÌ„ Christiani c. which had filled the Christian world with the fame of their piety and zeal for propagating the eternal Kingdome of Christ To the which Confession and ancient VNIFORM Religion We without any constraint of men but meerly for the love of Truth in Hope of Eternal Reward though with imminent danger of Temporal losses doe most m m As it is evident that these who embrace the Catholique faith in Scotland where it is persecuted doe it willingly so it is manifestly known that many were constrained to take the Covenant and so did not willingly agree to it See above ch 4. p. 26. and sect 1. p. 417. WILLINGLY agree in our whole hearrs as vnto Gods n n The Catholique faith is so vndoubted Truth that it is altogether vnalterable with the Catholiques But ths Protestant Faith cannot be vndoubted Truth seing it is so often altered by Protestants see p. 430. in fine VNALTERABLE Truth grounded only vpon his o o The Catholiques beleeve all Gods reveal'd word whether vnwritten or written according to the expresse command of the written word Hold the Traditions 2. Thess 2.15 But the Presbyterians against the written word reiect all Traditions REVEALED word And therefore we renounce all sects and Heresies contrary vnto it But especially the PRESBYTERIAN sect and all the points thereof as they are now and have been anciently condemned by the p p How the Presbyterian sect albeit it preteÌ„ds the word of God as all Heretiques do ordinarly preteÌ„d is notwithstanding coÌ„demned by the word of God by the holy Catholique Church which is of far greater Authority then the Presbyterian Kirk of â—cotland may be seen almost every where in the former Treatises word of God and by the HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH But particularly we reiect the VNPARALLELD INSOLENCY of that Calvinistical q q As it has been shewed above sect 4. p. 432. that the Pope is the Vicar of Iesus Christ and therefore not Anti Christ so also all who do not belong to him belong not to Christ but to Anti Christ and therefore are Anti Christian So S. Hierom expresly affirmeth ibid. p. 437. ANTI-CHRISTIAN Sect vpon both the r r Calvin vsurped oveâ— the letter of the Scriptures by making vp a new Canon never known before And he vsurped over the sense of them by reiecting the ancient sense of the holy Fathers and by inventing new senses according to his private fancies So do also his Disciples the Presbyterian Ministers So did likewise Luther most grosly see p. 439. LETTER and SENSE of the holy Scriptures vpon the Å¿ Å¿ Calvin did vsurp over the holy Catholique Church who having no lawfull authority would take vpon him to reforme the Church to iudge and condemn her to prescribe his own fancies as divine Rules vnto her So do also the Presbyterians See p. 440. HOLY CATHOLIQVE CHVRCH vpon their own t t The Presbyterians in Scotland have had but 4. Princes since their religion began and they have vndenyably vsurped highly over them all as may be seen p. 440. and 41. LAWFVLL PRINCES and Superiors and their Tyrannizing over the u u How they Tyrannized over the consciences of their fellow subiects is notoriously known and may be seen chap. 4. p. 26. CONSCIENCES of their fellow-subiects x x These who vnder pretence of Christian liberty disobey iust Lawes such as are the Lawes of the Catholique Church which were also observed in the primitive times as these about lent fasting the single life of Church men c. make their freedome a cloke of malice against S. Peters advice 1. Pet. 2.13 and an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5.13 see above p. 454. 455. All their LICENTIOVS Exemptions from obedience to iust Lawes vnder pretence of Christian libertie to cloke INIQVITIE and give occasioÌ„ to the FLESH Their DESTVCTIVE Doctrin against the necessity of the y y The Presbyterians destroy all Traditions against the expresse Scripture See above p. 445. and 6. VNWRITTEN word expresly commended by the written word z z They teach that it is impossible even with Gods grace to keep his Law in observation whereof all perfection substantially consists and so indeed they destroy the end and perfection of the Law see above ch 13. 14. and sect 5. p. 448. against the FVLFILLING of the Law without which there is no PERFECTION against the Triple a a They destroy the office of Christ as King by spoyling him of the Kingdome of his Church for many ages They destroy his Priestly office by abrogating the dayly sacrifice and his Prophetical by denying the accomplishment of his Prophesies concerning his Churches continuance and Visibility see above p. 449. OFFICE of Christ as he is KING PRIEST and PROPHET which is a manifest corruption of the blessed Evangel Their corrupted Doctrine of b b Calvin teacheth that Original sin still remaines in vs even after Baptism and that it defiles before God what ever works proceed from vs and so makes theÌ„ mortal sins which doctrine the Presbyterians follow as may be seen above with more to this purpose p. 451. 