AN ANTIDOTE AGAINST POPERY Confected out of Scriptures Fathers Councels and Histories WHEREIN DIALOGVE-wise are shewed the points grounds and antiquitie of the Protestant Religion and the first springing vp of the points of Popery together with the Antichristianisme thereof Being alone sufficient to inable any Protestant of meane capacitie to vnderstand and yeeld a reason of his Religion and to incounter with and foyle the Aduersary By Iohn Mayer B. D. and Pastor of the Church of little Wratting in Suffolke LONDON Printed by M. F. for Iohn Grismand and are to be sold at his Shop in Pauls Alley at the signe of the Gunne 1625. TO THE HIGH AND MIGHTY JAMES BY THE grace of God King of Great Britaine France and Ireland Defender of the Faith c. Dread Soueraigne AFter that I had compiled this ensâ—ing Dialogue I thought your Maiestie the most fit Maecenas for it both in respect of the matter and manner The matter is a Dispute about Religion both Protestant and Popish the manner is by vsurping certaine names occurring in the Acts of the holy Apostles and accommodating them so as may best befit these times amongst which the chiefe is Sergius Paulus before whom Paul and Elymas enter the lists with an ayme chiefely at the ouercomming of this honourable person The issue is according to Pauls desire the setling of Sergius Paulus in the truth so that with him there was no more place now for Elymas Your Maiestie hath beene much conuersant in disputations and now at length I vvill not say being setled for it appeareth sufficiently that there hath euer been a setlednesse and resolution in your Royall brest but not thinking good to lend an eare any longer to the friuolous arguments of such as haue sought your auersion from the Truth your MAIESTIE hath prouided that they shall haue no more copÄe of disputing within your whole iurisdiction The Worke I confesse is too sleighty to bee presented before so large an vnderstanding and the Author too meane to presume to so high a patronage Epistle Dedicatory vpon the Lords Prayer But forasmuch as your Maiestie hath acknowledged it to haue beene your owne course to dedicate your royall writings to fit persons with whom each Tract might best suite my hope is that my boldnesse shall haue pardon if in following so worthy an example I haue aspired to this dedication It hath bred much sollicitude in your Maiestie as your late directions touching preachers and preaching doe testifie to consider the dayly increase of Popish superstition euen within your Maiesties Dominions And wee your faithfull subiects cannot but haue a sympathy herein for which cause wee highly applauding that direction of instructing in the Principles of Religion doe apply our selues diligently to this Catecheticall kinde of teaching if haply the mobile vulgus might thus bee faster grounded And for mine owne part according to that slender skill which GOD hath giuen mee I haue by vvriting endeauoured to further this kinde of teaching English Catechisme and to hold to the patterne of the lesser authorized Catechisme for the auoiding of confusion by an vniforme proceeding wherein I haue not beene altogether frustrated of my end neither there being many Reuerend Diuines and others amongst whom this labour of mine hath beene so accepted as that it hath long agoe come to the third impression Now if my coniecture deceiue mee not another good helpe to preserue from this infection would bee some Antidote of our tenents and grounds and of Popish tenents and practices in the worship of God without all ground set vp either by aduantage taken of the darknesse or by force there beeing none able to make resistance in seuerall times and ages of the world especially if it might bee perspicuous and plaine to any capacitie and briefe for euery ones leisure and abilitie And such is this which I here present vnto your Sacred Maiestie the which or the like vnto which I could wish that euery one who is not furnished with better would make his vade mecum That Reuerend and learned Bishop of Meath hath lately put out a Worke in answere to a Iesuite of the noueltie of Poperie in so complete a manner as that a man would thinke as it was said of the answer of our blessed Sauiour none should dare to aske that question any more If this of mine comming after it should seeme superfluous my apologie is that our Church besides the greater hath also the lesser Catechisme Babes must haue their prouision as well as those that are stronger Your Maiesties care of the good of this Church committed vnto you herein like to that of Constantine in the matter of Arâ—ianisme as it hath much reioyced my heart and the hearts of many thousands that pray for the prosperitie of Sion so it hath incouraged mee to presse into your Sacred presence with this my Goates-haire not being able to bring better Your Maiestie I know hath no need of such Tracts but many of vs that bring presents in this kinde may bee glad to learne from your Pen and to receiue knowledge from your lips yea 1 King 10. â— blessed are they that stand alwayes in thy presence to heare thy wisedome Yet vouchsafe I beseech your Maiestie to suffer it to passe vnder the protection of your countenance to your people and I doubt not but the Protestant Religion shall hereby appeare vnto them as it is so amiable and rightly grounded and the Religion of the Church of Rome so corrupt and peruerting