vtterly forsaken the catholike faith Therefore the present church of Rome is vndoubtedly diuerse from the ancient true church of Christ. The first proposition is most euident the second proposition is verbatim in the Apology of the Church of England part 5. ch 16. Diu. 1. and part 6. ch 22. Diuis 2. This Apology of the Church of England as it beareth the name so it hath euer beene accounted the Doctrine of the Church of England When it was first printed in the daies of Queene Elizabeth it was commanded to bee had in all Churches and since was reprinted with the like command to be had in euery Parish Church in this Kingdome in the yeare of our Lord 1611. by our late Soueraigne King Iames who gaue a most singular testimony and approbation of Bishop Iewels workes for the most rare and admirable that haue beene written in this last age of the world and also gaue speciall direction to the late Archbishop of Canterbury Bishop Bancroft to appoint some one to write his the said Bishops life in English and prefixe it to his workes which accordingly is done in the last edition Secondly I proue it thus Whatsoeuer Church is fallen away from Christ his Kingdome and Doctrine is not the same with but diuerse from the ancient vndoubted church of Christ. The present church of Rome is fallen away from Christ his Kingdome and Doctrine Therefore the present church of Rome is not the same with but diuerse from the ancient vndoubted church of Christ. The first proposition cannot bee denied the assumption is the Appealers Appeale pag. 149. In Apostasie the Turke and Pope are both interessed both are departed away whether wee take that apostacie to bee a departing away from Christ and his Kingdome and his Doctrine or whether wee vnderstand apostacie and defection from the Romane Empire c. page 150. Thirdly I proue it thus No Church maintaining practising Idolatry can be the same with the ancient Church that worshipped God in spirit and truth The present Church of Rome maintaineth and practiseth idolatry Therefore the present Church of Rome cannot be the same with the ancient Church that worshipped God in spirit and truth The first proposition is the Apostles 2 Cor. 6. 16. what agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols The assumption is proued at large in the Homily against the perill of Idolatry confirmed to bee the Doctrine of the Church of England Artic. 35. The Homilies and by name the Homily the second against perill of idolatry containeth godly and wholesome doctrine If godly and wholesome Doctrine then certainely true Fourthly it is a dangerous error to affirme as the Appealer doth Answer to Gagge page 50. That the present Church of Rome remaineth Christi Ecclesia et Sponsa Christs Church and Spouse That God hath his Church euen in Rome we doe not deny but that the present Romane Church specially since the Councell of Trent holding the cursing and accursed Canons of that Conuenticle or that the Papacy that is the Pope with his Clergy and their adherents are Christs Church and Spouse the Appealer is the first Protestant that euer for ought I know affirmed it Iunius whom he alleadgeth Appeale pag. 113. to this purpose in his booke De Ecclesiâ is so farre from supporting his assertion that in the same booke hee quite ouerthroweth it his words are pag. 60. 61. Ecclesiamultis seculis fuit cùm Papatus non esset accessit ei Papatus contingenter sic ab ea separabilis ut hoc etiam tempore Ecclesiae sint ubi Papatus non est sine Papatu deinceps futurae sint Papatus igitur non est Ecclesia sed in Ecclesiâ est adnatum malu◠pestis hydrops gangraena in corpore vitae atque saluti ejus insidians ideoque succum vitalem salutarémque Ecclesiae depascens quà m infestissimè The Church of God was many ages when there was no Papacy at all as at this day also there are Churches where there is no Papacy and will be hereafter without the Papacy The Papacy therefore is not the Church but a disease or botch growne to or in the Church a plague a dropsy a gangreene in the body indangering the health feeding vpon and infesting the healthfull moisture and vitall blood of the Church And within a few lines after in the same page follow the words on which the Appealer wholly relyeth Appeale page 113. The Papall Church saith Franciscus Iunius neither Papist nor Arminian quâ id habet in se quod ad Ecclesiae definitionem pertinet est Ecclesia As it hath that in it which belongs to the definition of a Church is a Church Why doth the Appealer stop in the middle of a sentence why doth he not goe on to the full period the sentence is yet but lame he hath put out but the left legge I will put out the right legge for him wherewith Iunius giues Popery a kicke and trips vp the Appealers heeles Qud vero habet in se adnatum malum quod Papalitatem