them and to flie away from them in their sight to fetch down vengeance from Heaven upon them and the day being appointed he began to take his flight in mount Capitolinus into the air and that Peter by the power of the Lord Jesus brought him down and broke his bones which act of Peters occasioned his persecution for that Simon Magus was beloved of Cesar this Story is in the Roman Legends I could wish the Pope to make this moral use of this story to wit to beware how he exalts Rome above the heavenly Hierusalem for if he continue to cuff the Heavens with his towring waxen pinions he must expect the divine majestick rayes of the heavenly Sun to melt his proud supporters into nothing he must not think to exalt himself against God and prosper Is it not enough for him to be primus Episcoporum ordine but he will contrary to Gods Word be Supremus Potestate c. God gives wings to the Ant. that she may destroy her self the sooner let Romes Bishop be content with his own Province for it is a rule that that State that goes beyond the lists of mediocrity passes the bounds of safety all Churches of Europe would honour her as a sister but 't is unnaturall to love a stepmother we are all fellow members of Christ let not Rome therefore despise her sister England Let us strive together in love and let the Church that is at Rome salute the Church that is in England and let us greet each other with an holy kisse she must not rob England of her name of a Church if she think not to bastard her self for we are all ingrafted in the same stock and baptized into one faith by the spirit of Jesus it is not for her to be busy in anothers diocess to judge of our matters of discipline or doctrin in that wherein we differ from her any further then that if she conceive we erre to give admonishment to those of her own Province they fall not into the like cōdemnation she must not upon this score deny the society of Christian believers the name of a church Admit the unfriendly appellations of Schismaticks and hereticks which they bestow upon us were deserved Haereticus est pars ecclesiae because we do not in all points agree and communicate w th Rome yet we must not therefore be denyed to be a church for this assertion I have the authority of the Councell of Trent I say which was wholly gathered of men against the reformed churches and men totally for the Popes supremacy yet they did not deny but that Schismatichs and Hereticks were in the Catholike Church and might confer orders administer and baptize and the councel of Florens agrees herewith sum Sacrament Rom. Ecclesiae Sect. 136.28 and therefore it is very harsh dealing in the Doctor to deny us this which their own Councels allow so that Saint Pauls saying is verified in him Heb. 12.15 when one falls away from the faith a root of bitternesse springs up in him and that 's the reason the Doctor is so harsh against the English Church The name Protestant The name Protestant and English Protestant which the Dr. so much spurns at doth not at all speak us members cut off from the old stock the Catholick Church for as the Doctor maintains that the name Romane Catholick is proper and significant language and sense so may we as well say English Protestant and with more reason for we will note by the Doctors distinction thereby the difference between our discipline doctrine only for our particular selv s assert the Catholick faith thereby to manifest the readinesse of us a particular member of the Catholick Church to give the head thereof our Master Christ for the word Protestant is comprehensive of Catholick and is no more but to assert the faith which faith is Catholick so that an English Protestant may be said truly to be he that will hold stick to and to his power maintain the Catholick faith taught and maintained in the English Church For the word Protestant though of a new addition proves not the Religion new or profession not agreeable to the Old Faith and profession of the Primitive Churches but being added with reference to their profession is an evidence of their zeal and affection to maintain and professe that ancient and Catholike truth For we do not professe our selves to have left the Catholike faith once preached and professed at Rome but that Rome has left of to be a Catholick Church bringing in strange delusions and perswading people to believe lies which especially since her pretence to universality has been much studied to make her new claims good whereas we desire only to impugne her late errors and to protest against them to maintain the ancient faith and though in this we may to some seem to set our selves against the Church of Rome to forfeit our interest in the Catholike Church because as they suppose we claimed our Religion from her yet there is nothing lesse for we are a Province and had a Metropolitane of our own and might call a Councell and reform things amisse by the authority Ecclesiasticall without appealing to Rome nor do we hereby forfeit the title of a Church But rather justifie the same in respect we differ in nothing but we would submit it to a free Generall Councel and though we were hereticall in some points yet having a society of believers in Jesus and having Apostolicall orders amongst us we still may without offence to any retain the name and appellation of a Church CHAP. IV. Of the right of Collation to Bishopricks and of the Ordination of Bishops of succession of Pastors and particularly of the Succession in England that the Pope ought not to intermedle in the appointing of Bishops in England THe Doctor has a great spleen towards our succession of Bishops in our Church and would fain perswade the world we are not of the Catholick Church for our defect therein It rests therefore that I clear our Church from that new devised scandall Ecclesia non consistit in hominibus ratione potestatis vel dignitatis Ecclesiasticae vel secularis quia multi Principes summi Pontifices inventi sunt qui à fide apostatasse propter quod ecclesia consistit in illis personis in quibus est notitia vera confessio fidei veritatis Could we not prove one line of succession it much matters not for we may notwithstanding lay claim to be of the Catholick Church and having a society of believers in Christ do notwithstanding make a Church If we agree with the Apostles and Fathers of the Primitive Church it is sufficient saith Tertullian to give us the name of Catholike Church Ecclesia quae licet nullum ex Apostolis authorem suum praeferant tamen in eadem fide conspirantes non minus Apostolicae reputantur pro consanguinitate doctrinae Though our first planter
third another way c. and so being meandred upon the waves of severall opinions it is by chance if any of them bottom upon mount Sion What good Christian of Apostolicall Faith looks upon Rome as she now is and hangs not his Harp upon the Willowes and with the children of Israel by the waters of Babylon sit down and weep to remember Sion Sion at unity within it self and Babylon full of strife envie Papists differ about the Keyes and debate Sanders maintains that S. Peter received both temporall and spirituall power by the Keyes not so saith another Jesuite affirming the power of the Keyes to be alia à civili potestate Baronius affirms that the Pope may positively dispose of Kingdomes Bellarmine not so but onely in ordine ad spiritualia Cauterenus saith that this power was given when Christ said to Peter Quaere Ante 2. Thou art Peter c. de sacra Christi lege lib. 3. Bellarmine de Rom. Pontif. lib. cap. 12. that it was not given untill the treble passe But of this more at large in the 9th chapter why should any be so lame as to allow to Rome this prerogative sith she cannot tell how to revive her Title to it I might instance in many more differences of this nature amongst the Papists themselves wherein they dissent one from another nor are these differences onely betwixt Cardinall and Cardinall Doctor and Doctor but the Church of Rome against the Church of Rome differing from the ancient Fathers and primitive Church nay point-blank contradicting their own modern Contestation of Popish Generall Councels as I shall shew in the ninth Chapter neither are the differences amongst them of small consequence but in the most concerning points of Religion as whether the holy Ghost proceed more principally from the Father or the Son about meritum congrui about the thing designed by the word hoc est Corpus about the conception of the Virgin and all high matters of Divinity and are not of any small importance For whereas the Doctor would perswade us fol. 236. that these are not differences in point of Faith the Church having not interposed her Decree and in the mean time without breach of Unity one Doctour may differ against another in point of Reason which is but to guide to a conclusive Faith so by the same reason no Church but is at Unity for in their Councells they may conclude points of Faith and in the intervals of Councels wrangle about the Reasons of those points and yet by the Doctors Logick are at unity because the reasonings of private men If they hold against their Decrees why doth she not punish them as Hereticks and if the points be of importance and the Church doth not interpose her Decree Infra 92.11 chap. she then suffers those contentions to be amongst her own Saints and then drawes on her a suspition of a false Church because she seeks not peace and truth to preserve the unity of spirit and bond of peace for discords are not musicall in the heavenly ear and if she be not afraid to loose a Faction by displeasing them should she interpose her Decree or else have some such like worldly end why doth she suffer those contentions daily to grow which whilst she doth not rectifie it administers just occasion to others to deny her to be a true Church in respect of her unity and they have very much reason to induce them thereunto as I shall shew anon in the nineth Chapter I am loath to rifle into this matter could I otherwise avoid it Sanctity of life no mark of the Church of Rome's truth I desire rather to lay open the errors of the Chair then to tax the persons possessing that Seat I would reprove the Heresie of Rome but not the Bishop I doe not maligne a Papist but only Popery And now that I must goe about to lay open the fulnesse of these men otherwise the Doctor will take it for granted that I subscribe to that mark of of Romes truth that she hath none but godly and sanctified Pastors it goes against my nature If I seem satyricall blame the Doctor who provoked me hereunto by this false position of his and by an unworthy upbrading of the Crown of England by his cutting Crosse capers upon the dust of one of our Royall Monarchs whereas he is forbid to speak evill of dignities Judge 8. the Prophets boldly reproved Princes 2 Kings 58. but it was to reclaim their Vices not to traduce their persons they may be reproved being alive when as by that means amendment may be wrought upon them or else by vexation they will be grieved Against Ruling Princes but these ends cannot be in any reproving of a person that is Dead Saint Paul withstood Peter to his face but backbiting defileth a mans own soul Eccles 21.28 yet the Doctor not caring for to follow these Presidents takes a liberty to himself to rake in the quiet Urn of a deceased Prince and with insultation to inscribe a new Epitaph Here lies no King The Doctor his injury to Henry 8. Kings being called Gods but such an one as the Poets fain Jupiter who was transformed into a Beast for the Love of Women which unworthy act of the Doctors gives me occasion to say of him as Saint Jude saith of false Prophets As beasts without reason they speak evill of these things they know not It is reported that when Silla set one on work to kill Marius when the Vassall came to put into execution that bloody command he beheld such Majesty in his face that his conscience presently was prict with the horrour of the act his heart failed him his flesh trembled and his hand knew not how to mannage that black instrument which should have pierced that noble Cask and let his Royall liquor to the ground And no lesse Majesty as our Stories mention dwelt in the Princely countenance of our noble Henry so that should the Doctor have appeared before him as a traducer of his worthy and noblenesse with one majestick frown he would have sent his Satyricall spirit to the infernall shades to study invectives Principem populi non maledices was Moses precept Exod. 22. and Saint Paul appears of that rule Acts 23.5 and by the 74 Cann of the Apostles a severe censure was to be against any that should be called Contumeliosus in Magistratum So that the Doctors reviling of Hen. 8. is on his part inexcusable now let me examine whether I may not incur the same censure by setting forth the Errours of the Romane Bishops and I conceive under favour I may not 1. Because I doe it not out of any malignity towards their persons but their Profession of Vice under the hood of godlinesse and infallibility 2. Because whilst she perswaded others of the truth of her Church for the mark of sanctity of life and yet her Bishop the visible Head of that Church is evill they hereby
of her spots and deforâ—mity whereas if any please to seaken them both he shall finde that Englands Church which is thus presented to him is black but comely and like the curtains of Salomon is set all with precious Stones and Jewels on her inner side Cant. 1.4 I am black but comly as the curtains of Salomon And if he please to make inquisition into the Church of Rome he will finde that she has onely a glorious outside she is a painted Jezebel that cares not to venter through a Sea of blood to take possession of her Neighbours Vineyards causing the Prophets of the Lord to be slain 1 Kin. 18. She is Harpy-like with a fair face and a foul heart and in that fair face were but the Ignatian paint taken off would rivelled browes and wan-worn cheeks appear How much therefore is the Doctors case to be lamented who hath joyned himself to the Heathen to open his mouth that he may praise the power of the Idols and to magnifie a fleshly King for ever Esth 5.10 Hence is it that in his second and third Chapters taking for granted that Rome is the onely Catholick Church and her Bishop Peter's Successor and absolute and sole possessioner of all Apostolical Power and Jurisdiction he doth hereupon conclude that the Protestant Churches are heretical Conventicles and that they know not the Scriptures without the Tradition of Rome nor can disperse and teach them without Commission from thence Now for that it is my desire not to multiply words I will forbear any particular answer to these Assertions and refer the Reader to my second Chapter where his Holiness Universality is fully refuted And as touching that Assertion of his concerning the Scriptures my 2.8.11 and 12. Chapters are sufficient answers where first I have proved equal Commission then that the Scriptures are to judge the truth of themselves Traditions and Councels and that other Churches had the Scriptures and not from Rome that the Provincials of Apostolical plantation have equal power having the same Spirit to guide them as by the outward means the visible sign of the invisible grace given in the Sacrament of order is in Christian charity to be presumed and therefore may as well judge of those points of Scripture which admit of explanation as the Church of Rome And the many arguments used by the Doctor in those Chapters are not onely grounded upon false suppositions but in themselves are injurious wrongfully accusing the Church of England laying opinions to her charge concerning the wayes and means to understand the meaning of those Scriptures which she doth not profess as Doctrinal And then in the 22. Chapter he would disprove our ground of separation from Rome as to this I have in part touched in the 2.4 and 6. Chapters and in the 11. Chapter I have proved aright in Provincials to reform Schismes and Heresies And whereas he saies we ought not to have separated from Rome hecase saith he we pretending the truth of our opinions ought to have demonstrated them to the world whereby to have reformed Rome and not to have separated our selves To this I answer The first occasion of the separation was about the difference of the Popes Supremacy and he having in a high way got the upper hand of many Churches which were vassallized under his power and the Councels being so abused and made invalid by the late Lateran Prerogative it was to no purpose to offer the difference to a general Councel which must either act for or not against his Holiness having no power to decree any thing against his Holiness as I have proved in the tenth Chapter This gave occasion to other Provinces which could get opportunity to back the right and priviledge proper to their own Sees to cast off any further appealing either thither or to Rome And they knowing this to be an usurpation in Popes it gave them occasion to suspect the truth of many other of her Doctrines and betaking themselves to the holy word of God delivered to them and approved through all ages for the verities of God himself and searching into the Primitive Churches and practices of the antient Fathers they found Rome to have changed her faith as those particulars I have already treated on make mention Vincentius adversus Hereticos sayes that Doctrine is to be accounted Catholick quod semper ab omnibus credendum est and if this must be the rule then are neither we Hereticks nor Rome Catholick Rome cannot be said Catholick in respect the faith of Christ was at other places professed when it was not at all at Rome nor may we be by her called Hereticks because she has changed The Doctor upon Saint Austin's rule fol. 120. sayes that Doctrines without known beginnings are not to be disputed against but those Doctrines of Rome of which I have treated I have fairly proved them to be innovations and therefore by that we are not to be censured for opposing them And whereas the Doctor sayes that Rome must either be the true Church or else there is none he hereby proves himself to be in darkness he has confessed it in Aethiopia without her planting and in several other places I have proved it to have been planted and not from Rome wherefore it is not necessarily to be concluded upon the score of her onely dispensing the Gospel that she is the visible Church if the Gospel be hid it is hid to those that are lost the lost sâ—eep's gone to Rome to idolize the pontifical Pope whom the God of this world hath blinded that the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ which is the Image of God should not shine unto him for saith Saint Paul We preach not our selves but Christ Jesus our Lord and our selves your servants for Jesus sake Which is neither the Jesuites Doctrine who teach nothing but the infallibility of his Holiness nor the Popes profession who would every where be a Master but no servant to the Saints and people of God We therefore because of his change from this Doctrine and because of his intolerable pride and usurpations and as the other Churches shake him off but do not change from the Primitive faith taught by the Apostles and formes maintained by the Church of Rome it self And though we lay long under Romes innovation yet this is no Argument for the Doctor to urge against us that we should not at all reform Christ has withdrawn his Spirit for a time from several Churches as I have proved in the 5. Chapter Magna est veritas praevalebit Truth is stronger than all the power of man as I have proved by Zerubbabel 1 Esdr 4. And though the Pope with the inventions and polices of his Cardinal conclave had so warded the several Churches of the West that he thought them absolutely mastered and under his command to be servants to do his drudgery he did as we say reckon without his Host he did consult with flesh and
