your own Testimony alone which is to bear Witness of your self But he that gives Testimony of himself his testimony is not true Joh. 8.13 That is is not to be esteemed true unless by some other way he can prove it For Example These Calvinists cannot prove by other ways that they have this private Spirit but would have us believe them upon their bare word and naked assertion whereby they affirm to know it secretly Therefore there is no reason why they should be credited but rather there is great reason why all should be disbelieved for the Spirit of God cannot be contrary to it self but they are contrary to themselves and others also Therefore they are not guided by the Spirit of God And hereunto and this also pertaining to their fraud and deceitful Machinations and Contrivances they revolted from the Antient Faith which had flourished so many Ages and they embraced these New Religions Their Princes according to the custom of the Church received from the time of Constantine the Great would compel them to return to the Antient Religion which sometimes they professed and forsake their Novelties For which cause they rail against Catholick Princes and accuse them of Tyranny call them Enemies of the Gospel and over all the World raise envy against them as those that would do violence to their Consciences against their Eternal Salvation And lastly under colour of this Liberty they raise Sedition and wage War against them But when themselves God permitting it for our sins get possession of our Goods or Estates they grant no Liberty to Catholicks but raise bitter persecutions against them and force them with divers Torments and Confiscation of their Goods to desert their Ancient Religion and embrace the New which they never learned which never had any Name but of their Sect which they owe nothing unto which they never saw confirmed by any rational Arguments but on the contrary condemned by the Church in all the Christian World with the greatest and most-weighty Reasons Is this to deal sincerely candidly and equitably Is not this the Society of Lyons whose Right consists in their Power and Strength who make and unmake Laws for their Interest And what Tyranny of Conscience can be compared to this In the Church none are ever compelled to the Catholick Faith but those who formerly professed it nor they neither but after a lawful and full Proof and Conviction to which the Deserters cannot Answer But these New Reformers compel those that never professed their Novelties and before they have convinced them of Errour In which thing they act against their own Doctrine For they teach that Man has no Free-will but all things are done by the Divine impulse and decree which none can resist and that God infuseth Faith into his Elect only By what Law then do they inforce Catholicks to believe them since it is not in their power Again since the whole cause of believing according to their Decrees is reduced to the Testimony of the private Spirit they do very unjustly in forcing Catholicks to believe them not only against the Testimony of the private Spirit but also against the Testimony of the publick Spirit of the Universal Church For it is certain out of the Scriptures that the Church is governed by the Spirit of God and therefore cannot err but yet this is in no manner certain of private Men. The Eighth Reason from their overthrow of Good Works THat Religion which takes away all Practice of Good Works is not to be imputed to Christ who every where commends Good works and the Observation of God's Commandments But the Religion of Luther and Calvin takes away all desire of Good works therefore neither of them is to be esteemed the Religion of Christ That these two Religions take away all desire of Good works is manifest First Because both teach That Man with all his Good Works is never the juster before God never the more deserves Eternal Reward and shall receive neither more or less Glory in Heaven for doing but a few or many or no Good Works at all That God regards Man only for his Faith That all Justice is contained in Faith alone For thus says Luther I would not give one Half-penny for all the Merits of St. Peter to help me De 10. Precept c. 1. because he cannot help himself but whatever he hath he had it from God through Faith in Christ Here he plainly teaches that St. Peter is never the juster for his own Good works or hath received a greater Happiness in Heaven for the same but was Crowned for his Faith only And again in another place De captio Bacyl cap. de Baptis Do you see how rich a Man is that is a Christian and Baptized who cannot be damned for what sinns soever he commits though he would unless he will not believe for no sins are damnable but only incredulity all other sins if he returns and fixes his Faith upon the Divine Promise are in a moment absorpt through the same belief Again in another place Good Works cannot be taught De Votis Monast without prejudice to Faith since Faith and