from the dead to convert his brethren God who is understood by Father Abraham did he not answer They have Moses and the Prophets let them harken to them that is let them reade and see what they say for Moses and the Prophets were already dead and could not speake but by their Bookes St John the Evangelist having written the Apocalyps which is the most obscure and difficile Booke of all the Scripture in the opinion of all the learned whereof St Jerome saith that it containes as many mysteries as words yet St John who writ it forbiddeth not the reading thereof to Christians nor saith that none but the Pope of Rome or the Bishops and Doctors have power and presumption to reade it but stirreth up every one to reade it and proclaimeth a blessing upon all those that reade it by those words Blessed is he that readeth Apoc. 1.2 and they that heare the words of this Prophesie and keepe the things that are written therein Apoc. 1.2 When Philip went out of Jerusalem by the commandement of the Lord Act. 8.27 to goe for Gaza he did meet with the Eunuch of the Queene of Ethiopia who being a man that sought the Kingdome of God did reade the old Testament the Apostle did not reprove him for reading the Scripture but explained to him a Prophesie of Isaiah that was difficile to be understood and that reading was a means and helpe to finde true faith and to embrace Christian Religion In the time then of Jesus Christ and his Apostles the reading of the holy Scripture was not forbidden neither was it thought to be pernicious The Romish Church commendeth also St Cecill whose feast they keep as of a great Virgin and Martyr for carrying continually in her bosome the Books of the Evangelists and they hold she lived in the times of St Clement who is esteemed one of the first Bishops of Rome after the death of St Peter The Scriptures then were not as yet prohibited nor the reading of the same thought pernicious or dangerous to the simple sort for she was but a simple young damsell brought up in Paganisme As we reade of St Jerome who lived about three hundred yeares after that he did recommend nothing to Paula and Eustochium Mother and daughter both great Romane Dames so much as the assiduous reading of the holy Scriptures and that it should be their most ordinary study and frequent meditations By these and an infinite of other examples which I might alledge if I feared not tediousnesse we see that the reading of the Scripture was permitted yea recommended and laudable in Christians and that neither by Christ Jesus nor his Apostles nor the Romish Church in those times was it thought to be pernicious None will say that the Gentiles Jewes and Christians of those times were of greater judgement than those of our times or that they were more capable to read the holy Scriptures and the most difficile Prophesies for that should be ridiculous Neither dare any one say that the Prophets and Apostles and Jesus Christ himselfe or the first Pastours of those times had not as much and more understanding than the Pope or the Church of Rome in our time and yet they did not conceive that some would abuse such reading for that should be a great impietie notwithstanding this must be the inference from such a prohibition But to speake truth it appeareth to be no other thing but a policy and malicious subtiltie of the Romish Church for the present too much corrupted or rather from those who governe the same for feare that the people reading the holy Scriptures perceive the errours and falsenesse of the doctrine therein preached seeing so little conformitie in it with the Word of God And truly according to the Maxime of policy and for the conservation and upholding of their doctrine they have as great reason as Mahomet had to destroy all the Universities and Colledges of learning within the reach of his authoritie for my part I doe not remember to have seene any Christians who have not in reading the holy Scriptures faln soon to an infinite number of doubts about the beliefe of the Romish Church it being almost impossible to be otherwise and as black is never better seen than when it is brought neere to white in the light so the lies and false doctrine being confronted and placed by the truth cannot but appeare immediately And there are but few learned men who perceive not this cleerely enough but being interessed in that party and being bound to it with humane cords and bands they strive to dissemble the same that they may conserve their goods and dignities and by the spirit of pusillanimitie or avarice endeavour to suffocate and tread underfoot the prickings motions caused by the truth but blessed are they whom neither wealth nor honours nor any worldly or humane consideration hinder to come to Christ and who embrace his holy doctrine and can say with St Paul Phil. 3.8 Phil. 3.8 I account all things but losse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ my Saviour Since then courteous Reader the reading of the holy Scriptures is of such vertue that it discovereth the lies and is so much recommended to us by God the Father who hath spoken to us by his Prophets and servants and by his Sonne Jesus Christ who hath preached it to us from his owne mouth and by the holy Spirit who hath charged us therewith by his Apostles and Evangelists be in love with it reade it againe and againe without wearinesse Let no power nor authoritie in the world no prohibition of any whosoever hinder you from the reading of it for it being against the will and intention of God there is no power nor authoritie in the earth can binde us from it On the contrary God who commandeth it must rather be obeyed than all the Popes that forbid it although they were universall Pastours as they falsely brag themselves to be and undoubtedly it is a great sin to neglect and set at naught the commandements of our God in that point to obey man and therefore I exhort you againe to read the holy Scriptures couragiously and often to have them continually before your eyes to compare the whole doctrine of our salvation with them and hold them for a sure rule of all truth to meditate and ruminate them uncessantly and obey the holy Spirit who preacheth to us therein for I doubt not but yee may reape great profit for your soules necessary instruction for your salvation and a singular consolation And because that some one by Gods punishment and just judgement abusing the same finds death instead of life is that a sufficient reason to deprive others thereof forbid the reading of it Because the Sunne the fire or the water occasions sometimes great damage to certain persons ought the use thereof be forbidden to all men therefore as most dangerous some there are who abuse both
of all question doth proceed that great ignorance which is to be seen amongst the people in the Church of Rome there not being ten amongst an hundred instructed sufficiently to salvation or that can give a sufficient reason of their beliefe I say even according to the doctrine of their own Church This is specially to be seen in the Countrey Parishes and in many Cities also where though there be more frequent preaching the Communion and confession be oftner haunted yet the people are nothing the better instructed in the faith for all that nor know they sufficiently that which concerneth their salvation this defect can be imputed to no other cause but the forbidding the reading of the Scriptures which is the Booke of life appointed by God for the instruction and consolation of the faithfull for howsoever they make many Catechismes and the Preachers endeavour often to instruct the people in their beliefe they are but little the wiser or better instructed for all that for they nourish them not with the Book of life to wit the Word of God which is the true bread of the faithfull instituted by God for their instruction and comfort Where on the contrary in the Churches of the reformed Religion there is not one almost but he can give a reason of his beliefe if he have any judgement and is instructed in the faith though often they cannot reade but have onely heard the Scripture read and you shall finde in many places an infinite number of simple and ignorant people in humane learning who know the Bible a great deale better than many great Bishops in Popish Universities and famous Preachers among them which I protest I have often seen with great admiration as did many others also to the great confusion questionlesse of the Romish Church what ever they can alledge As for my part I confesse I could never finde any sufficient reason in that prohibition for reading the Scriptures for if the Scripture we call the Old Testament is the same Word of God that was left unto us by Moses by the Prophets and servants of God as is most certaine I see nothing more common in that Word than straight commands to reade heare meditate ruminate and observe the same to write it upon the posts of our houses and carry it tyed to our fingers that is to have it continually before our eyes and in our hearts I should make too large a volume contrary to my intention if I should cite all the passages which are clearly to be seen in it to this effect peruse but the Bookes of Deuteronomy and Numbers the Proverbs of Salomon the Psalmes of David and divers of the Prophets All those commandements and exhortations are given to all men as well the learned as the ignorant the poore as the rich which cannot be understood of the Bible onely in a strange tongue but in a language that is best understood of every one which is the vulgar That which is said of the old Testament may be more easily proved of the New which is as the last Will Christ Jesus our Father hath left us as his children by which we must know his intentions and that which he desireth us to doe to become worthy children of so good a Father and to possesse the inheritance he hath purchased for us through his merits and bloud Is there any man of judgement in the world who can beleeve that he hath left us his Commandements last Will and intentions as altogether needfull to salvation and not suffer us to reade the same and that there was but one man in the world to wit the Pope who had power to reade and explaine the same to others Where is that so important prohibition set downe Where is it so spoken have not we as much part in the inheritance of Christ Jesus as our Father the Pope By what right should Christians be deprived of the reading of the will and intentions of their Father the will of God and his holy Commandments which they ought to know and doe under paine of eternall damnation Is there any power or authoritie under heaven that can hinder them seeing God enjoyneth and commandeth the same the thing being of so great importance to them that none can be answerable for them in the day of Judgement Is there any power on earth that can dispence them No no this prohibition is altogether unjust and against both reason and the will of God Yes but some will say the intentions of God his Testament and the holy Scripture are made knowne to Christians by the sermons which they call commonly the Word of God It is true the preaching of the servants of God and Orthodox Preachers are highly to be esteemed for they may learne and profit much thereby but there is great difference betwixt a mans and the Word of God because the Word of God is altogether divine and holy and the infallible truth of which we cannot doubt and the Sermons of Preachers howsoever they be called the Word of God are not to speak properly the Word of God except onely that which is simply produced out of the holy Scripture the rest are onely humane words subject to faults and defects to passions and errors especially in the Romish Church where many among them cite oftner Plato Seneca Plutarch or some other than they doe the holy Scriptures and if they cite them it is so far from the true meaning thereof that they may rather be tearmed prophane than piously cited and sincerely explained Finally it is to deceive Christians to make them beleeve that Sermons should serve them in place of reading the holy Scriptures the Word of God is filled with a better spirit than all the best Sermons in the world for there it is the holy Spirit who speaketh to us whereof we ought not to doubt nor can we enter into any suspition of deception but Sermons being onely the words of men instituted to instruct and stirre us up to God wee ought indeed to respect them much and heare them willingly but we are not obliged to heare and receive them with so great respect as the holy Scriptures and we ought also to examine and confer them with the Scriptures as did those Noble Bereans having heard St Paul preaching to see if that which he said unto them was conformable to the Word of God as it is set downe Act. 17.11 neither did St Paul nor St Luke Act. 17.11 nor any other ever blame them for that action And our Saviour himselfe reproaching the Jewes that being sent from God his Father they would neither receive him nor beleeve in him saith to them Search the Scriptures Ioh. 5.39 for in them yee thinke to have eternall life for they are they which testifie of me And in the History of poore Lazarus and the wicked rich man is written in St Luke chap. 16. Luk. 16.28 when this damned wretch desired that God would shew miracles and raise some
