the people of Israel once the people of God in Dauids and Salomons dayes and many hundred yeeres before when Idolatrie vnder pretence to worship no false but the true God was set vp and they not suffered then to do their office vnto the Lord as their office required If they were not no more are we For why doe we forsake the Romish Church Is it not because she hath set vp a new manner of seruice vnto God new kinds of Priests new Holy-dayes new Sacraments new Orders and will not permit the Lords Seruants and Ministers to do their Offices vnto the Lord as he hath by his written Word prescribed Therefore seeing we are not guiltie of Schisme we are not as Schismatikes out of the Church into which by Baptisme wee are receiued III. Not as excommunicate persons For if we be neither Heretikes nor Schismatikes vpon what other ground will they iudge vs to be proceeded against There are other causes for which men are excommunicate but in this question our aduersaries cannot pleade any such Againe I aske if wee bee excommunicate who hath pronounced the sentence Is it the Romish Church By what authoritie Their Church is not the Catholike Church but only a particular as ours is and it is by vs questioned and therefore in reason it cannot bee both a Partie accused and also a Iudge against vs in her owne cause Thirdly we doe appeale from her vnrighteous iudgement to a lawfull generall Councell where vpon earth our cause is onely to bee heard and decided lawfully Till which time wee for any censure of this Church of Rome doe remaine in the true Church into which by Baptisme wee are admitted out of which as yet we are not lawfully iudged to bee by any lawfull and supreme authoritie as either Heretikes Schismatikes or as excommunicate persons Therefore Christian-harted Reader thou that art a member of the Church of England though thou beest no Romanist assure thy soule that thou art of that Church which is vndoubtedly a member of the True Ancient Catholike and Apostolike Church in which abiding thou maist through the merits of thy blessed Sauiour obtaine eternall life if thou so beleeuing doest demeane thy selfe as it becommeth a good Christian and a Protestant in earnest And for thine owne more certaine assurance and stable abiding let me aduise thee to a few things Haue a care to keepe thy Couenant in thy Baptisme that thou mayst be better perswaded that God keepes his with thee and so to be one of his in the true Church Labour to feare God for it is the beginning of wisdome and the secrets of the Lord are with such as feare him and he will shew them his couenant Psal 25.14 Haue euer a loue of the truth and God will not giue thee ouer to beleeue lyes for this is a iudgement befalling such as loue not the truth beleeue it not but take pleasure in vnrighteousnesse Be a doer of the Word and thou shalt know the doctrine whether it bee of God or no. Beware of affected ignorance and carelesse neglect of knowledge but vse the meanes appointed to attaine vnto it Exercise thy selfe much in prayer beg of God wisdome and hee will giue it thee his Spirit and he will vouchsafe it thee pray against sedition and God will keepe thee frequent the company of such as haue knowledge the feare of God before them the loue of the truth in them and make conscience of their wayes Aske aduice of faithfull Teachers listen not to false Teachers feare to be seduced And further that thou mayst both defend the truth and also be able according to thy measure receiued to resist the aduersaries I. Learne carefully the truthes of God necessarie to saluation set downe in holy Scriptures Such truths are very manifestly and plainely deliuered either in expresse termes or by an vndoubted consequent drawne from thence and all such necessarie points as concerne all are written in the Scriptures as their Bellarmine confesseth With these Scriptures acquaint thy selfe and being an ordinarie Christian doe not trouble thy selfe about obscure places for plaine and easie places will bee sufficient to confirme thy faith in any thing necessarie for thee to beleeue and practize in the way of saluation II. Be well grounded in the Catechisme the parts whereof are the Creed the Lords Prayer the Decalogue and the doctrine of the Sacraments for these are the compendium or short summe of all Christianitie These well vnderstood will furnish thee with reasons to withstand seducers There is not any thing of which they shall speake but the same may be brought to some head in Catechisme as either concerning Faith and so referred to the Creed or concerning Prayer and so referred to the Lords Prayer or concerning obedience and so referred to the Decalogue or ten Commandements or else touching the Sacraments the Seales of our Faith III. Adde to these certaine considerations by which thou mayest defend the truth and ouerthrow falshood as the common law of Nature common reason right vse of senses common experience common equitie common charitie common honestie the witnesse of knowne Martyrs whereto adde the corruption of our nature allowing or disliking of any thing By the plaine euidence of Scripture by the Catechisme and by these considerations mayst thou trie all things which be necessarie for thee to stand vpon If a seducer come to thee and that he will needs deale with thee obserue two things first not to regard what he saith if it be not about necessarie points Secondly see that his confirmation or confutation bee onely by either some or all these three aforenamed to