Ceremonies Protestants answer As if the inspiration of God did not make God the author of the fact as well as the command expressed in his word Otherwise it were lawful for the Papists to conclude by the same reason that they have authority to institute new Sacrifices and Sacraments Bellarmine replies and saith That the Congregation made a new Feast Esth 9. 1. Mac. 4. Protestants answer That the first was political the second was to be disallowed Bellarmine saith the Apostles instituted a new Ceremony Act. 15. Protestants answer That there was no new ceremony instituted but a respect to scandal in tollerating an old ceremony Bellarmine saith the Church may institute some things and ceremonies are not repugnant to the Gospel neither hath the Lord forbidden that we should add no ceremonies for the more commodious and profitable administration of the Sacraments Protestants answer 1. The Church cannot appoint any new thing by her own authority 2 Carnal ceremonies void of the Spirit as all humane ceremonies are are repugnant Hildersham proves from Job 4. 23. that humane Ceremonies are forbidden in the Gospel in loc Bishop Andrews in Command 2. p. 263 or 255. Dr. Reynolds Conference with Hart c. 8. d. 4. p. 565. John Launder Thomas Iveson John Denly Martyrs professed that they believed that the Ceremonies used here in Q. Maries days were naught vain superfluous superstitious which they sealed with their blood Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1593 1594 1595 1598. to the perfection of the New Testament 3. Humane ceremonies can make â—o more to the commodious and profitable administration of Christs Sacraments as they were administred by Christ and his Apostles than the decrees of faith made by men do make more commodiously to illustrate the faith revealed by Christ What shall we think that certain new men have a better insight and know better what ceremonies are to be used in Baptism than the holy Apostles and Christ himself So of the Supper too Bellarmine saith That ceremonies iustituted by the Church cannot be omitted without sin yea not without scandal Protestants answer There cannot be instituted Religious ceremonies by the Church without sin and therefore they may be omitted without sin and ought to be omitted 4. That we cannot fully and perfectly perform all that the Law of God requireth for Christ saith plainly That when we have done all we can do we are unprofitable servants Which shews that we cannot perfectly keep the Law for if we could we should be profitable servants getting thereby much glory to God and everlasting life to our selves Do this and thou shalt live And the Homily of the Death of Christ T. 2. part 2. p â—82 saith Our acts and deeds be full of imperfectness and infirmity and therefore nothing worthy of themselves to stir God to any favour much less to challenge that glory that is due to Christs acts and merits And again in the same Page it saith thus of Adam after his fall He could not keep the Law neither if Adam and his posterity had been able to satisfie and fulfill the Law perfectly in loving God above all things and their neighbours as themselves then should they have easily quenched the Lords wrath and escaped the horrible sentence of eternal death For 't is written Do this and thou shalt live that is fulfil my Commandments keep thy self upright and perfect in them according to my will then thou shalt live and not die But such was the frailty of mankind after his fall such was his weakness that he could not walk uprightly in Gods Commandments though he would never so fain but daily and hourly fell from his bounden duty offending the Lord his God divers ways to the great increase of his condemnation all are gone astray Our frailty is such that we can never of our selves fulfil the Law according to that the Law requireth And our 15th Article of Doctrine saith thus That all we the rest that is besides Christ although baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us Yea the Popes Doctrine viz. That meer men since Adams fall can in this life perfectly fulfil Gods whole Moral Law is not only contrary to Sacred Scripture the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homilieâ— and Articles but also her Book of Common Prayers As to the Lords-Prayer wherein Christ taught his holy Apostles and all Gods children to say every day Forgive us our trespasses To our commoâ— general Confession We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts We have offended against thy holy Laws We have left undone those things we ought to have done and we have done those things we ought not to have done And 't is contrary to the prayer after every Commandment for pardon of sin committed against it Lord have mercy upon us Yea the Litany might be brought against Papists in this point And Prov. 7. 20. Rom. 7. 15. 17 18 20 23 24 1 Joh. 1. 8 9 10. and contrary also to the Doctrine of the Reformed Churches to be seen in the Harmony of Confession Sect. 4. and the 43 Article of Religion of the Church of Ireland and the fourth Article of the 16th Chapter of the Confession of Faith of Scotland Yea the gates of Hell I believe will never be able to overthrow that Faith in that Confession made by that Assembly Heâ—â— what Shelford Serm. p. 121 127 136 139 147. and White Bishop of Eli on the Sabbath p. 157. say for mans ability to fulfil the Law against the Doctrine of the Church of England and what Shelford saith for works of Supererogation Serm. p. 184. may be seen in Laudensium Autocatacrisis p 70 71. And what Bishop Forbes saith in his Book de Justificatione may be seen in the Supplement thereunto p. 300. And what Dr. Patrick saith may be seen in his Parable of the Pilgrim p. 324. who there saith thus 'T is true we are not tyed to that which we cannot do but yet the flesh will sometimes juggle and complain of impotence when there is nothing hinders it but sloth This is Bellarmines argument de observatione Legis c. 7. si praecepta c. if the precepts are impossible then they oblige none To this argument Dr. Ames gives this answer Dr. Ames his Bellar. Enervatus T. 3. c. 7. p. 191. 1. That this argument doth not prove that the Law is more possible to be kepâ— by believers than by unbelievers by the just than by the unjust 2. That the obligation to keep the Law is not taken away by the impossibility that flows from our fault To which I shall say but thus that the words imply as they may well be taken one or both of these errors 1. That men now are not bound to keep the Moral Law of God Or 2. That 't
A Renunciation OF SEVERAL Popish Doctrines BECAUSE Contrary to the Doctrine of Faith of the Church of ENGLAND By R. R. B. D. Babylon's Brats must not be dandled but dasht against the wall Phinehas his Zeal Jehu's March Josiah's Resolution Luther's Heroical Spirit have ever best prevailed against the mystery of iniquity Bishop Prideaux his Sermon upon Revel 2. 4. Pag. 25. Whosoever denieth this Doctrine That Faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory Homily of Salvation of mankind Pag. 16 17. Bona opera non praecedunt justificandum sed sequuntur justificatum S. August l. de fide operibus c. 4 14. The Pope is Antichrist and Popery is the loosing of Satan for blasphemeth he not in denying us to be saved by the imputation of Christs righteousness King James his Godly Meditations upon certain Verses of Revel 20. Earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the Saints Jude vers 3. LONDON Printed for Tho. Cockeril at the Three Legs in the Poultry over against the Stocks-Market 1680. CHRISTIAN READERS THough I confess I have long had it in my thoughts to prove That the Doctrine of the Laudensian faction is not the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England and that the greatest Conformists to the Ceremonies are the greatest Nonconformists in deed and in truth to the Doctrine of faith or the articles of Religion of the Church of England concerning the Confession of the true Christian faith and the Doctrine of the Sacraments yet I sate still earnestly expecting that some one Orthodox Conformist or other whom it most concerned to maintain it would appear to prove the former or some learned Nonconformist to the Ceremonies would do the latter but neither seeing nor hearing of any one of them to attempt either the one or the other being incouraged by the Parliaments late Act for renouncing Transubstantiation I have though the unfittest of a thousand adventured to renounce not only that blasphemous Doctrine but many more of the Papists erroneous and Antichristian Doctrines and in doing of this may possibly be thought obliquely if not directly to do them both And I begin with renouncing their abominable Transubstantiation partly because the Parliament did so and also because it 's not only destructive of the humane nature of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ but also inductive of adoration of the Lords-supper and the Tables or Altars whereon 't is celebrated Several of our high Conformists having so beld and 't is feared that some do so now the presence of Christs Body in the Sacrament of the Altar as they have been pleased to call it that they might well be thought to hold it after the Papists or Lutherans Doctrine for 't is clear that they have not only been against Orthodox mens discovery of the way that Christs body is not in Bp. Forb's de Eucharist l. 1. c. 1. par 7. A. B. Laud in his Star-Chamb Speech Dr. Heyl. Hist of Presbytery p. 2. the Sacrament of the Lords-supper but they have plainly held that he is more and some other way in that Sacrament than in that other of Baptism and that he is there truly really substantially as 't is in the 18th Article of the Popes Creed to be seen in this Renunciation Article 14th yea essentially as Dr. Lawrence speaks in his Court-sermon p. 18. And in the second place I have