Pope of Rome was above three or foure hundred yeares without being acknowledged for generall Bishop and universall Pastour of the Church which next we shall shew how this usurpation was brought into the world and how it hath been maintained in such an ambitious greatnesse CHAP. IX Proved from holy Scripture that Christ had never intention to leave S. Peter or any other Apostle for his Successour or generall Vicar after him ALthough it be sufficient to prove the usurpation of any authoritie that no authentique nor credible titles can be produced so to prove the authority the Pope pretendeth over the Church to be usurped it is sufficient that he cannot produce any passage of Scripture which sheweth with any appearance that that authority was given him by Jesus Christ Neverthelesse I shall shew the contrary out of the holy Scripture and evidence cleerely by the same that it was never the intention of Christ Jesus to leave St Peter nor any other of the Apostles as generall Vicar in his place or superiour over the whole Church assuring the Reader that if he will be but an indifferent Judge in this point and examine this with sinceritie and without passion he shall finde my reasons stronger for the negative which none is obliged to prove than those of the Romish Church for the affirmative of the most important article of their beliefe Our Saviour saith St Luke being neere the time of his suffering did advertise his Disciples of his death telling them that the Son of man should be delivered into the hands of men Luk. 9.49 Mark 9.33 and that they should slay him and put him to death and that he would rise againe the third day after his death They understood not say the Evangelists these words and that mystery neverthelesse hearing him speake of his death they dreamed of a succession and primacy after his death and fell into dispute among themselves who should be the greatest among them and who should command after his death If Christ Jesus had had any desire to leave any Successour after his death for universall head over them all and the whole Church that was a very fit occasion to declare his will None dare say that he forgot himselfe for the Disciples gave him sufficient occasion to thinke of it Moreover he being the eternall Wisdome he did remember all things he had to doe neither was there ever in him defect of remembrance or memory St Peter was present with the others if he had a desire to leave a Successour there is no man in the world who will not thinke that this was a faire occasion to declare himselfe there anent his death being neere or then take some other time to leave a successour to them and neverthelesse he never spake so much as one word neither at that time nor any other onely he reproved and checked greatly their ambition in that and setting a little childe in the middest of them exhorted them all to submission and to the contempt of domination to imitate the humble thoughts of that little childe which were questionlesse far from ambition And observe that they did even dispute of that primacy after our Saviour had said to St Peter Thou art Peter Mat. 16.13 and upon this rock c. and the other words which the Romish Church bring for the primacy of St Peter and if they understood those words as the Romish Church saith they must be understood how commeth it to passe that they disputed yet still among themselves for the primacy Luk. 22.26 Was not that to oppose themselves to the Lords command And Christ saith not unto them why dispute yee for the primacy doe yee not well remember that I have already given the superioritie to Peter if it was given as they pretend this was the answer he behoved to make but he exhorteth them onely to humilitie and to the contempt of all primacy And as they disputed yet another time the night before his death he said to them The Kings of the Nations exercise Lordship over them but it shall not be so amongst you Now seeing Christ hath not left a Successour neither at that time nor at any other it is an evedent signe that he would not that it was never his intention and that it is to conjecture without reason to thinke the contrary Further our Saviour being neere to his death yea a few houres before he was taken he desired being with all his Disciples together to sup with them and celebrate the Passeover Ioh. 14.4 after Supper he riseth from the Table and laying aside his garment girdeth himselfe with a linnen cloath putteth water into the Bason himselfe and washeth the feet of his Apostles beginning it is true at St Peter it may be as one of the ancientest and being of a lively spirit and a bold he was questionlesse one of the most considerable amongst them nor must we marvell if our Saviour spoke often to him and that St Peter speaketh sometimes for all the rest not by office nor dignitie but possibly through confidence of facilitie in discoursing but this by the way he doth the same to the other Apostles and washeth their feet he resumeth his garments and sitteth down to the Table againe and beginneth a long exhortation to them as being the last of all both to bid them farewell and declare to them his last Will. It is out of all doubt at this time that he should speak to them of a Successour if he have any intention to leave one after him he exhorteth them by his owne example to humilitie to puritie and patience to charitie and to love one another he speaketh to them of his deitie and of eternall life of the persecutions and tortures which he and they were to suffer In a word he telleth them a number of things which may be seen at large in St Joh. chap. 13. but he speaketh not one word to them of a Successour Ioh. 13. nor of leaving a Vicar in his place or an universall head after his death And is it not a most evident signe if he have not done it that he would not doe it for that was his last exhortation before his death knowing that they should not conveene nor he see them any more together to speake to them He speaketh indeed of Peter and to him when he spoke of his inconstancy that he should deny him three times but he speaketh never a word to him of primacy or leaving him as his Vicar on earth he saith often that he is to depart from them and promiseth he will not leave them Orphans but that he will send them the holy Spirit to abide eternally with them to comfort them and teach them in all truth but he saith not to them that he will leave them another Master in his place a generall Vicar or head and superiour whom they must obey after him There are none who will not judge that if he had intention to
Pope alone who being elected and chosen by such humane or rather worldly or rather diabolicall means so often deceived in his judgements so subject to vices and infirmities yea and so uncertaine of his owne salvation I could not see how that could be a sure ground of a firme beliefe such as ought to be that of our faith there being no place in the holy Scripture that giveth him either right to judge or infallibilitie to doe the same as J shall shew more amply with other things so that J did imagine all this to be onely an humane invention and deceit flowing from the ambition and power of the Pope so dazel the eyes of the simple and weaker understandings and a refuge for want of the Word of God to maintaine the doctrine taught in that Church Those considerations did ever sencibly move me and the more I grew in age and continued in the study and meditation of Theologie and holy Writings the more also did increase the impressions and commotions they made in my spirit and though often through scrupulous simplicitie J endeavoured to confirm my selfe and banish those doubts thoughts according to the Command they gave me yet the truth did appeare so strong and evident that J could not but suspect the doctrine of that Church and as those doubts did multiply within mee the curiositie and desire to finde out the truth was also augmented And also because J doe not remember to have met with any learned or judicious men even of the Romish Church which did not make mee to see in free Conferences that they had the like doubtings and that they did not see sufficient ground in the Word of God for most Articles of the Romish beliefe All those Considerations being come to their maturitie made mee resolve to come with courage and other necessary Circumstances out of the Kingdome of darknesse where J had lived so many yeares and give my selfe fully to follow the most holy truth where I protest and confesse before God and the world J have found more satisfaction and tranquilitie of minde than ever J could meet withall so long as J was in the darknesse of ignorance and lyes But that J have no sooner taken my pen to give glory and praise to God to whom it is due and to edifie the Church the indisposition of the time past giving me but small hopes of any good fruits from the seed J might have sowed before moved me to delay even to this time and occasion wherein the power of darknesse seemeth to be shaken in most Nations of the world especially pietie justice and truth being likely to flourish in this Noble Kingdome of England with greater libertie and splendour than ever by the wisdome and zeale of this incomparable Parliament called by the great prudence of the high and mightie King Charles and continued to this present J have some hopes of more plentifull fruits and that some may open their eyes more freely to search and know the truth and doe as J have done as J wish they would doe Besides J having been marveilously delivered not long since from a hard captivitie of ten moneths occasioned by the onely treachery and inhumanitie of my younger brethren much obliged to me But as Papists angry at my conversion contrary to all the oathes of securitie they so often made to mee my occasions calling me amongst them But God of his grace having not onely delivered mee beyond all humane expectation but also made me the Instrument to bring to the knowledge of his truth my owne Keeper who was of the same order with mee and the meanes of my deliverance J have now more obligation than ever to give glory to God and wish that all men were in the straight paths of the faith to give more perfect praises to God for all his favours It is not my intention to treat here amply of all the Controversies of Religion an infinite number of grave and worthy Authors having already done it more learnedly exactly and curiously than I could to whom J remit the curious and those who have the leasure and desire to be further informed But that which I pretend in this little Treatise is onely briefly to deduce the reasons which have most troubled and vexed my spirit advertising you that J shall onely use the Versions in this Booke which are received in the Romish Church to wit the vulgar they attribute to St Jerome for the Latine and that of the Doctors of Lovaine for the French to the end the ignorant who know not what the Scripture is take not occasion to stumble here and say as their custome is all is imposture and deceit God forbid J should seeke applause or glory of any thing wee have no good but that which commeth from God but I may say truly J was not accounted ignorant in the Romish Church for besides the study of Philosophy and Theologie and others wherein J spent many yeares J was imployed above twelve yeares in Preaching by expresse Commission from the Generall of the whole order of Capuchins where J was and by priviledge and especiall Letters from the Congregation of Cardinalls at Rome J was the Popes Missionary above seven yeares a favour imparted but to few for the great and extraordinary power they have moving jealousie even almost to all the Bishops And though J have been a sinner full of imperfections and will not nor cannot glorifie my selfe in any thing before God or men yet the charges of Superioritie in divers Monasteries of Deputie in many Provinciall Assemblyes of Confessor in sundry places of Missionary in many Cantons where J have been and was actually imployed when I left the Romish Church evidence sufficiently the opinion and estimation which was had of me in the order I was of passing with silence the applause and affection of peoples in many Cities and Countryes sufficiently knowne to thousands But to God be the glory and honour before whom I protest worthy Reader I shall write nothing here but the simple truth sincerely as J thinke and know it according to the true feeling I have Let no unreasonable scruple or vaine feare divert you from reading this Treatise for there is no Commandement under heaven can hinder you to seeke your salvation and to see and enquire if you be in the right way or not You will reade willingly a Comedie a Roman a booke of love or songs without scruple Wherefore will you not reade this that concernes your salvation If the Pope forbids it it is because he is interessed but none ought to be received Judge in his owne cause Besides have you never heard that of the Prophet Isaiah Isai 15.3 Mat. 22.29 My people are captive because they are without knowledge and that of our Saviour Mat. 22 29. Yee erre not knowing the Scriptures And as I desire nothing but your profit and Gods glory so shall you not see here any affectation of vaine eloquence but onely strong