wit plaine Scriptures the parts of the Catechisme and those considerations from whence if hee cannot proue his assertions beleeue him not If he begin to tell thee of Councels ancient Fathers and the Churches custome in all Ages answere him first that the three former are knowne to thee the Bible common at hand the Catechisme in thy remembrance and the consideration of such as are without difficultie but as for these three last great reading and learning and knowledge in Historie are required to vnderstand them well and to cite them truly They are for the best learned of the world and not for any of the common sort ordinarie men cannot iudge aright by them neither will any such presume to thinke such abilitie to be in them if they would take notice of diuers things concerning Councels Fathers and the Churches custome I. Touching Councels they must know that they are not only subiect to errour but also haue erred that they haue contradicted one another that some of them haue been carried by a strong faction that ancient Fathers would not rest euer vpon the sole authoritie of Councels that Papists themselues though they pretend them yet doe not wholly resigne their iudgement vnto them that there are some counterfeite and forged Councels and counterfeite Canons added
Looke beyond Luther OR AN ANSWERE TO THAT QVESTION SO OFTEN AND SO INSVLTINGLY PROPOSED BY our Aduersaries asking vs Where this our Religion was before Luthers time WHERETO ARE ADDED SOVND PROPS TO BEARE vp honest-hearted Protestants that they fall not from their sauing-faith BY RICHARD BERNARD OF Batcombe in Sommersetshire LONDON Imprinted by Felix Kyngston and are to be sold by Edmund Weauer at his shop at the great North-doore of Pauls 1623. TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFVLL Sir WALTER ERLE Sir CLEMENT COTTEREL KNIGHTS And to their vertuous Ladies euersoundnesse of Faith with the power of Religion and constancie in both most heartie wished Right Worshipfull I Should maruell to see any once professing the truth to turne from the light vnto darkenes from the true Worship and Religion of Christ to the superstition and idolatrie of Antichrist but that I read that our first Parents beleeued Satan before God that men loue darkenesse more then the light and that fornot louing the truth and delighting in vnrighteousnesse God giueth such ouer to beleeue lyes that they may bee damned Could it else otherwise be that so many in this so cleare light of Gods Gospel should fall away What haue our aduersaries now more to pleade for their cause then heretofore they haue had What can they now say which is not alreadie fully answered by our learned men They put out indeed new bookes new in regard of the writing and printing but the reasons one and the same in older written and printed bookes this is in shew a putting of more strength to vphold their ruinous building but not in substance yet thus they beguile the simple and vnstable-minded By many waies they seeke to deceiue and beguile people but especially by accusing our Religion of falshood and nouelty and affirming theirs to bee the true and most ancient faith in both which they speake very vntruely For touching this their present Religion as it differeth from ours and as it is Popery it is but a new vpstart Religion a patcherie of Iudaisme Paganisme and Heresie a Religion deuised by men and not hauing God for the Author How farre our Religion is from falshood and noueltie I haue here indeuoured to shew answering to that question so often propounded Where it was before Luthers time If any of our aduersaries or all of them together dare to goe plainely to worke for hitherto they haue not and first set downe ours and their accord wherein and how farre we and they in euery thing doe agree to cut off hereby all needlesse strife and contentions Secondly then truely and faithfully without equiuocall termes to deliuer their distinct differences from vs that so euery one may rightly discerne whereabout we do contend and what indeede their now present Religion is which we call Popery bing seuered from our common agreement Thirdly to bring these their differences to the due triall of Scriptures the common principles of Christianitie and the true writings of the ancient Fathers in the first Ages then will it clearely appeare to euery one of indifferent iudgement whether ours or theirs be the true Religion and whether ours or theirs be the false Church In the meane space till they proceede thus vprightly and sincerely I hope no Protestant in earnest will be insnared and catched by their deceites Let such as in the plentifull meanes of knowledge wilfully liue in ignorance or hauing knowledge liue lewdly without feare of God loue of truth and power of Religion be the prey for craftie Foxes for these be the fittest subiects for them to worke vpon and these only preuaile they with receiuing a iust punishment for their contempt of sauing knowledge or for their consciencelesse liuing contrary to their knowledge For there is no man of right vnderstanding and that makes conscience of his waies louing the truth walking humbly before his God being acquainted with Gods Word and praying for Gods direction that God either will giue ouer or that can in reason submit vnto this false Antichristian Church if he doe but seriously consider of such things as will worke if not an absolute condemnation yet a most iust suspition of her to be naught as first the vilifying of holy Scriptures locking them vp