454. ORIGINAL sin which makes their BEST actioÌ„s MORTAL sins Our c c The Presbyterians graunt such a natural inhability that they deny all supernatural ability in man to keep Gods Law even with the assistance of all his Grace which is a most dangerous corrupted doctrine as may be seen above p. 454. more fully ch 13. 14. of Presb. Trial. SVPERNATVRAL ABILITY and dutiefull SVBIECTION to Gods Law Our Iustification by d d They make Iustification by faith only the principal article of their Reformation and deny Iustification by works expresly against the Scripture Iames 2.124 and the holy Fathers See above ch 14. p. 157. WORKS Our e e They make our sanctification so imperfect that we cannot by it think so much as a good thought or do any thing but sin mortally and still disobey Gods Commandments so that such sanctification is rather profanation and such Obedience is Disobedience See above p. 455. PERFECT SanctificatioÌ„ and Obedience through Christs Grace vnto the Law The f f They have corrupted the Nature of the Sacraments by denying that they were ordaind to conferre Grace by making them only signs and Tokens They have corrupted the number by taking away 5. Sacraments and the vse by abrogating both private Baptisme Communion besides both the publique and private vse of others See above p. 458. seq and before ch 18. Presb. Trial. NATVRE NVMBER and VSE of the Holy Sacraments Their two g g By denying the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist which they admitt to conferre Grace They make them Gracelesse and so indeed Bastard Sacraments since the Sacraments of the Law of Grace were instituted to conferre Grace Above p. 467. before
p p How the Presbyterian sect albeit it pretēds the word of God as all Heretiques do ordinarly pretēd is notwithstanding cōdemned by the word of God by the holy Catholique Church which is of far greater Authority then the Presbyterian Kirk of cotland may be seen almost every where in the former Treatises word of God AND KIRK OF SCOTLAND But in special we detest and refuse the VSVRPED AVTHORITY of that Roman q q As it has been shewed above sect 4. p. 432. that the Pope is the Vicar of Iesus Christ and therefore not Anti Christ so also all who do not belong to him belong not to Christ but to Anti Christ and therefore are Anti Christian So S. Hierom expresly affirmeth ibid. p. 437. ANTI-CHRIST Vpon the r r Calvin vsurped ove the letter of the Scriptures by making vp a new Canon never known before And he vsurped over the sense of them by reiecting the ancient sense of the holy Fathers and by inventing new senses according to his private fancies So do also his Disciples the Presbyterian Ministers So did likewise Luther most grosly see p. 439. SCRIPTVRES of God the ſ ſ Calvin did vsurp over the holy Catholique Church who having no lawfull authority would take vpon him to reforme the Church to iudge and condemn her to prescribe his own fancies as divine Rules vnto her So do also the Presbyterians See p. 440. KIRK the t t The Presbyterians in Scotland have had but 4. Princes since their religion began and they have vndenyably vsurped highly over them all as may be seen p. 440. and 41. CIVIL MAGISTRATE and u u How they Tyrannized over the consciences of their fellow subiects is notoriously known and may be seen chap. 4. p. 26. CONSCIENAES of men All his x x These who vnder pretence of Christian liberty disobey iust Lawes such as are the Lawes of the Catholique Church which were also observed in the primitive times as these about lent fasting the single life of Church men c. make their freedome a cloke of malice against S. Peters advice 1. Pet. 2.13 and an occasion to the flesh Gal. 5.13 see above p. 454. 455. TYRANNOVS Lawes made vpon indifferent things against our Christian libertie His ERRONEOVS Doctrin against the SVFFICIENCIE of the y y The Presbyterians destroy all Traditions against the expresse Scripture See above p. 445. and 6. VVRITTEN word the PERFECTION of the Law the OFFICE of Christ and his blessed Evangel His corrupted Doctrine concerning b b Calvin teacheth that Original sin still remaines in vs even after Baptism and that it defiles before God what ever works proceed from vs and so makes thē mortal sins which doctrine the Presbyterians follow as may be seen above with more to this purpose p. 451. 