done by the grace of the Father of lights who is never deficient in necessitie and from whom I confesse doth proceed the great gift of faith And if a Pagan should be Judge of this controuersie and others betwixt us and the Romish Church I verily beleeve he would suddenly condemne that Church of an unjust usurpation and intolerable errour in this point as all the rest which by the grace of God we shall handle hereafter and give sentence in favour of my beliefe which I protest I have chosen as the holiest purest and most conformable to the doctrine and intentions of the Sonne of God and his Apostles Now all the question and difficultie of this point consisteth the knowledge of those two which of them is the most certain rule and sure Judge most to be beleeved and most proper for our faith whether the Word of God or the Pope of Rome and his traditions The Church of Rome saith it is the Pope but I hold with the Orthodox doctrine of this Kingdome of England and the reformed Churches that it is the Word of God We shall shew hereafter that our Saviour never gave that power and authoritie to the Pope and therefore he cannot pretend it but here I shall prove that the holy Scripture is and ought to be the sole rule and true Judge of our faith grounding my selfe upon these following reasons CHAP. II. That the holy Scripture is the onely Iudge and rule sufficient of Faith and not the Pope nor the Church THat man without question hath a true catholick and perfect faith and is in a true beliefe who beleeveth all that Christ Jesus hath caught and neither beleeves nor will beleeve more in the matter of faith for the Son of God being that divine and infinite wisdome and knowledge which came into the world to save mankinde and teach them true faith hath preached and taught all that was necessary to faith and salvation so he who beleeves all that Jesus Christ hath taught and nothing more hath a true and perfect faith and it is impietie to beleeve the contrary Now it is true that whatsoever our Saviour did preach necessary to salvation is in the holy Scripture and therefore the holy Scripture containes all the doctrine which is necessary to faith and out of the written Word of God nothing necessary to faith is to be sought For the Evangelists and holy Writers having undertaken by the motion and command of the holy Spirit to write the actions and doctrine of the Son of God for the instruction of all the faithfull that should come after it is not credible that they should have written but a part and omitted something that was necessary to the perfect faith and for the instruction and forming of a true Christian otherwise wee must say that the Gospel is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ but onely a part of the Gospel and the New Testament is but a part of the New Testament of the Son of God And note that they were inspired and commanded by the Spirit of God to leave to Christians and the whole Church the life and doctrine of Jesus Christ they being assisted and helped by his speciall grace to that end Moreover they have not onely within one chapter or two but every one of them a great number where undoubtedly they have had space enough to comprehend all the doctrine necessary to salvation and being foure that which one of them might have forgot and left out might be supplied by the other their purpose being specially to write the doctrine and precepts of the Son of God which were necessary to salvation and if there were any thing more to be beleeved than that which is in the Evangelists we must thinke that it should be found in the Epistles either of St Peter or St Paul or some others of the chiefe Apostles who all except St Paul were witnesses of the doctrine and actions of the Apostles for many years and many of their Sermons fully might have touched it a little So it is voyd of all reason to thinke that Christ Jesus did preach any other thing necessary to salvation than that which is contained in the holy Scriptures And if it were not in the holy Scriptures it would follow that the Evangelists were faultie and blame-worthy and their writings imperfect for that Author is greatly to be blamed who being expresly commanded to write of some important subject writes many things not necessary to his purpose and passeth by more important and principall things Now the Evangelists having undertaken by the command and motion of the holy Spirit to write the doctrine of faith and salvation preached by Jesus Christ for the instruction of the faithfull they have written many things not absolutely necessary to salvation as a number of Parables Histories and Miracles for illustration or farther confirmation of fundamentall doctrines and therefore wee must say that having written such things they have not omitted more necessary and important things otherwise they were blame-worthy and their writings would be imperfect Now seeing there was but one holy Spirit that moved them and guided their pens and their writings in this worke one of them might have omitted something which the holy Spirit would leave and teach us by the other or by the writings of other Apostles but that there is any thing necessary to salvation omitted by them all is more than can be beleeved by any Christian Furthermore we see that the Evangelists and Apostles have left us sufficient instructions in their writings to lead us to perfection and the practice of most excellent vertues wee must beleeve them with better reason that they have given us sufficient instructions to a perfect faith which is the foundation of all vertue and perfection and without which there can be no perfection nor vertue or otherwise it behooved us to say that they taught men to be perfect not giving them sufficiently instructions to be Christians which should be an intolerable foppery Even as if a Mason would teach his apprentise to build an excellent house not instructing him how to lay the foundation or if a Master would instruct his scholar to read not teaching him to know his letters We must therefore believe that they having left us so noble and sufficient instructions to become perfect they have also left us sufficient doctrine in their writings to obtain a perfect faith which is the necessary ground of all vertue and perfection and doubtlesse there are none but obstinate and blinde persons who will deny it 2. Tim. 3.15 Doth not Saint Paul also speaking to Timothy say Thou hast learned from thy infancy the holy Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through the faith which is in Christ Jesus We must say then that the holy Scriptures being able to make him wise to salvation contain all the doctrine necessary to salvation otherwise they could not make him wise to salvation that is sufficiently
reserved by the Pope alone to distribute to all christians and cannot commonly be obtained without a great deal of money especially for those who are remote from Rome and that for the explanation thereof we must submit to the Church that is to the Pope as I have already shewed So there is nothing but the explication of the Pope which can be a rule of faith and which is infallible doctrine and so the Pope maketh himself sole Judge of all matters of faith to determine that which is and that which is not is not this an intollerable extravagancy and worthy to be laught at by all men of understanding seeing it is without warrant from Gods word as may evidently appear The Pope saith then the Scriptures are very obscure and must not be holden for a rule of faith nor be read for fear of mistaking the meaning It is true that the Scripture consisting of many books written by divers authours at divers times yea and in divers ages and for divers ends contain great diversitie of style for in some places it is historicall in others propheticall in some metaphoricall in some morall and in some mingled and although all that is contained in those diversities of the holy Scriptures be written for our salvation as saith Saint Paul and we ought to make our profit thereof Rom. 13. neverthelesse it is not to be doubted there both are and ought to be many obscure things according to the nature and qualitie of the style in which the things are writren for prophesies parables and metaphors are ever accompanied with obscurity But as our Saviour did make but a short speech upon earth and having lived some 33 years preached but 3 or thereabouts during which small time he did preach and teach clearly and soundly all things which were necessary to salvation so that the most simple and ignorant might understand him and be sufficiently instructed by his sermons Neither is there any but Reprobates who will say that God being come to save mankind did not give sufficient instruction and clear enough for all men to be saved Otherwise how could he have condemned Corasin and Bethsaida and pronounced those words against those towns Matth. 11.20 c. Wo be unto thee Corasin wo be unto thee Bethsaida for if the mighty works which have been done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon they had repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes But I say unto thee that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgement then for thee And thou Capernaum if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom it would have remained unto this day But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgement then for thee Out of all question those cities would have received clear and sufficient instructions for their salvation otherwise he would have condemned them wrongfully And if Christ Jesus did preach clearly all things necessary to salvation so that those who followed him and heard him preaching might attain to perfect faith The Evangelists having set down his life and doctrine to us especially that which was necessary and also endeavoured so farre as they were able to make the same known to us as clearly as our Saviour had preached it otherwise they should be very blameworthy and we should have great reason to except against them that our Saviour having preached a doctrine so clear and easie to be understood of all men they should have left it in so obscure and hard terms that none except the learned Divines were capable to understand what not the learned Theologians nay none I say in the world except one man to wit the Pope were able to understand and give its true meaning and explication No no it is blasphemy to imagine it but we must beleeve that the doctrine of the Evangelists being the same our Saviour preached is left to us with all the facilitie and clearnesse was possible and sufficient to instruct to true faith and salvation neither can they be blamed of any defect especially being directed and assisted by the holy Spirit to that end This impertinency also may be confuted by the onely reading of the Scripture and those who tax the same of obscurity or hardnesse do it undoubtedly out of malice or ignorance never having read it nor it may be never seen it whereof are an infinite multitude in the Romish Church For certainly it is so clear especially in those things which are necessary to our salvation that the most ignorant and simple may understand it and that oftentimes better then many learned whose presumption of their science seeking subtile and curious interpretations in the simple words of our Saviour beyond the purity and sincerity of his intentions are by his just judgement deprived of the true meaning of the same As the Sonne of God himself saith in those words Mat. 11.26 I thank thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes t is so Father because such hath been thy good pleasure And be assured no man how ignorant soever providing he hath common sence shall ever reade the holy Scripture with the spirit of simplicitie and a mind onely desirous to seek the way and means of salvation but the holy Spirit who hath indited the same will give him with a singular consolation and satisfaction an easie and clear knowledge of all things necessary to salvation But if any passages somewhat hard be found which is very rare in the Evangelists they may be passed over as not absolutely necessary or rather for greater satisfaction the opinion of learned men may be asked about it nor must we marvell if sometimes we find diversity in their explications for being matters not absolutely necessary nor touching the essence of Faith the controversie in such points is not of great importance But to say that we must instruct all and not read it for fear of mistaking some things is a meer invention of the Romish Church or rather of the Bishop of Rome who desiring to establish many articles of Faith to maintain his authority and the greatnesse riches of his estate and Clergy and seeing nothing clear in the holy Scripture to authorize his doctrine hath gone about to make Christians beleeve that the Scriptures were obscure and that it belongs to him onely to declare their true meaning and determine that which belongeth or belongeth not to faith and that they ought not so much as once presume to read them Further he hath straightly forbidden them under pain of Anathema and an eternall curse fearing lest the people coming once to read them should there find the condemnation of his false doctrine and the more prohibitions there are the more also is the gain and profit he maketh thereby upon those who
