shall vvalke after the Lord your God and feare him and shall keepe his commandements and hearken unto his voyce and yee shall serve him and cleave unto him But that Prophet or that Dreamer of dreames hee shall bee slaine because hee hath spoken to turne you avvay from the Lord your God vvhich brought you out of the Land of Egypt and delivered you out of the house of Bondage to thrust thee out of the vvay vvherein the Lord thy God commanded thee to vvalke Wherby we are admonished that if anie Miracle be wrought or wonder done to leade a man out of the right way from God and his religion or for the confirmation of anie Idolatrous erroneous or false religion or of anie point of Error or Vntruth wee must not regard it or bee moved by it And therefore wee are first to examine whether that point of faith and religion which in these daies is so attempted or intended to bee proved by Miracle or Wonder bee consonant and agreeable to the word of God delivered unto us in the holie and Canonical Scriptures For if it be not found to bee thereby warranted the Miracle or wonder wrought for the confirmation of that untruth must beare no sway with us how great soever it seeme but must be reiected as here you see And this is one cause amongst the rest why they bee called Lying Miracles and wonders which are done in Poperie the Antichristian Church because they bee done to this end to maintaine lyes and lying doctrines and an untrue and false religion whereby they deceive men and bring them first to Impietie and misbeleefe and afterward to utter ruine and destruction 7 For as this Antichristian Poperie was to prevaile by the subtiltie and deceiveablenesse therof and by the working of Satan and by the lying miracles and wonders that be therin so S. Paul further sheweth amongst vvhom it should prevaile namelie Amongst them that perish because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved and that therefore God did sent them strong delusion that they should beleeve lyes that they all might be damned vvhich beleeved not the Truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse In which words you see first the cause and reason which God had to punish the world with this great plague of Antichristian Popish blindenesse namely the neglect and contempt of his Word and Gospell and their preferring mens traditions doctrines lies and devises before his truth in his Scriptures contained For saith he because they received not the love of the Truth that they might bee saved therefore it is that Satan with his fraudes and deceiptfull practises should so prevaile among them Againe hee saith And therefore shall God send them strong delusion that they should beleeve lyes that they all might be damned vvhich beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Observe here well that hee calleth it as most apparantly it is indeede a strong delusion wherewith Papists are possessed and carried and that it is also a strong delusion to beleeve lyes and such as that they take pleasure in that unrighteousnesse Doe not all devoted Papists finde this to be true And is not Popish Antichristianisme also rightly worthily called Iniustice or unrighteousnesse when most iniuriously it hath robbed God and men Christ and his Church and the sacred and canonical Scriptures and not only Bishops and Clergie men but Kings Princes and Emperors also and people of the rights and dues to them belonging Yea it breaketh the strength and sinewes of Common weales also aswell as of the Church by lying and deceiptfull equivocations by dispensing with oathes and with other things by their doctrine and Decree that Faith is not to be kept vvith Heretickes by their dissolving of the allegeance of subiects by their doctrine of deposing Kings by their Gun-powder plots and most detestable devises of treasons rebellions murders and massacres of Christian and Protestant Princes and their people and by sundrie other wayes rufull to be told and most shamefull to be either professed or put in execution Can there be greater points of iniustice or unrighteousnesse then these But all this while forget not I beseech you amongst what manner of people it is that this Antichristian Poperie prevaileth namely that it is amongst them that perish that all they might be damned vvhich beleeved not Gods truth extant in his Scriptures but take pleasure in that unrighteousnesse For doe you not hereby perceive the most fearefull estate and most wofull condition that all Papists be in that notwithstanding they be often admonished will not for all that forsake Antichrist and his religion to embrace the truth and the most pure religion of Christ taught in the holy Scriptures Bee they not here expressely affirmed to be such as perish and are to be damned if they persist obstinate and will not be reclaimed or converted Agreeably hereunto is also that which is written in the Revelation of S. Iohn where the Angel uttered it with a lowd voice to the end that all men should take notice of it saying If any man vvorship the beast and his image and receive his marke in his forhead or on his hand the same shall drinke of the vvine of the vvrath of God yea of the pure vvine that is poured into the cup of his vvrath and hee shall be tormented with fire and brimstone before the holy Angells and before the Lambe and the smoake of their torment shall ascend up evermore and they shall have no rest day nor night vvhich worship the beast and his image and whosoever receiveth the print of his name Consider these things seriously yee that are wont to say and hold that None can be saved but he that is a pure Papist Doe yee not see the cleane contrarie here directly affirmed and that by warrant from God himselfe that whosoever is a pure Papist and in contempt of all admonitions will so live and die is not a saved but a damned soule Wee wish your salvation and if your selves wish it likewise as no doubt ye doe yee will then take the right course for it and be content not onely patiently but thankefully also to receive these christian and friendly admonitions and so be moved in time to relinquish and utterly to detest and abandon this Antichristian Poperie that thus directly and certainely leadeth to Hell and damnation 8 But consider yet further the other words of S. Paul where he saith of Antichrist thus VVhom the Lord shall consume vvith the spirit of his mouth and shall abolish with the brightnesse of his comming For hereby appeareth that Antichrist and his religion shall be consumed by the voice and preaching of the word of God which he calleth the spirit of his mouth and that hee shall be utterly abolished at the bright and glorious comming of Christ to iudgement so that here you may observe the decay and destruction of that Antichristian monster namely
respect of his Episcopal or Spiritual And for this cause also the one is said to arise out of the Sea and the other out of the Earth Rev. 13.1.11 for in respect of his Episcopal supremacie and Pseudoprophetical demeanour hee arose from the Earth it receiving his original from below and from the Earth and not from Heaven and in respect of his Imperial dominion hee arose out of the Sea because the Ruines of the Empire by meanes whereof hee arose to that his Imperial Greatnesse were not otherwise wrought but by the wavering and disquiet turbulencies that were in the World in those daies So that howsoever it is called the first Beast and the second Beast in distinct considerations yet upon the matter they both make but one Antichrist And therefore in Rev. 17. is there mention made but of One Beast only which supported the Whore of Babylon Yea Fatentur omnes pertinere omnino ad Antichristum verba illa Iohannis c. All men confesse saith Bellarmine himselfe that those vvords of Iohn in Rev. 13.11 c. doe undoubtedly belong to Antichrist Now then let us examine and see if they be not all verified in the Pope and Papacy First it is said that this second Beast had two hornes like a Lamb but he spake like the Dragon Duo Cornua similia Agni scilicet Christi cuius duo Cornua sunt duo Testamenta He shal have two Hornes like to those of the Lambe that is like to those of Christ vvhose two Hornes be the two Testaments as Lyranus Primasius and Augustine also expound them Whereby appeareth that Antichrist shall outwardly pretend great sanctitie sinceritie humilitie and simplicitie and as if hee did all things by good authoritie and strength of the holy Scriptures the two Testaments the Old and the New and yet in verie deed his voice and speech that is his doctrines decrees lawes canons and constitutions should bewray and discover him to be but a Wolfe in Sheepes clothing and no lesse cruell and malignant against the true Church of God then the verie Dragon Doth not everie man perceive that these things doe rightly fit the Pope For who maketh a greater outward shew of sanctitie pietie and Christianitie then he and what doth he else but pretend the strength and authoritie of the two Testaments namely of the holy Scriptures for warrant and maintenance of the false doctrines errors heresies hee teacheth and holdeth Can anie man outwardly pretend greater humi litie then he when he entitleth himselfe Servus servorum Dei a servant of Gods servants and yet for all that he taketh upon him by his claimes and actions to be Rex Regum Dominus Dominantium the King of Kings and Lord of Lords So that howsoever hee pretendeth humilitie yet wee see hee is farre from it And howsoever hee pretendeth the authoritie of the holy Scriptures viz the two Testaments for the strengthning and confirmation of his religion doctrine and doings alledging them to be shadowed out and figured in the two Hornes of his Myter yet partly by reason of the unsound and false translations of those Scriptures which he defendeth and authorizeth against the truth of the Originals and partly whilest he perverteth and misinterpreteth the true Scriptures themselves and equalleth also his Traditions unto them