454. ORIGINAL sin Our NATVRAL INHABILITY REBELLION to Gods Law Our Iustification by d d They make Iustification by faith only the principal article of their Reformation and deny Iustification by works expresly against the Scripture Iames 2.124 and the holy Fathers See above ch 14. p. 157. FAITH ONLY Our e e They make our sanctification so imperfect that we cannot by it think so much as a good thought or do any thing but sin mortally and still disobey Gods Commandments so that such sanctification is rather profanation and such Obedience is Disobedience See above p. 455. IMPERFECT Sanctification and Obedience to the Law The f f They have corrupted the Nature of the Sacraments by denying that they were ordaind to conferre Grace by making them only signs and Tokens They have corrupted the number by taking away 5. Sacraments and the vse by abrogating both private Baptisme Communion besides both the publique and private vse of others See above p. 458. seq and before ch 18. Presb. Trial. NATVRE NVMBER and VSE of the holy Sacraments His five g g By denying the two Sacraments of Baptisme and the Eucharist which they admitt to conferre Grace They make them Gracelesse and so indeed Bastard Sacraments since the Sacraments of the Law of Grace were instituted to conferre Grace Above p. 467. before that ch 18 Pres. Trial p. 194. BASTARD SACRAMENTS with all his h h They not only not practise the Venerable Rites Ceremonies of the Catholique Church which were vsed in the Primitive times as may be seen in Coccius tom 2. Thesau Cathol but also they condemn them See p. 464. RITES CEREMONIES and false Doctrines added to the Ministration of the true Sacraments without the word of God His CRVELL Iudgement against Infants dying WITHOVT the Sacrament His absolute Necessity of Baptisme His l l The opinion of Calvin and his Disciples is that Christs body is only really in the Heavens and yet it is also really to the soule of the Receivers by faith which he calls iustly a Mysterie vnperceptible as it is indeed a Chimera made vp of contradictions whereas the Catholique beleef of the real presence or Transubstantiation is so firmly grounded in the Scriptures that Beza confesseth if Christs Words be taken literally as it has been proved above they must be Popish Transubstantiation doth necessarly follow See above pag. 240. 41. and 43. BLASPHEMOVS OPINION of TRANSVBSTANTIATION or real PRESENCE of Christs body IN the the Elements and receiving of the same by the WICKED or BODIES of men His m m Their first Reformers brake their Solemn Oaths and Vowes without all Dispensations p. 469. And the Presbyterians have made many to periure themselves by enforceing them to take the Covenant against their Consciences They allow also Marriages in degrees forbidden by the Catholique Church for the people often marries among them in the second third and 4. degree without all Dispensations See also above that it is a false calumnie that the Catholique Church dispenseth in degrees forbidden by the Law of Christ p. 470. DISPENSATIONS with solemn OATHS PERIVRIES and DEGREES of Marriage forbidden in the word His n n They cruelly allow Marriages to the divorced against the doctrine of Christ his Apostles and the holy Fathers which S. Augustin saith are not Marriages but Adulteries see above p. 470. 471. CRVELTIE against the innocent divorced His o o The holy Masse which chaseth away Divels as S. Augustin testifies above p. 475 cannot be Devilish but the abrogation of it is Devilish besides other reasons because Luther confessed that the Devil did instigate him to it See above p. 476. and the whole 8. section DEVILISH MASSE His p p If it be blasphemy to raile against the sacred order of Priesthood of which order Christ himself is the High eternal Priest And against the holy Sacrifice offered vp by that holy order besids other points of the Catholique faith revealed by Christ then our Presbyterian Ministery is deeply guilty of blasphemy See p. 477. 4. See above how S. Augustin calls this a holy
very slender and the number of knowing and willing Presbyterians scarcely considerable for now when force hath fail'd them many are dayly falling from them As I found the Presbyterians destitute of all authority to backe their new glosses so I perceiv'd their reasons and Consequences to be meer Sophismes as this which they wrest out of our Saviours words in S. Mathew above cited doth shew Christ say they forbids ruleing among the Apostles as the Princes of the Gentiles vsed over their Subiects saying It shall not be so among yow but whosoever will be the greater among you let him be your servant c. Therefore say they none ought to be greater then an other but all equal And from this equality they inferre that there ought to be a Presbytery Which is as ridiculous as if yow would say the King or Supreme Magistrate forbids all domineering or Tyrannizing of his subordinate Iudges such as is vsed among the Turks Therefore he forbids all Superiority of one over an other