I return to search a little further into the Councels The sixt general Councel the Councell of Carthage in which S. Austin was present did confirm the Cannons of the former Councells No â—ppeals to Rome infra chap. 11. declaring the powers of the Patriarks to be equall and the right of appealing to Rome by such as were condemned by the Arch bishop of their own Province was declared unnecessary S. Austin after that who was Bishop of Hippo opposing three Bishops of Rome Zozimus Boniface and Celestine in this so just a cause common to all provinciall Sees as appears by the ensuing report One Apiarius an African Priest being excommunicated and flying to Rome and being absolved by Zozimus the then Bishop of Rome Aurelins the Metropolitan of Afrie with the Councell wrote to Celestine the succeeding Bishop stiling him Dominus Frater and acquainting him that by the sixth Canon of the Councell of Nice ecclesiastick persons are to be committed to the charge of their Metropolitans appealing to provincials or generall Churches but not to any forraign See and reproving the absolving of Apiarius exhorted Celestine Nè induceret fumosum typum in Ecclesiam Christi quae lucem simplicitatis humilitatis praefert iis qui Deum diligunt did afterwards proceed against Apiarius enjoyning him penance notwithstanding the Bishop of Romes former absolving of him and this was acknowledged received of all Churches as an Evangelical truth acknowledged by the succeeding Bishop of Rome Gregory I. who lived An. Chri. 590. reputing the decrees of these first Councells equall with the Evangelists as proceeding from the same holy Spirit of God which he had promised to his Church Se suscipere quatuor prima concilia sicuâ— sancti Evangelii quatuor libros venerari fatetur and thus did the Church of o me continue in brotherly fellowship with the other Patriarks not claiming any Jurisdiction over the rest till Phocas the Emperours time which change was occasioned through a vvicked murder and having by that means acquired a superintendency over the other provincialls the succeeding Bishops have since practised Navigation in the Red See her universall Ark not knovving hovv to ansvver its helm in any clear and pure vvaters the brief of vvhich history follovvs in these fevv vvords Mauritius the Emperour having made John of Constantinople universall Patriark Gregory the Great John of Constantinople universall Patriarch Bishop of Rome writ against that and maintained that whosoever took upon him that stile was the forerunner of Antichrist and did in opposition of that stile assume to himself the title of servus servorum Gregory did not oppose that title in that sense the Doctor would have us to rake it folio 293. to wit that none should be universall Bishop thereby excluding others but to be Bishop of the universall Church it was in Gregories opinion lawfull a pittifull shift to excuse the unjust usurpations of Gregories Successors by this means he will tie universality to Rome in respect of the place not as Peter was universall Bishop and this distinction has destroyed all Bellarmines Arguments who would have the Church built upon Peter and all power of governing given to him which Gregory by the Doctors own distinction confessed calls Antichristian so that I would fain know how Rome can be a Universall Church since no Bishop can be a Universall Bishop for certainly it was not the Universall See before Peters coming and if he was not Universall Bishop how could he make it a Universall See I send this riddle back to the Doctor and desire he will recommend it to the Ignatian tribe to varnish over with a new paint For if this must passe for current that the Bishop of Rome is universall in respect of his See and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against locall Rome the world knows they maintain a lie as will appeare more at large in the fourteenth chapter of this Book â—t is plain to any judgement not aleady forestalled with a preoccupated conceit of Romes sophisticall delusions that Gregory writ against John of Constantinople his being universall Patriark for that it was an injury to Alexandria Rome Antioch c. that any should take upon them that title when both by the holy Scriptures and the judgements and decrees of the reverend Fathers of the holy Church the powers and Jurisdictions of Patriarks were declared to be alike The same Gregory when he was by Eulogius Patriarch of Alâ—xandria stiled universall refused the stile as derogatory to his Brethren and writing an Epistle to the said Eulogius he calls that stile new foolish perverse wicked and prophane and whosoever shall arrogate that stile he does the work of Satan to whom it was not sufficient to be alike and equall to other Angells Phocas made the Bi hop of Rome universall and did tax John of Constantinople for the same It hapned so that not long after this affront done to Alexandria Rome and the other Provinces that Mauritius was murdered by the means of Phocas who no sooner had perpetrated so vile and hainous an offence but his guilty conscience contracted many dark jealousies upon his soul and presented to his phansie many sad and fearfull apprehensions one amongst the rest was that Italy would certainly shake off all Faith and Allegiance to such a Monster of mankind who had justly provoked their dissents to obey him who had forfeited all their loves and affections by his bloudy violation of the Bonds of Nature and Civility by this his barbarous assassination of his Liege Lord and Soveraign and thereupon he casts upon all essaies which way to preserve his Western Territories the garden of his new acquired Empire and calling to mind the respect the inhabitants thereof bore to their Metropolitans and that the affront done to him by setting the Constantinopolitan above him was thorn in his side and had bred in him a grudge towards the then murdered prince Mauritius He to engratiate with the people of those parts and to engage a pragmaticall Orator to blandish his foul murder did resolve with himself to make the then Bishop of Rome Universall Bishop which he accordingly did by vertue of which Donation and by their own strengths and policies since the present Bishop thereof claim this title and Jurisdiction which their Predecessors did condemn in another from which bloudy founder they took this Prerogative and in a full measure of tyranny and against all divine Right Ecclesiasticall and against the doctrine of that See whilest any other had that Prerogative will needs perswade the world that the present Church of Rome is the only Catholique Church Yet blessed be God the light of the Gospell having shined in several Nations of this Western world by the means of S. Paul who God ordained by his grace hereunto hath taken such root in many Churches of the same that they will not admit of this Antichristian usurpation of the Romish See according to
the case stands with the Eastern Churches they I am perswaded would not bogle to condescend hereunto but by no means let her ever hope to have a supremacy of Iurisdiction she may force it but never by argument evince it and so according to its first beginning prosecute to rear up her tower of Universality with the cement of bloud which whilst she prosecutes she forges her Keys into a two-edged sword and when she has done she like a Heathen Roman destroys her self by cutting off some of her fellow-members robbing them of what belongs to their office and makes them uselesse pieces of the mysticall body Christ Jesus of which all the Churches upon earth are fellow-members and though many yet make but one body being all baptized into one body by one Spirit 1 Cor. 12.12 Let us therefore follow the truth in love and in all things grow up unto him which is the Head that is Christ by whom all the body being compleat and knit together by every joynt for the forniture thereof according to the effectuall power which is in the measure of every part receiveth encrease of the body unto the edification of it self in love Ephes 4. The Doctor confesses that Christ is the Head originally but the Pope is the Head derivatively for sayes he with as much reason may we deny a King to be Head of his Kingdome because the Scripture saith God is King over all the earth as deny the Pope to be Head of the Church because Christ is so To which I answer Christ is the Head of the Catholike Church that is comprehensive of all the Elect Pope not Universall Head Saints Angells and men of which the particular Churches on earth are but members and the people the Saints of God assembled together to worship God and call upon him in his Sacraments make a Church Christ being their Head and as they are a people not convened to that purpose their severall Princes and Magistracy is to rule over them which I judge to be the principall reason of the Law of Sanctuaries Now for the Pope to claim an universall headship over them is either to rob Christ of his office or to deny Caesar his due for as Head of the whole Catholike Church he candot be and to be Head of the Universall Church upon earth is not consistent with the plantations of the other Apostles nor was any such universall headship delegated to any one of the Apostles Christ sent out his Apostles to all Nations and they ordained spirituall heads and Governors over their severall plantations none being to intrude upon anothers foundation and ever since Christ there have been superintendents over the severall Churches yet those superintendents were equal amongst themselves none lording it over another but only within their distinct territories did equally exercise the authori y of their headship and every one within his own Province being representative in point of order of Christ the mysticall Head without ascribing a single universality to any one of them although by this means there be many headships over the severall plantations yet it doth no more destroy the representative headship of Christ here on earth then the Spanish French c. acknowledging obedience to their distinct Princes are against Monarchy because the Turk claims to be Soveraign Lord of the Universe Wherefore if the Church of Rome wil needs have the Catholike Church to be understood only of a Universall Church upon earth and some one Bishop to be the governing head thereof I must tell her that she can lay no just claim hereto because if Peter had any power above the other Apostles it doth not appear to succeed to the Bishop of Rome for that it is not proved Peter to have been Bishop there and if he was Bishop there yet there wants a cleare and perfect deraigning of succession from him some affirming Linus some Clemens some Anacletus to succeed him and some Bishops of Rome claiming as Successors to Paul some to Peter or if they could perfect their Succession yet it is not evident that Peters power did succeed to them in respect it was Apostolically in him and either died in him or survived to Iohn besides they cannot agree in the manner how this power of supremacy should be in them for if they have it as universall Bishops Gregory declares it and the Doctor confesses it to be Antichristian for that hereby they deny others to be Bishops and so rob them of their divine order and Ecclesiastique Jurisdiction granted by consent of Councells to Metropolitans to govern within their provinciall precincts without appealing to Rome and if they will have it in respect of Rome see how they make Rome the Rock not Peter and go against the Symbole of our faith The Apostles who composed the Creed as the Doctor confesses 148. and professing faith in the Catholike Church did publish that Creed at Jerusalem before ever the faith was preached at Rome and when her Church was invisible or not in rerum natura and did not therefore intend Rome for the Catholique Church Wherefore for these reasons I hope I may without incurring a censure of presumption with confidence affirm that Rome is not the Catholique Church nor the Pope the universall Head of the Catholike Church either in respect of any Jurisdiction derived from Peter or by the consent of Councells lawfully deraigning any title thereto CHAP. III. That the name Church is proper to England as well as to Rome THe Doctor is pleased in his fifth and thirteenth chapters to take notice of severall definitions of a Church which are distinctions of severall Sectaries that are in England and elswhere but never glanced upon that which is maintained and professed in the Church of England which belike he omitted on purpose to make people believe that we had no Church at all properly distinguished by her self apart from those Sectaries and therefore he fled to Rome to find one if he have forgotten I will put him in mind of it The Church of God is a company of men chosen by him to call upon his name and therefore did the Apostles term it Ecclesia alluding to the custome of Arkens to call together the people to hear the promulgation of any Law or any publike Oration and not Synagogue that is an inordinately met assembly without a lawfull calling together wherefore we say that Ecclesia in the most proper and genuine signification is Vniversitas fidelium credentium invocantium nomen Christi By which interpretation if we be in the faith of Jesus and have our solemn assemblies to worship and call upon his name we may properly be called a Church and a member of the Catholique Church which as I said before is comprehensive of all the Elect of God which have been are or shall be The Doctor cannot deny but that we maintain the Apostles Creed and I may say so doth not Rome The Church of Rome abuses the Apostles
was consecrated by the Imposition of Hands of Barlow Coverdale and Korey three of Queen Maries Bishops and two suffragan Bishops more as appears by the act of Consecration for that our succession was not totally interrupted or if it had I hold that succession of Bishops is no inseparable mark of a true Church for if so then where was the Church before Christ for he was not of Aarons succession Succession no inseparable mark of a true Church but after the order of Mesehisedeck and Peter was designed of Christ having none to go before him so that succession is no absolute mark of a true Church And whereas the Doctor objects that we are beholding to the Romish Bishops if our succession was not interrupted I have already proved that we had Sacramentall Orders at least if not governing Bishops before ever Eleutherius sent any Priests into England Ante 24.32 2 4 chap. our English writers say these two which were sent to Rome by Lucius were Bishops however they were in Holy Orders though I rather incline to think that none excercised any Episcopall Jurisdictions till by the Prince Christianity was publickly professed and being in Orders did consecrate others and there were others which had given to them the imposition of Hands from whom and not meerly from Rome we claim a succession of Pastors yet I might admit we had it from Rome and though all of the Romish Institution were extinct yet we continue a succession for that still we are pars ecclesiae though Hereticks But that 's but their begging of the question we appeal to the Scriptures primitive Councells and Fathers to Judge who are of us two the Scismaticks or Hereticks and I submit to the Judicious reader to censure or condemn us in the points here controverted whether Rome or we be in the Errour Thus briefly I have answered the Doctors condemning of us for want of Succession and have in some sort proved that the Church of Rome cannot properly be said a true Church in respect of her Succession Ante 9. Rome uncertain in her succession chap. 2 of which more in the next chapters for that she is uncertain in it and many of the Bishops of Rome usurpers in it so I will now proceed to examine the rest of his marks by which he hath distinguished her Truth and Catholickship and shall prove that she may not ascribe to her self the Title of the Catholick Church for and by reason of any of them CHAP. V. That the Church of Rome hath been and any particular Church may be Invisible THe first marks by which the Doctor hath laboured to prove Rome the true Church to wit Universality and Antiquity are already answered in that I have Proved others equall and some ancienter then the Church of Rome it now followes to look a little further after her whilst she may be found for shortly she shall be Invisible The Church Visible is a Company professing the Doctrine of the Law and the Gospell Visibility using the Sacraments according to Christs Institution in which company are many unregenerate as Hypothules as by the Parable of the seed and tares is manifest The Church Invisible is a company of those onely which are elect to Eternall life of whom it is said No man shall pluck my sheep out of my hands Joh. 10.28 is Universal or comprehensive of all the Elect which both now have heretofore living had one Faith The Church visible is Universall in respect of the dispersed Companies of those that professe one faith in Christ which must continue till the end of the world And the Visible Church is particular in respect of place and habitation and of diversity of Rites and Ceremonies as England Rome c. which particular Churches may becoming Invisible and particularly Rome hath been Invisible in respect of her Assemblies and is invisible in relation to the true Faith and Doctrine for though at present she hath companies of men which assemble to worship God and serve him in the Sacrament yet shee therein followes not Christs institution she is now invisible in respect of Faith and Doctrine and in respect of Men she cannot boast of this mark of Visibility but Tares grow as well as Wheat and as Rome hath been invisible in these respects so may any other particular Church be Invisible Elijah complained that he was left alone A particular Church may be Invisible and that the Prophets were slain that complaint of his saith the Doctor doth not prove that the true Church may be Invisible for saith he that complaint was uttered with relation to the Kingdome of Israel onely wherein Elijah then was and not with reference to the Kingdome of Judah where Elijah was not persecuted by Ahab and where the Church of God doth flourish This his Argument in my opinion proves what is objected against the Church of Rome It is true it is an Argument that the Church shall not be Universally Invisible but if by the true Church he mean the Church of Rome and I think he would not otherwise be understood it is no Argument but that it may be Invisible it is true at one instant of time the Church shall not be universally invisible God having promised his Spirit to be with the Apostles in their teaching of Nations to the worlds end but yet in any particular place it hath been and may be Invisible as he confesses himself he saith it was invisible in relation to the Kingdome of Israel and in Judah they knew not whether to resort when the Temple it self was defiled neither was there Place nor Sacrifice nor High Priest the Priest was wicked the Temple was defiled 2 King 19.2 and when the Doctor is charged with its being invisible in Judea he pleads it invisible in Ethiopia the Eunuch having received the Faith by Philip and so by these landskips he makes intervalls of darknesse proving that in particular places it was Invisible and if so then may not Rome being a particular Church boast of absolute truth by reason of this mark of Visibility we doe not go about to prove the Church universally invisible at one instant of time whilst we say that any particular Church as Rome may be Invisible but that no one particular Church but at some time may be Invisible Time was when both Rome and we agreed in the same Principles of Religion conform to the Rules of Scriptures Councels and Fathers but of later years Rome being grown above Apostolicall Orders abusing the indulgence of Christian Princes and other Churches towards her She hath turned the grace of God into wantonnesse converting Premacy into Supremacy and that Supremacy into Infallibility and so having acquired that uncontrolable Prerogative by the dull consent of some lame Princes and blind servile slavish People she became the onely evangellicall cradle accounting the Scriptures dead Letters and to receive articulate sense from her dictates and so for her own
