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A03857 The advise of a sonne, novv professing the religion established in the present Church of England, to his deare mother, yet a Roman Catholike Hungerford, Anthony, Sir, 1564-1627. 1616 (1616) STC 13971.5; ESTC S115241 23,830 40

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maine supporter of all religion at this day in the Church of Rome is not so ancient by many ages in the world as is the Alcoran of that accursed Mahomet If the foundation be proved new what rule can they propose to secure your conscience for the antiquity of the building their cōtinued Priesthood their daily sacrifice their satisfactions for sinne their workes of merit their reall change in the Sacrament their adoration of it their mangled communion their worship of Images their prayers to Saints their Auricular Confession their Purgatory fire with all that trumperie besides which they tender vnder the name and disguised habite of Church traditions Certainly all these are terrae filij If they seeke to the Scriptures for their originall they will be sent packing with we know you not Possibly it may be demanded what I thinke of our forefathers who liued in the latter ages of the world while these mists of Popery lay thicke vpon the face of the visible Church in these Westerne parts Were they damned all God forbid that any man should be so savage to write or think so I verily beleeve and haue beene alwaies taught so that as well the Church of England as other of forraine parts when the tyranny and corruptions of the Papacie did most oppresse them were neverthelesse portions of Gods vniversall Church and sent many soules to God For even in these when they were most obscured with errour and ignorance yet all essentiall points of Christian doctrine were to bee learned touching the invocation and worshippe of God touching our redemption by Christ Iesus crucified touching our observation of Gods commandements so the rest so that concerning out forefathers this may suffice that as wee are bound in Christian charitie to hope the best of their salvation that before vs embraced the faith of Christ though possibly divers of them might approue in grosse some errors of the time wherein they liued never apprehending in particular the scope meaning of them so yet is it no way safe for vs to make our forefathers our rule of faith In the Church cōsisting of the Iewes before Christs comming into the world the holy Prophets of God were so farre from making their forefathers a rule to follow as that to the contrary we shal finde nothing more familiar with them then to warne the people of God That they walke not in the ordinances of their fathers t Psal 78.8 Not to be as their forefathers a faithlesse stabborne generation a generation that set not their heart aright c. and to like purpose in sundry places But for resolution of this point it is our part to follow the direction of Saint Cyprian that holy Martyr of the Church u Lib. 2. Epist 3. If Christ onely bee to bee heard not to listen what any man before vs hath thought fit to be done but what Christ hath done who is before all for that wee are not to follow the custome of men but the truth of God My masters of Rome if there be no remedy will assent to this position of Saint Cyprian marry then you must giue them leaue to begge and assume this truth of God to bee the proper inheritance of the Bishop and Church of Rome but if you shall deale so vnfriendly with them as to presse them to shew their evidence they wil trouble you with much discourse but in the end for your satisfaction this answere must content you or none at all dixit Ecclesia themselues will tell you so The Pastors of the prosent Church of England will likewise make claime of this truth of God to rest with them but herein they wil deale more ingeniously with you then the other they will desire you to beleeue them no farther in this point then by plaine demonstration out of Gods holy word they shall be able to make good their claime In this confusion and difference betweene our teachers pretending of either side to haue the Church and truth of God and yet impossible but that in so direct a contrarietie as resteth betweene them of one side they must needs abuse vs possibly deare Mother you will aske what meanes are left for vs that are but learners in the schoole of Christ to discerne betweene them To censure their doctrine by their liues and actions were an vncertaine way a reason whereof wee learne from Saint Chrysostome an anciēt Father of the Church x Homil. 