Good Works in the case of Justificarion are extreamly contradictory in such sort that the Doctrine of Good Works is necessarily the doctrine of Devils and apostacy from the Faith Calvin is of the same Opinion as 't is manifest in his Institutions where he saith The Justice of Good Works can by no means be joyned with the Justice of Faith not only Works done by the force of Nature but all other whatsoever Title they are adorned with are excluded by the Justice of Faith L. 3 c. 11. s 13. l. 3. c. 15. s 2. sequen cap. 19. s 2.4.7 The same he teaches in many other places If there is not Merit in Good Works if they do not render us more gracious and acceptable to God and that for them we shall receive no reward in Heaven why should we trouble our selves about them Why should we spend our Fortunes in works of Mercy and relief of the Poor What should we Fast for and afflict our Bodies Why should we be instant in Prayer 'T is great folly to busie our selves in those things and be sollicitous for that which will redound nothing to our profit or advantage Who sees not by this Doctrine that the study of all Good Works is extinguished Secondly Because both their Religions teach ' That all our Good Works are so far from meriting any thing of God that they are sins and mortal sins too although by reason of Faith they are not imputed to Believers Luther teaches this in many places A just Man says he sins in every Good Work Again A Good Work well done In Presol cont Eckium in assert art 31. is a Venial Sin by the Mercy of God but a Mortal one according to the Judgment of God Again in another place In assert art 32. Our best Works whereby
we endeavour to obtain God's Grace In assert art 39. Help and Consolation are reputed Sin as the Prophet David says Let his Prayer become sin The same he inculcates in many other places Psal 108. Calvin likewise teaches the same Doctrine For saith he all the Good Works of Men if they are rightly taken are nothing but Filth and Corruption Instit l. 3 c. 12. s 4. c. 14. s 9. nor can any Good Work proceed from the Saints which deserveth not a just reward of reproach If all our Good Works are truly Sins Filthiness and Pollution which incur the Wrath of God who sees not that it is much better to abstain from them than to do them For by abstaining we offend not but by doing them we sin 'T is better not to sin than sin We must abstain therefore from Alms and other works of Mercy nay from all Prayer too because all these things as they are done by us are sins What reason can be more efficacious to overthrow the Practice of all Good Works than to teach they make us never the juster or better before God besides that they are Sins Filth and Corruption And it avails nothing what they say afterwards Whether Good Works are required as signs of Faith that God requires Good Works in testimony of their Faith or as the signs of Faith For this they say least the People should utterly renounce all Good Works But they use this pretence in vain For how does God require them if they be sins which unless out of Mercy he did not impute to them he ought to vindicate with eternal punishment Does he require we should sin to shew our Signs and Testimonies of Faith How doth he require in testimony of Faith that which rather Witnesses a defect of Faith For those who are sollicitous of Good Works thereby Witness that Faith is not sufficient But if Faith sufficeth as they would have and Good Works profit nothing how are Good Works the signs of Faith Therefore the study of Good Works is not the sign of a particular special Faith of which they speak and to which they attribute all things but of the Catholick Faith whereby we believe that Faith sufficeth not but Good Works are required to be joyned therewith which are meritorious of Eternal Life This belief they reject Hereby it is clear that by these Religions all Good Works are subverted and overthrown The Ninth Reason from the licentiousness of Life which they allow THose Religions are not to be Father'd upon Christ which totally expel the fear of God from the Minds of Men and set open the broad Gate to all manner of sin and impurity of Life For every where the Scripture teaches the fear of God nor is there any thing which it more repeats and commends since from this all honesty of Life chiefly depends But the Lutheran and Presbyterian Religion drive all fear of God from the minds of Men and open the Gate of Liberty to all Sin and Profaness as much as Atheism Therefore they proceed not from Christ the Author That these Religions do this and that four several ways has already been clearly shewed above in the Second Consideration The same I now briefly shew again by these Reasons First Because the Lutheran Religion reaches That the Decalogue or Ten Commandments belong no more to the Faithful in Christ than the Ceremonial and Judaical Laws For thus Luther writes in a Sermon on Moses From the Text it plainly appears that the Ten Commandments pertain