and makes all his Iudges equall whereas indeed there followes no more but that he forbiddeth Turkish Tyranny After the same manner Christ forbids among the Apostles Heathenish Tyranny but not lawfull and Christian Superiority Yea doth not Christ propound himself for an example in the same place and was not Christ Superiour to the Apostles Therefore it 's evident he only requireth there greater humility in those who were to be in greatest dignity as S. Hierom writing on this place doth observe So that our Saviours words here are so far from inferring an equality that they necessarly suppose an inequality of Pastours And if such Presbyterian consequences were admitted they might vpon the same ground bring in a Levelling in the Civil as wel as in the Ecclesiastical Estate Yea they would destroy their Presbyteries which they would have only to stand as the Independents do reason well against them For it 's much lesse lawfull for tuentie or many to Domineer over their brethren as the Presbyterians have done and would do then for one of worth vertue to have exercise Christian Superiority and Iurisdiction As the old Protestants do shew the falshood of the Presbyterians first consequence by which they would wrest from our Saviours words an equality of Pastours so the Independents and other new Protestants do shew the falshood of their second consequence by which they would infer from that suppos'd equality the governement of their Presbytery For these new Congregations do admit equality and yet will not heare of Presbytery The like insufficiency may be shewed of their glosses and consequences vpon that place of S. Paul to Timothee where he speaks of Presbytery from which they would most ridiculously infer parity of Pastours and the whole platforme of their disciplin with the power of their Soveraigne Iudicatory which they call Presbytery All which glosses and consequences are not only against the sense of the holy Fathers and of the ancient Church but also against the sense and interpretation of almost all the old and new Protestants which is sufficient to shew them to be false and groundlesse And therefore for brevities sake we will not insist longer in refutation of them This only may be observed by the way that the Presbyterians are brought to a hard straight when for all their disciplin which they bragge is so clearly in Scripture they are enforced to run to one word and that also they must Etymologize and vnderstand against the sense of all Christian Nations and Ages But albeit the Presbyterian disciplin cannot be found in the Scripture nor Fathers nor cannot by any right reason be drawen from them yet perhaps it may be good in it self and a heavenly thing Well then we shall according to to our Saviours rule try it briefly by its fruits It made indeed great promises of it selfe and had some faire floorishes but the fruits did not answer to expectation neither were they proportionable to the great labour that was bestowed in planting nor to the aboundance of blood that was shed for watering that vnhappy tree Among many high commendations of Presbytery which are collected in the 34. chap. of the Survey of the holy Disciplin it was said in Queen Elyzabeths time The want of Presbytery is the cause of all evil It 's not to be hoped that any Commonwealth can floorish without it Without this disciplin there can be no right religion These who reiect this disciplin refuse Christ to raigne over them At the beginning also of these troubles in Scotland the people were fed with large promises of the good of Presbytery For then it was said that all Prelatical pride and Tyranny should cease all innovations should haue an end the purity of the Gospel should be restored and all blissings should be poured downe with Presbytery vpon this Nation These were the promises floorishes of Presbytery but the fruits have proved iust contrary For there was never more yea hardly ever such pride and Tyranny never more Innovations never greater miseries and calamities and never lesse solid religion and more inclination to Atheisme as may appeare by reflecting on what hath been said above It cannot be denyed whatsoever the Government of the Church be but our Saviour doth require mecknesse and humility in the Governours of it and yet the Covenanters in the iudgement of many haue carried themselves as if Christ had not required these vertues but rather the contrary vices Therefore many of the wiser sort of those in England who were weary of Episcopacy after they had taken a short Triall of Presbytery soone smeld out the nature of it and finding they had changed for the far worst and that their Consciences were oppress'd by more heavy Task-masters they did quickly cast off that heavy yoke and so finding out a third