renounced Adoration or bowing to Altars or Communion-Tables purposely and upon the Religious account of more religâ—ouâ— excelâ—â—nâ—â— c. because that Doctrinâ— and practise being â—dmitted worshipping of the Sacrament of Images of the Cross of Relicks c. may easily be introduced and maintained And thirdly I have renounced their Heretical Doctrine of Justification of mens persons before God by their own good works because it overthroweth the Gospel and in effect denieth Christ to be come in the flesh and is most dangerously Antichristian and very commonly brâ—â—ched amongâ—â— us and the sound Doctrine of the Church of England against it called Antinomianism and the imputation of Christs Righteousness vilified and denied and Faith as an act habit or work or as it includes sincere obedience set up in its room and the Papists Justification of our persons before God by our own actual or habitual righteousness re-introduced I have also renounced the sufficiency of the natural active power of mans Free-will while in the state of nature to turn of it self to God to believe c. and there by the ground and foundation of the Old and New Pelagian long since condemned though of late too much revived and affected Doctrine and those that usually flow from or are companions of it as also the lawfulness of setting up and suffering of Images in places of publick worship because they have been are and will be occasions of Idolatry Superstition and much mischief in Church and State where they have been and are tolerated as may be seen in that excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry I have also proved by the Doctrine of the Church of England and our own learned mens approved works That the Pope of Rome is the Antichrist and that therefore he is not supreme Head of the Church and that therefore his humane inventions should not be imposed upon nor followed by the Churches of Jesus Christ but that Christ himself the supreme Head of his Church should be only so acknowledged his word duty and constantly consulted and followed in all matters which concern his Church â—is pure Doctrine Discipline and Worship and Truths countenanced and maintained and not suppressed or disgraced and also that Antichrists erroneous and Antichristian doctrines usurpations superstitious and scandalous ceremonies and other Worships should be detested * Vide the Confessioâ— of Faith made the 28 of Jan. 1581 in the 14 year of K. James his Reign there and subscribed and sworn to by K. James his Houshold and whole Kingdom of Scotland set down in the latter end of the Harmony of Confessions and renounced and suppressed 'T was once a sad and great complaint made to a Sub-Committee in which were many eminent Bishops and three Doctors of Divinity That all the tenents of the Council of Trent except only such points of State-policy against the Kings Supremacy as were made Treason by the Statute as good works co-causes with Faith in Justification private Confession by particular enumeration of sins needful necessitate medii to Salvation that the oblaâ—ion or as others the consumption of the Elements in the Lords-Supper holdeth the nature of a true Sacrifice Prayers for the Dead lawfulness of Monastical Vows the gross substance of Arminianism and some dangerous points of Socinianism had been preached or printed by some amongst us saith Dr. Fuller in his Ecclesiastical History Dr. Heylin ' s Cypr. Anglicus l. 5. p. 472
of Godfry Goodman Bishop of Gloucester was accused of it in Court and Convocation and declared and professed it by his last Will and Testament as Dr. Heylin shews in his Cypr. Angl. l. 4. p. 416. 'T is said of Dr. Theodore Price Bishop of that though he lived like an Atheist yet he died like a Papist Prin ' s Epistle to K. Châ—r I before his Quench-coal p. 42. England be so absolutely directly and cordially Papists that it is all that 1500 l. per Ann can do to keep them from confessing it This and much more may be seen in Dr. Heylin's Cypr. Angl. l. 4. p 392 408. Doth not A. B. Laud p. 36. of his commended Relation of his Conference with Fisher say thus The Church of Rome and Protestants set not up a different Religion And doth not Dean Potter iâ— Charity mistaken p 62 say thus That the most necessary and fundamental Truths which constitute a Church are on both sides unquestioned by fundamental points of faith we understand these prime and capital Doctrines of Religion which * But what are those a Bishop and a people or a Pope and the multitude of Professors of Christianity as Bishop Sparrow intimates in his Rationale upon the Common-prayer Book p. 89. Bishops Curates and people committed to their charge make up a Church make up the holy Catholick Church But did not the Church of England before A. B. Laud altered the Prayer for the Fifth of November say That Papists Religion is Rebellion and A. B. Laud held that Bishops are essential to the being of a Church as Heylin shews in his Cypr. Anglic. l. 1. p. 54. l. 4. p. 400 401. their faith is faction Which cannot be said of Protestants Religion or Faith truly without great slander though Dr. Heylin as they say most wickedly standers all the first restorers of the Reformed Religion with it Doth not the Church of Rome hold such points of faith as do destroy the foundation and those not only questioned but denied by real Protestants Doth not the Church of Rome hold this Doctrine as a point of faith for denying or not believing of which they have put many thousands of Protestants to death viz. That the body and blood together with the soul of the Lord Jesus Christ is truly really and substantially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist and that there is made a turning of the whole substance of the bread into his body and of the whole substance of the wine into his blood which turning the Catholick Church as they falsly call themselves doth call Transubstantiation If this be denied see the 18th Article of their Religion set down in the 14th Article of this Book And doth not our Vide Bull Pii 4 bound up with the Council of Trent super forma juramenti professionis sidei Church of England hold the truth in this point against the Church of Rome that this their Doctrine is false and doth destroy the humane Nature of Christ and consequently destroy all the Articles of our Creed which concern Jesus Christs humane nature and consequently our Salvation And is not this a fundamental point of faith that true believers persons are justified before God by the righteousness of Christ imputed to them and applied by faith alone Is it not the main drift of the Apostle to prove and settle the Romans and Galatians in this truth That believers persons are not justified before God by their own good works even of that Law of which câ—meth the knowledge of sin Rom. 3. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the Law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight for by the Law is the knowledg of sin Yea doth not the Apostle say that if he shall teach justification of our persons before God by our own good works he should frustrate the grace of God that is overthrow the Gosâ—el of Jesus Christ for if righteousness come by the Law then Christ is dead in vain Gal. 2. 21. And could these great Grandees who imposed and took subscription to the Book of Homilies upon and from others be ignorant of what the Church of England holds therein especially this Whosoever denieth this Doctrine THAT FAITH ALONE JUSTIFIETH is not to be accounted a Christian man nor a setter forth of Gods glory but for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and for a setter forth of mans vain glory that 't were the greatest arrogance and presumption of man that Antichrist could set up against God to affirm that a man might by his own works take away and purge his own sin and justifie himself Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 16 17. Now because some of our English conforming Divines have by their Preachings and Writings said that most of these ensuing false Doctrines I Heylin in his Introduction to his Cypr. Angl. p. 36. S. 36. have renounced all which the Church of Rome holdeth and maintaineth are the Doctrines of the Church of England and thereby induced many persons to believe and allow them I have to prevent the growing mischief of this grand deceit and to vindicate the Church of England from these calumnies and to inform the ignorant and inconsiderate that have subscribed assented and consented to the Articles of Religion and Homilies of the Church of England but never throughly read and considered them spent as much of my time with my pen as could be spared from my fork and rake this Harvest whiles many great Conformists to the Ceremonies and Government enjoy their Plurality of Benefices besides their great dignities but labour not in the Word and Doctrine much less preach or write against these gross Popish Doctrines but rather preach or print them to the great dishonour of God especially of Jesus Christ the increase of Popery and Atheism and the great grief of those godly Christians that are Protestants indeed and in truth as well as in profession Antichrist professeth the Creed as well as these men yet by his superinduced Doctrines and practices he overtbrows it So these men of long Name may profess subscribe and assent to the Doctrine of the Church of England and yet by superinduced Doctrines contradict and destroy it for they give not an internal assent to it as was observed before out of Mr. Fowler ' s Free Discourse p. 305. And whether those men do not play the Hypocrites lâ—t the world judg The Pope of Rome in divâ—ding Rome unto 25 Priests the fatal squarâ—-root of the number of the Beast 666 laid the foundation of his Iâ—olatrous and tyrannous Kingdom long before his Supremacy was perfected yea claimed He arose out of the earth as grass by little and little insensibly so possibly may a Pontifex Maximus with such a number of such Priests in time â—o elsewhere especially if rulers and ruled are willing to be ridden by them Of all Beasts tâ—e two horned Beast is the most dangerous to be ridden by next that which is most like him as