advantage prâ—sâ—â—ibe Lawes and Religion to her blind obedient Prosylites Yet the all disposing power of Heaven which suffered Romes Bishop thus by his own Innovations to darken the light of his neighbour Churches did now and then give him a scourge to let him know he was but a man and in respect of that frail composition was elementary and subject to vicissitudes and alterations in his Constitution and that nothing that was the production of that various body of inconstant humours but was obnoxious to a countermand by its mutable framer or to be troden down by others whose strong bulkes cared not for his too curious preparatives and when a general face of quiet seemed to smile upon the Territories of Romes Church and that she flourished in that height that she thought her self above all opposition behold a sudden destruction overtook her and as the mighty Elephant whose power is able to throw down great and ponderous masses is tamed at the sight of a Ram and trembleth at the gruntling of a little Pigg even so her desolation came from an unsuspected and contemptible hand insomuch that Rome in the heighth of this her glory and though she was the admired Metropolis of the Western world and her Temples adorned with the offerings of severall Nations Yet she was not secure and above the Heathenish suppressions of the runnagate Goths the beggarly Scithians and the spoiling Arrian Vandals that head City of the World not escaping the sacking by Alaricus in Honorius time nor her Temples free from the rapine of the Genserick in Marcianus time and her Capitoll left unransackt by our Belivins and proved no Sanctuary against Totilas and his Northern forces From these Judgments if she reflected upon Gods Justice she could not promise to her self security For if Hierusalem which was the seat of James the beloved of the Lord must not be free from the harrassing of the northern Forces how could Rome promise Immunity to her self from the like afflictions I wish she would call to minde these her former occurrences of misfortune Infra 135.14 chap. and that she would by these examples of Gods Justice and indignation towards her forbear to claim an Universality in respect of her See for she may by them cleerly perceive that she is not the rock against whom the gates of Hell shall not prevail nor are her Temples so immoveable but the battering shot of the Rummishing Canon can strike a palsey into their lofty heads and by Divine permission have laid their honours in the dust This was the day of her Visitation and now sits she in quiet whilst we groan under the calamities of this mischief but let her not laugh to see our candle put under a bushellâ— the rudenesse of some not respecting the priviledges of our Church for there hath no evil befallen us that she her self by experience is not subject to These sad and dreadfull visitations of the Lord may tell both them and us that we are Churches militant and must after the pattern and in imitation of our Head Chrst Jesus suffer her in misery that we may triumph hereafter in Glory there is no particular Church but is subject to these tokens of Gods Wrath When under Dioclesian Christians were so wasted thorow persecution that there were in the Judgement of many none left remaining their Books burnt thâ—ir Churches destroyed and themselves put to death by sundry torments and Pillars erected in every place with this blasphemous Inscription Superstitione Christi ubique delecta Then did we escape that persecution when the glory of Romes Church was much darkned thereby and now that our Church suffers an ecclipse whilst the same occasion of darkness doth not debar the light from Rome Let not this be an occasion of rejoycing to her but rather remember her own former sufferings he that stands take heed lest he fall for there hath no tentation taken us but such as is subject to man and God is faithful who will not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able to bear God for a time may take away the Candle from amongst us thereby to shew we of our selves are not perfect but if we trust in him he can restore our light he is faithfull and his hand is not shortned so but that it can help and he hath power to deliver Esay 50.2 Saint Cyprian complained above 1270 years since that for the great persecution that was against the Church they could not meet as they desired to execute Discipline and who will deny that the discipline of the Church is perpetuall but yet at all times it is not to be had which proves it may be Invisible These vicissitudes and alterations in every place are incident not onely to the Civill but the Ecclesiasticall state Constantine may set up the Crosse in Hierusalem but that cannot free it from Mahomets Banner where Christ to day hath his Church he sometimes suffers the Devill to morrow to make his Chappell The Kingdome of Heaven is said to suffer violence and the societies of men on Earth must not think to go scot-free Christ suffers his Saints to be persecuted for the triall of some and for the utter ruine of others 1 Pet. 1.7 2 Pet. 2.9 Christs Church is the Congregation of Saints and those Saints are subject to persecution and dissipation so that in any particular place or Region this Society may be broke and so the Church made there Invisible which is a truth so plainly demonstrated to us I wonder the Church of Rome should urge the contrary Rev. 2.5 Christ threatned the Church of Ephesus that he would remove her Candlestick unlesse she amended the seven Candlesticks are the seven Churches of Asia and Christ threatens the Church of Ephesus that because of her backsliding he would take her Candlestick away from her because she had forsaken her first Love and if her Candlestick were taken away sure she would be left in darknesse and made Invisible Christ threatens to withdraw his Heavenly Beams from Ephesus and yet he had promised his Spirit to his Church to the worlds end and that the gates of Hell should not prevail against her but that she should be Visible in some one place and not Universally taken from the face of the Earth at the same instant of time But that the Church might be Invisible in any one place is evident by this threatning of Ephesus at which time she was the onely Apostolique See John being theâ—e and Peter being dead when John writ the Apocalipse and if Ephesus be in danger to be made Invisible I wonder how Rome should arrogate that immunity to her self that she alone shall not be made Invisible when as when Christ promised his Spirit to his Church the Church of Rome was Invisible and therefore it cannot be in tended that this mark of Visibility which is to be applyed to the whole Church should onely and meerly be prescribed unto the particular Church of Rome unlâ—sse
draw people into mis-belief therefore for avoiding of this Errour and for reforming her evill wayes I may without the compass of censure justly reprove her Bishops whilest I doe not personally traduce the men but reprove the Errours of the Chair or if I personally touch any one it is not I but some one of their own Church that did it 3. I shall not speak evil of any lawful Magistrate that ought to bear Rule and excercise Dominion nor any to whose right of power I stand naturally obliged to respect and Reverence The Doctor would perswade us that the wickednesse of some Popes doth not blemish this Mark which is strange to me she will have it a blemish against the reformed Churches because Luther Beza c. are by Basseck termed with infamous conversations and shall it be a blemish to private Churches to have ungodly Bishops and not to Rome this is unequall dealing The Bishop of Rome is rather a blemish to the Church of Rome then any other Bishop is to a private Church if they both be wicked for the higher a man is lifted in honour and dignity as he is thereby made more neer the similitude of God who is above all so he ought to give a testimony of his good workes above others lest he deface that more noble Image by his unworthy acts besides the Bishops of Rome have of late declared to be above Councels and are in themselves representations of the Catholike Church wherefore for them to be wicked and dissolute must needs deface this Mark of sanctity As for the distinction between the Person of the Bishop Infra 70.9 chap. and his Power that is his judiciall Seat and so that he may erre as a Man not as a Bishop it is a meer juggle and that which savours of the Tenents of those they call Heretiques the Presbyterians who divide person from power Infra 130.14 chap. and it is rediculous and a meer evasion to escape this censure For if a man should affront Clemens Vrbam c. Bishop of Rome it would be construed an injury to the See and not that personall of which more in the 9 chap. I have a warrant from Saint Hierome Causa 11. Questio 3. if any believe that man to be holy that is not holy and joyne him to the company of God he doth villany to Christ whose members we are I say I have a warrant by this rule to lay open the Iniquities of the Bishops of Rome that men may no longer be drawn into the guilt of this injury by exalting hypocrites believing them to be true Apostolick teachers which indeed are ravening wolves not to feed but to destroy the flock of Christ wherefore take a view of some of her Bishops of Rome as I find them described by antient and modern writers Those Popes which were condemned and censured for their intollerable abuses towards Princes I reserve for another chapter take here onely a view of those that in other most loud and vile positions were most notoriously wicked Wernerus exclaimeth that anno 883. Holy men were perished from the earth and he writ to Martin 2d. So that in his time there was wickednesse amongst the pastours of Rome Wallerus Mapes writes of the Romane Clergy that they studdy villany envy reigneth and truth is buried amongst them Peter de Alcaco in lib. de reform eccl notes the luxuriousnesse avarice Idlenesse Blasphemies Magick Arts and other wickednesse of the Bishops of Rome John the 12th was a Dicer and a wicked fellow Gregory the 7th as Beno the Cardinall testifieth was a Magitian Hildebrand Infra 14. chap 142. and what stirs and commotions raised he about the elections of his predecessours Sigebert writes that he confessed when he felt himself at the point of death that he had raised many stirs by the perswasions of the Devil it is likewise recorded that Silvester 2d Gregory 6th Benedict 9th and Paul the third and divers others were Magitians John the 23d was condemned by the Councell of Constance for denying the resurrection of the dead and other points of Atheisme Sixtus the 4th builded the Stewes at Rome a godly foundation and well becoming so Holy a Father Alexander the 6th presently became his successour and much improved the revenues of that delightfull Corporation he was so bold and shamelesse in the sinne of whoredome That he openly acknowledged the Popes Nephews to be his Bastards as Guichard testifies and thus I have given you a brief of some wicked Popes of Rome before they were declared above Councels Wicked heads of the Church and now see what those are which are professed by the the late Latteran and Trent Councells to be above Councels and if so then their wickednesse utterly blots out this mark of Sanctity Leo the which was a Blasphemour insomuch that he was often heard â—ay Quantas nobis divitias Comparavit ista fabula Christi Luther his Reformation Ante 22 44 chap. 2. In his time it being high time to shake off such wicked Society did Luther reforme the Germane Churches Truth and Falshood Christ and Belial are incomparable either he or some one else must write against these damnable Doctours and their diabolicall practices otherwise the Kingdome of Anti-christ would have been universally spred over the face of the Earth and should none stop the furious course of these Cato demonaick Priests they would convert Tiber into Barathrum and plung the whole world into that bottomlesse Abisse mistake me not I doe not approve of all that Luther did onely this that he being of another distinct province apart from Rome and having Cure of Souls and seeing the Errours of Rome and his Flock addicted to follow after Rome for the honour and credit her antient truth drew from the hearts of many might lawfully admonish and was bound in Conscience to check Rome of her Errours now that she flew to so high a pitch of wickednesse and having no hopes of her self-reforming were she not admonished by some one of her faults might therefore take upon him to lay open before her eyes some of her Errors hoping thereby to reclaim her or at least to stay his own Flock from wandring after her by laying before them the present practices of Rome contrary to the antient Truth Luthers Reformation nor was this any more then formerly was practised by the Apostles and confirmed by Councels for Provincials to reforme Saint Paul Peter James and Saint John did write to severall Churches and admonish them and especially Jude sayes It was needfull to write to exhort the people of God earnestly to contend for the maintenance of the Faith which was once given unto the Saints for that there were certain men crept in which were afore ordained unto this condemnation ungodly men which turned the grace of God into wantonnesse and deny God the onely Lord and our Lord Jesus Christ And if ever they must contend for the maintenance of the antient Faith
it was then the time when such a brutish Leo who was the head and reputed Oracle of the Church should belch forth such bold blasphemies thereby to bring in the doctrine of Divels and to obtrude upon the Consciences of men a new profession of a Stygian Creed Nor was this Leo the onely Blasphemour of the God of Heaven Wicked Popes of those that possessed the Romane Chair but to manifest to the world that these anti-christian aberrations from the Divine rules of Truth are common I much fear they are incident to the Popes of that See He hath both before him and after him Popes after his own heart Sixtus the 4th and Alexander the 6th his Predecessours the one denying there was a God Riserat ut vivens caelestia numina Sixtus sic Morceus nullos credidit esse Deos and the other saith Sanazer dissolved both Gods Lawes and mans Lawes and believed not that there was a God And Clement the seventh and Julius the third his Successours the one in heart doubting whether there was a Heaven though outwardly he taught both that Hell and Purgatory insomuch that when he drew towards his end he said to those that stood about him that he hoped shortly to be resolved of that he had so long doubted to wit whether there was a Heaven or Hell or no of whom this was said Contemptor divum scaelerum vir publicus hostis The other not inferiour to him in this height of wickednesse insomuch that the Papists themselves report divers speeches proceeding from him which savoured of Atheisme I might if I would have been very inquisitive have made a large muster-Role of these wicked Prelates but I rather weep then rejoyce that I should meet with any Records of this nature to refute the Doctour in this point of their pretended Sanctity nor is this their case onely I suspect that in most Churches have been many Ministers bad men according as our Saviour saith There must Tares grow up in the Corn till the end of the World According to the Proverb Christ cannot have his Church but the Devill will have his Chappell Satan is busie to cast his evill seed into the field and scarce any field so well manured and tilled having their stony hearts melted and their clods of flesh mollified with the beams of the Heavenly light that in some corner thereof hath not this Zizania growing and sprung up as high as the tops of the Corn thereby to teach us that in our best estate and condition we have not whereof to boast The Angels which are the Reapers and the labourers to be sent into the Harvest will find both Tares and Corn growing in the field they are called Labourers to gather the Elect and Reapers to throw the Tares into the fire but both must grow together till the end of the world but I hast to an end of this point The Doctor nor any other must not boast of the Truth of the Church of Rome in this respect for if they make this an absolute Signe then in respect their Popes the Head of that Church and declared it to be above Councels have been wicked it followes that she is not the true Church I must confesse that where this Mark is to be found it is demonstrative of a true Church it is a perswasive argument but no positive signe of a true Church In the twelve Apostles one was a Devil yet God made him the Instrument to bring to passe our Salvation the Devill confessed Christ we must not therefore deny him So then as the wicked practices of Pastors is no absolute condemnation of the truths they shall deliver to others so their uprightnesse of morall conversation is no positive rule to demonstrate the purity of their Faith For upon this Rule Christians Turks Jewes and Pagans may be all of a true Church which is absurd to