quod Now what I pray you are all the traditions of the Romish Church but doctrine and things besides the Word of God Besides that which St Paul and Christ Jesus and the other Apostles did preach yea even contrary for all doctrine taught as necessary to faith out of the Scripture is also contrary unto the Scripture seeing it is against the prohibition to adde to the Word of God Mat. 15.9 and God condemneth them who teach for doctrine of faith the doctrine and commandements of men And mark that Christ Jesus in this chap. of St Matthew did specially condemne the Pharisees because they transgressed the commandements of God by their traditions and what I pray you were those traditions they were not things expresly forbidden in the law of God but simple additions and willing devotions without the word of God and which outwardly smelled of nothing but devotion puritie and holinesse as to fast three times a week to wash the cups the platters to tithe Mint and Annise to make conscience to heal any sick man on the Sabbath day to make long prayers to abstaine from certaine meats and that not through a conceit that those things were polluted but through a willing devotion and humilitie of spirit or through a desire to mortifie the flesh but because those things were taught as being of equall authoritie with the doctrine of faith that is the cause wherefore they are condemned by the Son of God as contrary to his holy Word There is no doubt but by this passage of the Apostle St Paul we cited before are also condemned all the Traditions of the Romish Church which are taught and preached to be of equall authoritie with the holy Scriptures which truely are besides the Word of God and the Gospel that was preached by our Saviour and his Disciples for how cometh it to passe that they should have preached so many things pertaining to faith and salvation and never speak any thing of them in any of their Books nor in the acts of the Apostles which is the History of the most remarkable actions and Sermons of the Apostles for more than twenty yeares see if there be any thing spoken there of the invocation of Saints of Indulgencies Purgatory prayer for the dead of the Communion under one kinde or of the rest and if those and the like things be not in the holy Scriptures they are besides the Word of God and consequently he that preacheth them is accursed and Anathema and they are not to be received as pertaining to faith And to shew that the Traditions which the Church of Rome teacheth as Articles of faith doe not come from Christ Jesus and his Apostles nor cannot be said to be Apostolique nor divine but papall and humane to say no worse there is almost none of them the history of that Church sheweth not by what Pope or Bishop they were invented and at what time they had their beginning Baro. Annal Eccle. Gualter Chronol Durant de ritib. see the Authors who handle the same least I should be too prolix in this matter being desirous to lay open another of not much lesse importance CHAP. VII That wee cannot ground our beliefe upon the Books of the ancient Fathers THose of the Romish Church to authorise their Traditions which are besides nay contrary to the Word of God send us to the Fathers as to other Judges to determine our differences whose doctrine they affirme to be conformable to that which they teach Certainly I have thought Antiquitie in it selfe to be very venerable and worthy to be respected especially the Fathers whose grave and learned Books deserve praise of all good spirits principally if their doctrine be conformable to the Word of God which is the sole infallible rule of all good doctrine And to speak truly I finde that the Fathers of the first ages condemne in a number of places so manifestly the errors and superstitious doctrines of the Romish Church that I have marvailed oftentimes how they can have the boldnesse to alledge them in their favour It is true that as in the time of St Paul the mystery of iniquitie was already working so it is not to be marveiled that they being men some things have now and then insensibly crept into the writings of some of them which were not altogether so pure and seeme somewhat to incline to superstitions which by little and little insinuated themselves into the Church But I beleeve that though all their Books should seeme manifestly to contradict the faith of the Reformed Churches wee are not obliged to receive them as our Judges neither as irreprochable Witnesses and howsoever I esteeme highly of the Authours yet wee cannot ground any Article of faith upon their Writings but so far as wee finde them to conforme to the Word of God which is the toucstone of all truth neither are wee bound to have recourse to them any wayes For if we were obliged to have recourse to them and receive them for Judges of our faith that were to bring our faith and the point of our salvation in an impossibilitie at least morall because all Christians should be obliged to have them and to have them all or the most part which is not possible but to the richer sort and having them they should be obliged to reade them almost all and that wholy to the end they might compare one with another and see if they agree one with another in the same doctrine and if they be conformable to themselves every where and so none but those who had great leasure could reade them and being almost all of them either in Latine or Greeke or other strange tongue but few of them in vulgar tongues what should they doe who understand neither Latine nor Greeke There would be none then but the richer and learneder and those who had no other imployment but to reade could be assured of their faith and so all others should be without faith and knowledge of those things which concerne their salvation and consequently in a manifest way of perdition by their ignorance Notwithstanding our Saviour his coming was to teach the poore as well as the rich the ignorant as the learned the Merchants and Tradesmen as well as those who are not so much imployed Besides it is impossible to build upon their Writings any beliefe of faith for as Printing was not in their time but onely two or three hundred yeares since those who have written in the Primitive Church even to our time since our Saviour which hath been thirteen or fourteen hundred yeares have left us nothing but Manuscripts which behooved to be transcribed that they might be dispersed Now there is no man who will not confesse that the Originals and first Manuscripts written or at least revised and corrected by the Fathers which composed them have been seen but of a few and little or nothing of them all is to be found at this time nor was found
of St Peters primacy shall be drawne from the following words Mat. 16.14 set downe in Mat. 16.14 And I will give thee the keyes of the Kingdâ—me of Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in Heaven and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven The Popes grounding themselves on those words have assumed all power over Christians over Kings Emperours and States to excommunicate interdict and depose to crowne and create Princes and to give all their estates in spoyle In a word they thinke all they are able to attempt is lawfull to them as being sufficiently authorised by those words and that nothing under the heavens is exempt from their jurisdiction because it is said in that passage Whatsoever thou shalt binde on earth shall be bound in heaven At the first sight this passage wee have cited seemeth to be of great strength to maintaine the primacy of St Peter and his successours but I will onely turne over the leafe to elude this objection and shew its weaknesse and insufficiency for this purpose for I finde in Mat. 18.18 that Christ said to all his Disciples and Apostles present the same words in the plurall number Verily I say unto you that whatsoever yee shall binde on earth Mat. 18.18 shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever yee shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Quaecunque ligaveritis in the plurall number neverthelesse I have never as yet heard nor seen any Author that attributeth this generall and universall power over the whole Church and over all Christians to any other of the Apostles by those words why then to St Petrr more than the rest seeing the same words were spoken to them by Christ This might be a sufficient Answer to the objection of the Romish Church But because they use these words yet further to give power to all their Priests to absolve from all sinnes even the most secret and to binde and loose the soules and consciences at their pleasure I intreat you seriously to consider the occasion of this passage to see how little reason they have or rather the great wrong they doe in establishing a doctrine of so great importance on these words for these are the words the Bishops use at the consecration of Priests imposing their hands and saying Receive the holy Spirit all that yee binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and all that yee loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Jesus preaching to his Disciples of the order that ought to be kept in brotherly correction saith Mat. 18.16 Mat. 18.16 If thy brother trespasse against thee goe and tell him his fault betwixt him and thee alone if he shall heare thee thou hast gained thy brother but if he will not heare thee take with thee two or three more that out of the mouth of two or three Witnesses every word shall be established and if he shall neglect to heare them tell it unto the Church but if he neglect to heare the Church let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican verily I say unto you that whatsoever yee binde on earth shall be bound in heaven and whatsoever yee shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Thence every man may cleerly see that our Saviour speaks of the exterior and publique sinnes of our neighbour which are knowne not of secret sinnes and to keep the order of charitie and not dishonour him his will is that when thou shalt know it thou reprove him secretly between thee and him alone but if he continue still take with thee two or three Witnesses to reprove him in their presence and if for all that he continue in his sin and obstinacy accuse him to the Congregation and company of the faithfull that he may receive correction and if he doth not humble and submit himselfe let him be excommunicate and thrust out of the Congregation and thereupon he assureth the Pastours of his Church in the person of his Disciples that whatsoever they shall binde or loose on earth being understood with this order of charitie shall be bound or loosed in heaven that is whomsoever they shall bind with the bands and sentence of excommunication shall be bound in heaven and the sentence shall be confirmed and ratified in heaven by God and he whom they shall thrust out of the Church and Congregation shall be esteemed of us as thrust out in heaven Is there any man in the world that can justly contradict the literall sence of these words and who seeth not that this hath been out of all doubt the true meaning of the Son of God To what purpose then doe they apply that which was spoken of a particular case and of exteriour and knowne sinnes to all the interiour hidden and secret sinnes of the heart and to what end doe they enlarge the power of the Minister which is limited in this case over all manner of persons subjects and States but the ambition to command maketh arrowes or rather Charcoale of all wood to defile it selfe and all its followers See here another objection of the same mettle with the former Our Saviour Joh. 21.15 saith to St Peter twice Joh. 21.15 feed my Lambes and once feed my sheepe and by consequence he hath established him universall Pastour over all Christians I marvell much that the Doctors of the Romish Church should take pleasure to forge such bad consequences for I beleeve they know well enough that Terminus indefinitus aequivalet particulari non universali that an indefinite proposition is equivalent to a particular and not to an universall or generall Wee might say that Christ in those words did not recommend all his sheep to Peter nor give him power over them all and let us grant notwithstanding that St Peter had charge to feed all the sheep and lambs of the Lords flocke and commission to preach the Gospell unto them and feed them with the doctrine of life and salvation The same Commission and power was also given by Jesus Christ to all the Apostles Mark i6 15 Mat. 28.19 when he said to them in Mark. 16.15 Goe yee to all the world and Preach the Gospell to every creature and Mat. 28.19 Goe and teach all Nations for so ought the word feed to be understood namely to feed with doctrine and to teach so it is not said that primacy and superioritie is attributed to them but onely a Commission and charge given to preach the Gospel every where and teach all men to beleeve Further I answer that although this passage were understood of the power and authoritie it being an indefinite proposition to wit my sheep all the sheep cannot be understood here but onely those which Christ would especially commit to his guard and put under his government to wit the Churches which he was to found and governe A King sending a Nobleman to be Governour of a Province or Citie if perchance he say