nothing to us for the Lord did not lead us cut of Egypt but only the Jews Moses is not observed in the New Testament If I should keep him in any one Article I should oblige my self to perform his whole Law The same he teaches more at large in Cap. 4. Epist ad Gal and in Cap. 20. Exod. If we are no more bound to keep the Ten Commandments than the Ceremonial Laws as he plainly teaches in Cap. 4. Epist ad Gal. Therefore as I am not bound to observe the Ceremonial Law for example to Circumcise the Flesh to eat the Paschal Lamb to keep the Sabbath which was Satturday amongst the Jews so neither the Moral or Ten Commandments If I am now freed from the Commandments what may I not do I may in outward shew worship Idols disobey my Parents and the Magistrates commit Murder Adultery Theft bear False-witness c. which are forbidden by the Decalogue as I may do things which are repugnant to the Ceremonial Law And although Calvin does not so plainly teach the same Doctrine of the Decalogue yet occurately he insinuates it enough First Because he teaches That God's Law is impossible to be kept even by the Saints L. 2. Instit c. 7. If it be impossible then it is not obligatory for no Body is obliged to impossibilities Never any Tyrant bound his Subjects to do things impossible and shall God do it Such barbarous cruelty be far from him Therefore when the Decalogue begins to be impossible it ceases to oblige and belongs nothing at all to us Moreover because Calvin teaches that all our Good Works are Corruption Filth and Sin in the sight of God but no Body can be obliged to sin therefore we are not obliged so much as to endeavour to fulfil any part of the Commandments I might confirm the same with many other Reasons but these are sufficient whereby it is manifest that even according to Calvin's Opinion the Ten Commandments belong nothing to us Secondly These two Religions make no difference of good and bad works before God but only before Men for as the works which are called bad have open Malice so to the good works of the Just they attribute an hidden Malice because of internal Concupiscence by reason of which Malice they will have these to be deadly sins before God If it be so why should I rather apply my mind to good works with mortification of Nature and loss of Goods than to evil works whereunto many times there is adjoined great pleasure and profit For since either of them are evil before God why should I not rather prefer those works wherein there is some temporal pleasure or advantage before them that are full of trouble toil and loss Thirdly Because each Religion teacheth that a Man is only just before God by a meer special Faith without any good works and that God imputes no sin to him that has this special Faith So Luther teaches in many places as above rehearsed By which Doctrine he infers L. de liber Christian de Captiv Babyl ' That only incredulity is a sin and only dis-believers are damned The same Calvin teaches when he says ' That all sins are mortal to Unbelievers but venial to Believers He calls them venial sins because they are not imputed to them but are presently forgiven and pardoned as soon as they are committed which Doctrine clearly follows out of that Principle whereby they decree
Controversie that one could not plainly tell whose Cause carried it but both Parties should shill contend for the decision of their Cause he would be accounted by all Men a very improper Judge since no Controversie can be determined by his sentence for after it there is as great debate for whom the Judge gave sentence as about the Difference they brought before him But such a Judge is the Holy Scripture if you set aside the Exposition of the Church and the Fathers for so it always gives sentence that it cannot plainly appear to either Party which side it favoureth but both stifly affirm that it stands clearly for him Hence it comes to pass that Controversies never have an end 'T is ridiculous therefore to make only the Scripture the Judge of Controversies For in all Controversies such a one ought to be made a Judge so as to give sentence that all and chiefly the Parties in dispute may clearly see which side the Judge is for or else there can be no end of Controversie Therefore they that make only the Scripture their Judge shew plainly that they will have no Judge to decide the Cause but their own private judgment For they do as if Titius and Caius having a Suit at Law would have no other Judge but the Book of Justinian with his Pandects secluding the Interpretation of the Doctors and Titius for his Right should produce some Law and say that it is clear for his Cause but Caius denies it Likewise Caius alledgeth another Law affirming that it clearly makes for him but Titius denies it and so both Parties depart without decision of their Cause would not this be a ridiculous thing and make all say that neither of them would have their Cause decided since both of them would be their own Judge It