and moreover dispenseth with them at his pleasure and preferreth his owne authoritie and the authoritie of his Church above them and so maketh them to speake in another sense and otherwise then ever they meant it is apparant that being thus used and abused they be at the most but like the two Hornes of the Lambe as this Text speaketh and be not the verie two hornes themselves that is they be not the pure incorrupt and undoubtedly true Scriptures themselves but corrupted differing from them Pope and Popery then appeareth to consist all in shewes semblances and likenesses of veritie sanctitie and pietie and have it not in verie deed and substance And therefore not without good cause did diverse Bishops make their complaint long sithence in their Epistle to Pope Nicholas recorded in Aventine saying in this sort unto him Thou bearest the person of a Bishop but thou playest the Tyrant under the habite and attyre of a Pastor vvee feele a VVolfe It is a lying Title that calleth thee Father thou in thy deeds shewest thy selfe to be another Iupiter being the servant of servants thou strivest to be the Lord of Lords c. But moreover doth not the Pope speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell for by the Dragon in the Revelation is the Divell understood when he saith that the Kingdomes of the world be his and that he hath power to dispose and give them to whomsoever hee will For did not the Divell speake the verie same to Christ in the Gospel Yea the Pope is as they write Totius orbis Dominus The Lord of the vvhole vvorld and hath Coelestis terrestris potestatis Monarchiam The Monarchy or soveraignetie both of the heavenly and earthly power and to him forsooth they apply that Prophecie Dominabitur à mari ad mare à flumine usque ad terminos orbis He shall rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the vvorld Yea they attribute that unto him which Iesus Christ spake of himselfe saying that All power is given unto him both in heaven and earth Matth. 28.18 Be not these most abominable blasphemous and divelish speeches being attributed to the Pope But yet further what doth hee else but speake like the Dragon that is like the Divell whilest he teacheth that doctrine of Divells mentioned in the Epistle to Timothy as shal afterward appeare and whilest he maintaineth a wrong worship of God a false faith and an Apostatical and Antichristian religion against the right most pure and onely true religion of Christ extant in the booke of God the holy and canonical Scriptures 3 Againe it is said that this second Beast did exercise all the power of the first Beast and that before him And who is so ignorant but hee knoweth that the Pope exerciseth all the power of the first Beast that is of the Latine or Romane State and that before him or before his face that is to say even at Rome and in the presence of the Romane State For hath not the Pope gotten that which was the seate of the Emperor namely Rome and made it his seate And is not the Emperor put downe from having anie Headship or Soveraigne Authoritie there Yea doth not the Pope there take upon him to exercise all the Imperial power authoritie tamen sine nomine Romani Imperatoris yet vvithout the name of the Emperor of Rome as Bellar. himself also saith that Antichrist must doe For this Imperial Authoritie aswell as his Ecclesiastical that is to say both his supremacies as before is shewed hee claimeth and holdeth under the name and title
decrees of these former generall Councels dare and doe affirme the Pope to be above all general Councels to be supreme Iudge over all and not subiect to the iudgement of anie upon earth Is not this intolerable pride and most abhominable licentiousnesse and lawlesnesse in the Pope of Rome and most grosse notorious and palpable flatterie in his followers The Popes Supremacie ecclesiasticall then which he claimeth over all Bishops and Councels and the civill Supremacie which he likewise claimeth over all Kings and Emperors appeareth to be not onely a meere Noveltie but a thing also extreamely iniurious to all Bishops and Councels and to all Kings Princes and Emperors also and is therefore iustly worthie of all to be detested and reiected 6 For must not the Supremacie civill which hee also claimeth over Emperors Kings and Princes to depose them from their Crownes and Kingdomes and to assoile their subiects of their allegeance be a most strange and a most damnable impietie when God himselfe saith thus By mee Kings raigne and not by the commission or permission of anie Pope and when in Daniel a voice from heaven proclaimeth That it is not the Pope but The most high that beareth rule over the kingdome of men and giveth it to vvhomsoever hee vvill and when moreover not the Pope but God himselfe is hee that is intituled King of kings and Lord of lords Besides it is a thing cleerely out of the commission of the Apostles and consequently out of the commission of all Bishops and other Ministers of the Gospel for they be the Keyes of the kingdome of heaven and not of earthly kingdomes that bee committed unto them And therefore it is not within the compasse of this their Divine and Ecclesiastical commission to meddle with anie earthly matters much lesse with earthly kingdomes or to depose anie Kings from their Thrones or to give away their kingdomes or to disanull the duetie and allegeance of subiects which by the law of God and Nature they owe unto their Soveraignes Did anie Apostle yea or all the Apostles together in ancient time take upon them to depose Nero or anie other Emperor were he never so great a persecutor or were hee never so wicked Or did anie Bishops in the ancient Church take upon them to depose anie of them that were hereticall Arrian Emperors in their times and persecuters of the Oxthodox and right beleeving Christians Yea did anie Bishop or all the Bishops in the world together take upon them to depose the Emperor Iulian though an Apostata though a man Anathematized though a most impious person and a scorner of Christ and of all Christian Religion By this one president then of Iulian the Apostata if there were no other you may easily perceive that no excommunication or Anathematization nor anie power of the Keyes whatsoever committed by Christ to Bishops Ministers of the Gospel have anie force included in them to depose Emperors Kings and Princes be they never so wicked or adverse to Christ or Christianitie yea that Bishops in no sort neither directly nor indirectly or in ordine ad Spiritualia as they speake or for advancement of anie pretended or Revera Catholike cause have anie such authoritie For Iulian still remained an Emperor and his Christian souldiers and subiects notwithstanding that he was so great an enemie to their Religion were neverthelesse obedient dutifull and serviceable unto him as S. Augustine also sheweth and affirmeth So farre off were they from rebelling or withdrawing their allegeance from him and so farre off also were the Bishops of those times from perswading abetting or counselling anie such wicked matter unto them Yea whereas Bellarmine and some other Papists affirme that the Christians in the primitive and those ancient Churches were therefore obedient because they wanted sufficient power and force to withstand their wicked Emperors doe they not herein speake more like politicke Atheists then Christian Divines Where is Obedience for conscience sake which God requireth of all Christians as S. Paul witnesseth if such Popish doctrine as this were true But besides Tertullian expressely confuteth it witnessing that such was the affection and disposition of the Christians in those times being ledde thereunto by dutie conscience as that they neither taught nor put in practice any course of disloyaltie or disobedience or bare armes against their Emperor albeit they had as he there sheweth sufficient force to have done it Yea the Christians in those times notwithstanding all their great number strength their sufficient power to rebel if they had bin so ill disposed were neverthelesse so farre from rebelling or procuring rebellions to be made against the Emperor of their times that contrariwise they were quiet and suffered all things patiently and prayed for him that Almightie God would grant unto him A long life a secure raigne safetie in his Court valiant Souldiers a faithfull Counsell dutifull subiects a quiet kingdome and all those blessings and comforts that his heart could desire Sigebert mentioning the Popes proceedings against Henry the Emperor divers hundred yeares since saith thus Bee it spoken vvith the leave of all good men This novelty that I say not heresie had not as yet sprung up in the vvorld that Gods Priests should teach the people that they owe no subiection to evill Princes and though they have sworne allegeance to him yet they owe him no fidelitie nor shall be counted periured that devise against the King yea That hee that obeyeth him shall be counted for excommunicate and he that doth against the King shall be absolved from the guilt of vvrong and periurie Vincentius likewise testifieth the same matter Where you see how directly they both condemne these trayterous and rebellious positions of Poperie which be at this day by too manie amongst them cherished and maintained for points of Catholike doctrine and that notwithstanding the pretence of the Popes authoritie and of a Catholike cause they be long since condemned and accounted and recorded to be meere Novelties if not Heresies Now then you perceive I trust that as the Pope hath no Supremacie lawfull in Ecclesiasticis so much lesse hath he anie Supremacie lawfull in Temporalibus within the Kings Dominions or elsewhere within the Dominions of anie other King And I assure my selfe that such are your loyalties and such the odiousnesse and apparant untruth of the trayterous and rebellious positions delivered in these later times by Iesuites and such like Popish Teachers against Kings for maintenance of the Popes pride that yee unfainedly and utterly abhorre detest those positions of theirs together with their practises as they are indeed iustly worthie I would yee did also detest the rest of their false doctrines as I hope upon better information ye will even for truths sake and the safetie of your owne soules 7 But to proceed what cleerer or greater argument can there be against the Popes Supremacie