from the common people as if Gods Word were infectious Secondly her thrusting vpon the people her feigned traditions all besides and many of them against Scripture Thirdly the absurd and vnreasonablenesse of their Latine Seruice which the people vnderstand not Fourthly their idolatrous praying to Saints worshipping stockes and stones and reliques of the dead Fifthly their grosse conceit of Christs corporall presence in the Sacrament Sixthly the feigned miracles and notable coozenages therin found out here and in other Countries the boasting of them a farre off but not able to worke the like among vs. Seuenthly the shamelesse grosse belying of our doctrine and slandring the liues of our learned men as Luther Caluin Beza and others Eighthly the citing in defence of their Religion counterfeit Authors so knowne to be and so condemned to be by the learned on their owne side Ninthly the not permitting freely our bookes among them as wee doe theirs among vs. Tenthly the tying of the people to the Priests lippes and not permitting them to trie their doctrine as we doe The vniust curses dissembling practices and mercilesse cruelties vsed to vphold their Religion swearing for swearing by equiuocations ment all reseruations and Popes dispensations massacres and powder-plots and bloodie persecutions Twelfthly The auoyding of a free generall Councell to heare and determine our differences Who is he that shall consider of these things with iudgement but will suspect this Romish Church to be none of Christs Church if withal he adde hereto the consideration of the differences betweene the wisedome below by which that seate is guided which is earthly naturall sensuall deuilish and the wisdom from aboue by which Christs Church is guided which is pure peaceable gentle easie to be intreated full of mercy and good fruits without partiality and without hypocrisie as Saint Iames writeth I doubt not but that you haue already considered of these premisses and that you are resolued that this is the true Religion and the good way wherein you walke euen the ancient Catholike and Apostolike veritie grounded vpon Scripture and the principles of Christianitie taught by the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church and confirmed by the blood of blessed Martyrs My desire is that God would continue your loue with encrease of zeale towards the same more and more To this purpose are these my endeuors which I present vnto you praying your fauourable acceptance of my good meaning and hearty wel-wishes and worthie respect vnto your selues and to all that wish well to Sion and pray for the peace of Ierusalem God let them and you with yours to prosper which loue it Amen Your Worships in all Christian seruices to be commanded Richard Bernard Batcombe Sept. 26. Looke beyond Luther OR AN ANSWERE
sentences out of learned mens workes or altering them from the true meaning to beguile the simple Reader No nor by furious and forcible meanes as by fire and fagot massacres treasons poysons and stabbing of Kings and Gun-powder-plots nor by any such hellish practices such as the Apostles neuer spake of the Primitiue Church neuer knew of nor in holy Scripture were euer spoken of for all these our Religion doth vtterly condemne It is vpheld only by those holy and heauenly meanes which the Apostles taught and practised and which they haue left written in the Scriptures for direction of Gods Church that she may know which be the onely effectuall meanes that God hath appointed to vphold his true Religion By these meanes onely ours is preserued And therefore it is that true Religion which the holy Scripture teacheth Which being so I conclude this first argument That this our present Religion wherein we differ from our Aduersaries was before Luthers time II. Argument From the blessed Martyrs in all Ages THat Religion which was written by God in the hearts of his Martyrs and which from the beginning to this day they all suffered for was before Luthers time This cannot bee denied But our Religion now present was written by God in the hearts of his Martyrs and is that which from the beginning to this day they all suffered for And therefore this our now present Religion was before Luthers time The Minor is thus confirmed both for the writing of it in their hearts and for suffering for it The latter manifesteth the former for they that faithfully and constantly obey the truth euen vnto suffering persecution and death for it without doubt haue it written in their hearts For if Religion be not imprinted in the hearts of the Martyrs in whose hart is it written For the Martyrs had the Spirit of the liuing God sauing-knowledge and remission of sinnes they walked in Gods Statutes and kept his Iudgements sincerely all which are the euident signes that Gods truth was written in their hearts as these places of Scripture witnesse 2. Cor. 3.3 Ier. 31.33 34. Ezech. 36.27 This is not to bee doubted of But the question is Whether all the Martyrs did suffer for this our Religion or no To answere to this wee must consider that all the Martyrs of Christ may be ranked into foure sorts euery of which suffered for such truths as are in our Religion which we doe at this day professe I. Sort of Martyrs were those who suffered by the Iewes whereof the first was Stephen then Iames with many more Act 7. 