A Comparison betweene the auncient fayth of the Romans and the new Romish Religion Set foorth by Frauncis Bunny sometime fellowe of Magdalen College in Oxforde MATTHEW 15. 13. Euerie plant which my heauenly Father hath not planted shalbe rooted vp Printed by Robert Robinson for Raph Jackeson 1595. To the Right Honourable my verie good Ladie Katheren Countise of Huntingdon Frauncis Bunny wisheth increase of honour here and euerlasting life elsewhere * ⎠* IF trueth shame not more of anie thing then when she is hid as Tertullian truely writeth then it behooueth her friends to do her that fauor that by all meanes possible they will earnestly indeuor to bring her to light that shee may be seene of them that seeke her and knowen of them that loue her And although this may perchance seeme a hard attempt in these our dayes wherein falsehoode maketh so fayre a shew and hath so great appearaunce of that it is not and euery man claimeth to the trueth be their doctrines neuer so diuers yet since God hath giuen vs meanes to driue awaye those thicke cloudes of errour and ignoraunce that the sunne of trueth may shine vnto the worlde I haue indeuoured in this short treatise to take away that colourable shewe of trueth from the Church of Rome that the vndoubted trueth of the Church of Christ may the better appeare For we haue a touchstone the word of God that cannot lye a rule that cannot deceaue by which whatsoeuer we trie and examine it wil soone bee seene whether it bee true or false Truth also is a thing that is auncient and hath bin alwayes sayth Tertullian and like the good corne that was first sowen but errour is that bad seed which was cast after into that field by the enuious man Seeing therefore that is true that was first and what so euer commeth after is false howe easie a matter is it for such as search to see the light and for them that inquire after her to finde the trueth For if it bee true that the Scriptures teach that onely then al that is not agreable to that truth must needs bee false And if that onely be nowe true which in the Apostles times was true no number of dayes or yeares shall prooue that not to bee false nowe which then was not true Therefore for the benefite of all such as loue the truth I haue in this treatise set downe the doctrine which was first taught and preached at Rome in the Apostles dayes whereof no man doubteth but that it must bee the infallible worde of God and Christian religion Then also I haue added thereunto that which is nowe holden for the Romishe religion and Catholicke fayth there And because these two doe verie much differ as hee that readeth will soone see for indeede they are nothing like and wee are assured that that which Gods worde deliuereth and was first must needes bee currant that which hath no warrant in the worde and commeth after must needes be counterfeite I haue endeuoured to bee short because I hoped it woulde be the more willingly read and the better remembred And for that cause I haue not aunswered the argumentes which the Romish Catholickes vse for defence of their opinions and the rather because it is performed in an other treatise But I trust in this it will appeare that hee that will imbrace the Catholicke Fayth that was then when the faith of the Romans was commended whereof the Papistes make greate bragges must needes detest that Romish fayth that is now and accompt it most blasphemous This little worke I haue beene bold to dedicate vnto your good Ladiship not onely as a discharge of my duetie of thankefulnesse toward your Honour to whome you bounde mee long since by manie vndeserued courtesies but also because that then I knewe your great zeale and feruent desire and loue to the trueth and your Christian care to augment your knowledge of the will of GOD Whereof I nothing doubt but the Lorde hath giuen vnto you great and happie increase To whose abundant mercies in Christ I commit your good Ladishippe alwayes praying that hee will here confirme you in his trueth and continue all his good graces tovvardes you vntill hee shall take you out of this vale of miserie to raigne vvith him in endlesse glorie Amen A Comparison betweene the auncient faith of the Romans and the new Romish Religion set forth by Frauncis Bunny sometime fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Oxford CHAP. I. IT is a daungerous stombling blocke which the Church of Rome hath cast in the waies of the ignorant whereby they are made to fall into the déepe dungeon of Popish heresies and superstitions when they beare the worlde in hand as much as they can that the Apostle in commending the faith of the Romans that then was or rather in testifying that it was published through the world doth approue the faith also that now is there taught True it is that onely they that are starke blind would stumble at that stone for hée that is but halfe sighted may plainely sée that the Apostle speaketh but of the faith of the Romans that then was and doth not promise or prophecy that it should be so alwaies In the beginning God planted true Religion the feare of him in the hearts of men and women but in continuance of time that plant of the Lords own plaining was so ouergrowen with the wéeds of wickednes of life and superstitions seruing of God that it was