signes or vvonders wee say that those which were done by Christ and his Apostles and in those ancient and primitive Churches be sufficient for the confirmation of that most ancient primitive Christian and Apostolicke faith and religion conteined in the booke of God which wee professe Yea now in these daies saith S. Chrysostome the vvorking of miracles is ceased and they be rather counterfeit miracles saith he vvhich be found amongst them that be false Christians Againe he saith There be some that aske vvhy men vvorke not miracles novv in these dayes If thou bee beleeving saith he as thou oughtest to be and if thou lovest Christ as he should be loved thou needest no miracles for signes be given to unbeleevers and not to beleevers Againe S. Cyrill saith that to vvorke miracles maketh not a man one iot the more holy seing it is common to evill men and to such as he obiects or reprobates For so the Lord himselfe witnesseth saying Manie shall say unto mee in that day Lord Lord have not vvee prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out divels in thy name done manie great vvorks And yet will he neverthelesse professe unto them I never knevv you depart from me ye vvorkers of iniquitie And on the other side working of no miracles hindereth not a mans holinesse for Iohn wrought neither signe nor miracle and yet was this no derogation to his holinesse for amongst them that are borne of vvomen arose there not a greater then hee as Christ himselfe testifieth Yea that miracles signes or wonders may be done by false Prophets and false teachers is further manifest for even Christ himselfe saith that There shall arise false Christs and false Prophets and they shall shevv great signes and vvonders so that if is vvere possible they should deceive the very Elect. S. Paul also directlie testifieth that in the Antichristian Church there shall be the vvorking of Sathan vvith all power and signes and lying VVonders Which saith S. Augustine be called lying signes and VVonders for this cause that either mens senses be deceived thinking that to be done which revera is not done or else because if they be done in deed they draw men to beleeve that they could not be done but by the power of God whereas they know not the power of the Divell For S. Iohn in the Revelation mentioneth spirits of Divels vvorking Miracles to deceive those that be of the Antichristian Church By all this then you see that the Miracles wrought in Poperie be no argument or proofe that therfore it is the right or true Church or that the Teachers therein be the right and true Teachers for they may be false Prophets and false Teachers and the Popish Church may be as indeed it is the false and Antichristian Church all these their Miracles notwithstanding But hereof I shall have occasion to speake more fullie afterward when I come to speake of Antichrist and his Miracles In the meane time concerning this point thus much may suffice CAP. III. Of Iustification by Faith onely The right sense and meaning of that position and of the truth of it And that being rightly understood it excludeth not good workes nor importeth anie licentiousnesse at all in it but the cleane contrarie IT is a thing well knowne how busie and earnest Popish Teachers be not only by word of mouth but by their books writings also to perswade you all that ever they can against ours the most ancient most pure and only right Religion and amongst other their bad devises which they plot contrive for their owne advantage and behoofe this is not the least that they accuse our Religion to be a doctrine and religion of much licentiousnesse and that in sundrie points which therefore must be answered And manie there be also that be too hastie and over credulous to beleeve them as if all that they speake and write were to be held for undoubted truth and oracles without further enquirie or examination But howsoever they thus boldly presume they for all that be not able to take anie iust exception against our Religion or to shew or prove it in anie point whatsoever to be an allower of anie the least impietie or licentiousnesse if it be rightly understood It is true that sundrie that professe Protestancie live licentiously and wickedly and so doe manie also that professe Poperie likewise live wickedly licentiously If therefore they allow not this for an argument sufficient to convince their religion of wickednesse licentiousnesse which is taken from the wicked lives manners and conversations of men Why will they be so unequall as to make it of anie force against our religion Wise men can easily distinguish inter vitium rei personae betweene that which is the fault of the thing and the fault of mens persons For the religion may be good though some persons that professe it live not answerably thereunto yea the Protestant that is the Christian Religion which we professe is so good godly divine holy and pure as that it neither alloweth nor tolerateth the filthie Stewes nor anie other impuritie nor anie treasons or rebellions nor perjuries nor lying or deceitfull equivocations nor anie other wickednesse or impietie whatsoever but utterly condemneth them all So that for true pietie puritie integritie and all manner of good life and godly conversation the religion of Poperie commeth farre short of it and is in no sort to be compared with it If then anie professing our religion live wickedly or licentiously as too manie do it is the fault of the men that live so dissolutely and not of the religion which requireth and commandeth the cleane contrarie at their hands But for all that they persist and say that even the Protestants religion it selfe is licentious because it teacheth and holdeth that men are justified in Gods sight and before his Tribunall onely by faith in Iesus Christ which doctrine say they maketh men licentious and carelesse of doing good workes Howbeit both they and you must understand that when the Protestants doe say or have said at anie time that Faith onely iustifieth in Gods sight it is and ever was meant and intended howsoever some seeme purposely to mistake it not of anie dead faith which hath no life in it to bring forth anie good workes but of a true and lively faith which is accompanied with good works and is fruitfull and working by love as S. Paul and S. Iames and S. Peter and the rest of the holy Scriptures cleerly declare Whilst therefore they teach both in their Sermons writings with S. Iames and the rest of the Scriptures That the faith that is vvithout vvorks is dead and that such a faith cannot save or iustifie a man but that it must be a true and lively faith that is such a faith as produceth bringeth forth good workes I hope you sufficiently perceive that the doctrine of
verie soone and at the third hower some at the sixt houre some at the ninth and some at the eleventh hower and some are called even at the last houre as was the Theefe crucified with Christ. So that God calleth some earely and betimes in their youth and some in their riper and elder yeares and some not till their old age and latter dayes of their life and some not till the verie last houre of their daies and consequentlie so long as life remaineth there is a possibilitie for men to be called and therefore no reason is there why anie should despaire as likewise none ought rashlie or unadvisedly to presume upon this doctrine 2 Now then to shew unto you the truth of that other point as being an appendant hereunto namely that even in this life a man may come to be assured that hee is one of the number of those that be elected and predestinated to eternal life and salvation consider first what S. Peter writeth saying Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if yee doe these things yee shall never fall Here you see it precisely and directly taught by S. Peter that men not onely may but ought so farre to endeavour namely to make their calling and election sure to themselves And he there further sheweth them how they may attaine unto this assurance namely by having doing and using of those excellent christian vertues and courses he there mentioneth Againe doth not S. Paul speake thus in plaine tearmes Try your selves vvhether yee bee in the faith or no Examine your selves Knovv yee not that Christ Iesus is in you except yee he reprobates Where hee likewise declareth that all that be sound Christians may by good triall and examination of themselves finde perceive and Know that Christ Iesus is in them and that they belong unto him This confidence knowledge and assurance had that holy man Iob for thus he saith I am sure that my redeemer liveth c. though afâ—er my skin vvormes destroy this bodie yet shall I see God in my flesh vvhom I my selfe shall see and mine owne eies shal behould and none other for me Yea this perswasion and assurance had also S. Paul and not only He but all the rest of Gods Children have likewise this confidence and assurance for thus hee speaketh in the name of them all VVho shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or anguish or persecution or famine or nakednes or perill or sword as it is vvritten For thy sake are vvee killed all the day long vvee are counted as sheepe for the slaughter neverthelesse in all these things vve are more then Conquerors through him that loved us For I am perswaded the words of your Translation declaring the same thing be Certus sim I am sure or I am assured that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Iesus our Lord. In these words you see that S. Paul speaketh not onely in the singular but in the plurall number and consequently