dicimus eo respectu Ecclesia non est sed vitiata atque corrupta Ecclesia ad interitum tendens But the Church of Rome as it hath a disease or euill growne to it which we call the Papacy in that respect it is not the Church but a vitiate and corrupt church and tending to ruine Note here Reader in the Appealers defence of Popery a tricke of Popery to cite sentences by halfes alleadging onely that which in shew makes for them and concealing that which in truth makes against them The meaning of the whole sentence of Iunius is cleare enough for vs and against the Appealer to wit that the Church of Rome so farre as it is Protestant and holdeth some fundamentall truths agreeable to the Scriptures is a Church but as it is Popish and addeth many errors to those truths consequently subuerting those very truths it holdeth it is no Church Which I thus proue No Spouse or true church of Christ is in part or in whole that Antichrist or whore of Babylon The present church of Rome as it is taken for the Papacy or Popish state thereof is in part as the Appealer confesseth Appeale pag. 149. or in whole as many Pillars of our Church haue taught that Antichrist or whore of Babylon Therefore the present church of Rome as it is taken for the Papacy or popish state thereof is no Spouse nor true church of christ I haue heard that the Appealer in a late conference wherein this passage on which I haue so long insisted was obiected against him should stand at this ward answering for himselfe that these words praesens Ecclesia Romana eodem fundamento doctrinae Sacramentorum firma semper constitit c. manet enim Christi Ecclesia Sponsa Answ. to Gag page 50. were not his owne words but the words of Cassander This his ward will not keepe off the blow For first
only in their liuing and manner of ceremonies But also in matters of faith Apolog. Church of Engl. c. 16. div 1. part 6. Wee haue gone from that Church which Christ who cannot err told so loÌ„g before it shold err Neither had we euer intended so to do except both the manifest assured wil of God opened to vs in his holy scripture regard of our owne saluation had euen coÌ„strained vs. Apol. Chur. of Engl. par 6 div 2. c. 20. We are fallen from the Bishop of Rome because the case stood so that vnlesse wee left him we could not come to Christ Apol. par 5. c. 15. d. 3. We haue renounced that Church wherein we could neither haue the word of God sincerely taught nor sacraments rightly administred and wherein there was nothing able to stay a wise man or one that hath coÌ„sideration of his own safety In this head touching the Church of Rome the Appealer directly contradicts the Church of England in these particulars The Church of England 1 The church of Rome holdeth not the same foundation 2 Hath erred in matter of Faith 3 Hath not the nature of the true Church 4 Must be left on paine of damnation 5 Is departed from the Primitiue and Catholike Church Appealer 1 The church of Rome holds the same foundation 2 Hath not erred in matters belonging to faith 3 Hath the essence being of the true Church 4 Ought not to be left on paine of daÌ„nation 5 Is not departed but holds coÌ„muinion with the Primitiue and Catholike Church Of Generall Councels Harmony Church of Rome BEllarm de concil Eccles. 2 Booke 2 Chap. Wee are bound by the Catholike faith to beleeue That Generall Councels cannot erre in faith or manners The like is affirmed by Gregory de Valentia Analys fidei Cathol lib. 18. Hosius de legit judicibus reruÌ„ Ecclesiasticarum Andradius Defence of the Councell of Trent in his Chapt. Of the authoritie of Councels Canus in his common places of Diuinity 5 Booke and the Romanists generally Campian rat 4. Concilia Duraeus in confut respons Whitak de Conciliis Appealer ANsw. to Gag page 48. To coÌ„clude The Church cannot erre neither collectiuè nor representativè Thus your Masters distinguish the terms of this question that goe workmanlike not like you clutteringly to worke so they so wee in the largest extent not erre at all Secondly not erre in points of faith for in matters of fact they coÌ„fesse error Appeale p. 124. Many things appertain vnto God which are not of necessity vnto saluation both in practice and speculation in these haply Generall Councells haue erred in those other none can erre Discord Church of Engl. ARticle 21. Generall Councels when they be gathered together for as much as they are an Assembly of men whereof all bee not gouerned with the Spirit and word of GOD they may erre and sometime haue erred euen in things appertaining to God Wherefore things ordained of them as necessary to saluation haue neyther strength nor authoritie vnlesse they may bee declared that they bee taken out of holy Scripture In this point touching the not-erring or infalliâ—itie of Generall