the grounds as that thousands which shall attentiuely and without preiudice reade it shall herein blesse God for you some that were ignorant of the differences of these religions and so standing indifferently affected being better informed some that were wauering through the seeming truth of that heresie being confirmed and some that were simply seduced and gone from vs being againe to the truth reduced to the great glory of God and to the fulfilling of the number of most loyall and faithfull subiects in whom the heart of your Maiesty may most safely trust The Father of lights who hath so enlightned your knowledge the Son that life who hath so viuified your heart and the Spirit that sire who hath so inflamed your zeale for the truth increase confirme and prosper this your knowledge life and zeale to the benefiting of many soules and to the ioyfull giuing vp of your Maiesties Accounts at the great day of reckoning Amen praieth he who is Your Maiesties most humbly deuoted subiect and seruant IOHN MAYER To all that conscionably inquire after the Truth that they may be saued both of the reformed Religion and of the Romane Catholike COurteous Reader thou mayest haply blame mee for my ouer-diligence in writing-so much and now vpon a subiect so throughly canuased already in diuers bookes of learned Authors But know that I haue beene drawne to doe this by the sollicitation of others being lâ—th of my selfe to interrupt my course in another tract
thus I haue faithfully related the practice of the Reformed or Protestant Church Serg. Paul But why is this called the Reformed Church hath Christ any more Churches but one Saul No the Church of Christ is but one wheresoeuer dispersed in all the world but this Church partly through the ambition and couetousnesse of the Popes of Rome and of the rest of the chiefe of the Clergie and partly through blind deuotion became very corrupt both in doctrine and manner of seruing God wherein hauing lyon many yeares to the griefe of the truely zealous and wise who did what they could or durst to rectifie things againe but without effect at length though very loth so to doe many without feare of bodily danger separated themselues from all society and communion with those that still adliered to these curruptions teaching and holding as hath be one before deelared who notwithstanding the hot brunts of persecution which they met withall increased dayly whole Countreys and Kingdomes being in a short time by Gods prouidence ioyned vnto them And because of this reformation about which they made then protestation that simply for conscience towards God and his Truth and onely according to his written Word they thus proceeded they were called the Reformed or Protestant Church others willfully cleauing to their corruptions still and to the Pope and Roman Clergy the chiefe maintainers hereof were called the Church of Rome or the Popish Church or as they needes will haue it Roman Catholikes Serg. Paul Then it seemeth that the Church anciently one is now become two the one opposite to the other Or are they both one Church still but diuided for their contrary opinions and manners in many things Saul As the Church of Christ hath beene so it still is and euer shall bee one and not two for it is Christ Spouse which is onely one I doe not therefore acknowledge but aduisedly deny the Church of Rome to be a true Church of Christ Reu. 3.1 As the Church of Sardis had a name to be aline but was dead so it may hold this name still but is indeed a very carkasse without a soule by reason of the grosse errours therein maintained and practised for truth is the life of the Church The reformed Church then is the onely true Church neither may we returne againe to them vpon paine of damnation but they must and shall come to vs at the last for truth is stronger then all Serg. Paul But the maine truth is still maintained in the Church of Rome viz. That Iesus is the Sonne of God and hast not thou thy selfe taught 1. Cor 3. that who so buildeth vpon the foundation Christ Iesus though but hay or stubble which shall hurne yet himselfe shall escape as it were through the fire What is this but that so Christ bee cleaued vnto no erroneous opinions or practice in the seruice of God shall damne the soule Saul The Church of Rome teacheth indeed generally this truth touching Christ Iesus but in the particular explication of what they hold hereabout they doe plainly raze this foundation and so their building is not vpon the foundation Christ described in the New Testament but imagined in their owne braines Againe although the foundation were rightly held yet they are builders onely that shall be saued not destroyers or demolishers as they of the Church of Rome are Serg. Paul Wherein doe they raze the foundation Christ Saul In that they doe not rely vpon Christ only for saluation and grace For this is the property of a foundation to beare vp all the building alone if it be the only foundation as I haue taught that Christ is If then the building rest partly vpon some other foundation this is in effect razed because though this be sound yet the other vpon which it partly standeth being deceitfull and vnsound when that shall faile the whole building cannot but come downe Serg. Paul It seemeth then that Christ is the foundation to them onely that rest vpon him alone and that they which together with him rely vpon