of others aswell as of himselfe even of all the elect people of God that they all aswell as he at some one time or other of their life have this strong confidence and unremoveable assurance that nothing shall be able to separate Them from Gods love toward them in Christ. For he saith againe that as many as are led by the spirit of God they are the sonnes of God And againe he saith That spirit beareth vvitnesse with our spirit that we are the children of God Who then having that spirit within him for a Witnesse can make anie doubt of it Likewise speaketh S. Iohn saying Hereby know vvee that vvee dwell in him and hee in us because hee hath given us of his spirit For by that spirit it is that VVee know as S. Paul againe witnesseth the Things that bee given to us of God But S. Iohn saith againe thus Dearely beloved Now are vve the sonnes of God but yet it doth not appeare vvhat we shall be But vvee know that when he shall appeare vve shall be like him for vvee shall see him as he is and every man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe even as He is pure Marke here still that hee saith they Know it and therefore it is no uncertaine opinion or doubtfull hope but an assured hope or hope with assurance Which assured hope or knowledge of their owne salvation whosoever have by the testimonie of Gods spirit within them wee see here by this expresse testimonie of S. Iohn that they are not idle negligent carelesse and licentious persons but such as continually labour strive against their owne corruptions and defilements and so to be purged more and more from them Farre therefore from carelesnesse and licentiousnesse doth also this doctrine touching assurance of salvation appeare to be For not everie one that saith he is assured of it is by and by assured but this is a matter as you see that requireth a great triall and examination of a mans selfe and is ioined with a continuall care desire striving and endevouring to walke in the commandements and waies of God it being in verie deed the most comfortable ioyfullest and highest step of Christianitie and the Summum bonum or chiefest felicitie that anie man can reach to in this life For this causeth a Ioy even a True Ioy to the heart and soule of a man and such a Ioy as cannot be expressed But then you aske how he is sure of continuing persevering in the way of godlinesse unto the end for you obiect that the godliest man that is often sinneth and may fall Whereto I answer that most true it is he often sinneth and falleth but God still raisâ—th him up after his falls by a godly sorrow and a true Christian repentance for those sinnes and by amendment of life afterward so that such a one neither doth nor can finally fall or perish for as it is written in the Psalme Though he fall he shall not be cast off for the Lord putteth under his hand to raise him up againe And so saith Solomon also that the lust man falleth seven times but he riseth againe And these things be spoken of him that is a lust and righteous person indeede and not of an Hypocriticall and counterfeit person or of such a one as onely in his owne opinion or in the opinion of others is a righteous person and not so in verie deed nor in the sight of God For he that is a righteous person onely in his owne opinion or in the opinion of other men and not so in verie deed may fall utterly and finally away and then shall not all his former righteousnesse that hee had
by his appointment belong to anie but to the elect It is true neverthelesse that God ordereth disposeth and useth as lawfully hee may all mens sinnes to serve his owne glorie and good pleasure And herein is his power and wisedome highly to be admired who can thus one of the sinnes of men and Divels draw matter serving for his owne glorie as likewise most admirably he made the light to shine forth out of darkenesse How great glorie did God get to himselfe by that proude and mightie King Pharao whose heart was so much and so long hardened against the people of God Insomuch that himselfe saith thus of him For this cause have I appointed thee to shew my power in thee and to declare my Name throughout all the vvorld Exod. 9.16 Rom. 9.17 In like sort may it be said that for this cause God hath appointed Divels and reprobate men to shew his glorie by their destruction and in the meane time to use their wickednesse to serve his owne ordinance Sometimes therefore as the Schoolemen themselves doe also say Deus vult peccatum nâ—n quatenus est peccatum sed quatenus est poena peccati God vvill have sinne to be done by men not simply for the sinnes sake but as it is to be a punishment for another sinne formerly committed Which point namely that God will sometime have one sinne punished with another is verie evident for God punished the Adulterie of King David with another like sinne of Absolon his sonne who lay openly with his fathers Concubines and in the sight of Israel And the Text witnesseth that God himselfe would raise up this Evill against King David for David did this wickednesse secretly but I saith God vvill do this thing before all Israel and before the Sunne In which Act of Absolon therefore it is apparant that God had to do though not simply for the sinne sake yet so farre forth as it served for a requitall or punishment of the sinne and adulterie committed formerly by King David with Vriahs wife S. Paul saith likewise that the Gentiles when they knew God by the creation of heaven and of earth of all the things which they saw visibly before their eyes yet they glorified him not as God neyther vvere thankefull but became vaine in their Imaginations and their foolish heart vvas darkened vvhen they professed themselves to be vvise they became fooles for they turned the glory of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the Image of a corruptible man and of birds and foure-footed beasts and of creeping things VVherefore God gave them up to their owne hearts lusts unto uncleanenesse to defile their owne bodies betweene themselves And he further saith For this cause God gave them up to vile affections for even their vvomen did change the naturall use into that vvhich is against nature and likewise also the men left the naturall use of the vvomen and burned in their lust one toward another and man vvith man vvrought filthinesse and received in themselves such recompence of their error as vvas meete For as they regarded not to acknowledge God even so God delivered them up into a reprobate minde to doe those things vvhich are not convenient being full of all unrighteousnesse fornication vvickednes covetousnes maliciousnes full of Envie of Murder of Debate of Deceipt c. Where you plainly perceive how even amongst the Gentiles their not glorifying of the Creator of heaven earth as God according to such knowledge of him as by the creation of all things they had received was punished by divers and sundrie other sinnes into which they fell and wherin God himselfe had an hand so farre forth as they served for recompences requitals or punishments for former sinnes committed for it is said in the Text For this cause God gave them up to their owne hearts lusts c. And againe For this cause God gave them up to vile affections c. And againe As they regarded not to acknowledge God so God delivered them up into a reprobate mind to doe thâ—se things vvhich are not convenient c. In like sort it is said of some living in the daies of Antichrist that because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved therefore God sent them strong Delusion that they should beleeve lyes that they all might be damned vvhich beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Where you see againe that he punisheth one sinne with another in that he will have them to have this strong delusion to beleeve lies and false doctrines For it is expressely said that God sent this strong delusion upon them namely as a punishment as it is indeed a most iust and grievous one for their contempt of his Gospel neglect of his word and truth Sometimes againe God permitteth a sinne to be done for the triall proofe of his own servants and children as was the sinne of the Shabaeans and Chaldaeans in the violent taking away of Iobs goods for the further triall and proofe of Iobs faith vertue and patience and as is the sinne of persecution of Gods servants for their better triall and proofe likewise for so S. Peter declareth withall sheweth that Ita vult Dei voluntas Gods vvill vvill have it so And sometimes againe God permitteth sinnes to be done and multiplied by men thereby to heape up to themselves wrath against the day of vvrath and against the day of the declaration of the iust iudgement of God and thereby to procure to themselves the greater damnation as the Scriptures speake and thus 〈◊〉 all Reprobates commit their sinnes But sometime againe did God permit a sinne to the end there might be a way made and opened for declaration both of his Iustice and Mercie toward mankinde and thus he permitted the sinne and fall of Adam our first father For if Adam had not sinned but had alwaies remained in his estate of puritie and innocencie wherein he was created neither could Gods mercie towards anie nor yet his iustice towards anie have appeared in the race of mankinde inasmuch as where no sinne noâ— sinner is there can be no condemnation for sinne in iustice neither can anie mercie be shewed or exercised but towards the miserable and such as sâ—and in neede of it and have transgressed Although therefore God made Adam good in the creation of him yet hee made him mutably good that is in such an estate as that he might possibly fall For which cause he gave him free-vvill either to stand or to fall at his owne election So that there was in him a possibility to fall as also a possibility to have stood if he had would but the Divel tempting him and he yeelding and consenting to the temptation he then fell thorough his owne default as appeareth Wherupon S. Augustine saith that Homo libero arbâ—trio malè usâ—â— se illud