unto him goe and governe my subjects well what foole is there in the world will beleeve that by these words the King giveth him an ample unlimited power over all his Kingdome subjects and createth him thereby his successour in all his estates after his death would not he be thought to be hypocondriacally affected who would make himselfe beleeve it the King understandeth questionlesse thereby his people and subjects which are in the Province and place where he is sent as Governour and not those who are in other places If a Bishop send a Priest to governe a Parish or a Church and say to him goe I recommend my people and my sheep unto you teach them well and instruct them faithfully take great care to feed my flock with good doctrine ought this Priest therefore to imagine with himselfe that all the people in his diocesse are subject to him and that the Bishop giveth him ample power over all his Bishopricke and maketh him his successour by those words Let him perswade himselfe as much as he can as doe the Hypocondriaques but I beleeve he should finde some to speake withall if he would undertake the exercise of such authoritie without some other Commission for by that it is sufficient he beleeves that the Bishop recommendeth to his charge the sheep which he hath committed to his guard and leading So it is without sence and reason they imagine to inferre by those words that Christ hath given all power over the Church to St Peter and established him his Vicar and Successour in his place but onely he commandeth him to preach and declare the Gospel every where as he did in other places to all the other Apostles without distinction of Jewes or Gentiles Countreyes or Estates but generally in every place where they should be sent And after this manner doth the Romish Church use the holy Scripture to prove the Articles of their beliefe Another objection of the Church of Rome is Our Saviour cōmanded St Peter Mat. 17.27 Mat. 17.27 To take the first fish he could catch and take a piece of money out of its mouth and pay the tribute for them two therfore he made him his successour after his death and hath given him the Primacy over the whole Church and over the other Apostles See here the meaning of this history some Collectour or Publicane cometh to St Peter who was with our Saviour as the first he found it may be or perhaps the most ancient and considerable of all and said unto him that their Master did pay no tribute to the Prince St Peter telleth it to Christ who commandeth him to go to the sea and the first fish he could catch to take a piece of money which he should find in his mouth and pay for him and himself to the publicane to eschew scandalls hereby it appeareth that he maketh him his successour and vicar after his death and that he hath the Primacy and superiority over all the other Apostles and Christians Is not this a consequence handsomely deduced by wise men and neverthelesse it is one of the Romish Church The publicans and collectours for the Prince come to a noble man to ask of him some subsidy and tribute they addressed themselves to the first they met withall or to some old servant and tell him that his Master hath not paid the subsidies the servant goeth and telleth it to his Master who commandeth him to go to such a place and take money to pay for him and himself which he doth to shunne noise and scandall this servitour ought he here for to presume with himself that he will succeed to all the goods and estate of his Master and that thereby preheminence is given unto him over all his other companions and fellow-servants and should he not shew himself altogether ridiculous who would maintain the same to draw such consequences and to found one Article of faith and the most important of them all upon so frivolous conjectures and weak proofs is to make fools of men there must be other proofs and more authentique and clearer declarations to pretend lawfully the greatest power and most advantagious succession in the world Take here yet another parcell of the same dough or rather more frivolous St Peter say they was the first who was called to the Apostleship therefore Christ made him his Successour and Vicar and gave him after his death the superiority over his fellows and the whole Church St John saith that Andrew having found Jesus Christ Ioh. 1.41 went and told his brother Simon and brought him to Christ so that by that means Andrew should be the first of the Apostles who found the Messiah and knew Christ but put the case it were Peter and that he was the first chosen of the Apostles and called to the Apostleship will it follow thence that Christ Jesus made him his Successour The first souldier that is inrolled in a Company by his Captain is he for that his Successour after his death must he have the superiority after his Captains death over all the rest without other declaration or title at all especially the Captain having never declared any thing that way but provided other waies for the government and leading of his company there is certainly neither rhyme nor reason for deducing such consequences so all this serveth onely to deceive the simple and weaker spirits but every man of judgement seeth well enough their weaknesse to believe or give credit thereto Now I protest they are the strongest arguments the Romish Church produceth out of the holy Scripture to prove the primacy of St Peter and consequently that of the Pope for there is nothing spoken of the Pope in the holy Scripture nor doth he pretend any right thereto but so farre as he termeth himself the Successour of St Peter and if they be attentively considered as they ought I perswade my self there is no man in the world provided he hath any sparks of common reason who will not judge them too small and weak to prove so important a doctrine which is the foundation of all the Romish belief and this certainly is more then sufficient to shew that the power of the Pope is usurped that he hath not the authority he pretendeth over the Church and that wrongfully he calleth himself the universall Pastour over all Christians and Vicar of Jesus Christ on earth he not being able to shew or prove his succession and power by any passage of Scripture which hath any strength or likelihood But I minde not to stay there not for any obligation but for greater satisfaction of those who are desirous of salvation and the truth I will prove the negative by Scripture and thereby shew that our Saviour had never intention to leave St Peter nor any other Successour or Vicar in his place and that the Apostles never acknowledged S. Peter nor any other for universall Pastour but Christ we shall also see hereafter how the
doe it it should especially have been at this time an occasion and if he hath not done it here nor elsewhere it is an infallible and certaine proofe that he will leave no other superiour over the Church but himselfe and the holy Spirit Mat. 28.20 and he saith that he would remaine and stay with them alwayes even to the end of the world Besides our Saviour being upon the Crosse recommendeth his Mother to St John and St John to his Mother if St Peter should have been his Successour and Vicar after his death he might even then have spoken something but neither did he it there nor before nor after he was risen although he was conversant amongst them and with his Disciples oftentimes for the space of fortie dayes is not this then a most manifest and cleere proofe that he would leave neither Successour nor generall Vicar in his roome and that it is without sence or reason to say he left St Peter If the testimony of all the men in the world should be found to contradict this same would it be of greater force and strength than this The Word of God ought to triumph over all neither should any thing be opposed to it and it is blasphemy to attempt it there needeth no glosses here for this is cleere enough but either must a man renounce all that is in the holy Scripture or acknowledge this doctrine and truth nor could ever I conclude otherwise having considered it Here you may see good Reader by the holy Scripture that Jesus Christ had never intention to leave any man for Successour and universall Vicar or generall head in his place and that he himself alone would be governour and director for ever and none other but himselfe Therefore it is wrongfully that the Pope of Rome groundeth and maintaineth his authoritie upon that Now let us see by the holy Scripture that the Apostles did never hold Peter for his Successour or universall head of the Church CHAP. X. Proved by the holy Spirit that the Apostles did never acknowledge St Peter for superiour and universall head of the Church IF St Peter hath been instituted by Christ generall Pastour of the Church and Superiour over all the Apostles and Christians I undoubtedly beleeve that the other Apostles did know it perfectly for although Christ should never have declared any thing to them yet the holy Spirit who instructed them in all truth would have taught them this so important a point So it is that it may be proved even by the Scripture it selfe that the Apostles did never acknowledge this superioritie and primacy in Peter and therefore we may safely conclude that he never had it I finde in the Acts of the Apostles chap. 15.7 that the first Councell of the Church after the death of our Saviour was holden at Jerusalem where St James was Bishop and not St Peter that Paul and Barnabas and others came expresly that the Apostles and Elders did assemble to confer about something touching Circumcision and after great debate Peter saith Luke rose up and spake and after him Paul and Barnabas declaring what signes and wonders God had done by them among the Gentiles and so soone as they had done St James answered saying Men and brethren hearken unto mee Simon hath declared how God c. Wherefore my sentence is that wee trouble not them which among the Gentiles are turned to God but that we write unto them c. Now judge I pray you by this passage if Peter may be thought chiefe in this so noble and famous action if there be any of the Apostles who may be thought superiour in this assembly it is questionlesse St James the Councell holding in his Citie and Church It is true St Peter speaketh after some dispute not first as is pretended for they had already disputed and spoken but St James pronounceth sentence in this assembly and as Judge and of most authoritie in the Councell it being done in his Church he imposeth silence to speak and pronounce the sentence as is the custome of the Judges and saith Wherefore my sentence is or now I Judge Ego autem Judico as St Jeroms translation hath it which questionlesse he did not as superiour to all but as Bishop of the place where the assembly was holden and to whom for that respect the first place and greatest authoritie was due as there is no Bishop in the world that giveth not place to another in his owne Church and within the bounds of his Jurisdiction But if Peter had had the primacy he would have pronounced the sentence as Judge and as Master and superiour over them all and it was his to say Ego Judico I marvell also that St James speaking to him if he thought him Vicar of Christ said not our Master Simon or the universall Vicar and Pastour or gave him not some great title such as is now given to the Pope it being a great over-sight to omit it but he saith onely Simon hath told if Simon was his superiour and universall head of the Church St James was greatly to be blamed in this point for some irreverence or little respect but knowing that there was but equalitie among them he useth him as his equall keeping onely the authoritie and dignitie of his own Sea It is said in the Acts chap. 11.1 that St Peter having converted and baptized Cornelius the Centurion and all those men who were Gentiles he came up againe to Jerusalem and being there they who were of the Circumcision that is the converted Jewes would have reproved him and contended with him saying Why wentest thou into men uncircumcised and didst eat with them Peter beginneth and declareth all the matter unto them in order and justifieth the action if St Peter was head of the Church and generall Pastour of all Christians and of all the world I marvell first how they had the boldnesse to reprove him for preaching to the Gentiles whose Pastour he was as well as of the Jewes and I admire also that St Peter seemeth to excuse himselfe before them upon a particular revelation and commission and did not rather tell them that being universall Pastour he had power over all soules and it belonged to him to preach the Gospell to every creature not onely to the Jewes but also to the Gentiles certainly he did not acknowledge as yet that generall power and universall primacy in himselfe nor yet did Christians acknowledge it in him for out of all question they would have spoken otherwise to him and he would also have answered in other tearmes especially if he had thought to have had that infallibilitie which the Pope of Rome vindicateth to himselfe which he saith he hath gotten by the succession and in the person of St Peter Moreover the Apostles sent Peter and John to preach in Samaria would the Pope now adayes receive any such commission Acts 8. and goe preach to the Indians or in Russia by Commission