your abundant modesty to call A. B. Vsher Bishop Downham Bishop Davenant Mr. Perkins Pemble Dr. Ames and many others of our own learned orthodox Divines besides many more of foreign Countries consider not Faith as 't is the principle of good works but according to its proper office as justifying which is to rest trust upon to receive and apply and so in that office it actually needs no good works or vertues to be coupled with it because it is but the souls instrument to apprehend and apply the righteousness of Christ that is freely offered in the Gospel to it self and which no other grace or work of man doth or can do as was shewed before * Dr. Patrick calls this I am nought I have nought his Pilgrims charm Par. Pilgr p. 283. Which sure is not so good a comparison as Mr. T. W. his painted post is of an hypocrite condemned by him in his Debate He that will be Christs disciple must deny himself and his own righteousness as Paul did Phil. 3. 7. 8 9. Christ will be a whole Saviour or none at all He that comes to Christ for justification with his own good works in his hand doth in effect say that he hath in truth some but not much need of him and his righteousness and thereby he incapacitates himself to lay hold upon and receive Christ and his merits for inâ—us existens prohibet extraneum he must let go his own works before he can apprehend and relye only upon Christs merits as he must do as was evidenced before out of the Doctrine of our Church of England which saith * Hom of Salv. of Mank p. 17. We must trust only in Gods mercy and that sacrifice which our high Priest and Saviour Jesus Christ the Son of God once offered for us upon the Cross to obtain thereby Gods grace For further and fuller confutation of this gross and most Antichristian error not to say heresie as Dr. Slater calls it I refer you back to what I have alledged out of the Church of Englands Books of Homilies and Articles of Religion upon the serious reading of which and their Books and comparing them together all judicious and sound Christians will find that there is great cause for all men to take heed of their Books as of cheats and dangerous illusions to use Dr. Patrick's words by which they have defamed the sincere and sound professors and assertors of the true and pure Protestant Religion which to do their learned Dr. H. More in his Mystery * Lib. 2. c. 13. p. 〈◊〉 This saith he must needs be very antichristian and uncharitable to misrepresent mens actions and opinions in publick speeches or writings or invent notorious lyes or fictions in the disparagement of mens persons and Doctrines and suborn men to write them and divulge them to the world for truths which is to do as was the custome of those who were under the Dragon that old Serpent and false accuser of the ancient Primitive Christians c. of Iniquity saith is one part of Antichristianism and cunningly under the pretence of confuting the errors and reproving the follies and infirmities of Nonconforming Protestants to those errors and impositions and modes of worship and government which they profess they like very well have printed what they have preached I cannot tell not to say Arminian Socinian but Popish Errors contrary to the express word of God and the sound and clear Doctrine of the Church of England to which 't is believed they have subscribed if not declared their assent and consent yea even that antifundamental error or rather heresie of Justification of sinners persons before God by their own inherent righteousness or good works and thereby slighted our free Justification by the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ apprehended and applied alone by true Faith in Jesus Christ which is in effect denying the Gospel of Jesus Christ as their Dr. More shews in his Mystery of Iniquity and is obvious to every man that fully understands what the Gospel of Jesus Christ is and that is not resolved virtually to deny Christ to be come in the flesh and to profess himself to be fallen from grace as the Apostle speaks 1 Joh. 4. 1 2 3. Gal. 5. 4. From all which I shall not peremptorily conclude any thing but only ask this question as Dr. Patrick Friendly Debate pag. 2 3. doth Can he be a good subject a good * Hom. of Salvat of Mankind p. 16 17. before quoted and alledged Christian and a Minister of Christ that doth so To conclude 't is true that good works do either actually or habitually accompany a true justifying Faith or do follow a justified person but they have no hand or efficiency at all in the justification of a sinners person before God as the Doctrine of the Church of England plainly shews We are justified by Faith with works associativè but not by Faith and works copulativè that is we are justified by that Fâ—â—â—h that is accompanied with works but not by the works that do accompany it as concauses with it thereof but by faith alone because that only and no other vertue grace or work doth or can do it apprehends and applies that which doth justifie our persons before God viz. Christs righteousness ART IV. That Faith that doth justifie sinners persons before God is a bare and naked assent to the truth of Gods word and that so and as an act habit or work in us it justifies THIS I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her Homily of the Salvation of Mankind p. 17. which saith thus The true meaning of this Doctrine We be freely justified by faith without works is not that this our own act to believe in Christ or that this faith in Christ which is within us doth justifie us For that were to count our selves to be justified by some act or vertue that is within our selves but the true meaning thereof is that although we hear Gods word and believe it although we have faith we must renounce the merit of our said vertues c. And in the Homily of Christs Death and Passion T. 2. part 2. p. 1â—7 thus The only mean or instrument of Salvation required of our part is faith that is a sure trust and confidence in the mercies of God c. ut supra where 't is clear that the faith that doth justifie us is not a bare notitia or knowledg of and assensus assent unto the truth of Gods word but also as our sound Divines do hold and maintain Bishop Davenant Determ 37. fiducia a sure trust and confidence in Gods mercy c. So also in Homily of Salvation of Mankind p. 20. A true and right Christian is not only to believe the holy Scriptures and all the Articles of our Christian Faith that is to assent to them but also to have a sure trust and confidence
Barjona for flesh and blood hath 〈◊〉 revealed it unto thee but my Father which is in heaven 2 Cor. 3. 5 〈◊〉 that we are sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 〈◊〉 our sufficiency is of God Joh. 15. 5. Without me ye can do nothing 〈◊〉 Christ Phil. 2. 13. It is God that worketh in you both to will and to 〈◊〉 his good pleasure Ephes 2. 8. For by grace ye are saved through faâ—â—â— and that grace or that faith is not of your selves It is the gift of 〈◊〉 And so is repentance the gift of God Act. 5. 31. Act. 11. 18. 2 〈◊〉 2. 25. If God will give them repentanceâ— to the acknowledgement of 〈◊〉 truth 3. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Reformed Protestant Churches As 1. To the eighth Article of Lambeth which as you hearâ— before was declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England The eighth Article of Lambeth is this No man can come to Christ unlesâ—â— it be given to him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men 〈◊〉 drawn by the Father that they come to the Son 2. To the 32 Article of Religion of Ireland None can come 〈◊〉 Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father draw him 〈◊〉 all men are not so drawn by the Father that they may come unto the Soâ—â— neither is there such a sufficient measure of grace vouchsafed unto eveâ— man whereby he is enabled to come unto * The nature of man through the transgression of our first parents hath lost free-will and retaineth not now any shadow thereof saving an inclination to â—ill those only excepted whom of his grace he hath sanctified and purged from their Original leprosie King James his Declaration against Vorstius p. 368. of his Works everlasting life This Confession includes the 8th and 7th Articles of Lambeth 3. To the latter Confession of Helvetia which saith thus Therefore man not as yet regenerate hath no free will to good no strength to perform that which is good In regeneration the understanding is illuminated by the Holy Ghost that it may understand both mysteries and will of God and the will it self is not only changed by the Spirit but is also endued with faculties that of its own accord it may both will and do good Harmony of Confessions Sec. 4. c. 9. p. 62 63. and the like may be there seen in the former Confession of Helvetia p. 65. art 9. See the Confession of Bohemia For that will of man which before was free is now so corrupted troubled and weakned that now from henceforth of it self and without the grace of God it cannot chuse judg or wish nay it hath no desire nor inclination much less any ability to chuse that good wherewith God is pleased Harmony of Confessions Sect. 4. p. 68. The Confession of the French Church is much to the same effect there to be seen p. 70. and there in the same Section is the Confession of Belgia full and clear to the same purpose with notable proofs out of Scripture against mans natural power to convert himself to God as John 3. 27. John 6. 44. Rom. 8. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Phil. 2. 13. John 15. 