12.2 4. All these did suffer for that Religion which Christ and his Apostles taught but they taught out of the Scriptures and not out of Traditions as the Euangelists and Acts shew But to suffer for that Religion which is onely taught in the Scriptures is to suffer for ours as by the former argument is prooued Therefore they suffered for our Religion II. Sort of Martyrs were such as suffered by and amongst the Heathen especially vnder the Romane Tyrants during the ten bloody persecutions among which Martyrs were most of the Apostles for we reade not in Scripture that any of the Apostles suffred martyrdome amongst the Iewes but onely Iames Iohns brother Acts 12. the rest suffered among the Heathen Now the Apostles being the planters of our Religion as by their writings doth appeare and also Martyrs for the same among this second sort they must needs be our Martyrs suffering for our Religion and so all the rest which followed the Apostles in the same faith III. Sort of Martyrs were such as suffered by the furie and rage of Heretikes when the Arians had god an ouerswaying power through Arian Emperours and Kings But those Orthodoxall Martyrs and Confessors suffered for no other doctrine then our Religion teacheth For wee hold and professe the faith of the Councell of Nice and Athanasius Creed for in our common Prayer-booke they are appoynted publikely to be read in our Assemblies And therefore these also suffered for our Religion and were our Martyrs But heere our Aduersaries will say that all these three sorts were their Martyrs for they brag and boast of these to silly people as if they had suffered for their religion now professed and practised among them But that the truth may appeare whether these Martyrs bee theirs or ours wee must consider them both as Martyrs and also as beleeuers properly they were Martyrs in those things for which they did suffer Now their suffering was for the common truths receiued both by our Aduersaries and vs. So the cause making the Martyrs and it equally held of both they are our Martyrs aswell as theirs Yea if we consider them also as Beleeuers holding other points of faith for which they were not questioned neither suffered for wee may more rightly claime them then our Aduersaries For of which Religion they held and most agreed vnto of that Religion must they be iudged to be That this may bee knowne it must be wel conceiued what they and we meane by saying Our Religion We either side stand vpon our Religion not as wee agree in points of Christianitie one with the other but as wee haue our differences also to our selues one from the other So vpon this resteth the point to trie the Martyrs whose they bee theirs or ours by their more or lesse agreeing or disagreeing with either side in our said differences But in respect of the maine differences of their Religion from ours that they cannot claime the Martyrs I thus proue by these ensuing reasons I. If these maine differences in their Religion be such as none of these Martyrs which suffered by and amongst the Iewes or by and amongst the Heathen or by and amongst the wicked Heretikes euer made profession of much lesse suffered for then in respect of these differences are they not their Martyrs they cannot appropriate them to themselues as they vse to doe but are still Martyrs in common But the antecedent is true as shall be prooued by my third reason next following for sixe hundred yeeres space after Christ in which space were all three sorts of Martyrs And therefore the consequence cannot be denied II. If these differences in their Religion bee nothing else but humane inuentions without sound authoritie from holy Scriptures and that the Martyrs professed and beleeued those things onely which expressely or by necessarie conclusions are contained in the Scriptures then in respect of these differences they are not their Martyrs But the former part is true Ergo the latter must needes be granted For the truth of the antecedent touching the vnwarrantablenesse of these their differences and without all ground of Scripture I demand of Papists what Scripture haue they for these things wherein we and they doe differ I. Of God What Scripture for the picturing of the holy Trinitie forbidden by Moses to be any way represented Deut. 4 15 16. II. Of the Scriptures Where is it written that
yeeres after Christ in which space was there none that might be called a Papist or Roman Catholike after the definition of the Trentists And therefore were they not their Martyrs neither did any of them professe the now new Romane Trentisme And thus wee see how by these differences they cannot claime the Martyrs Now our differences from them are all grounded vpon Scriptures and principles of Christianity and warranted by such common truth of Christian Religion as they and we doe fully accord in not one of our differences being either heresie or any part of Iudaisme or Paganisme nor euer condemned by any generall Councell in the space of these first sixe hundreds of yeeres in which these three sorts of Martyrs did liue True it is that our aduersaries call vs Heretikes and lay heresies to our charge but falsely without iust proose as our learned Whitacres Bishop Morton and others shew in answering Bellarmine his calumnies herein to the full Seeing then our differences and truths of Christian Religion taught by the Apostles and by the succeeding Pastors and belieued by the Church are the parts of that Faith and Religion which these Martyrs suffered for I conclude that in regard both of the truthes wherein wee and our Aduersaries agree and also of our differences wherein we disagree from the now present Church