any thing else are in effect gone from the foundation and so shall haue no more benefit of it then they that hold not Christ at all Can you proue the Roman Catholikes to be such Saul There is nothing more plaine to them that will vnderstand For first when Christ only is relyed vpon and so made the onely soundation his passions alone are held to be fully satisfactory for all punishments due to vs for all our sins both temporall and eternall Secondly all merit whereby we become worthy of saluation is held to be in him onely Thirdly His mediation onely to God the Father is rested vpon to obtaine any benefit or helpe in the time of need Fourthly The beginning progresse and perfection of all grace is imputed to him onely through the working of his Spirit and nothing to a mans selfe But the contrary to all these are maintained in the Church of Rome Serg. Paul Declare this more particularly and first that they rely not vpon his passions onely as fully satisfactory Saul They say that he hath satisfied for all eternall punishments in hell but not for temporall for these are left to vs to be satisfied for partly here by acts of penance and partly hereafter in purgatory And that there are certaine lesser sinnes called veniall for which we our selues must satisfie Flatly contrary to Saint Iohn who saith 1. Ioh 1.6 the blood of Iesus Christ cleanseth vs from all sin And I haue taught that Christ hath redeemed vs from the curse of the Law being made a curse for vs Gal. 3.13 Now this curse did as well extend to temporall as eternall punishments witnesse Moses his dilating vpon it Deut. 28. and Leuit. 26. throughout which Chapters he sheweth that the curse comming by sinne is temporall Serg. Paul If Christ had satisfied herein for vs were it not iniustice in God to put his to so much smart againe daily by sickenesses losses ignominies and persecutions in the world Saul It were iniustice indeed if our sins being forgiuen and clensed away in Christs blood hee should still require vs to be temporally panished Luke 23.16 This were iust Pilates iustice I finde no fault in this man I will therefore scourge him and let him goe God forbid that wee should once thinke the most righteous Lord to be such in his proceedings It is to bee vnderstood therefore that the smart imposed vpon vs here is onely either for our triall or for our correction in loue as parents are wont to deale with their children Serg. Paul What doe they hold touching merit Saul That Christs death and passion alone are not the meritorious cause of our saluation but the blessed Virgin Mary and the holy Apostles and other Saints which haue suffered death for the Gospell haue also merited for vs and that there is merit in the sacrifice of the Masse extended to all both quicke and dead and
it whereas be speaketh not so warily at other times when be feareth not that any hold will bee taken vpon his sayings against the truth And I am the rather perswaded that they were against all liberty of the will vnto good because they so consentingly taught that euery thing proceeding from a naturall man before his conuersion is sinne Paul Touching iustification by workes or by inherent righteousnesse and not onely by the righteousnesse of Christ imputed by faith none euer taught it till An. 1500. For Christs righteousnesse onely hath euer heene rested vpon by the Fathers Ieron in 2 Cor. 5. in â— Cor. 1. Ierome saith Christ hath so receued the name of sinne as we are made the righteousnesse of God in him not ours nor in vs. Ambrose sayth This is appointed of God that he which beloeueth in Christ should be saued without workes hauing his sinnes freely forgiuen through faith onely And Chrysostome sayth In Rom. 3. Hom 7. Epist 190. So soone as a man beleeueth he is iustified Bernard saith Another mans righteousnesse is assigned vnto man because he wanted his owne the satisfaction of one is imputed to vs all Elym But there is a double iustification the first which is onely by faith and hereby a man passeth from the state of sin into the estate of grace and the second which is by inmherent righteousnesse whereby a man of iust becommeth more iust and worthy of heauen And of the first of these onely the Fathers spake not of the other Paul They could not well speake of that seeing it was vnknowne in their dayes and long since inuented And touching the merit of the best mans righteousnesse Bernard doth vtterly deny it saying The merits of men are not such Bernard Ser. 1. de Anâ—â—n as that for them eternall life should be due of right or so as that God should be vniust if he did not therefore bestow eternall life for to say nothing that allour merits are Gods gifts and so man is for them a debter vnto God not God vnto man what are all merits to so great glory Wherefore if meriting bee spoken of by the Fathers they meant nothing else but to preuaile or obtaine or else they called good works merits to set forth their dignity in respect of the diuine acceptance that men might be incouraged hereunto Elym You doe altogether peruert their meaning for they taught good workes in the regenerate to be properly meritorious seeing perfect righteousnes according to the law is worthy of heauen and such righteousnesse they taught that men through the grace of God inabling them did attaine vnto in this life yea and that they could doe and did more then the law required and so merited