5. And p. 74. of the same Section is the Confession of Auspurg to the same purpose And p. 75. they say thus We condemn the Pelagians and all such as they are who teach that by the only powers of * This is directly contrary to Dr. Patricks Doctrine before recited in the Margent nature without the holy Spirit we may love God above all and fulfill the Law of God as touching the substance of our actions The Confession of the Church of Saxony is to the same effect there to be seen p. 77. That man by his natural strength is not able to free himself from sin and eternal death but this freedom and conversion of man to God and this spiritual newness is wrought by the Son of God quickning us by his Holy Spirit In the same Section p. 82 83. the Church of Wirtemberg saith thus And whereas some affirm that so much integrity of mind was left to man after his fall that by his natural strength and good works he is able to convert and prepare himself to faith and the invocating of God it is flatly contrary to the Apostolicâ— Doctrine and the true consent of the Catholick Church Rom. 5 By one mans trespass evil was derived unto all men unto condemnation Ephes 2. When ye were dead in trespasses and sins wherein in times paâ—â— ye walked according to the course of this world and after the Prince c and we were by nature the children of wrath as well as others he saith Dead in sins and the children of wrath that is strangers from thâ— grace of God But as a man being corporally dead is not able by his oâ—â— strength to trepare or convert himself to receive corporal life so be which is so spiritually dead is not able by his own power to câ—â—vert himself to receive spiritual life The Synod of Dort c. 〈◊〉 Article 3. say thus All men are conceived in sin and born 〈◊〉 children of wrath untoward to all good tending to salvation forward to evil dead in sins slaves of sin and neither will nor 〈◊〉 without the grace of the Holy Ghost regenerating them 〈◊〉 streight their own crooked nature no not so much as dispose theâ— selves to the amending of it And Article 4. they say thus Bâ—â— so far short is he from being enabled by this imbred light to coâ— to the saving knowledg of God and to convert himself unto hiâ— that he doth not make right use thereof in natural things and â—vil affairs nay that which it is he many ways defileth it all 〈◊〉 withholdeth it in unrighteousness and by so doing becomâ—â— inexcusable before God Who in the 4th error rejected reject thâ— error of those that teach That an unregenerated man is not properly nor totally dead in sins nor destitute of all strength tendâ—â— to all spiritual good but that he is able to hunger and thirst aftâ—â— righteousness or everlasting life and to offer the sacrifice of 〈◊〉 humble and contrite heart even such as is acceptable unto God For these assertions march against the direct testimonies of Scripture Ephes 2. 1 5. Ye were dead in trespasses and sins Gen. 6. 5. 8. 11. Every imagination of the thought of mans heart is only evil continally Moreover the hungring and thirsting for deliverance out of misery 〈◊〉 for life-eternal as also the offering to God the sacrifice of a broken â—â—eâ—â— is proper to the regenerate and such as are called blessed Psal 51. 1â— Matth. 5. 6. That the efficacious grace of God in mans effectual calling or conversion doth not depend upon the aptitude or co-operâ—tion of the will of man but is from the supernatural work of Goâ—â— which the holy Scripture calls the drawing of the Father to the
acteth against and contrary to them By which saith he they do declare themselves to be none of the Church of Christ but rather of the Synagogue of Satan Yea he there tells his Wife That he called them with good conscience as Christ called their forefathers the children of the Devil and that as their father the Devil is a lyar and murtherer so their Kingdom and Church as they call it standeth by lying and murdering therefore my dear Wife have no fellowship with them Ibid. Bishop Ridley in his Letter in Captivity calls the Church of Rome the Strumpet of Babylon and the Pope of Rome Antichrist Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1626. col 1. And in his Answer at his Examination to Bishop White he saith He cannot but confess with St. Gregory a Bishop of Rome also that the Bishop of that place is the very true Antichrist whereof St. John speaketh by the name of the Whore of Babylon And I say saith he with the said St. Gregory that he that maketh himself a Bishop of all the world is worse than Antichrist Ibid. p. 1650. col 2. And in his Communication with Dr. Brooks Bishop of Gloucester when he degraded him exhorting him to recant and submit to the Church of Rome he saith thus You know my mind concerning the usurped authority of the Romish Antichrist Ibid. p. 1659. col 2. And a little after when he would Bishop Ridley though when he was in his Pontificalibus he contended too much for the Surplice c. yet when he came to die he refused it and abominated it put on him the Surplice c. he inveighed against the Romish Bishop and all that foolish apparel calling him Antichrist and the apparel foolish and abominable Ibid. In his Farewell Letter to all his Friends he calls the Bishop of Rome the Babylonical Beast and the then Bishops of England thieves of Samaria Sabei Caldei These robbers have rushed out of their dens and have robbed the Church of England of all the aforesaid holy treasure of God they have carried it away they have overthrown it and instead of Gods holy word the true and right administration of Christs holy Sacraments as of Baptism and the other they mix their Ministry with mens fantasies and many wicked and â—â—godly traditions Ibid. p. 1674. And these Bishops he calls the Soldiers of Antichrist Ibid. p. 1675. col 1. And in his Letter to the Lords Temporal he saith thus I wonder my Lords what hath bewitched you that ye are so suddenly fallen from Christ unto Antichrist from Christs Gospel unto mens traditions from the Lord that bought you to the Bishop now of Rome I warn you of your peril be not deceived except ye will be found willingly consenters unto your own death For if ye think thus we are Lay-men this is a matter of Religion we follow as we are taught and led if our teachers and governours teach us and lead us amiss the fault is in them they shall bear the blame My Lords 't is true I grant you that both the false teacher and the corrupt governour shall be punished for the death of their subjects whom they have falsely taught and corruptly lead yea and their blood shall be required at their hands But yet neverthelss shall that subject die the death himself also that is he shall also be damned for his own sin For if the blind lead the blind Christ saith not the leader only but both shall fall into the ditch Shall the Synagogue and the Senate of the Jews trow ye which forsook Christ and consented to his death therefore be excused because Annas and Caiphas with the Scribes and Pharisees and their Clergy did teach them amiss yea and also Pilate their Consenters and doers are both guilty saith Bishop Ridley Ibid. p. 1675. governour and the Emperours Lieutenant by his tyranny did without cause put to death Forsooth no my Lords no. For notwithstanding that corrupt Doctrine or Pilates washing of his hands neither of both shall excuse either that Synagogue and Seigniory or Pilate but at the Lords hand for the effusion of that innocent blood on the latter day shall drink of the deadly whip * Bishop Gardners six Articles called the Whip with six strings I â—elieve he alluded to Ye are witty and understand what I mean Therefore I will pass from this to tell you that ye are fallen from Christ to his adversary the Bishop of Rome pag. 1667. And immediately after he tells them That he doth not in calling the Bishop of Rome Christs adversary or Antichrist rage or raile but speak the words of truth and sobriety And shews That that Church while it continued in the Apostles Doctrine was Apostolick and those that sate in that See might be called Apostolici but since that See hath degenerated from the trace of Truth and true Religion which it received of the Apostles at the beginning and hath preached another Gospel hath set up another Religion hath exercised another power and hath taken upon it to order and rule the Church of Christ by other strange Laws and Canons and rulers than ever it received of the Apostles the Apostles of Christ which thing it doth at this day and hath continued so doing alas alas of too too long a time since the time I say that the state and condition of that See hath thus been changed in truth it ought of duty and of right to have the names changed both of the See and of the Sitter therein As that See then for that true trade of Religion and Doctrine of Christs Apostles justly and truly was called Apostolick so as truly and justly for the contrariety of Religion and * Is this not directly contrary to A B. Laud's Doctrine in his Relation wherein pag. â—â—6 he saith That the Church of Rome and Protestants set not up a different Religion diversity of Doctrine from Christs and his Apostles that See and the Bishop thereof at this day both ought to be called and are indeed Antichristian The See is the seat of Satan and the Bishop of the same that maintaineth the abominations thereof is Antichrist himself indeed And for this cause this See at this day is the same which St. John calleth in his Revelation Babylon or the Whore of Babylon and spiritual Sodoma and Egyptus the mother of fornications and of the abomination upon the earth and with this Whore do spiritually meddle and lye with her and commit most stinking and abominable adultery before God all those Kings and Princes yea all Nations of the earth which do CONSENT TO HER ABOMINATIONS and use or practise the same Ibid. p. 1668. And in his Lamentation for the change of Religion in England he saith thus The head under Satan of all mischief is Antichrist and his brood and the same is he which is the Babylonical Beast Ibid. p. 1671. col 2. And in p. 1673 he calls King Edward the sixth that innocent that