49. in Matt. oper imperf Because whatsoever kinde of holines the servants of God haue in truth the servants of Satan may have in likenes for the divell hath his that be meeke and humble that be chast and giue almes that fast and doe every good deed which God hath appointed for the salvation of mankinde and these formes of godlines hath the Divell brought in to seduce vs that a confusion being made betweene good and counterfeit simple men which know not the difference betweene goodnes indeed and goodnes in shew while they seeke the good servants of God might light vpon the Divels seducements Of this mind are likewise the learned of the Church of Rome y Part. 6. pag. ●9 You know saith Master Harding in his confutation of Bishop Iewels Apologie it is no good argument to reason from manners to the doctrine who would not hisse and trample you out of the schooles if you make this argument The Papists liues be faultie Ergo their teaching is false I know that howsoever my master of Rome like not as you see to haue their doctrine measured by the line of their liues and actions yet themselues will offer crooked measure in this kind there is nothing more familiar with them in their publike writings or private discourse with their schollers that admire them then to traduce and vilifie the Pastors of the Church of England of whom certainly many there haue beene and are of excellent merit and example in the Church and no doubt but some in so great a number may be found scandalous in their places who can expect no other but a feareful judgement in the end But if this were an argument wee need not seeke for proofe from any adverse to the Church of Rome but from their own records as for instance in one I pray you deare Mother note what Aventine a learned historian of their owne discloseth z Annal. lib. 6. in initio The Pope setteth over the flocke of Christ goates wolues lustfull persons adulterers ravishers of Virgins and Nunnes cookes muleters thieues bankers vsurers drones game hunters lecherous perfidious periured ignorant asses He committeth the sheep to wolues and hypocrites which only provide for their own bellies Nay hee setteth boyes and wantons to rule the lambes I am ashamed to say what manner of Bishops we have with the revenews of the poore they feede their hounds horses whoores they quaffe they loue the fly learning as infection c. thus farre the Historian But my masters of Rome will
sometimes affords to her zealous children if my masters of ſ Rhem annot in Lue cap. 23. v. 24. Rhemes bee not deceived Shee that teacheth vs to doe good workes wil make vs beleeue they are t The heaven'y blessednes which the Scripture calleth the reward of the iust is not give them of God gratis and freely but is due to their workes yet God hath set forth heaven to sale for our workes Andraed Orthodox expl ● lib. 6. meritorious ex condigno and so turne our Christiā duties into glorious sins Shee that teacheth vs that Gods written Word is true will haue vs beleeue withall That it containes u Can loc l. 3. c. 3. not all the doctrine of our salvation and commaunds vs not to x Index libit proh Pij quarti Reg. 4. reade it without her leaue nor vnderstande it but according to the sence y No man may giue other exposition of the Scriptures there such as might agree with the doctrine of the Church of Rome Concil Trid Sess 4. she giues vs. So that if we marke it well shee doth no more then the enemy of mankind is observed to doe who many times for a vantage vtters truth that after he may finde the fairer passage to delude with error And if the grosse absurdities now currant in the Roman Church apart from these formes of truth were laide open to the view of all men I am perswaded in my conscience there is not so simple a Christian living at this day that makes any care of his dutie to God but would abhorre them But herein my masters of Rome declare themselues ingenious in their craft who wel foreseeing that this coine cannot passe for currant in the light vent it ever in the darke so that of many thousands that receiue it scarse any one doth vnderstand it in particular and if any Lay-person more curious then others come by chance to know it yet admitting the principles which he must learne withal it is no more possible for him to judge of it thē for any man in the darke to discerne of colors for as the eye of the body is not vseful at al but in the light no more is our vnderstanding enabled to distinguish betweene truth and errour in the doctrine of christianity but in the glorious light of the holy Scriptures The ignorance of these is assigned by Christ our Saviour z Mat. 22.29 to be a reason of error and we are taught by the Prophet David That the a Psal 119. vers 130. enterance of Gods word giueth light that it giueth vnderstanding to the simple With him the blessed Apostle accords b Tim. 3.15 and tels vs that the holy Scriptures are able to make vs wise vnto salvation This wisedome my masters of Rome approue not in the Laytie they like best that scholler that soonest learnes and contents himselfe with the c Recorded and commended by Staphylus Hosius and others Colliars Creede To beleeue in grosse as doth their Church without being able to render a reason of any article of the religion hee professeth It is gravely delivered by the Rhemists in their annotations vpon Saint Lukes Gospell d Rhem annot on Luk 12.11 That if a Catholike man being called before the commission answere that he is a Catholike