for others also Paul You doe most impudently wrong the Fathers for none till aboue 1000 yeares after Christ taught perfection of degrees in this life but onely perfection through Christ and a comparatiue perfection some exceeding others but altogether against it Saint Angustine saith Charity Epist 29. ad Hieron that cannot be increased is in no man bere and that which may bee increased is in fault because it is lesse then it ought to be by reason of which fault there is no man iust and sinneth not by reason of which fault no liuing man shall bee iustified in the sight of God And Ierome saith to affirme that any man liueth so as that he is without sinne is to take man out of man and to affirme that a man in the body is without the body Ierom contra Pelag Epist and rather to wish then to teach And if they held that no man can perfectly keepe the Law then it is certaine that they taught not that men could both doe all that the Law requireth and more also If then they haue spoken any thing wherein they may seeme to be for supererogation it is to be vnderstood either of outward things or of some speciall commendable thing which is not commonly commanded to all but commended to some And so their doing more then is required was onely with reference vnto others who did not likewise as not hauing that particular gift Hom. 3. in 1. Cor. or in exterials wherein Chrysostom saith euen the Philosophers exceeded the Commandement of God Serg. Paul I like this your interpretation of the Fathers very well and am hereby perswaded that both perfect keeping of the Law and workes of supererrogation are nouelties Proced therefore to vncertainty of faith Paul This vncertainty was not determined not certainty of faith condemned before the Councell of Trent Anno 1500. The Fathers are most plaine for assurance by faith Aug. Tract 75. in Johan August saith Christ is now in vs and we in him but we beleeue this now then wee shall know it although we know it now also through beleeuing but then we shall know it by bebolding it Regist lib. 6.187 Gregory saith The soule that thirsteth after God is first pricked with feare then with loue but when seare hath beene consumed with long anxiety of sorrow a certaine security of presumption of pardon doth arise Hom. 14. in Rom. 8. And Chrysostome sayth The supreme Essence which doth also bestow what it promiseth testifying vnto vs who can any more doubt of this dignity hereafter And Bernard exhorteth to beleeue without doubting Bern in Cant. Serm. 8. Whatsoeuer soule of you feeleth at any time in the secret of his conscience the Spirit of the Sonne crying Abba Father let it presume that it is beloued with afatherly affection and beleeue doubting nothing Elym They meant nothing else but certainty on Gods part but because man is mutable and all promiser runne vpon condition of his perseuerance they haue plainely taught elsewhere that none can be certaine by faith Heare August for all who sayth Who of all the multitude of beleeuers can presume that he is in the number of beleeuers as long as he is in this mortality Paul They spake in this manner to preuent carnall security which followeth vpon presumption but they neuer impugned but incouraged to assurance by faith Serg. Paul There remaineth now onely one point wherein I desire to heare you speake viz. that of satis faction Paul And this is none of their least errors that Christ satisfied onely for eternall punishments but for temporall due vnto vs for sinne we our selues are to satisfie for as it is a plaine derogation froÌ„ the dignity of his passions Touching this therefore I say as of the former points it was not taught anciently but the plaine contary Tertullian saith Tertul. de Baptis Guiltinesse being taken away the punishment is also taken away and that he may not seeme to speake of eternall punishments onely hee nameth death according as it was threatned Gen. 2.17 In the day that thou catest of it thou shalt dye the death which death here comprehendeth all punishments And Saint Augustine sayth Eâ—cbit c. 70. Christ by taking vpon
him the punishment and not the fault hath done away both fault and punishment Aug. de verb. Dom. Scr. 37. and elsewhere more expresly Christ had two good things righteousnesse and immortality wee two euill things sinne and wortality the one hee tooke vpon him the other he did not and by taking vpon him the one he freed vs from both As for satisfaction required of vs it is not as he sheweth for punishment but to shew our repentance by our outward actions So that according to August wee are deliuered from mortality as a punishment and not only from hell fire Elym Howsoeuer you seeme to make these learned Fathers to speake it is plaine that they meant onely eternall punishments borne by Christ for vs. And therefore they doe vsually speake of works of penance and almes as hauing force to purge and wash away sinne Chrysostome sayth Hom. 1. in Gen. The common Lord of vs all desirous to haue all our sinnes washed away hath inuented this cure which is made by fasting Lib. de promis prad part 2. c. 2. Hom. 1. And Prosper saith Almes cleanse the whole man And Cesarius sayth that a man who by sinning hath lost himselfe doth agains redeeme himselfe by his satisfaction Paul Where is there a word in all these touching satisfaction for temporall punishments It may rather bee inferred if these speeches be strictly