by this Beast cannot be intended the Romane Heathen Empire although that was also a verie great persecutor of the Saints and peole of God because the Romane Heathen Empire was in Esse and being as everie one knoweth in S. Iohns time and at the time of this Revelation given and so was not this Beast there most specially taken and intended For it is said of this Beast that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ascensura est it should afterward arise Secondly this Beast there most specially spoken of and intended to take away all maner of doubt in the case is expressely notified and affirmed in the verie Text it selfe to be the Eight head of the Beast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Is octavus est s. Rex and therefore is he farre remote from the time of those old Heathen persecuting Emperors Thirdly consider that this Beast is said to come ex abysso out of the bottomlesse pit and therefore it is the same Beast that is likewise mentioned to come out of the same bottomlesse pit in Rev. 11.7 which persecuted the two witnesses there spoken of and put them to death after the blowing of the Trumpet by the sixt Angell This circumstance of time wherein this Beast was and persecuted the two witnesses being after the blowing of the Trumpet by the sixt Angell even so neere toward the end of the world for under the blowing of the seventh Angell the world is to end Rev. 10. and 7. Rev. 11.15 c. doth also declare that it cannot be intended the Romane Heathen Empire which was before the blowing of the sixt Angell and is so long since ended and expired For the Emperors ceased to be Heathens and became Christians about 300 yeares after Christ in the daies of Constantine the first Christian Emperor Fourthly consider that the second Beast under which Antichrist in respect of his false doctrine counterfeit holinesse miracles and other his spiritual actions is more specially described is all one with him which is often otherwise called in the same Revelation the false-Prophet and remember withall that both the first Beast and this second Beast otherwise called the false-Prophet lived together and were both destroyed together So that the first Beast appeareth to be such a one as is to have a continuance in the world untill the destruction of the second Beast which is the false-Prophet Antichrist and therefore hee cannot possibly be intended the old Roman Heathen Empire no nor yet the hereticall Arian Empire for neither of these were of that long continuance yea they both be long since ended and determined and yet is not Antichrist that false-Prophet destroied Fiftly here observe that this chapter of Rev. 13. and the things therein conteined concerning the Beast be brought in and mentioned after that the seventh Angell had blowne his Trumpet during the continuance of whose blowing the Church of Christ is mightily to prevaile and to be reformed and the Gospell of the kingdome of Christ to flourish and get the upper hand against all adversaries to the conversion at length both of Iewes and Gentiles unto Christ and his religion Wherewithall you may perceive what is the chiefe drift and scope of the whole Booke of the Revelation as touching things future in the Church namely that it is to discover these two things first the estate of the Church as it grew by degrees deformed and corrupted comprised in the blowings of the Trumpets by the first five Angels and untill the sixt Angell also had begun to blow his Trumpet and secondly the estate of the Church as it grew againe by degrees reformed and restored to her first and most ancient puritie Which happie reformation and cleansing of the Church after so long a deformitie and corruptions growne in it did not begin nor was to begin as this Prophecie sheweth untill after the time that the sixt Angel had begun to blow his Trumpet for then and not untill then was the book of the holy scriptures everlasting Gospel opened the truth of Gods religion therin conteined preached Once againe in the world to discover detect the before-hidden fraudes false doctrines and impieties of Antichrist Whereupon followed a measuring of Gods Temple and of the right worshippers therein and some VVitnesses also of Gods truth and religion which did openly shew themselves and were put to death for profession and defence of the same truth After which and after the blowing of the Trumpet by the seventh Angell the reformation and restoring of the Church formerly begun is prosecuted and further augmented and much more and mightily enlarged and to be enlarged Insomuch that the Church of Christ is after this blowing of the Trumpet by the seventh Angell verie splendently described and that shee brought forth masculine and strong children unto God of whom shee travailed in birth untill Christ were formed in them such as neither fraude nor furie of the great red Dragon the Divell could daunt dismay or discourage of which sort were the Albigenses in whose times were verie famous and splendent Churches of valiant and couragious Christians that tooke part with Michael and fought against the Dragon and his Angels in the warres of those times Yea notwithstanding all that those great malignant adversaries of the Church namely the Dragon the Beast and the false-Prophet did or could devise to doe yet for all that did the Church of Christ continue still and encrease and with the Lamb Christ Iesus were there seene standing upon mount Sion 144000 which took part with him and would not remove their station nor be withdrawne from him And after this againe is there record and mention made of these increasing and couragious Christians that still got the victorie over the Beast and his Image and his marke and the number of his name and that sung the song of Moses with much praise and thankesgiving unto God therefore And in the rest of the Chapters following namely in the 16 17 18 19 of the Revelation not onely the true Church is shewed to prosper and prevaile but to the enemies and adversaries thereof be threatned and doe befall the Viols of Gods wrath calamities miseries and destruction in their appointed times But thus it appeareth which was my purpose to shew that the Beast here mentioned as it is most specially and most restrictively taken cannot be meant of the old Romane Heathen Empire nor yet of the hereticall Arrian Empire because both these kind of Empires ceased and were ended long before this time of the blowing of the Trumpet by the seventh Angell Now let us see whether the Germane Empire can be here intended and it is verie manifest also that it cannot for although the Emperor of Germanie be called King of the Romanes and hath the title of Emperor yet hath he not Rome the seate of the old Romane Empire neither hath hee anie Principalitie Headship or Soveraignetie there How then
that they further obiect that there bee manie names which make that number of 666. and thereupon would inferre that anie of those may be the name there spoken of aswell as Latine or Romane they talke likewise very idely and to no purpose for although there bee many names that conteine that number of 666 yet none of them conteyning that number can be the name there spoken of unlesse it bee the name first of a Beast that is of a State or Kingdome secondly unlesse it be the name of that verie Beast with seven heads there mentioned nor thirdly unlesse it bee such a name as agreeth with that Beast in every other respect and circumstance of which sort none is or can bee shewed to bee but onely that which is the Latine or Romane State Inasmuch then as the Pope of Rome counterfeiteth the Lambe but acteth the Dragon in verie deede and exerciseth all the power and authoritie of the first Beast that is of the Romane State and that before his face and seeing that the deadlie wound given to the Empire was cured and healed in him and that hee with his Clergie and holie men and holy women hath by their Miracles done in the sight and viewe of the Romane State together with his doctrine and other his devises so bewitched and inchanted the Inhabitants of the Earth that they have as verily beleeved the Popes Supremacie and his religion to be of God as if they had beene ratified and approoved from God himselfe by some miraculous sending of fire from heaven for the confirmation of them and hath also caused an Image of the Beast to be made namely the Papall State in lieu of the Imperial whereof himselfe is now the Head and Monarch hath moreover put such a spirit into this Image of the Beast so that it did speake and give forth such terrible Edicts Iudgments that whosoever did not obey it the decrees therof should be put to death and hath also caused and commanded all professors of Christianitie under his rule and dominion to receive the Marke of the Beast which in respect of Religion is manifestly Poperie and hath willed also and ordained that none within his Dominions professing the name of Christ should buy or sell or use the trade of Merchandizing unlesse hee have the marke of the Beast that is unlesse hee professe the religion of Poperie or have his name which is to bee a Romanist or Latine man that is a man of the Romane or Latine Religion professing subiection to him or have the number of his name that is unlesse hee so carrie and demeane himselfe as that hee bee numbred and reckoned amongst them as if he were a verie true Latine or true Romane indeed and seeing that the number of the name of the Beast conteyning 666. doth also fitly and fully agree to the Latine or Romane State yea seeing the Pope hath all the Markes whatsoever mentioned in the holy Scriptures to belong to Antichrist for no instance can be given to the contrarie I conclude that hee is and must needs be helde to bee the verie undoubted Grand Antichrist and that there is no other to bee expected CHAP. IIII. Shewing also the Pope to bee Antichrist and the Popish Church to be the Antichristian out of the 1. Tim. 