of Rome they were our Martyrs and none of theirs IV. Sort of Martyrs are those who suffered by and amongst these our aduersaries as the Berengarians Waldenses Albigenses Wicklife and his followers in England Iohn Hus and Ierome of Prague at Constance and many moe in Bohemia and in other places euen to Luthers time and after an innumerable multitude slaine and massacred burnt and put to sundry deathes for our Religion and for gaine-saying our aduersaries in those differences which we now stand out in against the Church of Rome at this present These were therefore our Martyrs But our aduersaries will say that these were no Martyrs but condemned Heretikes That they were Martyrs no Heretikes its cleare S. Iohn in the Reuelation calleth those Saints and Martyrs of Iesus Reuel 17.6 which should suffer for the Word of God for refusing to worship the Beast and his Image and for not receiuing his marke in their fore-heads or in their hands Reuel 20.4 and for keeping the Commandements of God and the faith of Iesus and so dying in the Lord should rest from their labours and be accounted blessed Reuel 14.12 13. But such were these our Martyrs for they suffered for Gods Word for keeping the Commandements and Faith of Iesus and for refusing to worship the Beast and Whore of Rome drunke with the blood of the Saints And therefore were blessed Martyrs and no Heretikes But they will say These held diuers errours and were not in all things wholly with vs They suffered and were Martyrs for those selfe-same things which with vs they witnessed against the Church of Rome II. Many errours are ascribed vnto them which they neuer held as Doctor Vsher Bishop of Meeth learnedly shewes III. Though in some things they should haue differed from vs yet doth not that make them not to be of our Religion For if for lighter differences in opinions men should be held not to be of the same Religion if so our aduersaries will conclude then are the now Romanists not of one and the same Religion which is now professed at Rome for one of them differs much from another in many things Neither haue they any right to the ancient Fathers betweene whom and these our aduersaries is also great difference and that in many things These Martyrs therefore though they might differ from vs in some things the Light then not shining so clearely as now it doth were our Martyrs Thus wee see all the Martyrs from the beginning to be ours and so haue our Aduersaries none at all which may be properly called theirs for the first 600. yeeres For if they claime the first three sorts it s but as they doe agree with vs for in their differences from vs the Martyrs are none of theirs The fourth sort are clearely our owne and are Martyrs in defence of our differences from them But for their differences they haue no Mrrtyrs of Iesus for such Martyrs as be his Martyrs suffer for his sake for Gods Word for his Faith and Commandements but their differences are not Gods Word nor the Faith nor Commandements of Iesus neither suffered Papists here for Religion but for treason rebellion disloyall acts for denying due obedience to lawfull authority and for standing in defence of forraine power and the authority of the Whore of Babylon the murtherer of Saints and of that Antichrist the Pope as hee is prooued sufficiently so to bee And therefore I conclude our Religion to be before Luthers time III. Argument From the Writings of the ancient Fathers THat Religion which is to be found in the writings of the ancient Fathers as professed and taught by them in the first 600. yeeres after Christ that was before Luthers time But this our present Religion in the poynts of doctrine wherin we differ from our Aduersaries is to be found in the writings of the ancient Fathers as professed and taught by them in the first 600. yeeres after Christ Therefore was this our present Religion in the poynts of doctrine wherein wee differ from our Aduersaries before Luthers time The Minor I thus prooue All the differing Religions of greatest note which were euer since Christs ascension are one of these Iudaisme Gentilisme or Paganisme Arianisme vnder which I comprehend all heresies Mahometisme or Turcisme the present Religion of the Church of Rome which may be called Trentisme or Iesuitisme commonly called Papistrie and this our Religion termed The reformed Religion or Protestancy which wee professe and teach with an vnanime consent in the Harmonie of Confessions otherwise then the Church of Rome now doth But those ancient Fathers taught not Iudaisme nor Paganisme nor Arianisme or other heresies which in those dayes rose vp nor Mahometisme Ergo either the Religion of the now Church of Rome or ours with either of our differences one from another But not so this of theirs For those differences on their part whereby a man becommeth a Romane Catholike or Papist the ancient Fathers with one consent neuer taught The differences are mentioned before for all which if they can produce the vnanime Consent of those Fathers in 600. yeeres space we yeeld them the Fathers but if not then are they ours as they that taught and professed our Religion For they not onely taught all the maine poynts of faith which we and our aduersaries doe agree in but also all the principall differences with vs wherein we and our aduersaries doe differ as Polanus hath largely prooued to whose learned paines I referre the Reader Therefore this our present Religion was before Luthers time IV. Argument From the witnesse of our very