man and that he will liue and die in that faith which the Catholike Church teacheth and that this Church can giue them a reason of al the things which they demand of him hee answeres enough and defends himselfe sufficiently Now the better to prepare the Laytie to this sufficiencie they permit them not to reade the Scriptures but with licence and never but with this caution to admit no other sence of what they reade in them but such as these my masters vnder the name of the Catholike Church shall recommend vnto them By which wily sleight they deprive them of al vse of their judgement in the matter of their salvation and of the Scriptures both at once and in place thereof leave them furnished only to maintain the doctrine they haue embraced with the pretended name and authoritie of the Catholike Church For instance in this giue me leave deare Mother without your offence to appeale to your selfe if it were demanded of you by what warrant you hold it lawfull to pray to Saints to worship Images to pray for foules departed and the like your answere I presume would be that herein you follow the doctrine of the Catholike Church which being ever directed by the holy Ghost cannot deceive vs. I must confesse the authority of the Catholike Church rightly vnderstood ought much to moue vs consisting in a generall sence of all that cōpany which in all ages places of the world haue joyned in profession of al the principles of the true religion But if to chalenge to our selues the name of the Church were of it selfe enough without question it would follow that God should haue as many Churches as there haue bin heresies in the world For never haue there been any authors of those impieties but haue endeavoured to giue them countenance vnder the shadow name of the Catholike Church I wil not enter here into any discussion of the doctrine mainetained at this day in the Roman Church which were but to weede in a field of tares the absurdity of it is made visible to the world by the learned labours of many reverent and worthy Pastors of our Church I will only in this place declare in what sence my masters of Rome vnderstand the Catholike Church with the sound whereof they continually fill your eares as being the maine supporters of al they teach you And first this principle is worthy to be noted well which we learne from the most eminent writer of the Papacie at this day e Bellarm de effect sacram lab 2. cap. 25. That the truth of all ancient Councels and of all points of faith dependeth vpon the authoritie of the present Church where if we desire to know what he meanes by the Church the Cardinals interpreter plainely tels vs f Gretser defens Bellarm com 1. pag. 1450. B. That when they affirme the Church to be iudge of al controversies of faith by the Church they vnderstand the Bishop of Rome who for the time governes the shippe of the militant Church and by liuely voice doth clearely and expressely expound his iudgement to them that seeke to him To this purpose another great Rabbin amongst them delivereth plainely g Gregor de Valent. in Tho. 22. tom 3. Disput 1. punct 7. q 5. That the Apostolike Church is therefore faid to be infallible because he is over it who by himselfe hath infallible authority And if wee would knowe who that He is that hath this infallible authoritie we may learne from the Jesuite Swares h Suares in 3. Thom. tom 1. disput 44. sect 1. pag. 677. That it is the Pope whose determinatiō he affirmes to be the
will be saved Bishop the seminary of traditions against Mr Perkins That the doctrine of salvation at least so much as every simple Christian is bound to beleeue vnder perill of damnation is contained in the holy Scriptures though not so for himselfe and his learned brethren but then will they taxe the Scriptures with obscuritie discourage you from medling with them vnder that pretense affirming that they cannot be comprehended by the capacitie of the vulgar vnlearned reader To this I oppose the iudgement of S. Austin who plainely tels vs p Enarrat i● Psal 8. That God hath howed downe the Scriptures even to the capacitie of babes and sucklings That when proud men will not speake to their capacitie yet himselfe might To like purpose S. Chrysostome q Homil. 3. de Lazaro That God hath penned the Scriptures by the hands of Publicans Fishermen Tentmakers Shepherds Neatherds and vnlearned men that none of the simple people might haue any excuse to keep them from reading and that so they might bee easily vnderstood of all men the Artificer the Housholder and widows woman and him that is most vnlearned c. thus he To the resolution of these learned Fathers my Masters of Rome will reply with a question If the doctrine of salvation be so plainely proposed in the holy Scriptures how it should come to passe that it is so diversely vnderstood Arrius reads it denies the divinitie of Christ Eutiches reads it and denies his humanitie the Graecians read it and esteeme it folly The Jewes read it and are offended at it It is read at this day in