hardly to be séene emongst men In so much as of the times of Enos it is written as if the world had for a long time forgotten that there is any God that then he began to call vpon the name of the Lord. Yea that which was at the first deliuered from God as a perfect rule of life and written in the heart of man Yet was by the corruption of man so blotted out and by the darknes of our minds so defaced that God was forced as it were to write it a new that it might the better be remembred in the tables of stone Yea and such is the force of our naturall and hereditary infection that we cannot long kéep the truth sincerly deliuered vnto vs without mingling or mangling of the same And therfore Tertulian teacheth vs truly that the trueth must be before heresy euen as the body is before the shadow And he proueth it by that parable of our Sauiour Christ wherin the good séed is said first to be sowen after the â—ares And so concludeth that that doctrine is from the Lord true that is first that which commeth after is false and strange And Ciprian also confirmeth the same when for reformation of any error he teacheth vs to haue recourse to the fountain Which rule of Ciprian S. Augustin also commendeth vnto vs as a very good rule and worthy to be followed And Vincentius Lirinensis in his
from performing their dutyfull obedience as he doth many times by his priuiledges As for indulgences and pardons any bodie that will pray and pay for them may haue them And they that dwell at Rome get yet another maner of blessing with his two fingers wherwith he blesseth the people that gaze at him when he is caried abroad To be short at certain times he blesseth those that are called blessed graines or Agnus dei or such like stuffe and causeth these to be sent into Countries far and neer deluding and deceiuing by such toyes the hearts of the simple therwithall filling their owne panches and purses as though they had gotten or those had giuen some great spirituall gift when they haue some such toy consecrated by the Pope These are his gifts such are his blessings If you would haue better he cannot afford them For he is not for the most part able to preach teach It is against honour and estimation to seek to comfort the afflicted conscience No neither the Pope nor his Colledge of Cardinals will busie themselues in the Ministerie of the word in the abundant blessing wherof Saint Paule reioyceth Is the darknesse more contrarie to the light then are these vain promises or shewes of spirituall comfort verie cloudes without water and trees without fruit of true consolation to that perfect peace of mind and ioy of conscience which the Apostle promiseth vnto them and purposed to work among them by the powerful preaching of the Gospell of peace This this is in deed a true consecrated sword which shall pierce euen to the heart and conscience of the sinner and make a deeper wound then all the hallowed swords that the Popes can sanctifie And thus to be short we see that where Paule commeth he bringeth with him spirituall gifts euen abundance of blessing by the ministerie of the word But the Pope because he cannot skill of such blessings vseth other be blesseth fire water salt oyle swords roses books belles candles palmes ashes wax paper parchments lead pictures or payntings falsely perswading sillie soules that hee is able to put holinesse into them And thus it appeareth that if we consider the doctrine of the Church of Rome examining it with that that was taught in the dayes of Saint Paul and Saynt Peter they are nothing like If their practise they are cleane contrarie so that the new Romish Church hath no cause to brag of that old faith of the Romanes CHAP. XIX AND these are if I bee not deceaued all the points of religion in controuersie betweene vs and the Church of Rome at this day Whereof out of the Apostles epistle to the Romanes wee may gather any certayne doctrine Wherein if we dissent from the religion of the Romish Church that now is that we may iumpe and ioyne with the auncient faith of the Romanes commended by thapostle as spoken of and that worthilie in all the worlde I trust no indifferent Christian that in singlenesse of heart seeketh the trueth either will or can iustly reprooue vs. And as hitherto I haue shewed what consent there is in the groundes of their doctrines betweene S. Paul who wrote to Rome to confirme them in the faith S. Peter who they say wrote from Rome and S. Marke also who wrot his Gospell at Rome as in histories it is recorded so now in one point let vs see what Saint Peter thinketh in one poynt I say not touched by Saint Paule in that epistle although in other places plentifully enough by him deliuered Saint Peter therefore in handling the dueties betweene man and wife doth thereby commend the honourable estate of marriage as a state of life whereof God hath a care and therefore giueth lawes and rules in obseruing whereof husbands and wiues may serue and please God And if he had so verie well liked of single life as they who call themselues his successours doe hee woulde no doubte haue taken occasion to haue put in some caueat for the same But himselfe was maried as the Rhemistes themselues confesse and though out of Hierome they would proue that being called to be an Apostle he forsooke