Councels the Appealer howsoeuer by distinguishing of points fundamentall and accessory endeuoureth to difference his opinion from the Church of Rome and reconcile it to the Article yet in truth he faileth in both For first the Church of Rome holdeth all doctrines de fide determined by the Church to be necessary to saluation and consequently in the Appealers sense fundamentall points In particular she defineth the decisions of the Councell of Trent in the controuerted points betweene vs to be part of the Catholike Faith without which no man can be saued Pius 4 in Bullâ super formâ juram pag. 441. If therefore the Appealer maintaine as hee doth That Generall Councells cannot erre in matters fundamentall and necessary to saluation he holdeth consequently that they cannot erre in matter de fide Secondly his doctrine cannot stand with the Article of our Church for the Article both supposeth and proueth that Generall Councels may erre euen in points necessary to saluation It supposeth it in those words things ordained of them as necessary to salvation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse c. For if Generall Councels could not erre in things necessary to saluation we might in such things safely rely vpon their authoritie without warrant of Scripture which the Article expressely denyeth If Generall Councels may iudge those things to be necessary to saluation which are not as the Article implyeth they may in like manner iudge those things not to bee necessary to saluation which are and so erre bothe wayes in the iudgement of points necessary and fundamentall And verily the reason annexed to the Article concludeth as strongly that Generall Councels may erre in fundamentals as in Accessory the reason is because Generall Councels are an Assembly of men whereof all are not gouerned by the Spirit and Word of God Now they who are not gouerned by the Spirit and Word of God haue and may erre euen in points fundamentall in asmuch as nothing can preserue a man from fundamentall error but the Spirit and Word of God whereby they are not gouerned as hath the Article Notwithstanding all this iarring and discord from the Article I find some harmony and concord in the close Appeale pag. 147. Detali Concilio saniore parte de coÌ„clusionibus in fide probabile est It is probable that in a Generall Councell lawfully called the sounder part cannot erre in conclusions of faith But this straine was not the Appealers but a learned Asaffs Of Iustification Harmony Church of Rome COunc. of Trent Sess. 6. c. 4. Iustification is a translation from the state in which a man is borne the sonne of the first Adam into the state of Grace and adoption of the sons of God by the second Adam Counc of Trent Sess. 6. c. 7. Iustification is not onely remission of sinnes But also sanctification and renouation of the inward man by the voluntary receiuing of grace and those gifts whereby a man of vniust is made iust Counc of Trent Sess. 6. canon 11. If any man say that A man is iustified onely by remission of sinnes excluding grace and charity which is shed into their hearts by the holy Spirit and is inherent in them let him bee accursed Appealer ANswer to the Gagg page 142. A sinner is then iustified when hee is made iust that is translated from state of Nature to state of Grace Answer to Gagg page 143. Iustification consisteth in forgiuenesse of sins primarily and grace infused secondarily Both the acts of Gods Spirit in man Answer to Gagg page 140. To iustifie hath a threefold extent First to make iust and righteous Secondly to make more iust and righteous Thirdly to declare and pronounce iust Page 142. Iustification properly is in the first acceptance A sinner is theÌ„ iustified when he is made iust that
contingencie in future euents in respect of their second causes which worke contingently though whatsoeuer commeth to passe falleth within the certaine presience of God and is ordered by his prouidence 4. The Stoicks taught that men were impelled to sin by a fatall motion and that mans will was forced by Destiny We detest and abhorre any such assertion See more hereof in Melancthon his Common places Gratianus Ciuilis in Semipelagianismo Lipsius lib. 1. de Constantia cap. 18. sequent g T is true as we reade in the seuenteenth Article that for curious and carnall persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to haue continually before their eyes the sentence of Gods Predestination is a most dangerous downefall whereby the Deuill doth thrust them either into desperation or into retchlesnesse of most vncleane liuing no lesse perillous than desperation The sweetest meat in a corrupt stomacke turnes to choller but the fault is in the stomacke not in the meat in like manner the word of God and in particular this doctrine of the Word is in it selfe a sauour of life vnto life but to some proues no better than a sauour of death vnto death because as Saint Peter 2. 