way of Independency haue many wayes since that time both outwitted and over throwen the Presbyterians by their owne weapons To conclude this matter I found after a serious triall that Superiority of Pastours is conforme both to the old and new Testament that Episcopacy is so far from being Anti-Christian and against Gods word that it is most Christian and expresly contain'd in the word of God which was so vnderstoode by the holy Fathers and that this was the governement of the primitive Church in the purest times when the office of a Bishop was not so much a place of honour as a worke of labour and the next degree to Martyr-dome as is evidēt in the Bishops of Rome thritie of which and above did successively after S. Peter shed their blood for Christ And vpon the other part I could not find parity of Ministers and the new disciplin in the Scriptures but rather I found that it was against Scripture against the holy Fathers and the whole primitive Church against sound reason and good governement against many Protestant Churches the learnedest men of that profession and against the practise of our first Reformers and
conclude this point I found clearly that the Creed hath been alwayes held to be is Apostolique that it is the foundation perfect rule of the Christian faith that it is a worke worthy of the holy Apostles that it is such a strong heavenly fabricke that it cannot be overthrowen by no stormes nor tempests by no force nor violences and that it overcomes all heresies that the ancient custome of saying it publickly at Baptisme and often privatly and dayly is most laudable and profitable to Christian people And vpon the other part I found that the Presbyterians by denying the Cred to be Apostolique haue denyed the foundation clear rule of the Christian faith most vnreasonably haue worne out both the publick private vse of it And that they compleated their new Raformation when they not only reiected the Creed but obtruded the Covenant in place of it And lastly I found that as the Presbyterians new doctrin in this matter is most erroneous and presumptuous so that all their endeavours have proved vaine frivolous For that fortresse of faith which was built by the holy Apostles of lively stones heavenly pearles as Ruffinus speaks hath held out stronger tempests then the Presbyterians weake blasts and therefore it still stands immoveable Whereas the Babel of their Covenant which they were so diligently building and vpon which they could never get the Capstone as they often regrated hath ended in Confusion and in a short space hath come to ruine Now all these things being considered I refer my self to any man voyde of passion if I could reasonably much lesse Christianly exchange the pearles of the Apostles Creed for the drosse of the Presbyterians Covenant CHAP. XI Of the Article of Christs Descent to Hell perverted by the Presbyterians AFTER that the Presbyterians had thus endeavoured to shake the authority of the Apostles Creed least peradventure their small authority might not prevaile against all Christianity what they could not get effectuated by denying the letter they laboured to performe by corrupting the sense and especially of that article Short Cotech Vv st in fine He descended into Hell For in their new Catechismes they interline or put on the margent this glosse with it He descended into Hell that is He continued in the state of the dead and vnder the power of Death till the third day I Observed that although we had and said the words of the Creed before the Covenant began yet we did not know the true sense of it in this and some other articles albeit as S. Augustin shewes it was made plaine short that it might serve the capacity vnderstanding memory of the simple For there was a great quarrelling before these greater troubles among some of the Ministers for the sense of these words He descended into Hell Some publickly taught that they behoved to be literally vnderstood of a real and local descent others of the preciser sort called that a Papistical interpretation against which they did most sharply inveigh and taught according to Calvin that the sense of them was that Christ did suffer in his Soule the horrible torments of a coÌ„demned and forsaken man which glosse was called by the former Ministers a horrible blasphemy To come then to the true sense of this article about which there was such contrariety among the Ministers I had my recourse to the holy Scriptures Fathers and I found that there was scarcely any article of our faith more clearly contain'd in the Scriptures and more vnanimously avowed by the holy Fathers who brand those who do not believe it literally with the name of Infidels And lastly I found that diverse grosse wayes have been devised by the Ministers