his wife yet how false that is Saint Peter himselfe doth plainely enough declare For he exhorteth Husbands to dwel with their wiues according to knowledge that is to kéepe and continue holily and kindly with them not vngodly and vncourteously to forsake them And shall we imagine that S. Peter would teach others and not himselfe or say one thing and doe another or that in wordes exhorting them not to depart from their wiues by his example he would moue them to leaue them That be farre from vs once to imagine And this we may be sure of that if he had forsaken his wife as our popish Catholickes now or some other in former times iniurious to that holy ordinance did surmise he woulde yet so haue tempered this his general commaundement that his example shoulde not haue béene manifestly repugnant to his doctrine Therefore that he was maried the scriptures report and it is by our aduersaries confessed but that he forsooke his wife it hath no shewe of proofe no colour of trueth Yea further the Apostle doth insinuate that the dwelling together of man and wife in knowledge is a furtheraunce to their prayers And therefore vnto that former exhortation he addeth these wordes That your prayers be not hindred Thereby declaring that the dwelling together of man and wife as they ought to doe is a furtheraunce to their prayers Whereas on the contrarie their separating of themselues in bodie may breede such an alienation of mindes with other great inconueniences as may interrupt their prayers And although S. Peter meane not héereby that they shoulde so continually dwel together as that they might neuer withdraw themselues the more fréely to consecrate as it were and wholly giue them selues to prayer and fasting yet woulde he doubtlesse according to S. Paules rules haue such their abstinence when anie is To be by consent for a time and againe to come together that Sathan shoulde not tempt them for their incontinencie For all men and women are in danger of his assaultes and therefore To auoyd fornication let euery man haue his wife and let euery woman haue her owne husband saith his fellow apostle And although men or women may for a time feele themselues voide of wanton and vnchast lustes yet because Not all men can receiue this thing saue they to whom it is giuen séeing I say it is not in their power but a rare gift of God which how long they shal haue it they are not certain yea to know who giueth it is a high point of wisdome the wiseman saith what madnes is it to promise that which thou canst not performe Or to séeke for that which is not necessarie for thee or to indeuor to please God with that which he requireth not of thée How much better is it
his scholler would haue been ashamed to haue taugh it to any Christians CHAP. VI. SAint Paul hauing planted and proued this doctrine of iustification by faith in Christ as he doth in the fourth chapter of this Epistle to the Romans and else where in many places hee then teacheth that in respect of this grace we should be so far from being imboldened to sin that on the contrary we are the more bound therby to holines of life For whosoeuer is dead to sin must not liue to sin But we if we be not baptised into Christ are dead to sin Therfore such as are baptised into Christ may not liue to sin or in sin Yea it is good reason that the seruant obey his Master but we are Gods seruants by promise in baptisme therefore him we must obey then we cannot obey him which God hateth forbiddeth and punisheth but we must serue God our Master in holines and righteousnes And whereas no man euer more plainely taught our frée iustification in Christ without our workes or merites or any inherent righteousnesse euen by the forgiuenes of our sinnes then the Apostle S. Paul both in this epistle and else where yet no man more earnestly and effectually then he exhorteth to holines of life good workes and all Christian duties sinne and security haue not a sharper enemie then he is S. Peter also teacheth vs that Christ his Owne selfe bare our sinnes in his body vpon the tree Whereby he sheweth the satisfaction that he hath made to be the attonement betwéene God and vs and that without vs he hath done it himselfe I say in his owne body hath paid that price and taken away the condemnation due to the sinne that we haue committed Hee hath done it vpon the trée by his death and passion purchasing thereby eternall redemption What can the Apostle say more plainely to teach vs that the satisfaction for al our sinnes is alreadie perfected so in and by Christ that our owne workes can be nothing auayleable to satisfie for them or that there is not to that vse any neede of them What then Séeing he beareth our sinnes shall we lay loade vpon him and by our sinne and vngodly life doe what wee can to make his burthen heauier No no he hath done all this that wee who by this benefite of Christ are dead to sinne should liue to righteousnesse For if GOD bee our God wee must be his people If hee bee our louing Father hee looketh that wee shoulde be his obedient children If he bee our gratious Lorde and Master we must not be vngracious but duetifull seruantes For as God doth couenant with vs to bee our God so do we also by vowe and promise binde our selues vnto him to bée his seruantes And this also doth the Apostle Saint Peter teache vs who in the first Chapter hath plentifully set forth Gods greate merrie towardes vs euen in this question of our free iustification as also in this place he hath done and yet wil not in any wise that any Christian duties should of vs be vnperformed but exhorteth vs to bee occupied in them as we may see Chap. 4. 