hold therefore we must not absolutely conclude Rome the true Church upon the score of sanctity of life CHAP. VII That the Church of Rome cannot be reputed and taken for a true Church in respect of Miracles and of her abuse in maintaining Images in the Church THe Doctor is pleased to argue the truth of Romes Church from her miracles and he shewes that he has not travelled beyond Seas for nothing est natura hominum novitatis avida he has been peeping into her Legendary-stories that he might be furnished upon the authority of a traveller to send news to England For my own part I dare not give up my self to such delusions as it is wel known the Church of Rome uses towards the people to gaine their faith to believe in his Holiness the Pope as to credite the most scarce any of her miracles and that the rather for that it has been by experience found out especially in England that most of them were feigned and invented only to cheat the people into a blind obedience and I perswade my self if the Doctor had known as much as I do by the reading of histories in this point which histories may as well chalenge belief as the humane tradions of Rome he would never have insisted upon this mark but as it fares with men that are groping in the dark sometimes to run their heads against posts so the Doctor having forsook the light he was in and as yet being not well acquainted with the windings and stranges mazes that are in the dark cloisters to which he has betaken himself at unawares he dashes his head against the door of miracles which makes him recule with affront but I 'll so much be his friend that I 'll help him to revenge his quarrel I 'll pick the lock and furnish him out of her stores with miraculous knick-knacks It were to make this book swell with impossible trumperies Miracles to report the thousand part of her legendary stories as that Saint Dennis carryed his head in his hand after it was strucken off and of Saint Clement the first who being cast into the Sea with a milstone about his neck the sea forsook the shore three miles and there was found a Chappel ready built where his body was bestowed and many such like stories are to be found in Bozius de Saguius These fictious wonders fill the ears not the hearts of many therefore the Doctor might have done well to have followed Bozius example who finding his grand inventions meet with smal belief in these coasts he runs adrift till he came to Congo Colachina and Japonia and in his return tels of wonders done there and so gaines of some an opinion of belief who will rather seem for satisfaction to the reporter to lead credulous ears to history then upon an unknown score to censure him of falsity wherefore he goes on with their patience to tell them that in these forrain Indies he did but lay the Gospel upon a womans breast and the devil flew from her as if he had been shot out of a gun he but set up
the standard of the cross and an army of horsmen in glittering armor appeared whose harness did dazle the eyes and whose number struck terror into the hearts of the adverse party But here in England they could do no such feats It may be that where people give up themselves to believe in them deceivable wonders their priests as having a power from Hildebrand Gregory the sixth Silvester and the old Magician Popes may do strange wonders as the Doctor confesses folio 253. wonders may be done by the power of Antichrist but certainly such cannot before the eys of true believers in Christ shew any wonders at all And here I desire to remember a story of a Vestal Nun in Spaine which was cryed up for miracles insomuch that when the late King of England King Charles was there he was over-intreated by the Infanta to go to see her it was reported to the King that sometimes she would be lifted up in the aire and be as fresh as a Rose though she was furrowed with age The King came with the Infanta to her but she could not do any one feat before the King though she could never have shewen her miracles in a better time The King was of too strong a faith for her spirit to work upon and therefore could she shew none then crede quod habes habes All the answer I can give to the supposed mark of miracles is that no good Catholique can well deny to credit them for if he believe the Church of Rome to be the only Catholique Church and the Pope the head of the universal Church and sticks to believe these stories strives at a gnat and swallows a Camel let him never leap at blocks and stumble at strawes Yet lest the Doctor should think that I have given up my self to hardness of heart because I am so hard of belief in this point I will shew him my reasons for it I know many of her miracles are false and the Church of Rome hand over head has recorded the false ones with the true ones and as the proverb is We know not how to believe a lyar when he speaks truth The Doctor confesses fol. 253. that all her miracles are not true and if she have Cataloguised the false ones together with the true ones we know not how to distinguish them if I had not the Doctors own confession that some are false yet I should not seem rash to any indifferent man in that I taxe the Church of Rome of false miracles for that her teachery and cozenage in this point hath been detected in this particular it being but held forth to the blind people that they being struck into admiration of their wonderful power might with fear and reverence become devotaries to their miraculous instruments offering freely to those Antique Gods by which cheat the Clergy obtained no small riches Infra 13. ch 113. For proof hereof be pleased to take a veiw of her miraculous images here and hereafter in the chappel of Radcaeus There is a marble Image at the Castle of Saint Angelo in Rome Images to delude the people which when Gregory came in procession with the painted image of the Virgin Mary which he carryed in procession that marble image bowed it self to the image of the Virgin in the presence of the people sung out a loud Allelujah regina caeli letare and thereupon S. Infra 113.13 chap. Gregory made the prayer Ora pro nobis Deum allelujah c. For my part I believe this for belike that image was made like to the image of Saint Grimbald in the Abby of Boxley in Kent which was fastened to a pillar by a private pin and a man stood privately behind the pillar and by plucking out of the pin it might be lifted up by a boy which posture they exercised to any that freely offered and if one came niggardly offering it was immoveable by which trick the people were made believe when the Image would yeeld to be taken up that their sins was pardoned by reason of satisfaction made by their offering There was another Image in the said Abbey which is more neerly comparative with the marble Image of Saint Angelo which was made of such curious contrivings that by certaine wyers a man standing within it might make it frown simile bow nod the head c. by which postures those which came to offer knew when they had made satisfaction for their sin by the pleasantness and acceptance of that carved god or if they were penurious and sparing in their offerings that nimble contrivance of foolery gave them some denotement of his displeasure and the priests were ready to interpret heavy judgements to befall them or by the similes of that image which onely a golden Wyer procured to assure them of Gods mercy towards them and that God signified that to them by his Saint there standing by which Cheat they got no little advantage The like cheating and Idolatry was exercised by means of a Rood at Ashhyrst in Kent and in several other places of this Kingdom of England By which it is evident that the use of Images was not as the Doctor would perswade us onely to put us in mind of the things by them represented but rather to perswade the people they were the very immediat instruments of God to signifie his will unto us did thereby perswade the people into adoration of them And yet lest the Doctor 's Arguments for their retaining in the Church might seem with some to be unanswerable by me should I pass this point so slightly and overly condemning the use of them because they were abused and lest I should run into an errour with those which upon that score cry down Bishops which if as they ought to be are both a shelter and ornament to the Church and in my poor judgement they may as well deny the Apostleship because there was a Judas amongst them I will not therefore from the abuse of any thing utterly condemn all use thereof It rests therefore to examine how far the use of them may be lawful The Science of Painting and Carving is an Art profitable for mans life and is the gift of God Images how far lawful It is profitable to the memorial of things done and to that purpose have the Pictures and Monuments of Noble-men been used through all ages being a grateful memory of those they represent And this Art and Curiosity of Workmanship being an adorning and graceful beautifying of any buildings the Temples in old time were made sumptuous therewith which by the Heathen Persecutors were as the Psalmist witnesses broke down with axes and hammers by the enemies of the Church Yet that amongst those curious Pieces there were any representations of the Godhead it doth not appear but rather the contrary For it is impossible for humane flesh to draw any thing that shall represent God by any corporeal or finite image who is
well as in matters of fact I Know I shall incur the grand displeasure of his Holiness and his pontificial tribe and not altogether please the Doctor in truly laying open some errors of Rome The one will tell me some truths are censured for treason against the triple crown the other will say according to the Proverb Sooth seems not at all times I fear not the censure of the one for I shall as much please him as displease him if I break his head I shall make a plaister of his blood I may displease him in laying open his errors but I shall be his darling whilst in so doing I make his Church visible As for the Doctor I presume when he seriously considers how much we are concerned in this point to lay open Romes errors he will not altogether condemne me for should we in silence pass by and tacitely consent that the church of Rome is infallible in what she maintaines Then it follows we are Hereticks because she sayes so I have partly cleared our selves from this aspersion already it rests now that I prove Rome to have faln into errors and if so according to the Doctors rule folio 210. if sayes he she err in any one point she cannot be prudentially sure of the least tittle she affirmes Mercurius gave the Egyptians laws Je. chall received as he said of the God Mena Licurgus to the Lacedemonians from Apollo Velphicus and Lactantius lib. 1. cap. 15. divinar Institut Minus to the Cretians from Jupiter the Lady Pallas directed the Troâ—ans Caberius the Macedonians Vrania the Carthaginians Phaunus the Latines Juno the Samnites Venus the Paphites and all as they would make us believe proceed from some god or goddess The Turk affirms his Alcaron to have been received from heaven and the Ephesians de Diana sua cogitatarunt eam à Jove delapsam fore Even so doth Rome at this present boast of an infallible Church which to prove she must go to some Heathen Deity or other for as she is a Church militant here upon earth governed by humane flesh and blood and but a particular society or Church and so a member of the Catholique Church comprehensive of all the Elect and Saints of God which have been are or shall be and whereof Christ Jesus is the mystical head she is subject to fall into errors and though she were the See of Peter and that power which Peter received from Christ to be remaining with her which she would faine perswade the world to believe yet notwithstanding she may err For still she is but a particular Church and may err though the universal Church cannot err in respect of Christs Spirit given to her and his promise that she shall continue in her foundation till the end of the world Saint Peter did err after he had received the Holy Ghost Act. 10.34 Saint Peter did err he was of opinion that the Gospel pertained not at all unto the Gentiles untill he was informed by a vision that he should goe to Cornelius for saith he I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons but in every Nation he that feares him whether Jew or Gentile and worketh righteousness is accepted with him so that there was a time whilst Peter was in error and Gal. 2.14 he walked not with a right foot according to the light of the Gospel Paul withstood him to his face and this was not for any smal fault or error of conversation as the Doct. would perswade us for Saint Austin against Saint Jerom doth Justifie the reprehension Besides to say it was an error of fact and not of faith were to charge Saint Peter with dissimulation either against his conscience or with it sure he did it not for any worldly respects against his conscience and if he did it because he thought it was his duty in so doing to bear with the weakness of the Jews and to think that a man may dissemble in such a case then it was matter of faith whether a man may in eo casu dissimulare or no therefore his error was a matter of faith not of fact only I need no other Argument to clear this then what the Doctor has himself framed against our proposed difference between fundamentals and not fundamentals in point of error for saith he fol. 88. There is no distinction of points of faith in regard of the object or motive for which we believe namely the truth of God revealed by his Church we being equally bound to believe all that is by her proposed to us whether the matter be great or small Upon this the Doctors argument I infer That the Church having proposed before That the Jews should not eat with the Gentiles Peter did offend against this injunction which he ought to have believed as the truth of God and therefore it was in him an error of faith Before the vision in the 10. of the Acts Peter was not to preach to the Gentiles he was not to communicate to the Gentiles and would not go to Cornelius before that and therefore in the 2 of the Acts when there were men of all Nations and strangers from Rome at Jerusalem and when they every one heard their own language and therefore mocked the Apostles saying They were full of new wine Peter lifted up his voice and corrected the men of Judea that was only them of the circumcision and did not intermeddle with the Gentiles they not belonging to his charge and therefore did Paul reprove him for eating with them Dissoluteness in manners argues unsoundness in opinion though it be in things wherein the Church has not interposed her decree But if she have injoyned a thing to be done or not done though it were indifferent in it self yet her command takes away the indifferency upon the Doctors own rule and therefore Peters offence against the Churches rule was error of faith Shall Peter the blessed Apostle of Jesus Christ be taxed of errors he being here by Saint Paul and in several other places of Scripture reprehended by our Saviour for his failings before he received the Holy Ghost shewing hereby he was a man and after he had received the Holy Ghost doubting to whom the Gospel was to be preached and offending against the injunctions of the Church shewing hereby he was no God and shall the wicked Popes of Rome think much to be taxed of their errors and daily failings I might easily be reprehended for injustice should I bury their errors in silence and publish to the world Saint Peters failings wherefore I must lay open their aberrations to the publique view In prosecution whereof I will not as a private man chalenge them of error but only put them in minde what councels the ancient fathers of the Church and their own latter writers have given them to understand What is the Pope The Pope may err he is no Samuel under the Ephod no Moses on the Mount no Aaron with
Urim and Thummim he is no Ark with the Tables of God the Rod of Aaron or the golden pot of Manna that the Papists should put such confidence in him take a view of him as he is decyphered to us by their own writers Peter de Alliaco a Cardinal in libde reform Eccl. grants that there were many things amiss in the Romane Church which had need of reformation both in faith and manners and Adrian the sixth confesseth that all the mischiefs in the Church proceeded from the Popes and promised reformation to the Germanes by his Legate Cheregalus Saint Bernard in sermone primo in conversione St. Pauli long since complained of the iniquity of Popes and of the dissoluteness of Priests and people The Bishop of Bitonto preaching in the first session of the councel of Trent acknowledgeth the Apostacy of the Church of Rome in the chief heads both of doctrine and of life Chrysostome 30. Hom. in 12 Mat. calls them dry men which have not the dew of Gods Word in their breasts which he plainly expresses of the Bishops of Rome Nicolas Lyra who writ three hundred yeers since says Ab Ecclesia Romana jam diu est quod recessit gratia and Johannes Episcopus Chemensis one of Romes Religion confesses in his book intituled Onus Ecclesiae chap. 9. Ecce Roma nunc est vorago mammon inferni ubi diabolus totius avaritiae Capitaneus Je. ch 12. residet Gerson a man of great esteem amongst the fathers of the councel of Constance and Chanceler of Paris in prima parte exam doctr consid 2. saith that the resolution of the Pope alone in things pertaining to faith doth not tye a man to believe it and infinite of other presidents of this nature might be produced all concurring to this point that the Church of Rome hath and may err For is this any more but what other Churches have done as for example Particular Churches have and may err the Church of Galatia is said to have erred not as the Church of Corinth which erred but in part some of her Church denying the resurrection 1 Cor. 15.12 but totally about the matters of justification Gal. 3.1 O foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth and the Churches of Ephesus Pergamus Thyatira Sardis and Laodicea are blamed by Saint John in his Revelation for their erring from the truth and this is a truth so manifest that the Papists themselves cannot deny onely they would excuse the Church of Rome by the subtle sophistry of humane invention and salve the errors of Romes Church with distinction they confess to their own shame that Bishops per se may err which Bellarmine in his book de conc cap. 2. in fine Sine dubio singuli Episcopi errare possint aliquando errant inter se quandoque dissentiunt so that we may not know which of them to follow How the Pope may crr and if this be so I wonder he should elswhere contradict himself maintaining the Pope alone infallible of which contradiction he having been formerly taxed he was put to his trumps and plaid another distinction that he might err in matter of fact not of faith in matter of fact as concerning the condemnation of this or that Bishop c. but in matters of faith he cannot judicially err and thus the learned Cardinal