3. 16. telleth vs They peruert the doctrine of holy Scriptures to their destruction For the doctrine it selfe of Predestination it openeth no gate to a dissolute life but shutteth and barreth all such vnlawfull posternes Shall we continue in sinne because grace aboundeth God forbid Rom. 6. 1. On the contrary it openeth a faire gate and directeth a certaine readie way to holinesse of life For God hath predestinated vs that we might be conformable to the Image of his Sonne Rom 8. 29. And God hath chosen vs before the foundation of the world that we might be holy and blamelesse before him in loue Ephes. 1. 4. h In this obiection from Desperation the Arminians and Appealer as likewise in the former furbush vp the old Pelagians harnesse which Saint Augustine hath beat in peeces in his booke of the gift of Perseuerance chap. 17. I will not amplifie with mine owne words but I leaue it rather to them seriously to consider what a strange thing it is that they should perswade themselves the doctrine of Predestination doth bring to the hearers rather matter of desperation than exhortation or consolation for this is in effect to say that then a man is to despaire of his saluation when he is taught to repose his hope and confidence not in himselfe but in God whereas the Prophet crieth out Cursed is he that putteth his trust in man Some indeed make a desperate vse of this doctrine but the doctrine it selfe is no desperate doctrine or doctrine of desperation but of heauenly consolation as we reade in the seuenteenth Article which ought for euer to stop the mouth of the Appealer from slandering as he doth the truth of God The godly consideration of Predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and vnspeakable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselues the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing vp their minde to high and heauenly things as well because it doth greatly establish and confirme their faith of eternall saluation to be enioyed through Christ as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towards God On the contrary the doctrine of the Arminians and the Appealer which maketh Gods Election to depend vpon the will of man which as they say may totally and finally fall away from grace is in truth a most desperate doctrine taking away all solid and firme ground of comfort both in life and death as shall appeare hereafter Of Election vpon fore-seene faith ARMINIVS ARMIN. Oration to the States pag. 49. * The Decree whereby God hath decreed to saue certaine and singular persons doth depend vpon his prescience by which he fore-knew from eternitie who according to the dispensation of sufficient meanes for their conuersion and faith would by preuenting grace i beleeue and subsequent perseuere And he is so hot in this point and proceedeth so far Argument 19. as to affirme That the opinion of precise Election without respect of foreseene faith in the elect ouerthroweth the foundation of all Religion Hag. Conference set out by Bert. pag. 62. The absolute decree whereby it is said that God in chusing men did not respect any mans good qualities fore-seene cannot stand with the nature of God nor with Scriptures The like is affirmed by Arnoldus against Tilenus And Greuinchouius against Amese and the Arminians generally who thus take that question in the Conference at Hage pag. 123. Faith in Gods decree of election doth in order goe before not follow election it is not a fruit of election but an antecedent conditon to it APPEALER APPEALE pag. 58. The irrespectiue decree of God to call saue and glorifie Saint Peter without any consideration had of or regard vnto his i faith obedience and repentance c. I say there and I say truly is the priuate fancie of some particular man Pa. 64. There must needs be first a k disproportion before there can be conceiued an election or dereliction This disproportion he afterward declares to be in the different wils of men wherof some took hold of merey others would not His words are When all alike being plunged c. God out of his mercy stretched out to them deliuerance in a Mediator the Man Iesus Christ and drew them out that tooke hold of mercy leauing them there that would none of him Which is all one as if he had said he decreed to saue them from the common destruction which he fore-saw would beleeue and reiect those whom he fore-saw would not beleeue for by faith they take hold of mercy and through incredulitie reiect it nay in this point the Appealer speaketh not so warily as the Arminians for they require faith in a person to be elected and iustified as an antecedent condition they doe not say