1. 2. 3. 4. and to accompt them as a debt that we owe vnto God and must pay him For we are Gods workmanship created in Christ Iesus vnto good workes which God hath before ordained that we should walke in them Saint Marke reporteth vnto vs that our Sauiour Christ preachd often forgiuenes of sinnes as in his third and fourth Chapters it may appeare which forgiuenes of sin doth quite ouerthrow that inherent righteousnes and iustification by worke that the papistes striue to establish And yet the same S. Marke doth register and record among many other godly exhortations that our Sauiour Christ made to his disciples this necessary caueat Take heed watch and pray for you know not when the time is By all which this doth appeare that sanctification and holines must followe iustification and forgiuenes of sinne for we are washed that we should not againe defile our selues with the filth of sin and that Gods loue doth more effectually tie vs to obey him and to indeuour our selues to doe his will And looke howe much the more we are instructed and assuredly perswaded of the free loue of God so much the more will our inner man be inflamed with loue to him againe I say euen with such loue as will thrust vs forwardes to walke in good workes And this is notably proued by our Sauiour Christ who gathereth that the sinfull woman in S. Luke felt That many sinnes were forgiuen her because she loued so much And thus we sée that the auncient Roman faith was this that such as haue receiued and felt Gods free grace in forgiuing their iniquities as in trueth they are so in duety they must be alwaies ready to serue him So that I may boldly say with S. August It can hardly bée that he that beléeueth well should liue euil But our popish spiders out of this sweete flower doe gather their poyson They burtheÌ„ this doctrine which in expresse words is taught by S. Paul and the effects of it by S. Peter also that we are iustified by faith without the workes of the Law with this slaunder that it is a doctrine of liberty and occasion of licentious life a hinderance to good workes And thus this doctrine which they cannot confute with reason they couer with shame and reproches And that which they cannot with all their learning proue false by this shameles shift they seeke to make odious Far otherwise did the ancient fathers both speak write Iustinus Martyr lerned of the Apostle S. Peter to say that faith profiâ—eth our hearts Ciprian saith to cease from sin that beginneth of faith Tertulian affirmeth that faith sheweth vs the way whither to licentious life No but by which we must come to God Basil ascribeth vnto it great force to allure draw and perswade the mind because as in another place he telleth vs it strengheneth the powers of the same it obtayneth getteth indeuour in vs and Gods helpe which both are necessary in al our works Epiphanius writeth that it preserueth euery faithful man he meaneth from euil no doubt And Theophilact telleth vs that faith in Christ is truely a holy and perfect worke and doth sanctifie or make holy him that hath it And on the other side that such as lead an vncleane life are not truely faithfull who professe that they know God but in workes they deny him By all which it is plaine to see that these holy fathers did thinke that faith doth both quench all the firie dartes of the wicked and nourish or maintaine within vs the good motions of the spirit and so is as it were the fountaine from whence doth spring whatsoeuer good work we can performe But the papistes would beare the worde in hande that the more
their sins they ascribe vnto the Sacraments And that grace which we can finde onely in Christ of whose fulnes we haue all receiued grace for grace they would haue vs to seek for in such visible things as are in truth but pledges of the same Whether saith Cyprian it be Iudas or Paule that baptiseth it is Christ that washeth pardoneth and putteth away sinne And S. Ambrose making a difference between the watering that is by baptisme and the forgiuenesse of sinnes saith that to forgiue sinnes in baptisme and to giue the holy Ghost it belongeth to God only for the spirit hath bin giuen without laying on of hands and the remission of faults without baptisme if we will credit that learned Father Both the good and the bad saith S. Augustine can dip in the water but none but he that is alwayes good can wash the conscience Thus do these agree with the old Romish Faith teaching the outward signe not to giue but to assure vs of the inuisible grace And yet they are not ashamed still to brag that the faith of the Romans was commended by thapostle Although themselues that boast so much thereof as it is easie to see if we compare this auncient Faith with their new deuises do set themselues as sworne enemies to the same to fight against that faith And this I suppose is the effect of that which can be gathered out of these first eight Chapters of this Epistle