godly hearted and peerless young Christian Prince Whom Dr. Heylin saith He was a man of ill principles and that 't was no infelicity to the Church he means Rome sure that he died so soon And in p. 1673 col 2. he saith thus Now then seeing the Doctrine of Antichrist is returned again into this Realm and the old Laws of Antichrist are allowed to return with the power of their father again c. Mr. John Philpot Martyr in his seventh Examination and Answer saith That the Church of Rome is a false Church and the Synagogue of Satan Ibid. p. 1704. col 2. And in his ninth Examination he tells Harpsfield That the Religion of Rome is a false Religion Ib. p. 1709. col 1. So he told Chadsey Ibid. p. 1715. col 1. And at his last Examination he told the Lord Mayor of London That he was sorry to see that that authority which representeth the Kings and Queens persons should now be changed and be at the commandment of Antichrist And ye speaking to the Bishops pretend to be the follows of the Apostles of Christ and yet ye be very Antichrists and deceivers of the people and that Church which ye pretend to be the Catholick Church is the Church of Rome the Babylonical and not the Catholick Church of that Church I am not Ibid. p. 1721. col 1. Thomas Whittel Priest and Martyr saith That he was well content to give over his body for the testimony of Gods truth and pure Religion against Antichrist and all his false Religion and Doctrine Ibid. p. 1738. Barthlet Green a Scholar and Martyr affirmeth That the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist Ibid. p. 1744. A. B. Cranmer M. calleth and proveth the Pope of Rome to be Antichrist Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1768. col 2. That the Traditions and Religion of that usurping Prelate of Rome are most erroneous false and against the Doctrine of the whole Scripture and the author of the same to be very Antichrist so often preached by the Apostles and Prophets in whom do most evidently concur all signs and tokens whereby he is painted to the world to be known Ibid. p. 1774. col 2. Many of which marks he sets down there And at St. Maries in Oxford when he recanted his Recantation he said thus And for the Pope I refuse him as Christs enemy and Antichrist with all his false Doctrine and this he declared he spake without dissimulation Ibid. p. 1781. col 1. And in his Letter to Queen Mary he saith thus of the Pope If this be not to play Antichrists part I cannot tell what is Antichrist which is no more to say but Christs enemy and adversary who shall sit in the Temple of God advancing himself above all others yet by hypocrisie and fained religion shall subvert the true Religion of Christ and under pretence and colour of Christian Religion shall work against Christ and therefore hath the name of Antichrist whom he there proves to be Antichrist Ibid. p. 1784. col 2. John Mandrell Robert Spicer and William Coverley denying the Pope to be head of the Church or Christs Vicar affirmed him to be Antichrist and Gods enemy Ibid. p. 1788. William Times Curate and Martyr answered Bonner That the See of Rome is the See of Antichrist and therefore to that Church I will not conform my self nor once consent to it Ibid. p. 1791. And p. 1793. he saith The Church of Rome is the Antichristian Church Sixteen Martyrs at once make this Confession The See of Rome is the See of Antichrist the congregation of the wicked whereof the Pope is head under the Devil Article the third for proof of which they offer to be burnt Ibid. p. 1810. col 1. ART XV. That it is lawful to set up and suffer Bishop Mountague in his Gag pag. 300. saith That Images and Pictures of Christ may stand in Churches pro institutione rudiorum commone factione Historiae excitatione devotionis And pag. 318. that the Images and Pictures of Christ the blessed Virgin and Saints may not only for Civil uses but also for Religious imployment and helps of piety be set up in Churches and that the Church of Rome and we differ not therein so practise exceed not Doctrine And p. 317. that Dulia may be given to them Images of the Sacred Trinity of God the Father of God the Son Crucifixes of God the Holy Ghost or of Saints departed this life in Temples or Churches where Gods people do usually meet to worship God THis I renounce 1. Because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England in her excellent Homily against the peril of Idolatry wherein she saith as followeth p. 12. These costly deckiâ—â— of Churches and Images have nothing profited those that are wise and of understanding but have thereby greatly hurt the simple and unwise occasiâ—â—ing them thereby to commit most horrible Idolatry p. 13. Our Images 〈◊〉 been be and if they be publickly suffered in Churches and Temples 〈◊〉 will be worshipped and so Idolatry committed to them Wherefore our Iâ—â—ges in Temples and Churches be indeed none other but Idols as unto 〈◊〉 which Idolatry hath been is and ever will be committed p. 15. That 〈◊〉 honouring of abominable Images is the cause the beginning and end of 〈◊〉 evil and that the worshippers of them be either mad-men or most wicked men p. 17. Although it be said now commonly that Images be Lay 〈◊〉 Books yet we see they teach no good lesson neither of God nor of goâ—â—ness but all error and wickedness and therefore God as he forbiddeth 〈◊〉 Idols or Images to be made or set up so doth command such as we find 〈◊〉 and set up to be pulled down broken and destroyed Deut. 7th and 〈◊〉 Chapters where 't is observable that all the occasions of Idolatry 〈◊〉 to be avoided and therefore did God forbid marriages with the children of Idolaters for they will turn away thy son from following me that they may serve other gods so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly p. 18. To set up Images or Altars is a wickedness and great offence and abomination in the sight of the Lord. p. 19. It is impossible that we should be worshippers of Images and the true servants of God also as Paul teacheth 2 Cor. 6. p. 21. Upon 1 Joh. 5. ult Tertullian saith Keep your selves from Images and Idols he saith not now keep your selves from Idolatry as it were from the service of them but from the Images or Idols themselves that is from the very shape or likeness of them do ye think those persons which place Images and Idols in Churches and Temples yea shrine them even over the Lords-Table as 't were of purpose to the worshipping and honouring of them take good heed either to St. John ' s counsel or Tertullian ' s for so to place Images and Idols is it to keep themselves from them
by God Mr. Cartwright upon the place referreth the sigh of the Cross to the mark of the Beast Dionis Carthusianus Vpon Revel 13. 13. saith That conformity to the Doctrine and life of Antichrist is the mark of the Beast and upon this account did * Vid. General Confession of Faith of the Church and Kingdom of Scotland to be seen at the end of the Harmony of Confessions King James renounce and detest the Bishop of Rome's five bastard Sacraments with all his rites ceremonies and false doctrine added to the administration of the true Sacraments without the word of God 'T is observed by Mr. Mede that one may receive the number of the name of the Beast that is his impieties and yet not receive the mark of his name that is not subject himself to his authority Which is exemplified in the Greek Church who imbrace the same form of impiety derived from the Dragon or the Idolatry of the Latins and yet refuse to be subject to the Latin Bishop or to bear his name So may others refuse to subject themselves to the supreme authority of Antichrist and to be called Papists and yet they may imbrace his Altars Images Fasts Feasts Ceremonies forms of Worship Government Laws Number yea and many of his Antichristian Doctrines and like well of much if not of almost all of that he holds and doth and yet will be called Protestants and take it very ill at the Papists hands when they call them Calvino-Papistae Calvin-Papists that is partly Papists and partly Protestants such as hold with the Papists and yet profess with the Protestants Mungrels as Bishop Abbâ—t called them in his Sermon above have great charity for professed 〈◊〉 but crâ—el hatred for real Protestants account true Calvinism heresie yea little less than Treason as Knot the Jesuit told some of our Mungrels but gross Popery yea blasphemy in doctrine to be but errour and more tollerable than Presbytery and Popery in practise to be indifferent and therefore lawful and commendable Many of these Heresies and errors I have renounced are by some of our Mungrels called the Doctrines of the Heylin's Introd to his Cyprianus Anglic. Church of England and Books have been printed if not licensed to confirm it but very falsely and slanderously except by Church of England they understand a faction for sure I am that the true and whole Church of England â—olds soundly against all these ensuing false Doctrines renounced Only her doctrine at least practise about Apocriphal Scriptures is not I fear so full and clear as I believe it might be Some mens plausible Sermons are abroad which are by too many persons swallowed down without due examination 'T is said by one a learned man That God doth only * Dr. Till Ser. offer grace in his Gospel but he forceth none to receive it To prevent mistakes I say and acknowledg 1. That God doth not force men against their wills to accept of the grace and assistance that he doth offer them but I deny that Quo minus tolerabilis est eorum inscitia qui Evangelium communiter ita Offerâ—i fingunt ut promiscuâ— liberum sit omnibus salutem fide amplecti Calvin in 1 Cor. 2. 