as a cause or motiue in God to elect iustifie and saue But the Appealer Answer to the Gag pag. 143. and Appeale pag. 194. saith that God was drawne by our faith to iustifie vs. * Decretum quo decreuit Deus singulares certas quasdam personas saluare praescientiâ nititur quâ ab aeterno sciuit quinam iuxta administrationem mediorum ad conuersionem fidem idoneorum ex praeueniente gratia credituri erant subsequente perseueraturi i When the Arminians and the Appealer make Election to depend vpon fore-seene faith either they meane that this faith is a meere gift of God receiued only by mans free-will or not so but in part or in whole a worke of mans will If they hold faith to be a meere gift of God their opinion of election vpon fore-seene faith implieth a contradiction for it maketh the former grace and gift of Predestination to glory to depend vpon a latter gift of faith Beside if
bitter scoffe at the practice of our Ecclesiasticall Courts Howsoeuer if the Appealer had onely trod a little awry either in the high path of popery or by-path of puritanisme I for mine owne part would haue borne with it and that in respect of his otherwise commendable parts and profitable paines in the Church but when he halteth downe right betweene two religions none that desireth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walke with a right foot can endure him And doth he not limpe nay doth he not halt downe-right doth he not weare a Linsie-woolsy garment Answer to Gagg page 13. and 14 Truth is of two sorts amongst men manifest and confessed truth or more obscure and involved truth In his quae apertè posita sunt in Scripturis inveniuntur illa omnia quae continent fidem morés que vivendi spem scilicet charitatem Plainly deliuered in Scripture are all those points which belong vnto Faith and Manners Hope and Charity to wit And accordingly I doe know no obscurity vpon these I know none of these controuerted inter partes The Articles of our Creed are confessed on both sides and held plaine enough The controuerted points are of a larger and inferiour alloy of them a man may bee ignorant without any danger of his soule at all A man may resolue or oppose this way or that way without perill of perishing for euer c. It is most euident in this place that the parties he speaketh of are the Papists and we for there are no other haue any triall in this Chapter or matter of debate By partes in many other places of his booke he vnderstandeth Papists and Protestants and here he cannot meane any other but the Gagger and his complices on the one side and the Protestant Church on the other side as the antecedents and consequents doe manifest Now if the differences betweene the papists and vs are of such an inferiour alloye that little reckoning is to be made of them because they adde nothing to or take nothing from the summe of sauing knowledge how much haue all the reformed Churches in Christendome to answer at the dreadful Tribunall of Christ for making so great a rent in Christs seamlesse coat vpon so small occasion If the controuerted points be like herbe Iohn in the pot that may be in or out without perill at all why haue all our Prophets sithence Luther at least cryed Mors in ollâ mors in ollâ Death in the pot O blessed Martyrs who sithence the beginning of Reformation haue watred the seed of the Gospell with your blood put off your long white robes and garlands and put on sackcloth and ashes for you dyed vpon no good ground you shed not your blood in zeale but spilt it in folly Martyrs you may be of schisme or obstinacy or indiscretion but not of faith if those points you suffered for belonged not at all to faith Diffido oculis meis identidem interrogo an legerim an viderim I suspect mine eyes I question my Copy I demand of my selfe againe and againe Is it possible a Diuine of no inferiour alloy should vtter such an incredible paradoxe wee dissent from the Church of Rome about Christ and his offices the foundation of faith the Scriptures the rule of faith the Church the subiect of faith the Sacraments the seales of faith iustification the proper effect of faith and good workes the fruit of faith nay wee contest about the very nature and essence of faith And are none of these matters of faith doe none of these belong to faith or manners If our debates are de tribus capellis about the fringe not the Spouse coat about the barke and not the body of Religion then hath not the Church of Rome erred in matter of faith and if she hath not then the Church of England hath erred in charging her with error not onely in matter of ceremony and discipline but also in matter of faith Art 19. If the Church of England hath erred in this Article the Appealers false oathes must needs be answerable to his degrees and preferments for so oft hath