when the Emperours were far distant and taken up in other places with warres and troubles and had neither meanes nor power to oppose or contradict that Election And when they did oppose themselves it had often divers successes and occasioned many sad Histories and lamentable Tragedies But in the end the power and riches of the Emperour diminishing by their dissolute life and the revolting of Princes their subjects and the Church of Rome growing continually in riches and wealth through the too simple devotion and liberalitie of many Princes the whole power of the Election of the Pope came to the Cardinalls who in the beginning were the chiefest and richest among the Clergy of the Citie of Rome and now are chosen out of divers Nations but more of Italy than of all the rest of the world together all of them bearing title of some Church in the Citie of Rome and by them alone at this present is the Pope chosen but with all the corruptions and abominations which can be imagined in the Election of a Potentate For when it is in question to make a new Pope there is no passion that is not set on worke there is no indirect means left unassayed no symony that is not committed The Pope being dead all is in disorder and confusion in the Citie of Rome every vice and crime is committed there without punishment or inquiry all revenge practised the Officers made by the defunct Pope having no more power there is sixteene or seventeene dayes allotted to the Cardinalls to conveene and enter into the Conclave which is a place furnished with Chambers and little roomes fitted for the Election Those who pretend to be Pope make commonly many faire promises to obtaine the voices of the Electors to some they promise their Pallaces to others Offices and Benefices to some the advancement of their kindred in a word all they can imagine profitable to themselves The Cardinalls Nephewes of the defunct Popes as the richest and most potent of the Romish Church being inriched and made great by the favour and power of their Unkles have each of them their factions and Caballs apart composed of those who are ingaged to them by benefits and curtesies received and pretended or in favour of the Cardinalls cap or some other gratifications given them by the Popes their Unkles not speaking of their alliances and other considerations of neernesse they have among them After that is the faction of Princes of the Emperour the King of France Spaine and Poland of the Princes and Reipublicks of Italy who by their Embassadours and Pentioners labour all of them to have a Pope that favoureth the greatnesse of their estates Last of all is the Faction which they call of spiritualls which are they that endeavour to choose for Pope him whom according to their conscience they thinke most proper and fit and whom they beleeve will be most profitable for the Church But this number is commonly very small and in the Election of Pope Vrban the eighth who at this present holdeth the chaire of the Bishop of Rome of fifty-three Cardinalls who were present in the Conclave for the Election a Gentleman of the Romish Church at that time residing at Rome who hath faithfully written the History which is publikely to be seen in the Booke of the Empires and States of the world saith that there were but three in all of the spirituall faction which aymed onely at the Election of the best without considering the Intrest of France or Spaine or any particular benefit or utilitie And also after the same or a worse manner have all the modern Elections been which I have read as yee may see more amply in the Books that are written thereof so common in the world as they need not be specified by me Now as the faction of those good and spirituall men who ayme onely to choose the best and most proper is questionlesse ever the least and weakest and as the worldly factions are ever the greatest and strongest it is needlesse to aske what doth ordinarily follow and it is a marvell if a good and impartiall and not factious be chosen for Pope I speak even according to the beliefe of the Romish Church They speak indeed a little of the holy Spirit and invoke his assistance but that is onely with their lips and for ceremony the holy Spirit shunning such corrupt company that is so little disposed to receive his motions thence cometh it that they are sometimes moneths yeares yea ten twenty thirty or forty yeares they cannot nor will not agree and some of them make one Pope others another this Pope creating his Cardinalls and Bishops and the other his with what disorder and scandall to all Christians I leave you to judge the Earth oftentimes bleeding at their execrations And I may truely say that almost all the Popes are created by symony for all the Princes well knowing by many experiences that the Election of the Popes is seldome according to the lawes of conscience but by corruption and favour they are obliged to entertaine expresly for that end Pentioners amongst the Cardinalls to whom they give yearly Pensions or some fat Benefices of their disposition and so buy their voyces that at the Election they may have a Pope of their faction The rich and powerfull Cardinalls who are commonly the Nephewes of the defunct practise the same with those who are poore labouring to gaine and possesse their Suffrages either by benefits received or hope to receive not indeed to be Popes because their families would become too great and eat up others but to reigne under the name of some other whom they caused to be elected The Cardinalls who pretend to be Pope spare nothing commonly to captivate to themselves voyces and friends and because oftentimes they be not very rich they are content to promise more than they have a minde to performe yea more than they are able So by all those fashions which are most common and ordinary there is almost not one who is not chosen by symony and consequently who entreth not in the Sheepfold not as a good Pastour by the doore but as a ravenous Wolfe breaking the wall to feed and fill himselfe with the bloud and substance of the Sheepe and not to feed them with the nourishment and food of life And because they use before the Election to reade some Bulls which thunder out the most fearfull excommunications and anathema's is possible against all those who proceed to this election by direct or indirect symony or any other crooked or unlawfull courses declaring them unfit and uncapable of any Ecclesiasticall Office or Benefice there are almost none of those elected who are not anathamatized with most terrible excommunications and by those Bulls made uncapable to keep the Office so that even thereby their election is voide and their possession of no force and unjust and all exercise of their power invalid but are even irregular so often as
Isa 56.10 seeing the woolfe fall upon the flock as saith Isaiah Would to God Princes would once rellish this important truth which a great many of their ablest Subjects do acknowledge and open their eyes to see the captivitie under which they go about to oppresse their authoritie God of heaven make them see their servitude and give them resolution to deliver themselves and their Subjects from under that strange and cruell yoke I am perswaded if once this great abuse were out of the Church if this unjust and incompetent Judge were once rejected as an usurper of an authority not belonging to him all Christians would in a short time be of one flock and under one Pastor Christ Jesus and in a short time there would be through all Europe and other places of the earth but one faith one baptisme one God for the holy Scriptures entring to be Judge and Rule of all controversies in point of Religion there would be no man of spirit and judgement who would not in a short time know the truth and the darknesse of error would quickly be dissipated by the approach of the light But from this incompetent Judge doth proceed all the miserie of the Church and because that point is the most important of all others in controversie I have stayed longest upon it and laboured to deduce and cleer the same more amply as being that whereupon I did most ground my conversion and the change which I have made And because I know there be yet many points which for not being sufficiently cleered are the cause of the perdition of many I shall endeavour to speak something of them in the following Chapters according to the light God hath given me and the knowledge I did acquire being in the Romish Church not that I promise to set them down so amply as I have done the precedent points For having proved evidently that rejecting the judgement of the Pope as unlawfull and of no force we ought to take the Scriptures and Word of God alone to judge all our controversies in matter of faith all that cannot be shewed in the holy Scriptures must be banished out of our beleef and because they of the Romish Church confesse that in many points they have no Scripture nor ground it is by consequence to avow and confesse the nullitie thereof neither need we any other form of processe to condemne them of untruth so that which I shall write hereafter shall onely be for the greater satisfaction of the Reader and to open the eyes of many simple souls who see not their blindnesse and darknesse CHAP. XVII Of the Invocation of Saints AFter that I was sufficiently informed and fully satisfied by those reasons and considerations I have already deduced and others like to them which to avoid prolixity I omitted that neither the Pope nor the Church ought to be my Judge in matter of faith but the holy Scripture onely which God hath given us to that end then did I begin to examine all points of faith by the Scripture alone and in every thing that was propounded to me by the Romish Church I had recourse to the Word of God and holy writings to see if it was conformable to them and if any such thing were preached by Christ and his Apostles who have questionlesse divulged the pure and most perfect faith that being the thing every Christian ought to practise in matter of faith And perceiving the point of the Invocation of Saints to be at this present in great estimation in the Romish Church and that the câ—nfession and profession of faith ordered by the Bull of Pope Pius the fourth according to the Councell of Trent saith expresly we must honour and invoke the Saints I have searched and examined this point by the holy Scriptures I confesse truly that as my nature moveth me enough praised be God to give honour to those to whom it appertaineth especicially in holy things so have I ever had an inclination to render to the Saints as much honour and respect as I thought was due to them and if I should have found any ground in the holy Scripture for the Invocation of Saints I would certainly have embraced it with a hearty affection but knowing that God is better pleased with obedience than will-sacrifice so I did beleeve the Saints demanded nothing more of us than what was due to them and that we are so far from doing them pleasure in giving them more honour than justly appertains to them that it were rather to offend God and them in God who loving him above all things have no other glory nor pleasure than his glory and will Now for passages out of the holy Scriptures to prove this Article the Romanists produce none worthy of consideration and that which ever I did read of greatest importance for them 2 Pet. 1â— 15. is the passage in 2 Pet. 1.15 Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have those things alwayes in remembrance Thereby say they Peter promiseth the faithfull that he will pray for them after his death This passage is falsified for it is according to the Greek I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have those things still in remembrance that is Theod. Aquin. in Comm. super Epist as Aquinas himself who is esteemed Mr. of the Schoole explaineth because saith he I must shortly be dissolved therefore so long as I live I will take pains to advertise you not onely once but often that is instantly and diligently that you may remember those things I told you after my death Oecumenius also acknowledgeth this explanation to be the best and the other to be hyperbolicall that is troubling and overturning the construction And although we should confesse that by this passage is proved that St. Peter and the other Saints pray in Paradise for the faithfull it will not thence follow that they hear us and that we must call upon them nor can they produce any proofe out of Scripture The Jesuite Cotton also in his first book of his Institution in the Chapter of the Invocation of Saints saith Cotton Instit li. 1. cap. dâ— Invoc Sanct that for commandment to pray and call upon the Saints the Church hath never taught any neverthelesse the confession of faith of the Councell of Trent composed and formed to be received of Christians by command of the same Councell Concil Triden Sessio 25. de Reform cap. 20. and especially by Pope Pius the 4th hath those words I beleeve the Saints must be honoured and invocated who reign together with Christ and that they offer up prayers to God for us Thence it would appeare that this good Father did not well know his belief for behold his Church beleeveth that Saints must be honoured and invocated if it be not peradventure that he would put this glosse upon the words of the Councell to wit that the obligation is onely by way of