14. God doth only offer assistance or grace to his children for though he do not convert them against their wills whether they will or no yet he takes away their hearts of stone and gives them hearts of flesh and makes them of unwilling to become willing in the day of his power Psal 110. 3. He worketh in them to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. 2. I acknowledg that Reprobates may finally resist the ineffectual grace of God 3. I affirm that the elect of God to Salvation shall not cannot finally withstand the effectual grace of God but that they shall at one time or other be effectually called converted and eternally saved And 4. That God who hath from all eternity elected them to the end everlasting Salvation hath also appointed them to the means conducing to the attainment of it as Faith in Christ Repentance for sin sincere obedience to the Law of God and perseverance in the same to the end Though I have not used many Arguments to confute every particular Error that would have been Voluminous yet I have sufficiently confuted them and proved that Papists and Protestants Religion differ or that the Church of Rome and Protestants hold a different Religion which was the main design of my undertaking and in alledging the Doctrine of the Church of England I should I conceive if I had done no more he thought to have done enough to convince if not professed Papists yet those that pretend to be the most dutiful Sons of the Church of England that these Doctrines are not Protestant but rather Popish and at least contrary to their Professions Subscriptions and Declarations as well as to Gods word and keep others from imbracing and imbibing and spreading of them If by alledging the Sermons Speeches and Writings of any learned Conformist heretofore I have displeased any of our great Conformists now I hope they will excuse and pardon me and blame them that printed and licensed them or themselves or others that have traduced or suffered the Truth to be bespattered or gainsayed or undermined by any Pelagian Arminian Socinian or Popish writer upon any pretence whatsoever And now my prayer to the God of Peace and Truth for England is That Gods true Religion may be setled here in its power and purity and that all Popery in Doctrine and Discipline and Worship may be burned with fire Revel 17. 16. that is as learned Dr. Moor expounds the place utterly consumed and to this end that God who hath the hearts of Kings and all men in his hands would incline the heart of our King and Parliament and all sorts of people to deny themselves and resign up themselves wholly to be guided by the will of God revealed in the Canonical Scriptures which ought to be the rule of all mens actions as our Book of * Homil. for Rogat on Week Part 3. p 230 Homil against Wilful Rebellion Part 6. p. 318. Homilies plainly declares which saith thus In Gods word Princes must learn how to obey God and to govern men in Gods word Subjects must learn obedience both to God and their Princes Is our reverend Fathers of the Church would stick close to the sound and necessary Articles of Religion established which concern the Doctrine of the true Christian Faith and the Sacraments to * Anno 3 Edw. 6. c. 11. which only all Ministers were bound to subscribe and give their assent and countenance men that do so and discountenance all those that hold or vent any Doctrine against the same and not stand too much upon those things which they have devised to uphold their own worldly power and interests and abate those things that are not of themselves or by Divine institution
to do say We are unprofitâ—ble servants and therefore our good works cannot merit any thing of God by their own worth and oblige him to give us a reward for their profit done him Cond 5. That there be a proportion between the thing meriting and the thing merited but between our imperfect good works and eternal life there is no proportion merit of condignity must be equal to the reward or thing merited that is truly and properly meritorious that doth properly and absolutely for it self deserve a reward or which doth in its formal reason include equality or condignity tâ— that reward of which 't is said to be meritorious but now that there is no proportion between our works and eternal life is proved Rom. 8. 18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us Where 't is clear thaâ— the Apostle who was a regenerated man and had done as many good works as any regenerated man after his conversion as appears by his works yet those he sligâ—ts in comparison of the knowledge of Christ by faith and who suffered many great and cruel afflictions and 〈◊〉 last Martyrdom for Christs sake yet he reckoned them all not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us in heaven they hold no true proportion or equality with the reward neither in respect of dignity or worth nor in respect of duration or time these affâ—â—ctions are not worth that glory which we shall have in heaven aâ—â— these afflictions which are but for a moment are not worthy to be equalled with that eternal weight of glory which they work for us if righâ—â— born This place saith Pareus and our Dr. Fulk and Willet in locum tollit omne meritum condigni Pareus in loc Dr. Fulk taketh away all merit of condignity for if the sufferings of the Saints neither for quality nor quantity are proportionable to the glory that is to come then it followeth necessarily that they are not worthy if the sufferings of Martyrs come short of the value and worth of the glorious happiness of Saints triumphant in heaven then sure much more do their best actions come short thereof There is a reward ratione pacti when a man promiseth such a reward to a person if he do such a work for him Now this reward is called wages not properly merit because it may be meerly of promise and not of desert e. g. A man may promise another man an 100 l. of good gold to fetch him a bottle of straw which when he hath done he is bound to give or pay it to him because he promised so much but this is not properly merit of condignity for the work done was not worth the money supposing as is to be supposed the straw easie to be had and near at hand for there was no proportion between the fetching of the bottle of straw and the 100 l. Now where there is merit of condignity there must be proportion between the merit and the reward because the reward of the merit is an act of justice as Aquinas shews and justice is a certain equality as he there proves out of the Philosopher 12. 〈◊〉 q. 114. a. 1. c. 2. There is a rewardâ— ratione operis when a man doth such a work that doth of its self and its own nature carry such a dignity and worthiness in it as that it deserves such a reward to be given to him in justice Now this is that the Papists are to prove that our good works do that there is such excellency dignity and worthiness in them as that they do of their own nature deserve eternal salvation at Gods hands and that God is bound in justice with it to reward us for the dignity of our good works which we Protestants utterly deny and we say that if we should yield that our good works do thus merit eternal life at Gods hands these absurdities would easily follow 1. That we had something whereof to glory or to boast of that we had merited our salvation contrary to Ephes 2. 8 9. 2. That eternal life were not freely given to us but of due and just debt paid to us contrary to Rom. 6. 21. 3. That Christ dyed in vain contrary to Gal. 2. 21. This is one of the Church of Romes Antichristian Doctrines which doth in effect deny Christ to be come in the flesh It 's but a vanity in our men the great friends to Rome to say that Papists profess with us the Apostles Creed when as indeed and in truth by their doctrines and practises they deny and overthrow what they profess for if men can by their own strength turn themselves to God when they will and fulfil the whole moral Law do works of superogation and by the right use of their natural reason and will merit ex congruo the first grace and then ex condigno merit eternal life What need was there for Christ so have come into the world and taken our nature upon him become our surety to have fulfilled the law and dyed for us And therefore our Homily before alledged saith very well That this Doctrine of Merits speaks blasphemy against Gods mercy and great derogation to Christs blood-shedding and another Homily before alledged That whosoever denieth this Doctrine that faith alone justifieth is not to be accounted a Christian man nor for a setter forth of Gods glory but for a setter forth of mans vain glory and for an adversary to Christ and his Gospel and that it were the greatest arrogance and presumption of man thâ—â— Antichrist could set up against God to affirm that a man might by his oâ—â— works take away and purge his own sin and justifie himself Homily of salvation of mankind p. 16 17. Obj. But they say That Christ 〈◊〉 merited that our good works that are his Nova haec est Theologia Prophetis Apostolis ignota Christus meruit ut nos mereamur nobisipsis vitam aeternam Dr. Ames Bel Enerv. t. 4. c. 2. p. 214. gifts wrought in us and performed by us should merit eternal life Ans 1. This I have often heard said but could never as yet see it proved and therefore till it be proved I deny it because there is neither sacred Scripture nor good reason for it I know that true believers in Christ are made worthy 2 Thes 1. 5. Apoc. 3. 4. by the perfect righteousness of Christ imputed to them and apprehended and applied by a lively faith but this makes not their imperfect works which as good he works in them and which they owe unto him meritorious at Gods hands again God doth reward his people with eternal life secundum opera * Rom. 2. 6. according to their works but not propter opera for their works and the reward is of free gift not of due debt for 't is ex pâ—â—misso of Gods own free promise but not