is plainly so with them that will have no other Judge but the Scripture For whosoever reserves the Interptetation thereof to his own Spirit shews plainly that he would not have his Cause lawfully decided but be his own Judge Fourthly Experience it self shews how insufficient this Rule of Faith is For we see that there is no end of Controversies amongst them even in their chief Points of Faith For the Lutherans Calvinists and Fanaticks in many things extreamly differ at this very time and condemn one another of Heresie The very Lutherans disagree amongst themselves in many things also from Luther their Parent and Apostle insomuch that at this very time there are counted Thirteen Principal Sects of Lutherans differing by certain Names and Opinions The Calvinists dissent amongst themselves chiefly in the Article of the Head of the Church for a great part of them ascribe this Power to the Secular Prince although she be a Woman these they call Protestants Others esteem this a great Sin and Blasphemy these they call Puritans The Fanaticks dissent amongst themselves in many things so that there is reckoned Fourteen several Sects of them distinguished by Names and Opinions Lastly It is come now to that pass that when any one thinks to follow this Rule and depend on it there are almost as many Heresies as Hereticks For many especially the ignorant sort say they care not what Luther or Calvin teacheth for that they stick to the Holy Scripture and Word of God wherein there can be no Errour and so they think themselves very secure for every one interpretes the Scripture according to his Capacity and Judgment Hence it is that when they think they have Scripture for their Rule of Faith instead of Scripture they have only their own Imagination For what they fancy the Words of Scripture signifie they take for the true sence of Scripture And thus there are as many different Rules of Faith as Imaginations of Men. But how comes it to pass that every ones imagination should seem to be the pure Truth and right sence of Scripture This proceeds partly from a great self-love and self-esteem for he that has a high conceit of himself is easily perswaded that all his own inventions and conceptions of Mind are extraordinary partly also from a Diabolical operation which inwardly perverts the fancy of Men that what they apprehend upon never so slight a reason presently they imagine it to be the clear Truth For where Men through a weariness of the Antient Religion have an aversion to the Truth and Itching Ears to Novelties they are suffered by the just Judgment of God to be deceived of the Devil Whilst therefore he operates interiourly in their Sences they think they are illuminated with the Divine Spirit and attribute to this Spirit their whole judgment touching points of Faith Hence it is that the apprehension or judgment of every Sect and almost of every private Man seems to be the pure Word of God nor do they regard any reasons to the contrary The Apostle signifies this 2 Thes 2.10 saying Because they received not the love of the Truth that they might be saved therefore God shall send them strong delusions to believe a Lye He shall send not by commanding but by letting the Devil loose to deceive them and lead them into a thousand Errors for despising the Truth or Ancient Religion But many of them say especially the simple and ignorant God will not suffer those to be deceived who seek the Truth with an humble Heart ' For he has promised to ' give the Good Spirit to those that ask him Luk. 11.13 But I do so I beg of God to enlighten me and open unto me the true sence of Scripture and I daily search the Scriptures Joh. 5.39 This is a great delusion of the Devil For how do they seek the Truth with an humble Heart who despise the judgment of the Doctors of the Church the judgment of the Holy Fathers and the judgment of General Councils Who will not use that way which our Lord hath shewed and ordained but require unnecessary Revelations For from them they may understand the Truth and be freed from all Error but they will not submit to them and think that by their own industry wit and private Spirit they can more certainly find the Truth out of the bare Scriptures As if the Holy Fathers Doctors and Prelates of the Church had not searched the Scriptures or were destitute of the Spirit of God and right Judgment that they could not rely upon them Now what greater Pride can be imagined than for a private Man and for the most part silly and ignorant of all Antiquity and the Liberal Arts to prefer himself before so great Wisdom so great Authority and Sanctity and such a multitude of Doctors Let them not therefore think so long as they are of this mind that they shall receive any thing of God because they wrongfully seek him and proudly ask him but rather that they are deceived by the Spirit of Pride and a Lye to which they are delivered by the just judgment of God for so great a Crime This is that Spirit which all