his Incarnation and passion and the love that he hath testified unto us it is willingly and without grounds to make soules despaire and terrifie the consciences without subject onely to bring profit to the Clergie for this is the meaning and ground of the mystery Now let us see if they have passages out of the holy Scripture for a doctrine so cruell and contrary to the bounty and mercy of God and merits of the blond of Jesus Christ They alledge this of St Paul 1 Cor. 3.14 1 Cor. 3.14 If any mans worke abide which he hath built thereupon he shall receive a reward If any mans worke shall be burnt he shall suffer losse but he himselfe shall be saved yet so as by fire and that fire the Romish Church understandeth the Purgatory and so concludeth that there is a Purgatory I have granted that all which is in the holy Scripture is not cleere nor easie to be understood but onely that which is necessary to salvation and this passage is one of the most obscure and difficile in the Scripture but not necessary to salvation and yet the Romish Church will ground an Article of faith upon it and the most strange and terrible of all and contrary to the bounty of God but he who will reade the whole passage will easily judge that it must be understood in an Allegoricall sense and especially the word fire which St Paul addeth on as by fire to shew that it must be understood by similitude saying He shall be saved as by fire that is to say as if he had passed through the fire or were purged and purified by the fire even as we see the mettalls are purged by the fire and the Fornace Now there is no reason for grounding this so important a doctrine which is so strange and difficile to be beleeved on such a doubtfull foundation much lesse on metaphoricall and allegoricall and such words and it is evident from this passage that the Apostle speaketh nothing that commeth mere to the doctrine of Purgatory But the Apostle speaketh of Pastors and Doctors who in teaching retaine the foundation which is Christ on whom some build wholsome and solid doctrines which in that place he tearmeth Gold silver and precious stones others build light and vaine doctrines called in that place Wood hay and stubble and the Apostle saith that those frivolous doctrines being tryed by the word of God as mettalls by the fire shall not subsist and that the work of such a Preacher shall perish and the tryall shall make it knowne that there is no soliditie but as for the person of the Pastour he may be saved because of the foundation Jesus Christ which he hath holden being notwithstanding tryed by the Word of God as by fire So you see that it is there spoken of a tryall which is made in this life and not after death and also of a tryall of the doctrine and beliefe of Pastours by the holy Scriptures and not of a torturing of soules by fire so they have no reason to ground Purgatory on this I know that this passage being obscure and hard hath many divers explications but I beleeve every man of understanding will judge this the truest and most conformable to the intention of the writer if he will but take the pains to consider it but howsoever it being obscure we have no reason to beleeve that the Apostle hath preached an Article of faith to us therein which is not to be found more cleerly explained in any other place of the holy Scripture and if because there is mention made of fire in that place the fire of Purgatory must be understood they may produce an infinite number of passages where Purgatory may be found because there is mention made of fire in them Take here another of as little strength Our Saviour speaking in St. Matth. 12.32 of sins against the holy Spirit saith Matth. 12.32 He that shall blaspheme against the holy Spirit it shall neither be pardoned him in this life nor in the life to come This life to come saith the Church of Rome is properly the fire of Purgatory and so there is Purgatory but this doctrine doth not even agree with that they teach of their Purgatory for they said the sins be forgiven before they enter into Purgatory and that none go thither who are not received in favour with God and so according to them no sin is pardoned in Purgatory Now Christ by those words which are also obscure and difficile to be understood doth onely exagerate the sin against the holy Spirit and saith that he will not pardon it neither in this world nor at the day of judgement where the second condemnation is pronounced and so that he will punish them in this world and after death but there is no man who seeth not that this is too far distant from the doctrine of Purgatory to ground an Article of faith upon it You see neverthelesse the cleerest things which they produce taken out of the Word of God to establish the Purgatory and that so terrible doctrine where you may perceive the small reason and little probabilitie thereof But behold here other far cleerer and manifest proofs drawn from the holy Scripture against Purgatory Christ said to the thiefe who implored his mercy and put his trust in him in the time of his death Luk. 23.43 Thou shalt be this day with me in Paradise that is to say thou shalt be this day happie with me He sendeth him not to Purgatory although he had been a great sinner all his life time and that the death which he suffereth is by force and by order of justice and not for innocencie or for the faith as the Martyrs and S. John saith in his first Epistle 1. chap. 9. The blood of Jesus Christ purgeth us from all sins 1. Ioh. 1.9 if all sins be purged by the blood of Christ there is no need of the fire of Purgatorie to purge them more Col. 2.13 And S. Paul to the Colossians 2.13 saith that God forgiveth us all our offences freely if God forgive us freely as is evident thereby he desireth then no more any other satisfaction on our part nor pretendeth to punish us in satisfaction to his justice If a father correct his children it is for their amendment and not for his satisfaction and can it be beleeved that God who is so good and mercifull doth punish his own with so cruell fires onely for his satisfaction where there is no hopes of amendment But if God afflict us in this world it is for our amendment and not to satisfie himself Heb. 1.3 And in the Epistle to the Hebrews Christ hath made the purgation of sins not out of all doubt by fire nor by the tormenting of souls but by his own precious blood which he hath shed for us And in the Epistle to the Romanes 8.1 Rom. 8.1 There is no condemnation to them who are
dissention and strange scandall in the Church of Rome that they of that partie are ashamed and know not what to think on and it is probable that ere it be long the interchucks of those great and heavie clouds will make terrible thundrings I pray God the lightnings may be good and the effects happie But certainly it is not without subject if the Bishops complain so much to see the Pope of Rome whom they esteeme but their equall under pretext of his usurped authority send them fellow-helpers in their Diocesses without their consent and even against their will and inclination which say they have more power than themselves and brag they are exempted from their jurisdiction preaching in their Diocesse against their will and confessing in despight of them and all the Pastors and who by their Indulgences and Papall priviledges and other Monasticall allurements withdraw their sheep out of their Parish and common fold causing schismes in their Churches especially by the means of certain congregations and brotherhoods invented of purpose to bind the people to them and draw from them their wealth and possessions which is the drift and end of the mystery and truly it would vex a Saint as they say and if the Bishops power were answerable to their good will there would in a short time be no religious nor Monks in the world acknowledging at their own cost too late that institution never to have been of Christ nor his Apostles but onely a humane invention which the Popes have made use of to maintain their authoritie amongst the people especially against the contradictions of the Bishops and truly the Pope hath nor any stronger pillars at this present in the world for he maintaineth them by priviledges and immunities and they defend him by their tongue and writings so one hand scratcheth another Now if the Bishops complain so much seeing their authoritie so far wronged in and by them the kingdom republiques and Cities do no lesse at this present finding their shoulders loaded and their purses extremely lightned thereby for the most part of them are open or secret beggars who calling themselves voluntarily poore are shamelesse and beleeve mens whole estate belongs to them and that every one is bound to give them and who by their stratagems and importunitie can suck the very blood of families leaving often nothing but the bones for the poore children to gnaw for if you chase them out by the one dore they will returne by the other If they be refused by word they enter againe by friends and other inventions if you give them a flat deniall they calumniate you amongst your neighbours as an avaritious or ungodly man if yee give to one yee must give to twenty nay even to all for feare of incurring their disgrace and the bad effects of their tongues which are rather beleeved of the people when they lie than others when they speake truth and are Trumpets that sound every where it is impossible to content them all otherwise men must have the riches of Salomon Moreover they are insatiable so that an honest man that would maintaine his family in any good fashion and shew that his children may obtaine better matches if he cannot give those men proportionably to that which they see appeare outwardly he is often redacted to such extremities that makes him send a thousand complaints and sighes unto heaven against the institution and establishment of those kinde of men It is impossible to hinder them when they have a minde to settle themselves in any Citie or Bishopricke for being troopes composed of a number both of quick and dull spirits they finde easily friends strong and able enough to force and constraine the wills even of Princes and if Kings refuse them they set new inventions and practices on foote to move and stirre up Queenes to prosecute their designes so that it is not to be marveiled if they enter wheresoever they will and there maintaine themselves against the will and combination almost of all And which is worse there is almost no religious Order which hath not a desire to multiply inlarge and establish themselves every where to possesse and governe all themselves alone and when they are established they move heaven and earth to hinder least any companions should come and live neere them or be admitted not onely where they remaine but in all the Circumference and Sphere of their activitie I know a certaine Order which being established in a Towne hath to my knowledge assayed all meanes for divers yeares to hinder the Orders of Jesuits Recolects Penitents Minims Fathers Oratories Feuillants shod and bare-footed Carmelites Pyramidall Augustines and others to settle neere them Now if so much good commeth from those Orders as they make the people beleeve I would gladly aske wherefore they trouble and disquiet themselves so much to hinder others from being admitted and received with them to contribute to the Common good as they doe considering the spirits and inclinations of the people to be different and one will like one Order who will dislike another seeing also as they often preach there cannot be too many good men in the world but charitie say they beginneth at home or to speake the truth covetousnesse commandeth them as well as other passions especially vanitie and pride I remember I have heard many great Preachers and Doctors yea even Prelates of especiall learning and examplary life in the Romish Church apply to them in their Sermons the words spoken by our Saviour of the Pharisees and Scribes Mark 12.38 Mar. 12.38 Beware of the Scribes who love to goe in long cloathing and love salutations in the Market places and the chiefest seats in the Synagogues and the uppermost Roomes at feasts which devoure widdowes houses and for a pretence make long prayers those shall receive greater Damnation And many among them did confesse the application was good enough for the most part and they seemed to suffer it as persecution for Justice notwithstanding under-hand they left nothing unassayed whereby to be revenged and hinder them to preach any longer for feare they should reveale other things and discover more of their mysteries For my part it is not my designe here or desire to speake any thing either of particular persons or Congregations although it may well be beleeved that if I would open my mouth or move my pen I know many singularities concerning the disorders which have been committed and which are committed there every day to shame many but as I pretend nothing but the weale and conversion of soules not their confusion I desire rather to bury all in silence than discover any thing I will say no more of it except some froward and impertinent spirit as there are diverse will tax me of lying and imposture in this Discourse and give me occasion to explaine my selfe more cleerly and produce more evident examples and proofes to justifie my selfe of this crime and so constraine my nature and