4. Vers. 1 2 3 4 5. THE words of this Text bee these But the spirit speaketh evidently that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith giving heede to spirits of error and doctrines of Divells which speake lyes in hypocrisie having their consciences seared with an hot Iron forbidding to marrie and commanding to abstaine from meates vvhich God hath created to bee received with thankesgiving of them which beleeve and know the truth for every Creature of God is good and nothing to bee refused if it be received vvith thankesgiving for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer Beside the former notes and markes of the Antichristian and Apostatical Church the Apostle here hath for our fuller and better satisfaction in that point notified also and set downe unto us two other marks and those not the worst but the most sensible nor the most wicked though wicked enough but the most easie to bee knowne that none might anie longer erre or goe astray therein The two markes whereby to discerne and know this Antichristian Church which hath made an Apostacie or departure from the right faith and whose teachers bee false teachers hee specifieth to bee these namely 1. Forbidding people to Marrie which by Gods law bee not prohibited 2. A commanding to abstaine from meates for religion sake which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving Which two notes or markes bee apparantly found in the Papacie For there namely in the Papacie are divers persons forbidden to marrie which by Gods law be not forbidden as namely their Bishops Deacons Priests Monkes Friers Nunnes c. And there also is a commanding to abstaine from some kinde of meates for religion sake as is sufficiently knowne and as shall afterward appeare and therefore in the Papacie it is that the Church is Apostatical and Antichristian But touching the point of Marriage the Rhemists and other Papists answer that S. Paul here speaketh onely of the Manichees Encratites Marcionites of the heretickes called Apostoloci Ebionitae and the like whose heresie about Marriage was say they that to marrie or to use the Act of Matrimonie is of Satan and that the distinction of Male and Female came of an ill God And thus would they have the old Heretickes onely to be branded and themselves noe way to bee touched herein But indeede if you well observe the words not so much those old heretickes as the later hereticks namely the Papists bee there noted and branded yea these chiefely and especially if not altogether For those old hereticks that attributed the institution of Matrimonie to Satan and the distinction of male and female and procreation of Children to the Divel did not speake lies or falshood in hypocrisie as these are here said to doe but in palpable and open blasphemie which might therefore easily bee discerned of Christians and avoided But the Papists that under pretence of holinesse religion puritie and chastitie forbid Marriage bee those that utter this their doctrine in hypocrisie and therefore bee such of whom the Apostle here speaketh and had the more neede to give the Church a forewarning that they might beware of them and bee the better armed against them But because they confesse the old Heretickes to be here condemned let them tell mee how much differeth in this point the Church of Rome from those old Heretickes the Manichees For even the Manichees permitted marriage to the Lay people which they called their hearers but in no wise to their Clergie which they called their Elects or chosen men as S. Augustine declareth Seeing then they are in the same heresie with them in this very point how can they
ever since the Emperor ceased to have any Soveraigne command in that Citie and that the Pope hath gotten the soveraigne rule and command there is apparantly become the seventh so the last Head of Rome How can it bee avoided but that Antichrist must needs be come long sithence and that the Pope of Rome undoubtedly is hee and that there is none other to bee expected Obiect 10. Antichrist is to be an open oppugner of Christ and a direct and professed enemie to all manner of Christianitie Ans. You are mightilie deceived if you thinke so For first the Scripture telleth us of manie Antichrists of one grand Antichrist above the rest According whereunto Origen saith Generaliter unus est Antichristus species illius multae c. Generally there is one Antichrist but there bee manie sorts of him c. For as all the true Prophets had relation to Christ By whose spirit they spake as S. Peter sheweth so have all the false teachers and false prophets in the Church relation to Antichrist by whose spirit they speake as S. Iohn affirmeth in the Church relation to Antichrist by whose spirit they speake as S. Iohn affirmeth For which cause S. Cyprian saith that Novatianus the Schismatick is to be reckoned amongst the Antichrists And so saith S. Hierome that all Arch Hereticks be Antichrists and againe there bee so manie Antichristâ— saith hee as there be teachers of false doctrine in the Church Yea this they might learne of S. Iohn himselfe in his Epistles who likewise calleth those that were hereticks and false Teachers in the Church so manie Antichrists And this also Saint Augustine teacheth saying Hide quibus Iohannes Epist. 1 Antichristi sunt ad illum novissimum pertinentes c. These Antichrists of vvhich Saint Iohn speaketh in his first Epistle be belonging to that last the grand Antichrist Againe Quisquis Christum qualis est ab Apostolis praedicatus negat Antichristus est VVhosoever saith Saint Hillary denyeth Christ to be such a one as he vvas preached to be by the Apostles is an Antichrist Irenaeus affirmeth that Valentinus Basilides and Câ—rinthus vvere Antichrists Antichrist saith Origen hath nothing but the name of Christ for hee neyther doth the vvorkes of Christ nor teacheth his doctrine Christ is the very Truth and Antichrist is the disguiser or counterfeyter of Truth The mysterie of that Antichristian Iniquitie wrought even in S. Pauls time as hee himselfe affirmeth He vvell calleth it saith S. Chrysostome a mysterie of Iniquitie because he shall not come like a Nero by open force and vvithout all maner of shame c but entisingly and underhand This Mysterie saith Theodoret signifieth the heresies by vvhich the Divell maketh vvay for Antichrist S. Gregory saith that Antichrist seduceth the people by his Preachers the ministers of lying He hath two hornes like to those of the Lamb Rev. 13.11 that is saith S. Augustine hee hath the two Testaments like to those of the Lamb inasmuch as under the name of Christ he doth covertly infuse the venome of the Dragon And for this cause is he called the false-Prophet diverse times in the Revelation by reason of the false Religion and false doctrines he teacheth in the world under the name of Christ and Christian verities Yea this Antichrist must sit in the Temple of God amongst Christians within Christendome and not without it amongst Turkes Iewes and such like Infidels of the world for he must pretend himselfe to be a chiefe Christian as S. Hierome also sheweth which none of those so much as pretend themselves to be yea they utterly disclaime to be anie Christians at all so that those be rightly and properly to be termed unchristian but not Antichristian people Within Christendome then and no where else is Antichrist to be sought and found Now then within Christendome where shall we finde him Can Protestants be hee No for they professe not to confirme their doctrine and religion nor any point thereof with miracles signes and wonders done by them as this Antichrist and his complices doe neither doe anie of their Bishops or Pastors exalt themselves against or above all Kings Princes Emperors Magistrates of the earth which be called gods in the Scripture as this Antichrist also doth neither doe they teach that doctrine of Divels as S. Paul calleth it which consisteth in prohibiting of Meates and Marriages for conscience and religion sake as this Antichristian and Apostaticall Church likewise doth Protestants then verie cleerely appeare to be such as belong not to this Antichristian crew or companie Who then within Christendome or outwardly professing Christianitie is more likely or so likely to be or possibly can be this grand Antichrist but he onely that exalteth himselfe not onely against but above all Kings Princes Emperors and Potentates of the world and that obtrudeth vaunteth and boasteth of so manie miracles signes and wonders done in his Church and by him and his Clergie and people for confirmation of his religion and that teacheth also that doctrine of Divels aforesaid consisting in prohibition of Meates and Marriage that is to say the Pope of Rome For there is no other within Christendome to be named to whom these things doe thus fitly agree Yea Hee and onely hee in all the world hath all the markes of the grand Antichrist upon him And therefore he and onely he and no other is to be held of all for the undoubted grand Antichrist Obiect 11. The grand Antichrist is The man of sinne the sonne of perdition 2. Thess. 2.3 But shall anie be so bold to affirme these things of the Pope of Rome especially doth it not seeme to be a rash and uncharitable thing to affirme of him that he is the sonne of perdition Answ. It is never anie rashnesse or uncharitablenesse to affirme what God in his word affirmeth It were rather incredulitie not to beleeve it and impietie not to affirme it For if the Pope of Rome be that grand Antichrist and the man of sinne doth it not well agree unto him that he should also be the sonne of perdition as well as Iudas Iscariot who likewise pretending to be a friend to Christ did neverthelesse betray him He that under the like pretence of being a special friend to Christ and under colour of Christianitie destroieth himselfe and others and that without check of conscience remorse or repentance at anie time shewed is he not worthily and iustly called the sonne of perdition Yea doth not the Scripture directly say of him that hee is in Hebrew Abaddon and in Greeke Apollyon that is in English a destroyer And must not hee needs be deemed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The sonne of Perdition who together with himselfe thus destroyeth others For all those that be led by him and maugre all admonitions will neverthelesse irremoveably adhere unto him and follow him be answerably