so much holiness for as the Gospel teacheth us the spirit of Jesus is a good spirit an holy spirit a sweet spirit a lowly spirit a merciful spirit full of charity and love full of forgiveness and pity not rendering evil for evil extremity for extremity but over coming evil with good and remitting all offence even from the heart According to which rule if any man live uprightly of him it may be safely pronounced that he hath the Holy Ghost within him if not then 't is a plain token that he doth usurp the name of the Holy Ghost in vain Ye shall judg them by their fruits which if they be wicked and naught then 't is impossible that the tree of whom they proceed should be good Such were all the Popes and Prelates of Rome for the most part as doth well appear by the story of their * See Dr. Prideaux his Introduction to History from p. 77. to p. 155. there you 'l read of Usurping Nimrods Luxurious Sodomites Aegyptian Magicians devouring Abaddons incurable Babylonians Bishops of Rome Lives and therefore they are worthily accounted among the number of false Prophets and false Christs which deceived the world a long while The Lord of heaven and earth defend us from their tyranny and pride that they never enter into his Vineyard again to the disturbance of his silly poor flock but that they may be utterly confounded and put to flight in all parts of the world And be of his great mercy so work◠in all mens hearts by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost that the comfortable Gospel of his Son Christ may be truly preached truly received and truly followed in all places to the beating down of sin death †By K. Edward the sixth and Q. Elizabeth's Injunctions all Deans Archdeacons Parsons Vicars and Ecclesiastical persons were to the best of their skill to declare against the Bishop of Rome's pretended and usurped power and jurisdiction two times at least every year openly Art 1. but have not some of them really neglected it been ready to declare four times in the year for the Bishop of Rome's traditions inventions and dumb Ceremonies and that the Pope of Rome is not Antichrist the Pope the Devil and all the Kingdom of Antichrist that like scattered and dispersed sheep being at length gathered into one fold we may in the end rest togetogether in the bosom of Abraham Isaac and Jacob there to be partakers of eternal life through the merit and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour Amen Obj. But it may be objected by some that all this that is here in this Homily said against the Bishop of Rome and his Adherents may be said of some other Churches or at least against some other Bishops and their Adherents as have rejected the Bishop of Rome's authority as Mr. Mede observes that the Greek Churches have who imbrace the beasts impieties but refuse to be subject to him Ans To this I answer thus 1. with Mr. Mede and Dr. More that there may be little Babylons but Rome is Babylon the great they may be sister or daughter-harlots but Rome is the mother of harlots They may be little Misses but she is the great Whore other Churches may be corrupt in Doctrines of Faith and the Sacraments and the exercise of the Keys but none so corrupt as Rome is 2. If any Churches have retained too much of the Popes Doctrine Discipline Ceremonies Practises let them come out of Babylon that they partake not of her sins and receive not of her plagues Apoc. 18. 4. have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness but rather reprove them 2. 'T is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of Ireland which Church in her 80th Article of Religion saith thus The Bishop of Rome is so far from being the supream head of the universal Church of Christ that his works and doctrine do plainly discover him to be that man of sin foretold in the holy Scriptures whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightness of his coming 3. 'T is contrary to the Confession of Faith by the Church and Kingdom of Scotland and sworn to by King James and the Subjects of Scotland which saith thus But especially we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God upon the Church the civil Magistrate and consciences of men The whole Confession is very considerable and imitable to be seen in the latter end of the Harmony of Confessions 4. Not to mention what other Churches hold of the Pope of Rome's being the Antichrist yet because Dr. Heylin finds so much fault with the 80th Article of Cypr. Angl. lib 4. p. 269. 273. Ireland and pleads so much for Romish erroneous Doctrines as taught by our first Reformers and Martyrs but most falsely as I have shewed in some points before I shall give their sense of this point as I find their sayings set forth by Mr. Fox in his Book of Martyrs in one Volume Walter Mantell in his Apology prayeth thus I beseech the living God which hath received me to his mercy and brought to pass that I die stedfast and undefiled in his truth at utter defiance and detestation of all Papistical and Antichristian Doctrine I beseech him to keep and defend all his chosen for his names sake from the tyranny of the Bishop of Rome that Antichrist p. 1398. Q. Mary March 2. 1554. Bishop Hooper of whom Dr. Heylin boasts much to little purpose in his Letter of Consolation sent to certain godly brethren taken in Bow-Church-yard in Prayer and laid in the Counter in Breadstreet saith thus I have been sorry to perceive the malice and wickedness of men to be so cruel devilish and tyrannical to persecute the people of God for serving of God saying and hearing of the holy Psalms and the word of eternal life These cruel doings do declare that the Papists Church is more bloody and tyrannical than ever was the sword of the Ethnicks and Gentiles When I heard of your taking and what ye were doing wherefore and by whom ye were taken I remembred how the Christians in the Primitive Church were used by the cruelty of Be-like there are some Christned Heathens unchristned heathens in the time of Trajan the Emperour about 77 Christians of old looked upon and accused as Traytors and movers of sedition for serving the true God truly so now by Papists and such like years after Christs ascension into heaven and how the Christians were persecuted very sore as though they had been Traytors and movers of sedition whereupon the gentle Emperour Trajan required to know the true cause of Christians trouble A great learned man called Plinius wrote unto him and said it was because the Christians said certain Psalms before day unto one called Christ whom they worshipped for God When Trajan the Emperour understood it was nothing but Conscience and
Religion he caused by his Commandments every where that no man should be persecuted for serving of God He a Gentile and heathen man would not have such as were of a contrary Religion punished for serving of God but the Pope and his Church hath cast you into prison being taken even doing the work of God and one of the excellentest works that is required of Christian men that is The Pope and his Church worse than heathens against Christs Church while ye were in prayer and not in such wicked and superstitious prayers as the Papists use but in the same prayer that Christ taught you and in his name only ye give God thanks for that ye have received and for his sake ye asked for such things as ye wâ—nt O glad may ye be that ever ye were born to be apprehended while ye were so vertuously occupied Blessed be they that suffer for righteousness sake c. And a little-after he saith thus You may perceive by your imprisonment that your adversaries weapons against you be nothing but flesh blood and tyranny For if they were able they would maintain their WICKED RELIGION by Gods word but for lack of that they would violently compel such as they cannot by holy Scripture perswade because the holy word of God and all Christs doings be contrary unto them Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1412. John Rogers Martyr Divinity-Reader at Pauls called the Church of Rome the Antichristian Church Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1416. And in the same page in answer to Bishop Gardners question Whether he believed in the Sacrament to be the very body and blood of our Saviour Christ that was born of the Virgin Mary and hanged on the Cross really and substantially He said thus Even as the most part of your Doctrine in other points is false and the defence thereof only by force and cruelty so in this matter I think it to be as false as the rest For I cannot understand really * Yet our men hold that Christs body is really and substantially in the Sacrament of the Lords-Supper Else they basely equivocate Vid. Dr. Laurence Court-Sermon p. 18 Bishop Mountague in his Appeal p. 289. Heylin in his History of Presbytery p. 2. Yea not only Dr. Kellet Pocklington but A. B. Laud himself say that for the presence of Christs body in that Sacrament the Altar it self as well as the Elements must be adored as I have shewed before in Article the second and substantially to signifie otherwise than corporally but corporally Christ is only in heaven and so cannot be corporally also in your Sacrament And in the next Colume of the same Page he positively affirmeth Bishop Gardners Catholick Church as he called the Church of Rome is the Antichristian false Church And in page 1417 he saith That the Church of Rome is the Church of Antichrist And in pag. 1419 of the same Book he saith thus If God look not mercifully upon England the seeds of utter destruction are sown in it already by these hypocritical Tyrants and Antichristian Prelates Popish Papists and double Traytors to their natural Country Mr. Laurence Sanders in his Answer to Dr. Weston's Question viz. Who was of your Church thirty years past said thus Such quoth I. as that Romish Antichrist and