he sworne to that Article among the rest But he yeeldeth vs a reason The Articles of our Creed are confessed on both sides and held plaine enough on both sides hee might say on all sides and hands For the Arrians in Polonia the Antitimitarians in Transiluania the Nestorians in Greece the Anabaptists and Socinians in the Netherlands doe all rehearse the Articles of the Creed and hold them plaine enough Let him peruse al the bedrol of heretikes condemned by the Church of God in all ages drawne by Irenaeus Epiphanius S. Augustine Philastrius Alfonsus a Castro and others and he shall hardly pitch vpon any sort of Heretickes that directly either denyed or articled against the Articles of the Apostles Creed And will he say none of these erred in matter of faith but all were and are in regiâ viâ the high way to heauen If hee answer that the heretickes though they professed the Articles of the Apostles Creed totidem verbis in the very words yet they denyed or depraued the sense and brought in damnable errours by consequence ouerthrowing those foundations of our faith Our reply is at hand As the greater part of ancient heretickes so at this day the Papists confesse the Articles of the Creed and hold them plaine truth but they misinterpret them and by consequence shake if not quite ouerthrow diuers of them Either they or we misinterpret those three articles especially concerning the Catholike Church the Communion of Saints the forgiuenesse of sinnes to which their great Champion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reduceth all the controuersies betweene our Church and theirs And for vndermining the articles of our Creed by consequences and maintaining repugnances to them thâ— Romish Pioners are not farre behind the ancient enemies of our faith Manes and Vorstius doe not directly impugne the article touching God the Almighty Creator nor Marâ—ion Arrius Apollinaris Eutiches Nestorius and Socinus the article concerning Christ the Redeemer nor Macedonius and the Pneumatomachi the article concerning the holy Ghost but they held such doctrine which was not comportable with those articles And how the Romish doctrine of Invocation of Saints and Angels may stand with the first article rightly expounded I beleeue in God and their doctrine of Iustification by inherent righteousnesse with the second and in Iesus Christ and of transubstantiation with the article of Christ his Incarnation and Ascension and of a Catholick visible Romish Church vnder one visible Head with that I beleeue the holy Catholicke Church and of vncertainty of saluation with those I beleeue the remission of sins and life euerlasting I desire to bee enformed by the Appealer which I could neuer yet bee by any Romanist Vpon this most false and deceiueable ground that the differences inter partes are not in matters de fide hee buildeth two most dangerous assertions that a man may be ignorant
of them without any perill of his soule at all and A man may resolue or oppose this way or that way without perill of perishing Tum maximè oppugnaris si te oppugnari nescis The greatest danger of all is when in place of danger wee suspect none A man that enters into a plaguy house if he know not of it is more subiect to infection through his carelesse boldnesse And they who speake fauourably of the Romish Church compare it to a Pest-house in which yet through Gods extraordinary mercy a man may be without mortall infection but cannot possibly be without danger If there be no danger in Romish Schools and Temples if a man may be at Masse and incurre no perill of Idolatry in the adoration of the Hoste inuocation of Saints worshipping of Images Reliques and the like blot out all the parts of the largest and learnedst Homily in all the booke intituled Against perill of Idolatrie Here I appeale to the Appealers conscience Is it no perill at all to the soule of man to be ignorant which are the true inspired Scriptures which is the true Church which are the Sacraments instituted by Christ what is the pure worship of God in spirit and truth what are the prerogatiues of Christ and priuiledges of his Saints what is that faith we are justified and saued by All these and many more are controuerted points and doe none of these strengthen or weaken our title to the Kingdome of Heauen I haue no commission to inlarge the bowels of my Sauiour and most vnwilling am I to straiten them or close vp his side against such ignorant persons who neuer had nor could haue means to come to the full light of the Gospell yet I am not ignorant what Saint Augustines iudgment is euen of inuincible ignorance in points of faith Sed illa ignorantia quae non est eorū qui scire nolunt sed eorum qui tantum simpliciter scire nesciunt neminem sic excusat ut sempiterno igne non ardeat si