chiefly in respect of the world to come For it hath as you see Gods owne expresse commandement bidding all his people to depart from that mysticall Babylon Popish Rome When therefore God himselfe thus speaketh and would have none that bee his people to adhere to such a Mother as the Whore of Babylon is but cleane contrariwise would have them to depart from her and utterly to renounce abhorre and detest her as being indeed the Mother of VVhoredomes and abhominations of the Earth as she is intitled is it not good reason and your bounden dutie to give eare unto him and to obey his voyce herein as you tender your owne salvations and desire to be His People It appeareth that ye have been of a long time mistaken as touching the right Mother-Church For not Popish Rome but Hierusalem which is from above is the Mother of us all as S. Paul expressely witnesseth Yea what maner of Mother Popish Rome is I trust yee now sufficiently perceive Bee no longer therefore so much abused or so extreamely deluded as to take the wrong Mother for the right and him that is the grand Antichrist to bee Christs Vicar the head of his Church S. Peters successor and the Bishop that cannot erre in matter of Faith For what christian charitable and good minde doth not grieve to see so manie honourable and honest-hearted men to bee so farre carried away and misled to their owne perdition Howbeit if anie amongst you rest not satisfied herewith but thinketh that hee can answer this Booke and will take upon him so to doe I desire him first that hee will doe it not by parts or peece-meales but wholly and entirely from the beginning of it to the end Secondly I desire him to doe it not superficially or sophistically but substantially soundly and satisfactorilie if hee can Thirdly as I would haue him to doe it in love and charity and with an affection onely to follow Gods truth so doe I also desire him to set his name unto it as I have done here to this But if none amongst you can make anie solid sound sufficient and satisfactorie Answere unto it as I rest assured before hand none can or will bee able For who was or ever will be able to Answer or confute that Word of God whereupon the Protestants Doctrine Religion is apparantly grounded then is there so much the more reason for you all to yeeld to that which you see to bee evident unanswerable and irrefutable God Almightie if it bee his will open all your eies to see his splendent and invincible truth in his sacred Canonical Scriptures conteined and grant both to you and to us that wee may all acknowledge professe and observe it to his glorie the discharge of our duties and our owne everlasting comforts and salvation through Iesus Christ. Amen VVisdome is iustified of all her Children Luk. 7.35 Vnto the King everlasting Immortal Invisible unto GOD onely wise be honor and glorie for ever and ever AMEN 1. Tim. 1.17 FINIS AN EPISTLE VVRITTEN BY THE REVEREND FAther in God James Vssher Bishop of Meath concerning the religion anciently professed by the IRISH and SCOTTISH Shewing it to be for substance the same with that which at this day is by publick authoritie established in the Church of ENGLAND WORTHY SIR I Confesse I somewhat incline to be of your minde that if unto the authorities drawen out of Scriptures and Fathers which are common to us with others a true discoverie were added of that religion which anciently was professed in this kingdome it might prove a speciall motive to induce my poore countrey-men to consider a little better of the old and true way from whence they have hitherto beene misledd Yet on the one side that saying in the Gospell runneth much in my minde If they heare not Moses and the Prophets neyther will they be perswaded though one rose from the dead and on the other that heavie judgement mentioned by the Apostle because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusion that they should beleeve lyes The wofull experience whereof wee may see daily before our eyes in this poore nation where such as are slow of heart to beleeve the saving truth of God delivered by the Prophets and Apostles doe with all greedinesse imbrace with a most strange kinde of credulitie intertaine those lying Legends wherwith their Monks Friars in these latter dayes have polluted the religion and lives of our ancient Saints I doe not denie but that in this countrey as well as in others corruptions did creepe in by little and little before the Divell was let loose to procure that seduction which prevayled so generally in these last times but as farre as I can collect by such records of the former ages as have come unto my hands eyther manuscript or printed the religion professed by the ancient Bishops Priests Monkes and other Christians in this land was for substance the verie same with that which now by publick authoritie is maintayned therein against the forraine doctrine brought in thither in later times by the Bishop of Romes followers I speake of the more substantiall points of doctrine that are in controversie betwixt the Church of Rome and us at this day by which only wee must judge whether of both sides hath departed from the religion of our ancestours not of matters of inferior note much lesse of ceremonies and such other things as appertaine to the discipline rather than to the doctrine of the Church And whereas it is knowne unto the learned that the name of Scoti in those elder times whereof we treate was common to the inhabitants of the greater and the lesser Scotland for so heretofore they have beene distinguished that is to say of Ireland and the famous colonie deduced from thence into Albania I will not follow the evill example of those that have of late laboured to make dissension betwixt the daughter and the mother but accompt of them both as of the same people Tros Rutulúsve fuat nullo discrimine habebo That wee may therefore fall upon the matter in hand without further preambles two excellent rules doth S. Paul prescribe unto Christians for their direction in the wayes of God the one that they be not unwise but understanding what the will of God is the other that they be not more wise then behoveth to be wise but be wise unto sobriety and that wee might know the limits within which this wisedome and sobrietie should be bounded hee elsewhere declareth that not to be more wise then is fitting is not to bee wise above that which is written Hereupon Sedulius one of the most ancient writers that remaineth of this countrey birth delivereth this for the meaning of the former rule Search the Law in which the will of God is contayned and this for the later He would be more wise then
as an answer unto the Bishops of Ireland that did submit themselves unto him whereas the least argument of anie submission of theirs doth not appeare in anie part of that epistle but the whole course of it doth clearely manifest the flat contrary In the next place steppeth forth Osullevan Beare a wilde Beare indeed rather then a Christian man who in his Catholick Historie of Ireland for so he stileth his trayterous and barbarous Collections lately published would have us take knowledge of this that when the Irish Doctors did not agree together upon great questions of faith or did heare of any new doctrine brought from abroad they were wont to consult with the Bishop of Rome the Oracle of truth That they consulted with the Bishop of Rome when difficult questions did arise wee easily grant but that they thought they were bound in conscience to stand to his judgment whatsoever it should be and to intertaine all his resolutions as certaine Oracles of truth is the point that we would faine see proved For this he telleth us that when questions and disputations did arise here concerning the time of Eâ—ster and the Pelagian heresie the Doctors of Ireland referred the matter unto the See Apostolick Whereupon the error of Pelagius is reported to have found no patron or maintayner in Ireland and the common course of celebrating Easter was embraced both by the Northren Irish and by the Pictes and Britons as soone as they understood the rite of the Romane Church Which saith hee doth not obscurely appeare by the two heads of the Apostolick letters related by Bede lib. 2. cap. 19. But that those Apostolick letters as he calleth them had that successe which he talketh of appeareth neither plainly nor obscurely by Bede or anie other authoritie whatsoever The error of Pelagius saith he is reported to have found no patron or maintayner in Ireland But who is he that reporteth so beside Philip Osullevan a worthy author to ground a report of antiquity upon who in relating the matters that fell out in his owne time discovereth himselfe to be as egregious a lyar as anie I verily thinke that this day breatheth in Christendome The Apostolick letters he speaketh of were written as before hath beene touched in the yeare of our Lord DCXXXIX during the vacancie of the Romane See upon the death of Severinus Our countreyman Kilianus repayred to Rome 47. yeares after that and was ordayned Bishop there by Pope Conon in the yeare DCLXXXVI The reason of his comming thither is thus laid downe by Egilwardus or who ever else was the author of his life For Ireland had beene of old defiled with the Pelagian heresie and condemned by the Apostolicall censure which could not be loosed but by the Romane judgement If this be true then that is false which Osullevan reporteth of the effect of his Apostolicall Epistle that it did so presently quassh the Pelagian heresie as it durst not once peepe up within this Iland The difference