taken that wee are able to doe something to deliuer our selues from sinne both in respect of guilt and punishment temporall eternall Wherefore it must needs bee yeelded that these things were spoken improperly that being ascribed to the instrument or meanes which is proper vnto Christ Satisfaction therefore as it is now taught in your Church is rather to bee referred to the Lateran Councell Anno 1215 wherein the sacrament of penance was established an appendix whereof is satisfaction Elym Because you haue spoken of the sacrament of penance first appointed in the Lateran Councell I will lay hold vpon the occasion to put you to proue the nouelty of the seuen sacraments for if seuen haue beene anciently acknowledged this is not so new as you would make the world beleeue Paul I am very willing to follow you herein and let the issue rest vpon my prouing your seuen Sacraments to be nouelties I say then that this number was not knowne nor acknowledged by antiquity but was first taught by Peter Lombard and the Schoole-men following him aboue 1000 yeares after Christ Epist 118. Saint Augustine sayth the Sacraments of the New Testament are most few in number Isidorus An. 600 sayth Lib. 6 Originum c. 19. Pasc de Caena The Sacraments are Baptisme and Chrisme and the body and blood of Christ And Pascasius Anno 900 sayth likewise Elym They say these two are the chiefe indeed but they exclude not the rest Hugo de Sancto Victore teacheth seuen sacraments and of them he saith some are the principall wherein saluation standeth Lib. de sacram 7. part 9. c. 6. viz. Baptisme and the Supper of the Lord the rest though they bee not so necessary yet they profit vnto sanctification And I could easily shew that the ancientest Fathers haue called euery of these Sacraments Paul I grant you without shewing that they called them sacraments and so they called any holy signe according to Augustines definition August Epist 5. Euery holy sigue is a Sacrament But that there are any more then two properly so called they neuer taught and euen your Hugo who acknowledgeth 7 can be no ground for your 7 for he reckoneth not penance for one but the water of aspersion And the very Schoolemen deny the rest to be sacraments Lib. 4.26 properly so called P. Lombard denyeth Matrimony to be a Sacrament properly and vniuocally with the other sacraments and Durand likewise vpon that place Lib. 4. dist 24. The same Lombard denyeth ordination to bee properly a sacrament and Alexander de Hales and Thomas Aquinas vpon that place c. Serg. Paul This your dispute about the Sacraments hath brought to my mind another point yet â—â—toucht about the holy Scriptures and Traditions Can you shew that it is a noueliy is hold that together with the Canonical Scriptures Apocryphall bookes are to be receiued and vnwritten traditions as a rule of our saith or hath it euer beene held thus Paul It is a nouelty to hold that the Scriptures doe not containe in them all things necessary to saluation and that Apocryphall bookes are to be receiued as Canonicall and that traditious are necessary to saluation For the Fathers sought to hold all men onely to the Scriptures Hom. 1. in Psal 95. Chrysostome saith If any thing bee spoken without Scripture the thought of the bearers limpeth sometimes yeelding and sometime doubting And againe If ye hears any saying I haue the holy Spirit Serm. de S. Sp. but not speaking out of the Gospell bee speaketh of himselfe and the holy Spirit is not in him So Basil reg Mor. 8. 28. Epist 80. And touching Apocryphall books Cyril Hierusalym sayth Haus nothing to doe with Apocryphall bookes Catee 4. but read the canonicall which are considently read in the Church The Apostles and first Bishops were much wiser and more religious then thou who deliuered the scriptures vnto vs. Doe not thou therefore seeing thou art a child of the Church ges beyond their bounds Athen in Synop. Athanasius sayth There are 22 bookes of the old Testament Canonicall but there are other bookes which are not Canonicall which are onely read of the Catecumeni as the booke of Wisdome Ecclesiasticus c. Ierom calleth the History of Susamus Prafat in Den. of Bel and the Dragon fables and saith the same was the opinion of Eusebius Apollinarius Methodius c. Baruch was not receiued as Canonicall till the Councell of Florence Anno 1439. And touching vnwritten traditions they receiued none of old but either such as were consonant to the holy Scriptures which were written in sense though not in word according to Augustine of which was the baptisme of Infants and not to rebaptize De Gen ad lit lib. 10 c. 23. Tertul de Coron c. 23. or customes in indifferent things according to Tertullian who saith Dost thou not thinke that it is lawfull for euery faithfull Church to conceiue and constituent that which agreeth to God 〈◊〉 to diseiplione and profireth 〈◊〉 solnation And these by the prestice of your owne Church may be left off again For the thrice dipping in Baptisin standing in time of prayer vpon the Lords day tasting of milke and honcy in Baptisme c. anciently receiued are now abrogated and not held to bind Elym I could reioyne with you about this argument and bring many passages of the Fathers shewing their high esteeme of traditions but lest these disputes should proue tedious to this noble person and that he may not being fascinated with that which you haue said incline