propterea non credidit quia non audivit omnino quod crederet c. Not wilfull ignorance no not simple nescience can priuiledge any from euerlasting fire although he therefore beleeued not because he neuer heard what he should beleeue For that of the Psalmist is not without ground Powre out thy wrath O God on those nations that know thee not nor that of the Apostle when he shall come in flaming fire to render vengeance to them who know not God But the Appealer restraineth not his assertion to inuincible ignorance be it affected ignorance nay be it resolued errour in the controuerted points it no way in his iudgement indangereth eternall saluation either there is no crimen or at least discrimen in treading in either path for he saith A man may resolue or oppose this way or that way without perill of perishing for euer Answer to Gagg pag. 14. A braue resolution of a Protestant Diuine to resolue that a resolute Papist a professed opposite to the doctrine of the Gospell may goe away cleare with it and not at all stumble at that stone on which whosoeuer falleth he shall be broken but on whomsoeuer it shall fall it will grinde him to powder Matt. 21. 44. I desire to be satisfied whether doth the Appealer beleeue that the Articles of Religion established in our Church by Authority standing in direct opposition as they doe to the Trent decisions are expresly contained in the Scriptures or may be euidently deduced from thence or not If not then according to the sixt article of the sufficiency of the holy Scriptures for saluation they are no articles of faith or religion If they are expresly contained in holy Scriptures or may be euidently deduced from thence then they are Gods truth set downe in his owne word And is there no danger in resoluing against God in opposing his word in siding against that truth which shall stand and abide when heauen and earth shall passe away I grant euery doctrine contained in Scripture is not absolutely necessary to saluation yet in the generall this is a doctrine most necessary to saluation to beleeue that all doctrine of Scripture is vndoubtedly true and that to deny any part of Scripture and much more deliberately to oppugne and wilfully to oppose is dangerous yea damnable And for the controuerted points in particular the denying of the truth in them lay so heauy on Latomus Franciscus Spira his conscience on their death-beds that in a fearful conflict of despaire by reason of the hainousnesse of that sinne they miserably gaue vp the ghost And Minaerius Gallus for mainly opposing the doctrine of the Gospell was so tormented with a burning in his bowels that he had as it were a sense of the very paines of Hell-fire euen in this life I tremble to rehearse what Aubignius reporteth in his history concerning a late great King beyond the Sea who after he had embraced the Romish faith and renounced the pure doctrine of the Gospell was exceedingly perlexed in mind and troubled in conscience and aduised with his bosome friend adiuring him to deale faithfully with him whether or no in that his action of deserting the faith of the reformed Church he had not committed the impardonable sinne against the holy Ghost To illustrate this point concerning the necessity of departing out of Babylon and perill of remaining in her let vs borrow a ray or beame of a true Iewel Wee haue done nothing in altering Religion vpon either rashnesse or arrogancy nay nothing but with good leisure and mature deliberation neither had we euer intended so to doe except both the manifest and assured will of God reuealed to vs in holy Scripture and regard of our own saluation had euen constrained vs thereunto This indeed is the lustre of a true Iewel but the false Diamond glareth on this wise The present Church of Rome hath alwayes continued firme in the same foundation of doctrine and sacraments instituted by God and acknowledgeth and imbraceth communion with the ancient and vndoubted Church of Christ wherefore she cannot be other or diuerse from it for she remaines still Christs Church and Spouse As in Ceiland they say A Snake lurketh vnder euery leafe so wee may truly say of this passage of the Appealer there is poysonous error and Satanicall doctrine in euerie line First it is an errour of dangerous consequence to affirme that the present Church of Rome holdeth the same foundation with the ancient and primitiue Church For the present Church of Rome holdeth the twelue new Articles added to the Apostles Creed mentioned in Pope Pius his Bull as fundamentall points and necessary to saluation The oath prescribed by the Pope runnes thus Caetera item omnia à sacris Canonibus Oecumenicis Conciliis ac praecipuè à sacrosanctâ Tridentinâ Synodo tradita definita declarata indubitanter recipio atque profiteor simúlque contraria