his rabble have reputed and condemned as Hereticks Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1422. And after his Examination standing among the Officers and seeing a great multitude He warned them of that which by their falling from Christ to Antichrist they did deserve and therefore exhorted them by repentance to rise again and to embrace Christ with strong faith to confess him to the end in the defyance of Antichrist sin death and the Devil so should they retain the Lords favour and blessing p. 1424. And in his Letter to his Wife and others of the Faithful he saith thus And although I am not May not many Nonconformists say almost the same now God now preacheth to their people and to the whole Kingdom by their silence and suffering so among you as I have been to preach to you out of the Pulpit yet doth God now preach unto you by me by this my imprisonment and captivity which now I suffer among them for Christs Gospel sake bidding them to beware of the Romish Antichristian Religion and Kingdom requiring and charging them to abide in the truth of Christ which is shortly to be sealed with the blood of their Pastors c. p. 1427. Bishop Hooper told Bishop Gardner That forasmuch as the Pope taught Doctrine altogether contrary to the Doctrine of Christ he was not worthy to be accounted as a member of Christs Church much less to be Head thereof Ibi. p. 1433. And in his Speech to the Sheriff of Gloucester he said thus I come not hither as one enforced to die for it is well known I might have had my life with worldly gain but as one willing to offer and give my life for the truth rather than to consent to the wicked and Papistical Religion of the Bishop of Rome received and set forth by the Magistrates of England to Gods high dishonour and displeasure Ibid. p. 1436. And in his Letter to Mrs. Anne Wartop he calls the Church of Rome the Synagogue of Antichrist that beareth the name of Jerusalem Ibid. p. 144â— Dr. Rowland Taylor Martyr in his Answer to his Friends that exhorted him to flie to save his life said thus What Christian man would not gladly die against the Pope and his Adherents I know that the Papacy is the Kingdom of Antichrist altogether full of lyes and falshood Fox Book of Martyrs p. 1446. And in his Answer to Bishop Gardner who exhorted him now to rise with them and receive mercy offered c. he said thus That so to rise should be the greatest fall that ever I could receive for I should so fall from my dear Saviour to Antichrist Ibid. p. 1447. And in a Letter to a Friend touching the causes of his death he saith thus That he did affirm the Pope to be Antichrist and Popery to be Antichristianity Ibid. p. 1449. Col. 2. And in his Answer to Bishop Bonner when he came to the Prison to degrade him wishing him and his fellows to turn to his Mother he said to him I would you and your fellows would turn to Christ as for me I will not turn to Antichrist Ibid. p. 1451. 1 Col. And in his Letter to his Wife he saith The Popish Mass as it is now is but one of Antichrists youngest Daughters in the which the Thomas Wats said to the 11th Article that he believed that the Bishop of Rome is a mortal enemy to Christ and his Church Fox his Book of Martyrs p. 1512. Devil is rather present and received than our Saviour the second Person in Trinity God and man Ibid. p. 1455. Col. 1. Mr. Hawkes in Answer to this Question of Bishop Bonner Did you ever drink any deadly poyson saith thus The
authority yet for edification they are made rather superior than equal to the Canonical Scriptures that are laid aside to make room for those Apocryphals as more edificative than they 4. Apocryphals are not more easie institutes exciting to the imbracing of the Canonicals but rather to the rejecting of them in the matters of faith and good manners 5. Suppose they were such institutes yet it will not follow that such erroneous Books should be publickly read because of the greater parts easiness and conformity to the word of Truth for they may * Let us cast from us corrupt Doctrine that will infect our Souls Homily of the Resurrection p. 196. corrupt their souls with erroneous opinions and affections and lives with wicked practises 6. No corrupting-Homilies or Sermons are to be appointed to be read or preached in publick in the Church for all things are to be done to the edification of the Church 1 Cor. 14. 26. 7. Apocryphals are appointed to be read in Cathedrals as well as in Country Parochial Churches Now you will not say that in Cathedrals where the Bishop Dean and Prebends sit and hear are the popular and duller or slower sort of hearers This therefore is no true and satisfactory answer but a meer pretence and put-off ART XVII That the Pope or Bishop of Rome is the supreme Head of the Vniversal Church of Christ above all Emperours Kings and Princes Pastors People and Churches THis I renounce because 't is contrary to the Doctrine of the Church of England which in Article of Religion 37 saith thus The Queens Majesty hath the chief power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which titles we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended we give not to our Princes the ministring either of Gods word or of the Sacraments the which things the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie But that only prerogative which we see to have been given always to all godly Princes in holy Scriptures by God himself that is that they should rule all Estates and degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or temporal and restrain with the civil sword the stubborn and evil doers The Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this Realm of England And I add as Dr. Reynolds offered at the Conference at Hampton-Court pag. 37. that be ought not to have any here Of which God willing and permitting I shall say more hereafter though much be said already in the 11th Article of Popery renounced as before The Articles of Lambeth the Doctrine of the Church of England and Ireland THe Articles of Lambeth made by Dr. John Whitgift A B. of Canterbury Dr. Fletcher Bishop Elect of London Dr. Vaughan Bishop Elect of Bangor Dr. Tindale Dean of Eli Dr. Whitaker Dr. Chaderton and Mr. Perkins c. as I find them in Dr. Heylin's Cyprianus Anglicus l. 3. p. 204. and as I find them among the Articles of Ireland 1. God from all eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life certain men he hath reprobated 2. The moving or efficient cause of Predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith or of perseverance or of good works or of any thing that is in the person predestinated but only the good will and pleasure of God 3. There is predetermined a certain number of the Predestinate which neither can be augmented nor diminished 4. Those who are not predestinate to Salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins 5. A true living and justifying faith and the Spirit of God sanctifying is not extinguished doth not fall off or vanish in the Elect either totally or finally 6. A man truly believing or endued with justifying faith is certain or with full assurance of faith of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting Salvation by Christ 7. Saving Grace is not given nor communicated nor granted to all men by which they may be saved if they will 8. No man can come to Christ unless it be given unto him and unless the Father shall draw him nor are all men drawn of the Father that they come to the Son 9. It is not in the free choice and power of every man to be saved These Nine Articles or Conclusions And when the Articles of England were received in the Church of Ireland the Title of the Canon is thus Of the agreement of the Church of England and Ireland the profession of the same Christian Faith Which shews that the Churches of England and Ireland did agree in those Articles c. in the Convocation held at Dublin Anno 1615 were resolved upon and agreed to by A. B. Vsher and the Bishops and Clergy as the publick Confession of the Church of Ireland as may be seen in the Articles of Ireland and in Dr. Heylin's Cyp. Angl. l. 4. p. 271. And moreover these Nine Articles of Lambeth were declared to be the Doctrine of the Church of England by the Commons of England Assembled in Parliament about June 14th Anno Domini 1628 as Dr. Heylin informs me in his Cyprianus Angiicus l. 3. p. 197. And 't is observable that though Dr. Heylin affirms that the five Arminian points condemned in the Synod of Dort are the Doctrine of the Church of England and though Dean White licensed Moungues Armin an Popish Books and affirmed that there was nothing in it but what was agreeable to the profession of Faith and Doctrine of the Church of England Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 135. and the three Arminian Bishops Buckeridg Corbet and Laud that wrote and pleaded for him affirmed the same in which Books the five Arminian points were maintained by Mountague and Limbus patrum and many Popish points more though they clamoured very much against the Parliaments declaring That he had in his Books viz. his Gagg and his Apollo Caesarem disturbed the peace of the Church by publishing Doctrines contrary to the Articles of the Church of England and the Book of Homilies and that the whole frame and scope of his Books was to the discouragement of the well-affected in Religion from the true Religion established in this Church and to incline them and as much as in him lay to reconcile them to Popery Cypr. Angl. l. 2. p. 155 And laboured by the authority and interest of the then King to have those points referred to the decision of the Convocation to whom they said they did belong though all the knot * Cyp. Angl. l. 1. p. 59. of Arminians except Mr. Barlow that met at Bishop Neils and many more were promoted and dignified persons and Mountague †Cypr. Angl. l. 3. p. 185. himself made Bishop in