by post in Coach on foot heat cold hungar and thirst good and evill for to them that love God say they all things worke to the best according to the Apostle Finally of all the works and many more which are done amongst them and by that means simple people think they go to heaven in their clothes never seeing so much as a sparkle of the fire of Purgatory how great sinners soever they can or will be and imagine they may so sleep soundly But all those Letters are properly accounted among them nothing but cozening tricks as are all those congregations third Orders fraternities of the great and small Cord of the Scapulate and others such small trifles and inventions which have continually faire and devout pretexts But which in truth tend onely to the temporall profit of the ghostly fathers I will say no more for here is a gulfe of mysteries and confusions which I will not discover it being not my purpose CHAP. XXVII Of the heavinesse of the yoke of the Church of Rome in comparison of the yoke of Christ AS the comparison which I made of the doctrine of the Romish Church with that of our Saviour Christ made me see so great a difference therein that I judged with great reason it was not the same doctrine but another invented by men so have I oftentimes compared the yoke of Rome with that of Christ Matth. 11.30 and found his to be light and easie as he saith Matth. 11.30 and the Romish cruell and insupportable instituted rather for the destruction and death of souls than for their salvation and profit as I shall easily make it appear by the consideration of Gods Commandments with those of that Church It is known to every one that God was content onely to give us ten commandments by his Prophet Moses which Christ hath recommended unto us assuring us that if we shall keep them we shall enter into life eternall If thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments saith he to the young man in the Gospel and truly howsoever we are conceived in iniquitie and naturally inclined to do evil yet there is none of how little breeding soever who will not judge the commandment of God light and easie to be obeyed by the assurance of his holy Spirit which is never deficient to the faithfull for they are onely grounded upon those two commandments of love to wit to love God and our neighbour which are commandments sweet and easie to everie good nature and soul that is desirous of its salvation Moreover the most part are onely negative that we may abstain from doing evill as not to adore false gods not to sweare not to kill not to steal and the like which seem not to be so hard to every good and honest nature And although all our actions be corrupt and imperfect and we cannot do any thing here perfectly and without fault yet I doubt not but there are many faithfull who keep the Commandments of God sufficiently to hope for eternall life by faith in the blood and merits of Christ But the Pastors of the Romish Church or rather the Bishop of Rome going beyond the Commandments of God by his traditions is not content with the ten Commandments of God but attributing to himself the authority and power of God over man he hath imposed six or seven more commandments upon them besides the ten which are for the most part positive and seem indeed to be but seven but contain above three hundred which every Christian is obliged to accomplish every yeer under pain of eternall damnation if he be in the belief of the Romish Church and the most part of them are so difficult for most men to accomplish that they may rather be said to be gives and snares to cast souls into perdition than a furtherance and help to salvation as I shall clearly shew in the manner following As the Doctors in the Romish Church disdaining to use the termes of the holy Scripture have summed up the ten Commandments in French Rhime and so read them to the people they have done also with the commandments of their Church and say them publikely after this manner The Church commandeth every one to sanctifie the holy dayes On every Sabbath hear the Masse they must and one the Feasts likewise All Lent foure times and Saints Eves for to fast And no flesh Saterdayes nor Fridayes feasts Thy soule sincerely once a yeer confesse Thy Maker humbly also take at Passe Pay all the tithes and duties to the Church I remember when I was a little child they taught us onely six and I have seen for a long time the Commandments of the Church but six in number but within this little time that of Tithes is crept into the books and is read at this day with their other Commandments as of equall obligation with the rest which is obligation of damnation and eternall death according to their common doctrine for they teach and all their Doctors and Canonists hold that those commandments of the Church are of the obligation of mortall sin as well as the ten Commandments of God although there be no mention made thereof in the holy Scripture which is properly to go beyond the Commandments of God with the traditions of men And however they seem to be but seven commandments notwithstanding they will be found to be about 300. or more which every Christian is obliged to accomplish every yeer under pain of eternall damnation except in case of manifest necessitie so there is few dayes in the yeer wherein there are not some one or more to observe besides the obligations we owe to the Commandments of God This may be cleerly proved after this manner for the first Commandment which obligeth men to sanctifie all the feasts instituted that is to say that all the holy dayes which are commanded by the Romish Church be observed and kept as the Sondayes and that the people work none of them nor do any handie nor servile work there being above 50. Holidayes every yeer besides the Sondayes behold alreadie fifty more commandments to be observed every yeer by every faithfull person The second Commandment is to hear the Masse the holy dayes and Sondayes here it is to be noted that it is not sufficient to be idle and abstain from all labour and handy works as well the Sabbaths as all the fiftie holidaies Neither is it sufficient to give themselves to prayer to read and hear the Sermon or be imployed in any pious exercise but moreover they must hear the Masse with attention and reverence so that there being everie yeer above an hundred Sondayes and holidayes there are also above an hundred obligations and commandments under pain of sin and damnation to every Christian every yeer so there is above 150. every yeer The third commandment is to fast all the Vigils the foure times and all Lent where ye are to observe that there are twelve dayes in the foure
may expect to be blamed and so they ought to be holden for spies and diligent instruments for the progresse of his designes and matches and firebrands which being not able to advance his Kingdome in time of peace labour by all meanes to stirre up warres and dissentions in Kingdomes and Common-wealths to fish as they say in troubled waters and effect in those confusions that which they could not get done in time of peace as it hath been wisely remarked and proposed in this present Parliament not long agoe at a conference with the Lords delivered by a rare and eminent man and daily experience should make that truth but too well knowne in this Kingdome And I may speake something of it for being in the Romish Church and beyond the Seas I was twice spoken to come hither with another who was then professour in Theologie and that by a great Politician who hath expresse Commission from the Pope to send and who was the onely Counsell of that notable Cardinall who these fifteene yeares and above doth keepe in warres and troubles almost all Europe But to come backe to our discourse if God by his providence did not hinder many not suffering that abominable doctrine to be so easily beleeved of every one as it is freely published and if even by the mercy of God there were not some generous and honest minds among them lovers of concord and honour who no wayes beleeving those maximes wou'd not for any thing in the world degenerate from the goodnesse and generous dispositions of their natures to engage themselves in vile actions wee would see worse and more unhappie effects for that is a bloudy doctrine enemy of peace quietnes and neither can nor ought to be rellished by judicious men who make profession of honour for we finde in no place that Christ and his Apostles did plant the faith of the Gospell by fire and sword or that ever they assayed to extirminate all the idolatrous people by death and destroy them that they might people their Lands with Christians but as there is great difference betwixt the doctrine of Christ and the doctrine of the Bishop of Rome so are also their actions and proceedings very contrary And I beleeve if the noble and generous minds of that partie would take the pains diligently to cōsider these great differences and the detestable maximes of their Doctors they would questionlesse abhor the doctrine that begetteth them but the subtiltie of the Priests indeavour to stop their eares with an ignorant and blind faith to hinder them from receiving the instructions of the truth which are to be seen in the holy Scripture Oh but I would thinke my labour well spent if it would please the holy Spirit to touch the hearts of some one by the reading of this little Treatise and make them see the blindnes wherein they endeavour to detaine them I have set downe it may be divers things which may give light to informe many who living in darknesse would not have been aware of their darknesse and if any desire a larger information I have written nothing which I am not ready to maintaine by word and give a more ample explanation for the satisfaction and profit of soules If in some thing I have not cited many Authours in some points I have done it purposely to shun prolixitie and the things being common amongst the learned especially in the Romish Church and others not being men to turne over the Bookes of those which write thereof I thought the number of citations would be needlesse and if any in the Romish Church either out of ignorance or malice insult against mee and tax me of any untruth I promise to enlarge this Treatise with more proofes and give cause to all men to confesse that I have written nothing untrue but if the truth apparelled in this manner hath been any way displeasing to some I cannot promise that being otherwise trimmed it will be more pleasing But to assure men the more and confirme them in their resolutions they may have for the true faith I say that even although the difference of the doctrine of the Church of Rome from the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles should not condemne her of untruth it would be condemned by her workes for our Saviour saith Mat. 7.17 that the good or evill tree is knowne by its fruits and though it did not appeare that the doctrine of the reformed Protestant Church came neerer to the doctrine of Christ and his Apostles than that of the Romish Church and so that shee should be the true Spouse of the Son of God and shee with whom the ancient doctrine of Christ Jesus hath been and is conserved and consequently the perfectest also that is the surest and best and which onely ought to be termed Catholike being the perfection of the beliefe and faith drawne from the conformitie with the doctrine of Christ yet the fruits and works of both shew sufficiently which is the best and surest For my part I professe that although I had not been allured and converted by the doctrine which I have found in the reformed Church altogether conformable to the doctrine of Christ which is not to be seen in the Church of Rome the onely knowledge and comparison of the works of the one and the other was capable to worke this change in mee and when after I was become a member of this Church I did see with how much more holines God was worshipped and served than in the Church of Rome then it was that with a great joy I had reason to say those words of the Patriarch In this place is the house of God Gen. 28.17 and the gate of heaven and have given millions of praises to my God for bringing me to a Church and a Land where his holy Name is so devoutly worshipped his Sacraments administred in such purity his Sabbath so holily kept the Churches so carefully frequented and kept so neatly and decently and Divine Service so reverently done and heard with so much silence I know indeed that as God hath found fault with his Angels and that being men it is impossible but some imputitie will slide into our actions that Christian Religion was never even in the time of the holy Apostles but there was something amisse if not in doctrine at least in the manners and practise of the faithfull and that it is not here below we can find the Spouse of the heavenly Bridegroome without spot or wrinkle in all her actions and that nothing in this world deserveth the name of pure and perfect in comparison with God but onely in comparison of one with another and of the unclean thing with that which is not so unclean and in lesse or more drawing neer to the example institution and intention of Christ Jesus our good Master so it is in that sence I praise the holinesse of the Church I am in for the present that is namely in comparison