being too busie in this point Meanders himself into contradictions without satisfactory conclusions to the principal point according to that saying of Solomon Eccl. 12.12 There is no end of making many books The stout maintainers of his Holiness infallibily being thus tript in their own devices and forced to wave the quarrel being overcome with the strength of Reason drawn from divine examples and the testimony of many learned Authors and being thorowly convinced yet notwithstanding out of a self-love and pertainacy to maintaine their pontificial patron having drawn from their education blind principles of his justification will not quite desist but scrue their wits to new inventions to deceive the world perswading the world that they are not overcome with dispute nor his Holiness right to infallibily though shaken quite blown up by the root and therefore they publish to the world that notwithstanding all gainesaying the Church of Rome is infallible with this distinction that her Bishop per se may err but not when the Bishops are met together then they cannot err To which I answer If the Bishop of Rome may err per se then the late councels of Laterane and Trent which have declared him above councels have thereby consented that the Church of Rome may err or else if it be to be understood that the Pope of Rome with his other Bishops of Rome cannot err they do hereby make the private Councel of Rome above the general Councel which is absurd and utterly against all principles of reason and divinity I will therefore proceed to shew that Councels have erred and therefore in no respect whatsoever is the Church of Rome infallible The Pope is declared above Councels General Councels have erred in matter of faith and yet he is confessed to be fallible per se And whereas he would force a distinction upon the world that he may err as a man not as a Pope judicially Ante ch 6. I have elswhere answered to that point it now remaines to look upon him in his chaire Infra with his Court of Cardinals about him to examine his judical proceedings and try if they be infallible I would fain know in what capacity the Pope claims this infallibility by the power of succession from Peter I have proved he cannot claime it and if he claime it as from the consent of the late councels then is this his politick capacity dirivative from thence and must not exalt it self above the Primitive or admit that those councels declared the then present Popes infallible for such certain notes of sanctity as was to them discovered it doth not follow that their successors should be so But that I may put all scruples out of mens hearts concerning this point I will prove that those Councels in themselves were not infallible and much less any substituted power of judicature which must have its rise from them The councel of Carthage decreed rebaptisation of those that were Baptised by Hereticks Councils erred in matter of faith this Saint Austine after opposed and the Councel of Trent Sess 7. can 4. repealed this and allowed of such baptisme to be sufficient if done in the name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost The second councel of Nice was diametrically against the councel of Constantinople in matters of Images the one approving the other condemning the use of them in the Church The councels of Constantinople and Basil decreed the councels to be above the Pope and the councels of Laterane and Trent decreed the Pope above councels Fox 132. Pope John the tenth called a
hand to lift up her head out of the dust That she may no longer lie groaning and groveling under the heavie hands of wilde persecutors but may by the assistance and loving aid of the Judges of the people be called upon that she may either clear her self to the condemnation of her opposers or suffer according to her deserving by the grave judgement and sentence of the Wise of the Land and not to be troden down and censured without a fair trial any further then her sufferings with patience witness her faith which if they would please to condescend unto it would certainly conduce to satisfie the consciences of many that doubt and by the blessing of God would bring peace into the Land and that according to Solomons saying that there might be a Rod and Correction in the Church whereby the sons obtain wisdom but the liberty of the children makes the mother ashamed Now the Lord open the hearts and give bowels of compassion to the Rulers of the people that by their favours the Church may be again restored to us so that we may worship God in spirit and truth and that we having again restored unto us a Jerusalem at unity within it self we may keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace that we may suck and be satisfied with the brefts of her consolation that we may milk out and be delighted with the brightness of her glory and that by the means of her nursing fathers it would please God to extend peace on her like a flood that we may suck be born upon her sides and be joyful upon her knees to the quieting of all differences amongst us and to the everlasting peace of those that wish well to Sion But I have dwelled too long upon this point I return to the subject matter of this Chapter You may partly perceive that the Church of England is not altogether to be blamed for the Errors and Divisions in our Land in matters pertaining to Faith and Discipline I dare be bold on her behalf to assure the Papists she desires a fair debate of all those differences and would willingly reconcile them or cast off those that would not hearken to her instructions and might she by the favour and free leave of the Civil Magistrate convene and were encouraged to have his assistance in order to put in execution her Decrees without which whatsoever she resolves is but like a Laterane Junto not obligatory to the Western Princes nor the people under their jurisdiction she would not be sparing to launce the wounds of these divisions to the bottom that if there were any hopes of amendment to cause sound and new flesh to grow a gain or else finding them irrecoverable by reason some are grown desperately wicked beyond all remedy to cut off such as withered branches that they might no longer be a cause to putrifie the stock and body of the tree and when she has done would not be ashamed of her work but would recommend it to the publike consideration of others which being by them approved might be exemplary for their imitation or if by the Divine Rule of Scripture it was to be faulted then to be by them rejected and receive a just condemnation I dare be bold to say that if any thing should be debated in her Convocation which might not seem satisfactory to any other sister-Province she would entertain a free debate with her and if they two could not determine the controversie so far as might be satisfactory to others she would agree to submit the debate to a General Council might but that Council be free in its constitution and not subservient to one man the Pope which by the confession of Bellarmin lib. de Concil cap. 21. non potest fieri ut aliquando ad finem controversiarum deveniatur Synodus nisi detur locus majori parti suffragiorum No Appeal to a General Councel whilst the Pope is allowed above that Councel And in another place lib. 2. cap. 11. de Concil Est verum Decretum Concilii quod fit a majore parte destroys the very being of a General Council whenas what shall there be concluded by a major part must stand null unless his Holiness approve thereof or shall be subject to be altered at his will and pleasure It is reported by Quintus Curtius fol. 13. that in the City of Gordin in Phrygia was laid up in Jupiters temple the furniture of King Midas Waggon knit up in such an intricate knot that it was extreme difficult to be untyed and the country-men had a Prophecie that whosoever should untâ—e it should be Lord of Asia Alexander coming thither and viewing the knot and doubting if he should not inexplicate it that it might be reputed as an evidence to those superstitious people of his bad fortune to come with his sword cut it asunder by which the Prophecie was expected to be fulfilled and thereupon those people submitted to him and not long after he became Lord of Asia And thus the Pope deals with Councils if any thing of consequence be to receive debate there he will not abide the canvasing of the Question and the sober unfolding of the knot and difficulty thereof but uno flatu resolves the scruple and with his false key picks the lock of the business by which means he promises to himself an universal obedience as the onely never-erring Oracle claiming by this means a soveraignty over Councils Kings and Bishops which all other Churches of Apostolical plantation judge to be an horrible presumption And till this be rectified we utterly deny all Appeals to a General Council of the Popes convening and as S. Ambrose said to Valentinian so we say to the Pope Tolle Legem si vis esse certamen CHAP. XII That the Scriptures are onely infallible rules of faith and contain all things necessary to salvation That all people are to read them because those points are plain and easie That they themselves witness this truth in those points of salvation And how the Church of Rome abuses the Scripture SCripture is the onely foundation and basis on which our Faith is built Of the force and efficacie of the Scriptures according to that of S. Paul to the Ephesians chap. 2. the faithful are built upon the Apostles and Prophets it is the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6. being profitable to instruct and reprove and being able to make the man of God perfect Irenaeus in his third book against Heresies cap. 11. says The Apostles first preached the Gospel and afterwards delivered the same to us in Scriptures that it might be the foundation and pillar of our faith And Origen upon Matth. 25. says They are to be brought for proof of all Doctrines Our Saviour by Scripture convinced the devil teaching us thereby to know what weapons we are to use against all Heresie and Schism And in the General Councils of old not the Popes Decretals but the Scriptures were
laid before the holy Fathers Est firmamentum columna Ecclesiae Evangelium It onely is infallible in it self all other Councils and Traditions may erre saith Tom. lib. 2. contra Donatistos cap. 3. And though an Angel from heaven teach another doctrine no faith is to be given thereunto Tertullian contra Hermogen pag. 373. I reverence saith he the fulness plenitude and perfection of Scriptures as that which shews to me both the Maker and the things which are made Austin confesseth the authority of Scripture to be above the authority of the Church in his Epistles contra Manich. tom 6. cap. 4. The consent of people and nations the authority of the Church begun by miracles nourished with hope increased with charity established with antiquity succession of Priests and the name of Catholike saith he are great motives to keep me in the unity of the Church but above these he prefers the truth of Scripture in regard whereof he promiseth Manicheus to give more credit to his doctrine then to the Church if he be able to prove it out of Scripture These and many more authorities in this point might be produced to manifest what credit and reverence the Fathers of the Primitive Church did attribute to the sacred Oracles of God Now what may we think of those that count them a bare letter Inkie Divinity a matter of strife and ground of Heresies And by the Doctor fol. 255 the light of the Gospel is termed Ignis fatuus because not borrowed from Rome's dark lanthorn Others affirming that if any contemn the authority of the Romane Church that he shall not be able to assure himself of Scripture any more then of a Robinhood-tale To which I answer The Council of Laodicea can 59. which Council was held long before ever Rome's Bishop claimed a Supremacie over other Churches hath declared which shall be taken and accepted for Canonical Scripture and hath decreed that none else should be read in the Churches besides them we according to that Canon accept and embrace them and according to the ancient copies doth our Clergie retain them in the Church nor are we altogether beholding to Rome for the Translations 'T is true she hath a glorious Library as many witness the onely ornament of her Vatican Hill And in some competent measure is our Oxford replenished with the ancient Manuscripts of the Primitive Fathers and of old approved Translations of the Scriptures both after the Hebrew Syriack Rome not the onely dispenser of the Scripture Chaldee Greek and Latine Translations which the Fathers and the Reverend Governours of the Primitive Churches have permitted to be transmitted to other parts and in these later days we have been beholding to Rome for some Translations But she was not the first that sent the Gospel hither as may appear by Eleutherius his Epistle to Lucius You have heretofore saith he received the law and faith of Christ ye have within your Realm both the parts of Scripture out of which by the counsel of your Realm take a law and by that law rule your kingdom for you be Gods Vicar within your own kingdom c. And in this particular I think Rome as well as we is beholding to other Churches why then should she boast that we know not what is Scripture but that which she has delivered Had not the Apostles equal authority to teach all nations Doth not Peter direct his Epistle to the Saints which are dwelling about Cappadocia Galatia Asia and Bithynia and S. James to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad and S. Jude to all which are sanctified and called of God And S. Paul writes as well to the Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians Colossians and Thessalonians as to the Romans wherefore how comes it that the Church of Rome should be the onely Monopolizer of Scripture Was not the holy Ghost given to them which Philip Paul and Barnabas did ordain as well as those Peter did ordain And admit that Peter was Bishop of Rome had not the rest of the Apostles received the holy Ghost as well as Peter did it not sit upon each of them like cloven tongues of fire And why should the Church of Rome boast her self to be onely and alone endowed with an onely spirit of interpretation Let none understand more then is meet to understand was S. Paul's instructions to the Romanes But such is the uncharitableness and presumption of the present Church of Rome that she accounts her self the onely wise interpreter and no other Church to have the spirit of discerning the Truth unless she have received that spirit mediately from her I must needs tell her that she has no warrant to arrogate this transcendency and super-excellencie in this point of wisdom from any divine precept it is but her own humane institution no other Church approving of it and so it is but the wisdom of this world which as S. Paul says 1 Cor. 1.20 is found foolishness before God and according to that saying of Solomon Prov. 12.15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes The treasure of the holy Writ is no common or ordinary bank That the Scripture contains things necessary to salvation but a precious store of eternal happiness in them is laid up life everlasting according to that of S. Paul Rom. 1.16 It is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth to the Jew first and also to the Greek and 2 Tim. 3.14 Timothy had known the Scriptures from a childe which were able to make him wise unto salvation It is profitable to teach to improve to correct to instruct in righteousness that a man of God may be absolute being made perfect to all good works Therefore are we bidden Joh. 4.39 to search the Scriptures for in them is eternal life and they are they which testifie of Christ It is true All things that Jesus did are not written saith S. John but saith he these things are written that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God and believing ye might have life through his Name Joh. 20.31 Cyril lib. 2. upon that place of S. John saith Non omnia quae Dominus facit transcripta sunt sed quae Scriptores tam ad mores quam ad dogmata sufficere putarunt ut recta fide operibus ad regnum coelorum perveniamus And Saint Austin likewise says that all things were not written but onely so much was written as was thought to be sufficient to the salvation of the faithful And whereas in the 20 of the Acts ver 27. it is said I have not spared to shew unto you the whole counsel of God Lyranus and Carthusianus expound it onely to be understood of things pertaining to our salvation which S. Austin lib. de doctr Christian 2. cap. 6. plainly affirms that all things necessary to our salvation are plainly contained in the written Word And Irenaeus lib. 3. cap. 1. We know saith he