since their pretended Reformation to pervert and obscure it and when the falshood of one is discovered they alwayes find out an other but will never embrace the true sense of it The light of reason doth shew to every Christien that it is not sufficient for mans Salvatian to hold the words of the Creed but it is necessary also to follow the true sense of it This the holy Fathers do teach who shew likwise that as Heretiques ever endeavoured to pervert the true sense of the Creed so the true Church doth ever retaine maintaine it S. Cyril with the Alexandrin Synod writes to this purpose to Nestorius Who pretended to believe the Nicen Creed yet denyed the blessed Virgin to be the Mother of God Cyril Alex. cum Syn. Alex. epist 10. ad Nestor Aug. tom 3. de fide Symb c. 1 It 's not sufficieÌ„t saith he that you professe with vs the Symbol of faith c. For you do not vnderstand nor expound it rightly but rather perversly although you Confesse the words of it with your tongue S. Augustin also saith to the like purpose Vnder the few words contained in the Symbol many Heretiques haue endeavoured to hide their poisons to whom the Divine mercy hath resisted and doth resist by spirituall men who haue not only merited to believe and receive the Catholique faith in these words but also by the revelation of God to vnderstand know it So the Presbyterians although they have denyed the Creed yet vnder the words of it they endeavour to hide their poisons Although the article of Christs descent to Hell were not in the Creed which is a clear and easy rule of faith that ought to be plainly and literally vnderstood yet it is so clearly in the Scripture that it cannot be denyed without wresting of it S. Peter in his first Sermon doth apply vnto Christ Psal 15. v. 9 10. a prophesie of Dauid in the 15 Psasme which saith My heart hath been glad my tongue hath reioyced my flesh also shall rest in hope For thou wilt not leave my Soule in Hell neither wilt thou suffer thine holy One to see corruption â—cts 2.30.31 After S. Peter hath proved that this Prophely cannot be vnderstood of the Prophet Dauid he sheweth that Dauid mean't of Christ in these words Whereas therefore he was a Prophet c. forseeing he spake of the resurrection of Christ For neither was he left in Hell neither did his flesh see corruption There is both the old new Testament fot this truth The Prophet Dauid foretelling and the Apostle S. Peter expounding and shewing the fulfilling of it to witt that Christs soule was not left in hell neither did his flesh see corruption What can be reasonably more required by any Christian Aug. epist ad Exod. 99. But let vs heare S. Augustin so vnderstanding it That our Lord saith he being mortifyed in the flesh did goe into Hell is very certaine For that prophecy which saith Thou wilt not leave my Soule in Hell cannot be contradicted which least any man should presume to vnderstand otherwise the same Peter doth expound it in the Acts of the Apostles c. And then he concludes in these words Quis ergo nisi
which is erected vpon it But all these lies calumnies false accusations and railings can prevaile nothing against the Church which may say truly as the Prophet David foretould of her Psal 128.1 seq How often have they impugned me from my youth How often have they impugned me But they have not prevailed against me Sinners have built vpon my back they have prolonged their iniquity Our iust Lord will cut the necks of sinners Let them all be confounded and turned back which hate Sion S. Chrysostom writing on these words of the psalme The Queen stood at thy right hand said truly and excellently of her The Church is opposed Chrysost ver 10. Psal 44. and overcomes being pursued by snaires she gets the vpper hand being provoked with wrongs and reproches she is made more illvstrious She is hurt but yields not to the print of the woūds how ever she be tossed she is not overwhelmed She endures great tempests and yet for all that suffers no shipwrack she wrestles but is not thrown down Thus he Thererefore this cloud of the Ministers calumnie to witt that the Catholique Church had changed the doctrin of Christ brought in corruptions which is the very same which all heretiques have vsed the new Arians vse to this day being dispelled I am confident that by Gods grace you see now the admirable light of the Catholique Church and therefore abandoning the darknesse of all error will walk in this light by which all the Saints have attain'd vnto the light of heaven To this effect with many more words spake the Catholique After I had diligently considered all these things the heads of which were given me in writing I did not only by Gods grace see with my vnderstanding the truth of the Catholique Church but also I was bent with my