to the Romans of such things as are in controuersy between vs and the Papists Wherin if they teach that which these Apostles and faithful seruants of God did teach let their doctrine be beleeued But if they haue chaunged that auncient Religion swarued from that old Faith corrupted that worship of God and mingled that pure wine either with the water of their own inuentions or the dregs of Iewish and Heathnish superstitions why do we not detest these deceiuing Doctors as enemies to all truth and hinderers of our eternall saluation CHAP. XII OF the thrée Chapters following I would haue spoken nothing I mean the ix x. and the xi of the Epistle to the Romans but that I think it necessarie out of one principall point of doctrine that is in them handled to note how contrarie to it selfe the doctrine is that the Church of Rome teacheth For out of them it is most plainly and inuincibly gathered that GOD hath predestinate chosen vnto eternal life such as it pleaseth him to take fréely euen in respect of his owne purpose and counsell without any respect vnto good works Which because it is so manifest that themselues are ashamed to denie it I briefly passe ouer without any long confirmation out of the reasons héerin alledged for proofe of the doctrine For Master Bellarmine out of these words When as yet they were not borne or had done any good or euill that the purpose of God might stand not by workes but by the caller it was said to her The elder shall serue the yonger And also out of those The remnant is saued according to the election of grace If of grace not now of workes for then grace were no grace Out of these words I say he concludeth verie plainly and truely not onely that election or predestination is frée but also without any forséeing of the workes that men should do after as his words are And much more pithyly also is this confirmed by the latter end of the last sentence which is with full content left out by the old Translation the Rheimists and the rest of them For although all the Gréek copies but one and the Syrian Translation haue these words But if it be of works then is it now no grace for then work is no more work Yet do they willingly follow the want in the old Translation because the setting of grace against works in such sort as wée sée they are opposed maketh wonderfull strongly against the Popish doctrine of merites But what should I speak of Master Bellarmine Iohn Durey the Scot telleth vs that it is famously holden in all the Vniuersities of the Catholicks That the foreknowledge of merits is not the cause of predestination Although he cannot deny but Pighius was of a contrarie mind And Master Bellarmine indeuoureth in this point to shew his skill to satisfie some that think it cannot be that predestination should be frée if all men haue sufficient help giuen wherby they may be saued And because vpon this sufficient help they establish their merite this is therfore also the summe of that he teacheth that Merites and Predestination may both of them be taught But how he is héerin deceiued his owne words will best declare But in the mean time this is that which Saint Paule did teach and they say that yet they 〈◊〉 that God fréely not hauing regarde to the workes which â—e saw they should doe did chuse a number vpon whom he bestoweth eternall life Which doctrine as it was daungerously impuyned in those dayes of S. Augustine so was it learnedly defended by him in sundry treatises In which it may appeare that the Pelagions then did vse the selfesame obiections against this comfortable doctrine that the papistes now make against the teaching of our free election as that God may same to deale vniustly in that he punisheth the wicked whom he calleth not from their wickednesse Againe that therby all indeuour to liue in Gods feare is taken away vertue is hindred fatall necessity established the doctrine is perilous and such like obiections are reckoned vp of Prosper as also of Hilary who in like manner writing to S. Augustine rehearseth those cauils of the pelagions against this trueth crauing S. Augustine his helpe therein because many as vs saith did much depend vpon the authoritie of men and as Prosper in his Epistle faith they defend their obstinacy by antiquitie alledging that neuer any expounded those places to the Romans after that sorte Which obiections because it is too long to confute in this place I send the reader who is desirous to be further instructed vnto S. Augustine his bookes of the predestination of the Saints which is an aunswere to the two Epistles of Prosper and Hilarie and that other of the vertue of perseuerance and that of predestination and grace which before I spake of Which thing I may I trust be the bolder to doe because these are the slaunders which the pelagians thâ—se knowen and condemned heretickes burthened this doctrine withall and therefore our aduersaries should be ashamed to vse them Now if you long also to know what these heretickes did teach this it is That God foreséeing who should beléeue and continue in that faith did predestinate such to his kingdom Or as S. Augustine saith they taught that God did choose such as he sawe shoulde be holy by the choice of their frée will on the contrary he shewed the election to bée frée without any