if it be hid it is hid unto them that are lost whom the God of this world hath blinded â—hat the light of the Gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ should not shine unto them 2 Cor. 4. For it is plain by the Scripture that Jesus was the Christ Acts 18.28 And Joh. 5. The Father hath sent the Son and his works bear witness of him and the Scriptures testifie of him God the Father God the Son and God the holy Ghost the Comforter his Passion Resurrection Ascension and the coming of the holy Ghost being so plainly preached and set down that a man may read them running and this Word endureth for ever and this Word is preached unto us 1 Pet. 1.25 And Joh. 3.16 God so loved the world that he gave his onely begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting life and what need we any more This is eternal life to know the Father and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Joh. 17.3 He is the Way the Truth and the Life We believe that thou art Christ the Son of the ever-living God and thou hast the words of eeternal life Joh. 5.68 Hence S. Austin lib. de doctr Christianae cap. 9. did affirm that all things pertaining to mans salvation are plain and easie to be understood And Chrysostome upon 2 Thessal 2. Hom. 3. Omnia plana sunt sunt eÌ„x divinis Scripturis quaecunque necessaria sunt manifesta sunt It is not therefore an idle and presumptuous doctrine in the Church of England to maintain this since we have both authority of Scripture and the Fathers for the same Nor do we hereby rob the Church of her authority to judge of and determine controversies and those things that are doubtful in the Scriptures There are some things of Discipline and pertaining to Manners in which the Scriptures may be doubtful or not easie for every capacity to understand and for those it is fit the Church should determine them and having determined them to impose them by the Princes authority as Rules of faith upon the people and so teaches the Church of England in the twentieth Article Lay-men to read Scripture But the main things necessary to our salvation concerning our faith to be grounded upon Jesus the Son of the ever-living God the author and finisher of our faith those as I said before are clear and manifest and though Angels from heaven should teach any other doctrine they are to be accursed Gal. 1. Wherefore sith this is plain and manifest in Scripture that Jesus gave himself for our sins and whosoever believeth in him shall not perish but have everlasting life and for that this faith is given by the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 12. Phil. 1.29 2 Pet. 1.3 and Matth. 16.17 and is the gift of God and no man hath it of himself for flesh and blood doth not reveal it and for that Christ has prescribed the way how and by what means we shall obtain this gift even by searching the Scriptures Rom. 10 It must needs be a grievous and intolerable sin in the Church of Rome to debar the people of this means to attain this precious jewel the salvation of their souls Upon these grounds do we allow the Laytie to read the Scripture but we do not hereby give them liberty to interpret it according to their will and humour They may in them finde Jesus to be the life everlasting the Spirit giving them faith and therefore must not be debarred the means But they are not allowed in points of difficulties to be their own interpreter but to repair to the Fathers of the Church to declare the meaning of those Oracles of God to whom it is given by the power of the holy Ghost to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God Matth. 13.11 For which end Christ has commended the Scriptures to the Church that she may discern keep and publish them Christ opened the Scriptures to his disciples Luke 24. and they preached it to all nations The Apostle Paul 1 Tim. 3. calls the Truth the fountain of the Church and the Church the pillar of Truth as Solomon made his Chariots to have a golden axletree and pillars of silver understanding by the axletree says one sound doctrine by the pillars the faithful teachers of the same The Scripture is the truth of God and the Church the house of God the Scripture the foundation the Church the pillar and the foundation is not sustained by the pillar but the pillar supported of the foundation Truth makes the Church not the Church the Truth We are to observe the Scripture as it were the Candle the Church as the Candlestick according as S. Austin upon Gal. 1. says Church how to interpret The Scriptures are not true because the Church says they are the Word of God but the testimony of the Church is true because they are the Word of God Now as we ascribe to our Church this priviledge of interpretation of difficult and obscure places Scriptures above Councels â—nte Chap. 9. we do not either deprive Rome of her right or too much extol our own Church Nor do we hereby make void the Laytie's reading of Scripture The Laytie may read it because the main points are easie and it is the means to obtain faith as well as by hearing the Church in those points that are easie and it is the way enjoyned by God to attain faith as well as by preaching and he has promised his Spirit to those that seek him earnestly and with unfeigned lips And when it shall please God by their reading to give them of his holy Spirit that Spirit will guide them to come to the Church to be informed in those things they understand not or shall the Church understand that through weakness they misunderstand any point in those Scriptures and she shall reprove them the same Spirit guiding them into the way of Truth will lead them to hearken to the dispensers of the sacred Oracles And if the Church shall deliver any thing which to other Churches may seem strange and not satisfactory she as I said before in the precedent Chapter will call a Synod and if there the business receive not an absolute and satisfactory resolution to submit the business to a General Council rightly constituted and free in it self And in the mean time if our Church offend the Church of Rome for that she differs from her in any particular let her make her self capable to reform by a General Councel by taking off the slavery that lies upon it by the Popes Canonical Law and we shall submit our Church to the free debate in a perfect Council to decide the points wherein we differ otherwise the Church of Rome might seem to have just cause to accuse us for that we cast off the discipline of the Primitive Churches as to that particular but in the mean time upon the former recited texts of Scripture upon the authority of
skill in Appelles Art that he drew that exquisite picture of Christ which Rome has representing unto us his posture whilst the Jews whipt him I must confess that for these matters of importance we must submit to the traditions of Rome But all things touching God and the means to attaine faith in him are plentifully therein to be found Chrysostome sayes in his 41 Hom. upon the 22 of Matth. Quicquid queritur ad salutem totum eam ademptum est in Scripturis and upon the 95 Psalm Si quid dicatus absque Scriptura c. If any thing be spoken without the Scripture the cogitation of the Auditors faile but so soon as the Testimony of Gods voice is heard out of the Scripture it confirmeth both the word of the speaker and the mind of the hearer Saint Hierom upon the 9 of Jeremy Nec parentum ne majorum error sequendus est sed author it as Scripturarum Dei docenti imperium Saint Cyprian who writ almost 1400 yeers ago would not yeeld to Stephanus Bishop of Rome but reproved him for leaning to tradition and demanded of him by what Scripture he could prove his tradition Cyprian Epist ad Pompeium 74. So then if in his time it was not enough to alleadge tradition for the proof of the Doctrine of the Church of Rome much less is it lawful to follow the Popes definitive sentence in matters of faith and doctrine When the Arrians would not admit the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because it could not be found in Scripture Athanasius did not plead tradition for it but said Although the express words be not found in the Scripture yet have the Scriptures that meaning and sense in them as every one that readeth the Scriptures may plainly understand and therefore by warrant thâ—eof that word might be maintained Saint Austine de unitat Eccl. cap. 10. Nemo mihi dicat quid dixit Donatus quid dixit Parmenianus quid Paulus aut quillibet illorum quid nec catholicis episcopis consentiendum est sicubi forte falluntur ut contra canonicas Dei Scriptures aliquid sentiant Methinks the very word Canonical which the Church of Rome having approved Canonical Scripture disprove â—raditiods what Scriptures shall be Canonical what not is sufficient of it self to prove this point for signifies a rule and thereupon those books are called Canonical because they are the rules of our faith and consequently whatsoever is not consonant to the Scripture ought to be rejected as pernicious and swerving from the rules of our faith For as whatsoever is not of faith is sin and as faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God therefore whatsoever is extra Scripturam cum ex fide non sit peccatum est This was the saying of Basil one of the Church of Rome's Saints in his Ethicks difinit ult prope finem And for my part I shall not be so harsh with her as this St. was I should be willing to allow of her traditions if they do not impugne the Scriptures and not to be so rigid against her traditional power as upon Basil's rule utterly to reject all if not expresly contained in Scripture I say for my part I should allow of such and approve of them as to be cerdited for the matter of fact but if she enjoyn them as doctrinal and to be rules of faith then â—ith Cyprian I desire to examine them by this Touchstone of truth the Scriptures For if once she propound traditions to be rules of faith then with Hierome Cyprian and Austin I must examine the truth of them by the rule of Scripture and with Saint Chrysostome in his 13 Hom. upon the 2 Cor. 7. do pray and beseech the Church of Rome to reject what this or that man says and search the truth out of the Scriptâ—re that learning true riches we may follow them and so attain life everlasting neither let any Church be wedded with her own traditions or give her self to believe the traditions of other Churches unless saith he she can bring authority from these truths to a warrant her doctrine and not to receive for doctrine the commandments of men and with Saint Cyprian examine from whence such tradition came whether it descended from authority of our Lord Jesus Christ or his Gospel or whether it came from the Mandates of the Apostles or their Epistles If so saith he let such divine and holy tradition be observed if no let it be rejected especially any tradition that shall contradict the written verities of God for such certainly proceed from spirits of error Here is a cloud of witnesses all agreeing in one that no traditions are to be embraced that have not warrant from the word of God so that for the Church of Rome to put her traditions upon the people for rules of faith upon that score that it is the power and authority of the Church that awarrants those traditions is vain and not binding to the conscience of men unless she can justifie and maintaine them warrantable by the word according to Saint Pauls saying to the Galat. 1.9 Though an Angel from heaven come and teach any other doctrine then what we have preached let him be accursed For the Testimony of no Church whatsoever is to be received if it be contrary to the Scripture Sâ—riptures above the Church Ante 73. Chapter 9. according to that of Saint Austin upon that text The Scriptures are not true because the Church sayes they are the word of God but the testimony of the Church is true because they are the word of God and should Rome or any other Church teach contrary to the holy Scripture it is to be rejected as that which hath nothing of verity in it Now sith the Scriptures are the onely rules of our faith The vanity and falseness of the traditions of the Church of Rome and do containe in themselves the necessary points of our faith what shall we think of the traditions of the Church of Rome which have no warrant from the holy Scriptures but many of them being repugnant and utterly contrary to those Scriptures which therefore by the rule of Christ himself in the 7 of Matthew and by the general consent of the fathers of the primitive Church are to be rejected yet notwithstanding are by her enjoyned upon her pretended authority of universality and infallibility to be rules of faith unto others And lest any should think me injurious to the Church of Rome in this particular I wiâ—l give you a smal taste for I delight not to lay open her infirmities thereby to draw a scandal upon her of such of her traditions as are not warranted by the holy word of God only maintained out of self interest and to warrant her claim of universal power Spiritual and Temporal by these ensuing examples and further refer you to the 7 Chapter The Church of Rome that she might perswade the world of Peters being Bishop of Rome by
to the voice of his Priests calling unto him in truth and sincerity yet where he is an absolute Prince he is not to be called to an account by them or the people who have submitted themselves to be governed by him but in such a case Preces lachrymae sunt arma Ecclesiae according as S. Ambrose witnesses in his Orat. contr Auxent l. 5. And this was the practice of the Priests under the Law and according to Christ's own practice whilst he was upon the earth and according to the precepts he left to his Apostles for them to walk by and according to the Rules of those Apostles prescribed to others as examples for their imitation and according to the ancient practice of the Primitive Church So that for the Pope upon any pretence to dethrone Kings is not warrantable but utterly against all truth recommended unto us by these faithful witnesses Christ Jesus our Saviour the onely Son of the ever-living God King of heaven and Priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek being both King Priest and Prophet denied all Kingship in this world Joh. 1â— 36 He was by the Jews called Jesus of Nazareth king of the Iews partly in scorn partly to justifie their putting him to death pretending he wronged Cesar and hereunto forging false witnesses Luk. 23. did give him that title But Christ in this was innocent he never wronged Cesar but commanded his Tribute and those things that belonged to Cesars to be given to Cesar Matth. 22. Shall Christ Jesus a Priest a King and a Prophet give tribute to Cesar and will not the Bishop of Rome allow it Shall the Jews be so tender of Cesars right though an Heathen and but the second over them and that by Conquest that they would not spare Christ himself upon pretence that he should call himself King and will not his Holiness vouchsafe that Christian Kings and Princes may enjoy their Rights and Prerogatives He may plead for his excuse herein the Heathens Apophthegm Si jus violandum est certe regnandi causa violandum est and by that Rule adorn his own Temples if his triple Turbant be not weight enough with all the Crowns upon earth But I am sure he cannot plead any Christian practice or president either out of the Old or New Testament to warrant his action He must not think that that late invention of the Jesuites forged upon the Anvile of their own brain to please their master his Holiness to wit That after a King is excommunicated he ceases to be a King and no subjects owe obedience to such an heretical Prince will be a sufficient excuse for his dethroning any such an one Aquinas Papists Objections for the Popes power to dethrone and a Councel of Laterane have adhered to this distinction and did to justifie their opinion cite for an evidence and proof the example of Hildebrand against H. 4. To which I answer De facto ad jus non valet consequentia Aquinas was 1200 yeers after Christ and was the Popes vassal and overtaken with the errors of his time and he did not alleadge any warrant from the Scripture for this his opinion and therefore being a thing of novelty upon the Papists own rules is to be rejected As for the Councel of Laterane Councel of Laterane call'd 1215 which set Popes above Kings it was called at the beck of Innocent the third he being at that time at odds with the Emperour Otho with John King of England with Peter King of Arragon the Earl of Tholouse and divers others and at that time this Juncto consisting of eight hundred Covent-Friars and their Vicars who ought not to have sate there to please their great master overcame four hundred Bishops not with strength of Reason but Voices where he likewise was with his Court to over-awe them And therefore when any thing of Papal interest is to be passed by Councel this place is ever pitched upon as most convenient for that his Holiness is at hand either with fair means to allure or with threats to force the opposers to condescend to his desires Hence was it that in a Councel here anno 1056 Pope Nicolas the second was not afraid to broach the doctrine of Transubstantiation And here Pope Innocent the third did ratifie that doctrine And here first was hatched that other tenent of the Popes Supremacie over Councels Wherefore this being a Laterane-Decree â—it ought to be of the less credit and that the rather because the thing in question was the Popes own parâ—cular case who being at that present in open defiance against those Princes it was for flattery to the Pope and for necessity of State thereby to divert many from joyning with those Princes against his Holiness who if the differences amongst them were not appeased were like to sit too heavie upon his Holiness skirts declared that his Holiness was above kings And for this they instance the president of Hildebrand's excommunicating H. 4. and his successor Paschalis deposing him Now these things considered I leave it to the Reader whether to give credit to that Councel or the Councel of Mentz which deposed all the Clergie which joyned with Hildebrand it being an unwarrantable act in Hildebrand to oppose the Emperour and was by Sigebert called Novellum Schisma and Sigebert wrote above five hundred yeers since and therefore according to the Papists rules that which is later is less to be credited in those points wherein it differs from the ancient profession And sith there is no warrant from Scripture for the decree of this Councel or the opinion of Aquinas I hope there is no judicious Christian but will adhere to that of Mentz and not in his judgement approve of the Laterane Councel which was of more puisne time and strave in all things to please the Pope and that the rather because Otho Frisigensis lib. 6. cap. 35. and Vincentius and divers others concurred with Sigebert and the Councel of Mentz in this opinion whose resolutions in this point are grounded on Gods Word but the Decree of Laterane on mans will and therefore none may submit his judgement to be deluded with the erroneous and unwarranted decrees thereof The Jesuites therefore thinking this too weak a prop to support so weighty a Potentate as they would fain make his Holiness to be Objections out of the Old Testament answered wave their confidence in this and flee to their last refuge to wrest and abuse the Scriptures under pretence of Ecclesiastick power of interpretation and therefore they cite some presidents out of the Old Testament which they mis-apply and would fain have them mis-understood As for example They would prove by the examples of Saul Jeroboam Joash Athaliah and Ahab being put from their kingdom by the High-Priests to be a warrant for the Popes dethroning of what Prince he pleaseth to account wicked Whenas those presidents rightly understood make nothing for the Popes pretended power herein but rather