will to follow embrace it laying aside many worldly difficulties which only stood in my way And having heartily thanked my Catholique friend by whose paines charity I had received so much help I earnestly desired that for the accomplishment of the work he would assist me to consider how the true Church may be known by these 4. notes which are contain'd in the Nicen Creed and which he briefly touched above to which he willingly condescended shewing me that any man who believes the Scripture may find the true Church so manifestly there described by these properties that he may easily find her out or rather clearly see her so that S. Augustin saith Aug. conc 2. in psal 30. de vnite Eccl c. 5. lib. 1. ad Cres c. 33. The Scriptures speake more obscurly of Christ then of the Church that they are so clear for the Church that by no shift of false interpretation they can be avoided that the impudence of any forehead that will stand against such evidence is confounded and that it is prodigious blindnesse not to see which is the true Church I shall collect briefly the summe of our conferences in this matter CHAP. XXXII The true Church proved from the Scriptures first by her Vnity AS the great dissensions of our Ministers furnished to me the first occasions of my doubting that their Church could not be the true Church so the very light of Nature did shew me that the true Church being the work of God must have Vnity For what more belongs to the house of God which ought to be a house of Order then Vnity what more fitting for his Kingdom which must endure for ever then Vnity which tends to preservation what more vnbeseeming them then disorder division which at length produces ruine destruction The Scripture is full of clear testimonies to this purpose as where it is said of the Church My Dove is one my beloved is one Cant. 6. and it 's called by our Saviour one sheepfold Iohn 10 16. S. Paul doth also excellently shew the vnity of the Church in which are diverse functions by the Vnity of mans body in which are diverse members but all animated with one Spirit as the whole Church is quickned by one faith For else where he saith There is one Lord Ephes 4.5 one faith one baptism But of these other passages of Scripture which were brought there was one which had a special influence vpon me and that was our Saviours prayer in the 17. of S. Iohn where after he had prayed most earnestly for the Vnity of his Apostles he prayes also for the Vnity of the whole Church Iohn 17 20. saying Neither pray I for those alone but for them also who shall beleeve in me through their word That they all may be one as thou Father art in me and I in thee that they also may be One that the world may beleeve that thou hast sent me I did seriously ponder this reason which our Saviour brings to obtain his desire which was much vrged also by the Catholique who shew me that our Saviour declared thereby the vnity of his Church should be so admirable that the world should be moued thereby to beleeve that he was the Son of God a true Prophet sent from heaven as some Fathers have also obserued Therefore it 's evident by the Scripture that the true Church must have Vnity Apud Maldonat in hunc locum and that that cannot be the true Church of Christ which wants it And if we shall speak of the holy Fathers they are so much for this Vnity of the Church that some of them have written whole Treatises concerning it Now it is no lesse evident both to sense and reason that this Vnity agrees better to the Church in Communiō with the Sea of Rome then to the Protestant Churches or rather it agrees fully to the one and not at all to the other For who may not see by the manifold Schismes Divisions which are now among Protestants all other Sectaries as well in Doctrine as Government which we have touched above and which do dayly augment that the Protestant Churches have no Vnity Shortly after Luthers rising the Protestant Church was divided into three principal sects to witt the Lutherans Calvinists Zuinglians that we may speak nothing of the Anabaptists and Libertins But now their divisions have so multiplyed that they can hardly be numbred And these divisions are not only great for the matter being in some principal points of doctrin but also have been very great for the manner For thereby diverse Protestants have kild and destroy'd one another made bloody warres and overturned kingdome Commonwealths So that if there were no other Christian Church but the Protestant the world could not be moved by the Vnity thereof to beleeve that Christ was sent from heaven or had been a divine Architect who had built such a Babel of Confusion But if laying aside rancour preiudice we will cast our eyes vpon the Church in Communion with the sea of Rome this Vnity appears wonderfully in her For how