betwixt the Romanes and the Irish in the celebration oâ— Easter consisted in this The Romanes kept the memorial of our Lords resurrection upon that Sonday which fell betwixt the XV. and the XXI day of the Moone both termes included next after the XXI day of March which they accounted to be the seat of the Vernall aequinoctium that is to say that time of the Spring wherein the day and the night were of equall length and in reckoning the age of the Moone they followed the Alexandrian cycle of XIX yeares whence our golden number had his originall as it was explained unto them by Dionysius Exiguus which is the account that is still observed not only in the Church of England but also among all the Christians of Greece Russia Asia AEgypt and AEthiopia and was since the time that I my selfe was borne generally received in all Christendome untill the late change of the Kalendar was made by Pope Gregory the XIIIth The Northren Irish and Scottish together with the Pictes observed the custome of the Britons keeping their Easter upon the Sonday that fell betwixt the XIIII and the XX. day of the Moone and following in their account thereof not so much the XIX yeares computation of Anatolius as Sulpicius Severus his circle of LXXXIIII yeares for howsoever they extolled Anatolius for appointing the bounds of Easter betwixt the XIIII and the XX. day of the Moone yet Wilfride in the Synod of Strenshalch chargeth them utterly to have rejected his cycle of XIX yeares from which therefore Cummianus draweth an argument against them that they can never come to the true account of Easter who observe the cycle of LXXXIIII yeares To reduce the Irish unto conformitie with the Church of Rome in this point Pope Honorius the first of that name directed his letters unto them Exhorting them that they would not esteeme their owne paucitie seated in the utmost borders of the earth more wife then the ancient or moderne Churches of Christ through the whole world and that they would not celebrate another Easter contrary to the Paschall computations and the Synodall decrees of the Bishops of the whole world and shortly after the clergie of Rome as we have said upon the death of Severinus wrote other letters unto them to the same effect Now where Osullevan pardon me if I honour the rake-hell too much in naming him so often avoucheth that the common customeâ— sed by the Church in celebrating the feast of the Lords resurrection was alwayes observed by the Southerne Irish and now embraced also by the Northren together with the Pictes and Britons who received the faith from Irish Doctors when they had knowledge given them of the rite of the Church of Rome in all this according to his common wont hee speaketh never a true word For neyther did the Southerne Irish alwayes observe the celebration of Easter commonly received abroad neyther did the Northren Irish nor the Pictes nor the Britons manie yeares after this admonition given by the Church of Rome admit that observation among them to speake nothing of his folly in saying that the Britons received the faith from the Irish when the contrarie is so well knowne that the Irish received the same from the Britons That the common custome of celebrating the time of Easter was not alwayes observed by the Southerne Irish may appeare by those words of Bede in the third booke of his historie and the third chapter Porrò gentes Scottorum quae in australibus Hiberniae insulae partibus morabantur jamdudum ad admonitionem Apostolicae sedis antistitis Pascha canonico ritu observare didicerunt For if as this place clearely proveth the nations of the Scotts that dwelt in the Southerne parts of Ireland did learne to observe Easter after the canonicall maner upon the admonition of the Bishop of Rome it is evident that before that admonition they did observe it after another maner The word jamdudum which Bede
they were nor of the Fathers of the Societie Iohannes de Ziguenza Emanuel de Roias and Gaspar de Mena nor of the Pope himselfe upon whose sentence they wholly ground their Resolution either then was or hereafter will bee of any force to remove them one whit from the allegeance and duetie which they doe owe unto their King and Countrey Nay I am in good hope that their Ioyall mindes will so farre distaste that evill lesson which those great Rabbies of theirs would have them learne that it will teach them to unlearne another bad lesson wherewith they have beene most miserably deluded namely that in the doctrine of Religion vvee are to attend not what the thing is that is said but what the person is that speaketh it But how dangerous a thing it is to have the faith of our Lord Iesus Christ in respect of persons and to give entertainement to the truth not so much for it selfe as for the regard that is had to the deliverer of it I wish men would learne otherwise then by wofull experience in themselves The truth saith Claudius is to be loved for it selfe not for the Man or for the Angell by vvhom it is preached For hee that doth love it in respect of the preachers of it may love lyes also if they peradventure shall deliver any as here without all peradventure the Pope and his Doctors have done unlesse the teaching of flatt Rebellion and high Treason may passe in the account of Catholicke verities The Lord of his mercie open their eyes that they may see the light and give them grace to receive the love of the truth that they may be saved The Lord likewise grant if it be his blessed will that Truth and Peace may meet together in our dayes that we may be all gathered into one fold under one shepheard and that the whole earth may be filled with his glory Amen Amen FINIS Rom. 13 1.2 Tit. 3.1 Matth. â—2 21 Deut. â—8 1 2 3 4 5 c. Levit. 26 3 4 5 6 c. Deut. 7.11 12 13 14 c. 1. King 2. â— 4. 1 Chron. 8.7 8 9 10. 2. Thess. 2.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Coloss. 3.16 Primas in hunc locum Heb. 5.12 Heb. 3.13 Rom. 15.14 1. Thess. 5 11. Iude vers 3. Levit. 19.17 Iam. 5.19 20. Act. 18.2 3.24 25 26. Deut. 17 18 19 20. Iosh. 1.8 Act. 8.27 28 29 30. c. Act. 17.11 Ioh. 5.39 Deu. 31.11 12. â—3 Et Iosh. 8.34 35. Deut. 6.6 7. Psal. 1.2 2. Tim 3 14 15 16 17. The second Epistle of S. Iohn vers 1. Psal. 119 9. Eccles. 12.1 Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 3. Basil. epist. 74 Theodor. de curand Graecorum affect lib 5. Chrysost in Gen. hom 7. In Gen hom 21 Comment in Matth hom 2. In Epist. ad Heb Hom. 17. In Epist. ad Coloss. Hom. 9. Coloss 3.16 Hebr 5.12 Heb 3.13 Rom 15.14 1. Thess. 5.11 Levit. 19.17 Iam. 5.19 20. Luk. 8.16 1. Cor 12.7 Luke 9 26. Rom. 10.10 Bellar. de noâ— Eccl. cap. 2. 1. King 22.5 6 7 8 9 10 11 c Exod. 23.2 Matt. 18 20. Panor de elect electi potestate ¶ significasti Pigh hierar Ecclesiast lib. 6. cap 5. 4. Lib. 6. cap. 7. Lib. 6. cap. 13. Chrysost de sancto adorando Spiritu Caus 24. quest 1. § à recta in gloss ¶ Novitatibus Gers in tract an liceat in causa fidei a Pontifice appellare Alfons advers haeres lib. 1 c. 4. Sul. praelo Ascentiano An. Dom. 1534. Alfons lib. 1. cap. 4. Alfons lib. 1. cap. 2. Erasm. annot in 1. Cor. ex cap. 7. Arboreus in Theosoph li. 4. cap. 32. Concil Basil. epist. Synodal 3. de authorit Consil. supra Papam Dist 9. negare Aug ad Vinc. Vict. Aug cont Crescon lib. 2. c 32. Aug Epist. 112. â—d Paulin. August cont Faust. Manich. lib. 11. cap. 5. Aug Epist. 119. August cont Faust. li. 11. c. 5. Epist. 48. Depecca merit remiss li 1 ca. 22. cont Crescon lib. 2. cap. 31. Aug. de nat gra cont Pelag cap. 61. Euseb lib. 7. cap. 5. Bellarm. de Antichristo cap. 12. Turrcer in C. Sanct Rom. d. 15. n 12. Marsil Defens p. 413. Andrad Defens Trid. l. 2. Doâ—â— Baâ—n 22. pag 58. 59. Euseb lib. 5. cap. 20. Coloss. 2.8 2. Thess. 2.1 2 3. Euseb lib 3. cap. 19.33 39. Clem. Strom. lib. 1. 6. Clem Strom. lib. 2. Lib. 7. Lib. 6. Clem. Strom. lib. 7. Euseb. lib. 5. cap. 28. Iren. lib. 3. ca. 1. Hieronym in Matth. 23. Hieronym in Agg. cap. 1. Tertull. de câ—rona Militis nu 3. Basil. de Spiritu sancto c. 29. Hieronym in Dialog cont Lucif c. 4. Athan. contra gentes Chrysost. hom 1. ad Tit. oper imperf in Matt. hom 41. Cyril in Levit. lib. 5. Aug. in Ioh. tract 44. Vincent adver haeret Bellarm. de noâ—is Eccl. cap. 2. De Bono Viduit c. 1. tom 4. Tertull. cont Hermog Chrysost hom 13. in 2. cor Greâ— Nyss. Orat de iis qui adeunt Hieros Ioh. 5.39 Act. 17.11 2. Cor. 1.24 4.5 Matth. 24.4 Mat. 16.6.12 1. Thess. 5.21 1. Ioh. 4.1 Chrysost. in Act. Hom. 33. Basil. Ethic. de sin 72 pag. 432. Orig. in Iesu Nave Hom 21. Ambr. de Virgin lib. 3 cap. 1. Cyâ—â—l catech 4. Chrysost Hom. 3. in Laz. Chrysost Hom. 9. in 2. cor Aug de doct christ lib. 2. cap. 6. Hieronym com in Esai· c. 19. Basil. Regul contract qu. 167. Slâ—id commentat Act. 11.26 1. Pet. 2.13 The Kings Supremacie over persons Ecclesiasticall as well as Civill declared 1. Pet. 1 2.3 c. 1. Pet. 5.12 c. Rom 13.1 2 3 4 5. Rom. 1 7. Rom. 13.1 Chrysost. in Rom. 13. Hom. 23. Theodor. in Rom. 13. Theoph in Rom. 13. Oecumenius in Rom. 13. Bernard Ep. 42. Aenâ—s Silvius lib. 1. de gestis Basil. Concil Gregor epist. li. â— C. 100.103 Optat. contra Parm lib. 3. Tert. ad Scapul Tert. Apolog. cap 30. Concil Tolet. 6. cap. 14. Defensor pacis part 2. ca. 23. Ema Sa. Aphor. Bellarm. de Cler. cap 28. Rev. 9.11 1. Pet. 2.13 14. Rom. 13.3 4. The authority of Kings in matters Ecclesiasticall declared Rom. 13.4 Even Heathen and Pagan Kings have the authoritie to coÌ„mâ—nd to make lawes proclamations for God his service albeit they doe not alwaies extend it and use it accordingly Esra 7.1.21.23.26.27 Dan. 3.29 Dan. 6.26 Euseb lib 8. c. 19 lib. 9. c. 9. c. Esay 49.23 Aug. epist. 50. 2. Chro. 14.4.2 2. Chr 33.16 2. Chr 34.33 Aug. in li. 1. ca. 6. cont Epist. Parmenian Aug. in Evang. Ioan. tract 2. Aug. epist. 48. Luke 14.23 Aug. epist. 50. Act. 9.4.19 Acts 22.7 c. Psal. 2.10 11 2. Kin. 18 4. 2. Kin. 23.3 4 5 6. c. Ion. 3.6 7 8 9. Dan. 3.28.29 Dan. 6.26 c. August cont 2 Gaudent epist. lib. 2. cap. 17. Ion. 3.6 7 8 9 10. Luke 1â— â—3 August contra