his One and twentieth Chapter fol. 323. calls the Protestants startling at the Romish doctrine concerning the Sacrament of the Lords Supper a Prodigie of Opinions And he musters up several Tenents concerning the same which being various in themselves and contradictory each to other I wonder he should offer them against any particular Church especially the Church of England against whom I suppose his darts are by this intended for that elsewhere fol. 259. he speaking of Protestants offers grounds of converting to them again which must needs be intended to the Church of England from whence he is gone which he in this particular goes about to tax her of Error Wherefore I made bold to recapitulate these ensuing Truths professed by her and which she assumes to maintain against the Errours and Innovations of Rome touching this Sacrament wherein my desire is rather to clear her from all malicious dirt by Satans instruments thrown upon her then that I should by this means lay open the failings of the Doctor or his ingratitude to his Mother-Church The Church of England doth maintain That Christs body is given received and eaten after an heavenly and spiritual not after a carnal and corporal manner and doth utterly disallow of the new doctrine of Romes Transubstantiation not condemning it as new in respect of the Word but as it is a doctrine and practice in it self varying from what Christ his Apostles or the Primitive Churches taught and contrary to what the Church of Rome has formerly maintained for that it is a meer novelty through the corruption of later times and by covetous and ambitious Popes for self-interest obtruded upon the people making them believe a real transubstantiated presence by the Priests consecration and by him offered up for the sins of the people that so the people giving money to the Clergie they may buy Masses and Sacrifices for their sins and for the sins of others as well quick as dead Against which impious practice and vain assertions I will for the satisfying of some doubting and others deluded in opinion offer these professions of the English Church to their serious consideration The Church of England teacheth 1. Christ is spiritually eaten That Christ is not in the bread and wine but onely to such as worthily eat drink them That as Christ is a spiritual meat so he is spiritually eaten and digested with the spiritual part of us by faith And for this her doctrine she has warrant from Christ himself who speaking of the bread of life which came down from heaven and the bread which he would give them which was his flesh Joh. 6.51 the Jews and many of his disciples were offended saying How can he give us his flesh to eat and his blood to drink Christ perceiving their murmuring that they should not remain in ignorance explains it to them saying What if you see the Son of man ascend up where he was before It is the Spirit that giveth life and flesh availeth nothing The words which I speak unto you are spirit and life Which is a manifest clearing how the flesh is to be eaten and how the blood to be drunk that is after a spiritual manner and so Abraham and many others did eat him many yeers before he was born of the Virgin according as S. Paul witnesses 1 Cor. 10. They did eat the same spiritual meat and drank the same spiritual drink that is to say Christ For to eat that meat and drink that drink is to have Christ dwelling in us The wicked do not eat the body and we in Christ which must needs be understood of worthy receivers and not of the ungodly in whom Christ cannot be said to dwell it must needs be understood of one that truly believing feeds upon Christ in his heart and the wicked unbelieving sinner he receiveth onely the bread and wine not discerning the Lords body Saint Paul witnesseth this truth 1 Cor. 11. He that eateth of this bread and drinketh of this cup unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of Christ He saith not He that eateth and drinketh the body and blood for none but a worthy receiver doth that Nor doth this doctrine deny any to receive unworthily as the Doctor fol. 328. would perswade us because saith he such onely receive bread and wine and not the Lords body But it rather serveth to condemn their errours who would perswade that the wicked receive very Christ and so none should be guilty because whoso verily eateth his flesh and drinketh his blood hath everlasting life Therefore the Church of England is careful to avoid this error and maintains according to Christ his explanation that Christ is onely spiritually given received and eaten and that those onely that believe in Christ eat him and live by him and that every one eating that bread according to Christs institution and Ordinance is assured by Christs own promise and testament that he is a member of his body and receives the benefit of his passion and likewise be that drinks of that cup according to Christs institution is certified that he is made partaker of Christ his legacie his blood which was shed for remission of sins Whereas the unworthy receiver coming to this divine Ordinance without due reverence and a lively faith eateth and drinketh his own damnation for that he receiveth that bread and that wine unworthily which ought with faith to have been received believing that as that bread and wine nourish the outward man so Christ is thereby conveyed to the nourishment of the inner man and so Christ is in him and he in Christ And by thus receiving is the saying of Christ in Joh. 6. My flesh is very meat and my blood is very drink to be understood for none but the faithful are partakers of this heavenly banquet Christ is the bread of life he that eateth that bread shall live for ever which must be by faith in the Son of God Gal. 2. It must needs be understood of a mystical and not a real eating that even as the bread and wine which we receive is turned into our flesh and blood and is so joyned and mixed together with our flesh and blood that they be made one body together so be all faithful Christians spiritually turned into the body of Christ and be so joyned unto Christ and also together amongst themselves that they do but make one mystical body of Christ as S. Paul 1 Cor. 10. We be one bread and one body as many as be partakers of one bread and one cup. The wicked are not partakers of this banquet but onely the members of Christ therefore none verily eat the flesh and drink the blood but the believers It is not like the eating of Manna both good and bad ate that saith our Saviour Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead but he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever which must be by faith and in heart believing unto
is a figure of the Testament of Christ which was to be sealed with his blood For his blood is not the Testament but the thing that confirms the new Testament This is so evident a place to disprove the tenents of Romes Church in this particular that her champions are forced to their last refuge of abusing Scripture and therefore they render that text thus This blood is a new Testament in my blood which translation I submit to the judicious Reader whether it be not more strange then any figurative speech Christ saith we must be baptized with the holy Ghost this is a figurative speech So likewise Except a man be born again c. that was a figurative speech intending thereby spiritual regeneration S. Paul saith that in Baptism we cloathe us with Christ and be buried with him Rom. 6. which are figurative speeches of our newness of life and mortification of sin The Paschal Lamb without spot signified Christ the effusion of that blood signified Christ's passion and the sprinkling of the posts with blood whereby the first-born escaped death is a type of those which at the last day shall be saved being sprinkled with the blood of Jesus As in the Old Testament Exod. 12. God said This is the Lords passeover which was not the Lords Passeover but a figure representing the Lords passing by so Christ in the New Testament says of the bread and wine This is my body This is my blood which is not so in substance but in signification A figure hath the name of a thing that is signified thereby as we say a mans image is called a man the figure of a tree a tree or the like So we say Let us go to S. Peter of Millain to S. James in Compestella c. not meaning thereby the things themselves but understanding by the things representive the things represented Even so the bread and wine though Christ call them his body and blood yet they are not verily so but the elementary parts and outward signes of the invisible grace his flesh and blood thereby signified Nor is this a strange interpretation but according to Christs own figurative speech saying Luk. 22. I have much desired to eat this passeover with you Which words none can deny to be figurative God himself used that figurative speech and Jesus the onely Son of that Father to ssure us of his unity with the Godhead breathes out the same Spirit to his Apostles This is my passeover This is my body This is my blood As the shedding of that Lamb's blood was a token of the shedding of Christs blood then to come and forasmuch as the Sacraments of the Old Testament ceased and ended in Christ lest we should through corrupâ—ion and depravity forget the accomplishment of those Types and not take heed to print in our memories the benefits we receive by Christ Therefore Christ at his last Supper when he took leave of his disciples being shortly to depart out of the world according to the will of the Father did make a new Will He did make a new Will and Testament wherein he bequeathed clear remission of sins which he sealed next day with his blood and instituted this holy Sacrament in remembrance thereof and ordained the same in bread and wine saying This is my body This cup is my blood which is shed for remission of sins Do this in remembrance of me And Saint Paul says 1 Cor. 11. As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup we shew the Lords death till he come Therefore when we come to be made partakers of this heavenly food we should seriously call to minde the wonderful sufferings great goodness and marvelous kindness of Christ he offering himself for our redemption and by a lively faith apply the merits of his Passion to our souls and so we verily receive Christ he to be in us and we in him The Scriptures do sufficiently set forth this truth That when Christ said Hoc est corpus it was a figurative speech and the Church of England holds forth this truth against all adversaries and opposers thereof And that in this she may not seem arrogant to assume a self-interpretation of the Scriptures to maintain this her assertion I will bring in some ancient Fathers to bear witness for her Saint Augustine How to interpret Scrip ure de doctrina Christiana lib. 3. advising us how to interpret Scripture bids us beware how we take literally any thing that is spoken figuratively and figuratively any thing that is spoken literally And he therefore gives this Rule in way of caution If the thing saith he that is spoken be to the furtherance of Charity then it is a proper speech and no figure as when it commands any good or forbids any evil act then it is no figure but if it command any evil thing or forbid that that is good then it is a figurative speech Now this saying of Christ Except ye eat my flesh and drink my blood ye have no life in you seems to enjoyn a hainous and vicked thing and therefore upon S. Austin's rule it is a figurative speech But I will not onely conclude it upon that general rule to be so But I will likewise for better clearing this truth â—t down the express opinions of the Fathers in this point The ancient Fathers agree that it was a figurative speech Irenaeus contr Valent. lib. 4. c. 32. â—aith Christ confessed bread which is creature to be his body and the cup to be his blood And in cap. 57. he â—â—ith that Christ taking bread of the â—ame sort that ours is of confessed that â—t was his body It was saith he maâ—erial bread and therefore a figurative â—peech Cyprian ad Magn. lib. 1. Epist 6. Christ called bread made of many corns and wine pressed out of many grapes his body and blood Cyril in Johan lib. 4. cap. 14. Christ gave to his disciples pieces of bread saying Take eat this is my body And herewith agree Austin de Trinit lib. 3. cap. 4. Theodoret. dialog 1. all concurring that when Christ took bread and wine and spake these words This is my body This is my blood that it was bread and wine which he gave and not any other substance And Origen in Levit. Hom. 7. declareth the eating and drinking of Christs flesh and blood to be figurative therefore saith he understand them as spiritual not as carnal men Tertul. contra Marcion lib. 1. calls bread broken by Christ a figure of his body and wine his blood because saith he in the Old Testament bread and wine were figures of his body and blood And Chrysostome upon Psal 22. saith that Christ ordained the Table of his holy Supper for this purpose that in that Sacrament he should shew unto us bread and wine for a similitude of his body and blood So that all agree it is a figurative speech S. Ambrose upon 1 Cor. 11. saith that in eating and drinking the bread and
the Evangelists who witness with one consent that Christ took the Bread and also or after the same manner he took the Cup we must not say that he took the Bread or the Cup for so we destroy the Sacrament as being of incertainty and having no certain ground either for its institution or the precept for the administring thereof Wherefore for the Doctor here to construe and or is to multiply contradictions and so his reason is become invalid in respect that the general scope of the Scripture is that this Sacrament is to be administred under both kinds therefore it is more safe to construe those few places where Sacramental Bread alone is mentioned without the Cup to be understood of the whole Sacrament rather then in many places to wrest and into or For the mentioning of Bread onely doth not exclude the Cup negatively but rather according to Cyprians speech by the naming of part of the action the whole is to be understood and herewith agreeth Saint Paul 1 Cor. 10.17 And we that are many are one bread and one body because we are all partakers of one bread We must not think that because here Saint Paul names bread onely that therefore the Corinthians did not communicate in the cup for that is against the precedent verse where he saies The cup of blessing which we bless is it not the communion of the blood of Christ and the bread which we break is it not the communion of the body of Christ Besides in the ensuing Chapter he enjoyns both to be received and that to the people so that where the breaking of Sacramental bread is onely mentioned we are not thereby to exclude the cup for the Hebrew phrase is under the breaking of bread to signifie the whole feast as in the Prophet Esay Frangere esurientis panem is as well to give drink as bread Besides should we admit of any other construction as that when bread is mentioned alone thereby to understand communion in one kind we should in that change Saint Luke in Act. 2. to teach contrary to the practice of Christ and the rest of the Apostles which did both receive and deliver to the people under both kinds which were an impious and presumptuous charge Wherefore let the Church of Rome for shame confess her errors herein and let her not longer wrest mangle and misconstrue Scripture contrary to Christs rules herein contrary to the sense of the Primitive Church and contrary to the judgement and practice of the antient Fathers and her own antient Bishops and that but for self-interest to maintain a new doctrine of her own framing taken up upon a light score and never heard of or believed in the Church for a thousand years after Christ and let her confess the truth with us herein by which means she shall neither alter the sense nor wrest any particular word to maintain her doctrine herein and if she will not for unitie sake and for communion with us yet for avoiding an absurdity against her own principles let her never construe that place of Luke to signifie an entire Sacrament for then she makes the whole Sacrament onely breaking of bread and destroyes Transubstantiation As for the Doctor if he be not herewith satisfied but that he will persist notwithstanding that it must be understood of communion in one kind and furthermore to maintain that opinion will here construe and for or I must tell him that he has hereby wiped off one error which he elswhere fol. 337. taxed our Translators with 1 Cor. 11.27 which if it be mis-translated it makes nothing for communion in one kind but whether we receive the one or the other that we should take heed to receive with due reverence so Heavenly a banquet and it doth further illustrate to us that though we receive the bread worthily yet if we receive the cup unworthily we are guilty of the body and blood which is an argument and indeed an absolute proof that they both make but a perfect Sacrament of the body and blood therefore I encline to think with the Doctor that it is a corruption in our printed Bibles rendring and for or I find it various from the old copies and I will not presume upon the Doctors rule to justifie it however it is something excusable for that in the very same Chapter 26 28 and 29. verses eating the bread and drinking the cup is expressed and not eating the bread or drinking the cup which upon the Doctors rule for avoiding contradiction should be construed or but whether it be taken or or and yet notwithstanding it makes nothing for the Popish communion in one kind The Doctor layes down for the Priests receiving in both kinds Of the sacrifice offered upon the Altar by the Priest because he offers up a sacrifice I will therefore a little consider of that I hope I shall give satisfaction to any reasonable soul that the Priest and the people offer up one and the same sacrifice and if so then by the Doctors rule they are to receive in both kinds because saith he Christs sacrifice upon the Cross is not perfectly represented but by both kinds as it was prefigured in Melchizedek's sacrifice of bread and wine For the better explaining of this point it is to be understood that there are two kinds of sacrifices one is a perpetual sacrifice pacifying Gods wrath whereby mercy and forgiveness of sins is obtained which is onely the death of Christ prefigured by the sacrifices under the Law The other is a sacrifice of laud and thanksgiving which doth not reconcile us unto God but is offered up of such as be already reconciled unto him by faith in him which is the reconciliation for our sins even Christ Jesus By the first Christ offered us unto the Father by the second we offer our selves and all that we have unto him and his Father according as David sayes Psal 50. A sacrifice to God is a contrite heart and Hebr. 13. Alwaies we offer up to God a sacrifice of laud and praise by Jesus Christ and Saint Peter saith of all people that they are A holy Priest-hood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ The Papists object that saying of Saint Paul Heb. 9. Every High-priest is ordained to offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins To prove thereby their sacrifice of the Altar offered up in their Mass which who please to read may plainly discover that that saying is meant of the Priests under the Law who did offer Bullocks and Goats for the sins of the people and therefore in the old Testament such sacrifices are sometimes called Propitiatory sacrifices being indeed but shaddows and types of Christs sacrifice which was to come which was the true and perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world wherefore in the very same Chapter S. Paul saith it were impossible our sins should be taken away by the blood of Oxen and Goats verse 1â— By