511. 512. Baptizing of Bells Coniuring of Spirits CROSSING sauing anointing coniuring HALLOVVING of Gods good Creatures with the superstitious opinion ioyned therewith His worldly 22 22 How the Presbytery domineered over all sorts of persons may be seen above ch 4. and 5. of Presb. Triall 23. Their severity cruelty may be seen ibid. MONARCHIE and wicked HIERARCHIE 23 His three Solemn 24 24 Their solemn League Covenant which intended the setling of Presbytery in all the 3. Kingdomes is not such a work of perfection as are the 3. Solemn Vowes of chastity poverty Obedience which they here abiure and which their first Reformers Vowed but did not keep And therefore their Solemn League may be better renounced then the three Solemn Vowes abiured VOVVES with all his SHAVELINGS of Sundry sorts His corrupted and bloudy Decrees made at TRENT with all the Subscribers and Approvers of that cruell and bloudy Band coniured against the Kirk of God And finally we detest all his 25 25 See above pag. 229. 242. how by Trops and figures the clear words of Christs institution of the holy Sacrament are perverted by them against the sense of the holy Fathers and of the auncient Church Vain Allegories Rites Signs and 26 26 Their denying of privat baptism is a Presbyterian Tradition derived from Calvin as may be seen above p. 212. without or rather against the word of God and the practice of the auncient Church The same may be also said of their denying private Communion c. Traditions brought in the Kirk without or against the word of God and Doctrin of this true 27 27 As the Catholique Church is only the true Church of Christ so S. Cyprian has observed that all heretiques like Apes do take vpon them the name and falsly Vindicate to themselves the authority of the Church Cypr. Epist ad Iubaian REFORMED Kirk To the which we ioyn our selves willingly in Doctrin Faith Religion Disciplin and vse of the holy Sacraments as lively members of the same in Christ our Head 29 29 As the Catholique Church remaines constant in her doctrin and government so the Scottish Protestant Church has been very inconstant for it has changed diverse doctrines and very sensibly its disciplin three or foure times since the beginning of their pretended Reformation so that a man cannot wisely swear constant obedience to such an vnconstant Church See above ch 2. and 7. of Presb. Trial. Promising swearing by the Great Name of the Lord our God that we shall continue in the obedience of the Doctrin Disciplin of this Kirk and shall defend the same according to our Vocation power all the dayes of our lives vnder the paines contained in the Law and danger both of Body and soule in the Day of Gods fearfull iudgement 30 30 As it is a malicious calumnie to say that any Catholique is stirred vp by the Pope to deny and abiure the Catholique religion against his conscience vpon hope of the Popes Dispensation So it is a known truth by diverse fresh experiences that many Catholiques have been stirred vp by the Presbyterian Ministers for feare of their Excommunications and the Confiscation of their Estates which followed therevpon to swear and subscribe the Covenant against the light of their Consciences as was well known to the said Ministers which may be seen above p. 414. and 15. And seing many are stirred vp by Sathan and that ROMAN ANTI-CHRIST to promise swear subscribe and for a time vse the holy Sacraments of the Kirk deceitfully against their own Consciences minding thereby first vnder the external cloak of Religion to corrupt subvert secretly Gods true Religion within the Kirk and afterwards when time may serve to become open Enemies and Persecutors of the same vpon VAIN HOPES of the Popes DISPENSATION devised against the word of God to his greater confusion and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord Iesus 31 31 All these to whom God has made the light of Truth to shine ought to be thankfull for so great a benefit and never commit so great ingratitude as to abandon it for worldly respects How much more ought they to abhorre from taking the Covenant which makes even some Protestants hearts to stand which containes so many grosse vntruths as we have seen above which is not only a Denial but an Abiuration ioynd with horrible blasphemies of almost all the points of the Catholique faith wee therefore willing to take away all suspicion of Hypocrisy and double dealing with God his Kirk protest and call the Searchers of all hearts forwitnesse that our minds and hearts do fully agree with this our Confession promise Oath Subscription So that we are not moved for any 32 32 See above in the first section this last grosse vntruth of the Covenant p. 416. worldly respect c. FINIS Soli Deo Honor Gloria