the Church of Rome as likewise in the Church in the communion whereof wee liue and different opinions are collected from it yet of either side it is true there are men of excellent gifts both for wit learning As if my Masters of Rome were ignorant that wit and learning if not guided by the holy Ghost were so farre from being means to further vs to a right vnderstanding of Gods word as that the more they abound in any man apart from grace the more irrecouerable many times they plunge him into errour delusion for as the light of the Sunne though visible yet is not discerned by a blinde man even so although it bee true which S. Austin teacheth r De doctr Christ lib. 2. cap. 9. That those things which concerne our faith conversation yea all things necessarie are plainely and manifestly set downe in the holy Scriptures yet the doctrine of salvation contained in them being the obiect of faith not of witte and humane learning which faith is the speciall worke of the holy Ghost in man and never rightly and vsefully vnderstood beleeved of any but such only as sincerely applying themselues to the outward meanes of seeking instruction by hearing and reading Gods holy word obtaine withal by hearty prayer the direction of Gods blessed spirit ſ 1. Cor. 2.14 for the naturall man perceiveth not the things of the spirit of God for they are discerned spiritually as the Apostle tels vs. My masters of Rome wil heere be carping with a question whether every reader or hearer of the scriptures may assure himselfe to haue the spirit of God I say not so spiritus vhi vult spirat but this I say and am assured that I say the truth t Rom. 8.9 that he that hath not the spirit of Christ the same is none of his and in an other place we are plainely taught u Rom. 8.14 That they that are governed by the spirit of God they are the children of God from al which this conclusion wil cleerly follow that as it is impossible for vs vnlesse by hearing or reading we acquaint our selues with the language of the holy scriptures to distinguish with the sheep of Christ between the shepheards voice and the voice of strangers so it is our part seriously and from the heart to seeke to God to enlighten our vnderstāding by the gift of his holy spirit without which this everlasting word of life proues to none but the savour of death to their eternall destruction My masters of Rome I presume will be intreated to acknowledge this that there is no true servant of God but hath in this life the holy Ghost for a pledge of his adoption e Rom. 8.15.16 which testifieth to his spirit that he is the child of God and shame I thinke will not suffer them to make it questionable whether this spirit of God that was so powerfull with the blessed Apostles as from vnlearned Fishermen as diverse of them were to enable them for teachers of the world may likewise bee now of power to prepare the heart of the simplest hearer or reader of Gods holy word truely to apprehend therein the mysteries of his salvation But how shall any man say they be certaine that he hath the spirit of god I must confesse the truth of this is felt before it can be learned yet as the man that hath his bodily sight being demanded how hee can bee certaine that bee hath his eyes could giue no other answer but that by seeing he is assured that he hath his eyes and by his eyes he is assured that he sees even so the spirit of God being the eye whereby the soule discerneth in spirituall things the inward light of vnderstanding in Gods faithfull seruants apprehending and beleeuing the grounds of faith deliuered in the holy Scriptures assures them that they haue the spirit of God abiding in them and by the same spirit revealing vnto them out of Gods holy word which is infallible the doctrine of salvation their consciences are secured that they vnderstand and beleeue the truth Yet would I not be thought to hold that every faithfull Christian in this life did attaine to a perfect knowledge of all the deepe mysteries that are to be found within the booke of God I knowe there is depth for the Elephant to swimme and safe place for the Lambe to wade in and it is most certaine that since the Apostles Evangelists left the world the holy Ghost to hold the children of God in humility to moue them the more carefully to attend the subordinate meanes prescribed for the gaining of Christian learning as fervēt prayer with diligence in hearing Gods word preached taught by the pastors of his Church and seeking to them for their helpe and instruction vpon all occasions of doubt hath tempered their knowledge with such measure as that they shall but vnderstand in part yet shall they never faile to vnderstand so much as shal suffice to bring them to a sauing faith But here a question may be moued seeing it is true as in part I haue noted that God by his ordinance hath assigned the ministery of the Church I meane the instructions of her Pastors both private pub-like to bee one meane to bring his children to the knowledge of his truth whether it be imposed