have no need of a Physitian but the sick Matth. 9. Christ having sent his Apostles to preach him that is light unto them that sit in darkness and to bring them unto this marvellous light So that it is the principal part of the Priests duty to propagate the Gospel to them that yet remain in darkness and not to keep them in ignorance and seclude them from this light by clouding their Intellects with a Vail of dark language a Candle ought not to be set under a Bushel let your light shine before men that others seeing may glorifie God which is in heaven give then to the several people their Lyturgie in their own tongue that they may understandingly and with a contrite heart offer up their sacrifice of Prayer and praise which is a reasonable sacrifice and acceptable service to God for if a people ignorant of the Latine must have their Lyturgie in that tongue these inconveniences and absurdities do from thence arise 1. If the praise and service of God said by the Minister who knowes what he saith be sufficiently acceptable unto God it is to no purpose for the people which understand it not to come to hear it which to assert were Diabolical in respect that God has commanded all to draw neer unto him whether Jew or Gentile as many as believe in Jesus shall be saved Who being consecrate is made the Author of salvation unto all them that obey him Heb. 5. There is no difference between the Jew and the Grecian he that is Lord of all is rich unto all that call upon him Rom. 10. And Saint Peter tels us that In every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousness shall be saved Acts 10. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will ease you Matth. 12. Call upon me in trouble and I will hear you Psal 17.6 He is nigh unto all them that call upon him faithfully Psal 145.18 And more especially is he to be found in his house the house of Prayer of them that seek him Where two or three are gathered together in my Name there am I in the mid'st of them Matth. 18. Now as all are enjoyned to this duty so is it requisite that they perform it with due reverence knowing to whom they speak and not with rash lips nor ignorantly for the word must be in thy heart as well as thy mouth Rom. 10.8 The men of Athens worshipped an unknown God but Saint Paul rebuketh them Acts 11. Be ye not strangers from the life of God through ignorance was S. Paul's rule to the Ephesians but understand what the will of the Lord is So that as all people are commanded to serve and praise God so must they do it in heart and mind and with understanding wherefore it is not sufficient onely for the Priest to understand when he prayes or praiseth God but the people likewise must concur in the understanding of the present service If it be sufficient for the Priest alone to know and understand the prayer and praises offered to God then need not the people come or if the coming of the people be necessary then must they understand what the Priest prays or saith For if a man pray Pater noster c. as the Doctor sayes fol. 339. and may not measure his thoughts Mathematically with his words it is no more than if a Parat were taught it his understanding is without fruit in a Rational soul the heart is to declare to the tongue otherwise whilst he speaks he either babbles like a Bruit without understanding A good man out of the good treasure bringeth forth good an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth evil For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks Luk. 6. or otherwise if there be no concurrence between the heart and the mouth he speaks with feigned lips not uttering what he thinks It is not sufficient for a man to suppose it is the Lords prayer because he has heard so and that he knows the Lords prayer in English or that his thoughts go along with the Latine For suppose he should be saying Da nobis panem quotidianum and he was supposing he was praying for the Kingdome to come how shall God answer such a prayer 2. The Doctor whilst he goes about to set up the Church of Rome above her fellowes and to magnifie her Lyturgie he doth indeed destroy Christ's Church by excluding the people who are Members of the Church and make a Church as I have shewed in the third Chapter For it is not the practice at Rome onely in Quires and in Collegiate Chappels which are onely for societies of such as understand that tongue this were tâ—lâ—rable but it extends to all Congregations excluding the people which is abominable For the Church of Rome though she be Head she cannot say unto the Members I have no need of you We all make but one body in Christ whether we be Jewes or Gentiles bond or free We are all by one Spirit baptized into one body and have been all made to drink into one Spirit 1 Cor. 12. So then if the society of the Saints do make the Church it is fit that this society serve and praise the Lord in heart and spirit for as God is a spirit so he will be worsh pped in spirit and in truth Wherefore to say that it is sufficient for the Priest to understand because he alone offers the sacrifice of praise that is to destroy the Church by excluding the Saints from this duty and therefore that they may do this with heart and spirit it is requisite for the people to have this Lyturgie in a tongue they understand that they may praise the Lord with all their heart according as the Lyturgie enjoyns then bidding them lift up their heart unto the Lord. And I much wonder that these words escaped razing when Vitellianus about the year 666. the number of the Beast did command that the service in all Churches should be in Latine but Nihil simul est inventum perfectum and now that it remains still having escaped the Index expurgatorius it stands to the condemnation of the Church of Rome to shew from what she is fallen from truth to error from Apostolick practice to let all things be done to edifying 1 Thes 5.11 to follow her own inventions hood-winking the people in ignorance that she may the better tyrannize over them For whereas the Doctor would perswade us fol. 329. that Peter and Paul used a Lyturgie in one of the learned languages which could not be known to all he must prove that before it be to be believed It may be they used amongst themselves one constant language in their service which might not be understood by others by chance by-standers but when they preached or prayed with others in a publick Assembly we do not finde but that the people understood them in their own language 3. Our prayer
I have partly shewed was beyond their compass to take from them The Jesuites being beaten from this hold of the Keys they betake themselves to the treble Pasce which after Christs resurrection was said unto Peter Joh. 21. and would fain deduce this power from thence and so perswade the world that the Shepherds Crook is the Arms of all other Sees not of Rome the Bishop thereof being no ordinary Pastor but one that is known by more Nable bearing viz. Mars a Papal Mitre ensigned with a triple Crown and a Cross Pater Sol which in my opinion stands for no good denotement of Episcopal dignity in respect it doth not sympathize with the Successor of Peter and therefore serves rather to denote him sprung of another tribe But this by the way They would fain perswade the world The treble Pasce doth not extend to depose Kings that this power was given to Peter by vertue of the treble Pasce and by his being Bishop of Rome is devolved upon the Pope which I have already touched in the second Chapter That nothing doth belong to Rome any more then anyother See Apostolique by any power thereby given I will onely for better illustration of the present point add this viz. That Peter and Paul both submitted unto Domitius Nero a cruel Heathen and persecutour neither did they thunder out any Excommunication against him thereby denouncing him uncapable to rule which if they had thought to have been so certainly they would not have concealed it at their sufferings when they saw they must die and all hopes of their natural lives debarr'd from them If Peter suffered at Rome he left no such Testimony behind him nor Paul neither so that for the Pope to aspire to this prerogative upon Peters score is an injury to that blessed Apostle he having received rules from his Master Christ to the contrary of which both he and the rest of the Apostles were faithful witnesses in their sufferings The Papists beaten from all Scripture there being neither from thence nor any practice Apostolical the least warrant for this their presumptuous claim they then begin to strive with flesh blood and forsaking the rules of Christ and the exmples of Peter and the rest of the Apostles notwithstanding they would have Peter to be the Rock of the Catholike Church they quit the harbor adjoyning to that Rock and rove themselves upon the billows of strange contests And as when the Fish Meron perceiving a storm lays hold upon a chance pimple stone thinks to save it self from the tossing of the waves by sticking to that whenas both it and its stone are tumbled to and fro at the will of the sea so these men think by a new-found invention of their own to make good this their bold assertion against all opposition whenas any reasonable Christian may easily refute the same and if with reason they will not be driven off it dash their brains against Peters Rock Wherfore they blush not to affirm that God was not provident enough to his Church if he should leave her without a head to rule and govern her and as a widow to be despoiled by any Heather or persecuting Prince and therefore of necessity the Pope must have this power they are the principal wards in S. Peters Keys to depose Princes and excite subjects to oppose them if occasion be otherwise the Church should want the Pope her Head that Pillar to support and that Eye to direct her as Cardinal Allen in his Apology observes Allen for deposing of Princes This Doctrine of Allen is gross and Heathenish tending to Blasphemy and infidelity infidelity in Gods promise he having promised his Spirit to his Church to the end of the world and that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it she shall not be totally extirpated from off the earth till Shilo come though she may be invisible in this or that Country as I have shewed in the fifth Chapter and therefore Christ bids his Apostles suffer for righteousness sake for Sanguis martyrum shall be semen Ecclesiae Wherfore for Allen to affirme that the Pope must have this power or the Church will be lost argues his distrust in Gods promise to his Church And it likewise savours of Blasphemy to tye Gods providence to the Papal Chair and so denying him a power or will to remove the Candlestick from Rome and to give it to another Providence as Aquinas defines it Aquinas summa contr Gentiles is said to be invisible and remain in Gods secret councel Nondum rebus impressa for after it appears and showes it self in effects sensible then it is called Fate not Providence Now for him to tax God of improvidence unless the Pope should have this visible power of deposing Kings is neither Scholar nor Divine like he might as a Sooth-sayer of Egypt experimentally upon the coincidence of the effect of some inspection or Heathenish observation as that when the black Eagle shall preach upon Laterane Steeple the top of Saint Angelo shall be lifted up as was at the time of Otho 3. and Gregory the 5. c. Or have foretold that it was the Fate of Rome that if any Prince withstood the Pope he should be deposed as was in Henry 4. and Gregory 7. dayes but not to conclude this upon Gods Providence which no man by the reach of humane reason is able to pry into it is more transcendent then the consult of flesh and blood can apprehend Saint Paul cries out How unsearchable are his Iudgements and his waies past finding out who hath knowne the minde of the Lord or who was his Counsellor Rom. 11.34 And will Allen take upon him to circumscribe Gods Providence To know the secrets of mans heart is Gods attribute but such is the gross impiety of this blasphemous man that rather then the Pope should want excuse to depose Kings he will take upon him to know Gods heart and prove this prerogative by Gods Providence whereby he runs himself upon these absurdities He doth hereby spoyle the honour and credit of the glorious Martyrs by accusing them of error or ignorance of error for tamely suffering whenas they should have resisted of ignorance if they suffered because they knew not the will of God herein And he doth likewise give God the lye for if it was God's providence to his Church to resist in case Religion be opposed by the Prince sure he would not have bid Peter go back into Rome as the Papists pretend nor would he have prescribed the forementioned rules of obedience which are diametrically opposite to Allens pretended knowne Providence It is not the revealed will of God that the Crosier should resist the Scepter and the Mitre the Crown none of the Fathers of Romes Church ever practised or published that Doctrine before Hildebrands daies and if it was Gods Providence first known to Allen then Allen proves the Church of Rome to have been invisible for 1074 yeares
after Christ and hereupon he has quite spoyled the Doctor for by this means he has hudwinkt his marks of Romes truth to wit Antiquity Universality Unity in Doctrine c. But my Cardinal thinks to salve up this errour by another trick and that almost as gross as this onely this reflects upon the Divinity that upon the Apostles personally He takes upon him to make known to us what was the secret opinion of Peter and Paul c. which have suffered for Religion to wit that they suffered because they wanted power to resist not that it was the will of God they should do so and so he makes the blessed Apostles and holy Martyrs dissemblers speaking one thing and thinking another For saith he as soon as a Prince begins to appear heretical ipso facto though Excommunication be not denounced he shall be put from his Kingdom for as Fame so Heresie gathers strength by going forward Which Axiome of his is verified in this for that since he wrote Bellarmine plows with his heifer and perswades the same Doctrine So that hereby S. Paul is accused of dissimulation That he should bid the Romanes obey for fashion-sake to please the times and so he makes the blessed Apostle an object of scorn not pity That he should be a time-server and yet play his cards so badly that he could not humour Domitius Nero better Is it likely that the Apostles would have commanded others to pray for them if they would have taken their blood if they could Unless these Cardinals would have them like the Presbyters of England who prayed for King Charles whilst their Armies kept him in prison or like Charles the fifth who commanded prayers to be made for Clement the seventh his deliverance and suffered his own Bands to confine him Is it likely S. Peter preaching the Word would bid them submit which Word he said should endure for ever 1 Pet. 1.25 even that Word which was preached amongst them if he knew that it was lawful for them to resist if they had power This were to ascribe want of faith to Peter that God would never deliver his Church out of the hands of Persecutors but suffer her to be always under Tyrants or else that Peter taught one thing and thought another And why should both Peter and Paul press this duty of obedience and submission and that not for wrath but for conscience sake were it lawful to resist This affertion of the Cardinal is therefore gross and impious It is plain by the Scripture that this duty of submission to the Civil power was a precept enjoyned by God not proceeding from any fear the production of a base nature And whenas Paul and Peter did practise and recommend this duty to others it was to give a testimony of their faith in Jesus who as he had laid down his life for them who wanted no power to have withstood the Jews he might have commanded legions of Angels to have come and rescued him out of their hands in obedience to the will of the Father so they as obedient sons of Christ Jesus whom he had in his blood adopted would according to his precepts and example lay down their lives for the testimony of the Gospel Solomon forbade that any should curse the King secretly in his conscience which sure he never would have done if it had been lawful having power to cast him off Saint Jude calls them filthy dreamers that speak evil of Government and despise such as be in Authority I wonder what he would think of those two Cardinals were he alive who would have the Pope drive Kings out of their Kingdomes if he can There are some Roman Catholicks who being with Agrippa half perswaded to be Christians and being touched in Conscience decline these gross absudities of Allen and Bellarmine as being pernitious and tending to the injury of Christ and his A postles and the holy Scripture and in that injurious to the holy Ghost Scripture being nothing else but the dictates of that holy Spirit But yet for all that they are so bewitched to the Roman Faith out of a blind conceit of its Antiquity and therefore of its truth that they will not leave her but strive to justifie her in all things and to excuse this point for that it is a point controverted by some of their owne Church and not yet decreed by any publique Councel nor ever must it be decided may the Pope chuse Besides should it be referred to a Councel there is no credit to be given to the result of that Councel for that none must sit there but such as first must swear to maintain the Pope in the very point to be controverted and so it would be coram non judice or if it should be decreed against his holiness yet by the prerogatives Spiritual of his late Laterane and Trent-assemblies he might notwithstanding repeal that Decree or chuse to obey it for that he is by them declared to be above Councels And till this be rectified this error can receive no reformation from a Councel nor can any satisfaction from thence redound to clear the scruples of any mans conscience in this particular In the mean time Popery is like the Religion of the Pharisees Councels declare one thing de fide the Pope is found contrary de facto so that as our Saviour said of the Pharisees Matth. 23.3 so say I of these Roman Catholicks All that such a Councel should so decree observe and keep but after their works do not for they say and do not The last shift that the Jesuites have to maintain this point of Papal prerogative is The Pope 〈◊〉 a temporal Prince that the Pope is more then the Apostles having acquired a Principality on earth and so by Jus belli he may pull downe one Prince and set up another for say they the Apostles had no charge but onely to preach the Gospel but his holiness the Pope has other fish to fry then what Saint Peter left him he is a temporal Prince he weares a triple Crown he disposes of Kingdomes Crowns Emperours Grants Dispensations sends Indulgences receives Appeals answers Ambassadours takes Homages releases Oaths dissolves Leagues interposes in the Election of Princes has an Emperour to hold his stirrop bring up his first dish a King to serve him at Dinner and many a glorious matter more which Saint Peter never dreamed on so that for him to depose Kings he being more then ever Peter was is no such a strange thing To which I answer 'T is strange so great a Potentate should be thrust up into so little a Corner of the Earth as the Territories of the Papacie are and yet that his Jurisdiction over other Princes should be of such vast latitude I perswade my self that as our Saviour said a Prophet is nothing worth in his owne Country so the Popes power is made more glorious afar off then it is in Italy taken to be whence it is that