either riches are to be preferr'd before poverty or marriage before Virginity and though I think marriage both honorable and lawfull in the Clergy yet I am of the L. Bacons opinion Charity can hardly water the ground where it must first fill a Pond aâ—d that many men believe not themselves wâ—at they would perswade others lesse do the things they would impose least know what they most confidently boast they onely set the sign of the Cross over their outer doors and sacrifice to the gut and grain in their inner closets and I must suspect the Sun of righteousness declining among these once not impious orders wher the shadows so far exceed the substaÌ„ce Sect. 59. Monachism prevails not so much in the sustentation of Popery as what is call'd Arminianism might against it I cannot think Bernevelt lesse the tongue and Genius of Holland because they could separate both from the body Politick nor that they inlarg'd not ignorance while they confin'd Grotius and learning and excellence suffer'd no lesse then by an Ostracism in this admirable Hugo Men born to raise the Low-Countries a pitch of excellence above their neighbours had not the envy of their neighbours conspiring with headstrong ignorance cast them below themselves but that which rais'd a tumult there and gilded a war here hath subdued even the Conquerors There is scarce a souldier but defends it and by it repels not introduces Popery into the Land Sect. 60. Calvin lends more occasion to mak Romish Proselytes then Ignatius Loyola and the Gomarists of Holland expell'd not Popery with Arminanism but opened a gap for the wild bore to lay wast their Vineyard whose entrance is by servile will irrespective Election and irreprobation paritie of sins the consequences of which to some more refin'd wits may seem to exceed the absurdities of a Talmud Alcoran and Popish Legends asperse the deiety with Tyranny jugling and partiality intitle goodnesse it self to sin while God is made Author of iniquity take away virtues essence by absuming will the Gospell promises and force of Laws confound the rationall faculties of the soul adequate humane nature to bestiall leave us to obey our fate and follow the duct of stars and teach such a trumpeter as the Jesuit Campian who could only sound to battail set others gether with noise and have himself no weapon or Trumpeter-like without a point not come to the purpose or can at most but scratch the face of Charity and disfigure Christian communion with quorsum corruptio haeretica contagio niâ—i ut qui solâ— side gloriam rapturi sunt in omnium tur pitudinum caeno volutati noturam accusent virtutem desperent praecepta deonerent as if these phancies were onely broched to vent irreligion and impiety by accusing nature despairing virtue and deonerating precepts ot wallow in the mud of impurities yet these may be deducible from a Saint Augustine their own Dominicans and a stream of interpreters while the Camells are forc'd to swim by the reason of the depth of the Enigmaticall Apostle and even the Roman Oracle himselfe dares not bee more confident then the Delphian gives onely dubious responses etripode Nay 't is affirm'd in their Angelick Doctor Aquinas who if the Elogies of three Popes carry credit quot articulos edidit tot miracula in jungimus ut ejus doctrinam tanquam veridicam Catholicam sectem â—ni ecce plus quam Solomon hic who with trifling arguments concludes for that the envy of which they would fix on the reformation In some distempers who feed the body feed the diseases if the too indulgent hand of some too officious Parent instead of help hath reach'd death to her beloved children while zealous ignorance in a supposed antidote administers poyson we know what a discracy the Roman Mother by rasher indulgences hath reduc'd the body Ecclesiastick if the preposterous zeal of other Churches hath begot an atrophy in some constitutions while ignorantly they take away Laws terror perswasions make us loath food or think our selves incapable it would be a strange Law would punish with death the rash zeal of a mistaking parent in the ruine of a child with the same medicine she cur'd others Quos praedestinavit ad finem praedestinavit ad medâ—a Endeavour to make your Calling and Election sure may counterprise the poyson in some and strength of nature work it out in others God of his mercy send the oyle of his holy Spirit that by the holy annointing the tumors of venemous malice may subside in all Sect. 61. The Satyr in the Fable seeing his Host blow his fingers to heat them and his broth that he might cool it renounc'd his society We are all too Satyricall have too much of a Satyrs nature in us the beastiall part so farre exceeds humanity that we renounce communion for that which might be rectified by reason That which can infrigidate an Italians zeal may inflame a frozen Islanders devotion Urban the eight demanded by a Cardinall why he preferr'd one for Nuntio whose capacities had arrived to no higher eminencies then the trash and refuse of mankind before a quick and refined piece in whom nature as in an Elixir had plac'd all that might inrich in the mysterious excellencies of state replyed This Eagle would not be lur'd to flies and those higher elevations of phancy would only render him incapable of himselfe and others who measure other mens thoughts by their own will prove ill Judges both of themselves and others Sect. 62. From those whom I am divided in opinion I will not prove a Separatist in my charity I shall contend in nothing but not to approve my selfe contentious As I am an English man I will use the liberty which God hath permitted me was I a Spaniard or Italian I would think with Erasmus si quid tyrannidis quod tamen non cogat ad impietatem satius est fâ—rre quâ—m seditiose reluctare nec esse pium nec esse rutum de potestate publicâ sinistram concipere aut serere opinionem c. Singularity not so precious as to cost the quiet of a Mother neither should I be troubled with those squibs and erackers the noise and fire that flies up and down the stories of hell for not confessing God before men to confesse the God of peace the best way is to bepeaceable I am not of the Gnosticks humour to deny God in the time of persecution and worship Idolls which the mistaken places of these Scripture wire-drawers import I should suppose I denyed God a common Father and persecuted the truth should I so wed my selfe to the Idoll of my own phancy as not to worship the true God after any form Sect. 63. Errors are more worthy of pitty then hate Reformations have been so tumultuous and refractory that quiet error to sober Christian might seem to be preferr'd before unruly truths All Churches betwixt invitation and menace would perswade resignation of faith to a simple
reliquis Gentibus quasi spiritus Sanctus adventaverâ—t The God of the Jewes one of the Angells and Simon himself the Father who made the Angells if to sit in the Temple of God as God denotes him the Samaritans call'd Simon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 worship'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with incense and sacrifice who can doubt him by the Samaritans worship'd in places set apart for Gods service and so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the man of sin be an opposite tearm for him hee call'd his wench Helena his lost sheep having left her in a Brothel ad hanc descendit pater summus and carrying her back to his Palace ad hominem salutem respexit had respect to humane health salutem hominis dixit esse liber ationem ab Angelorum imperio qui-ipsos ad bonas actiones urgerent nec promitterent agere quae vellent the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or mystery of iniquity may quadrate with the impiety of his followers the Gnosticks as well as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 man of sin or adversary with Magus if to deny Christ to have come in the flesh may be appropriated to Antichrist the Gnosticks deny'd Christ to have been born liv'd or dy'd but in apparition Apostacy may bee applicable to their relinquishing Christianity to comply with persecuting Jewes that which impeded the mystery of iâ—iquity the Apostles compliance in some judaical observances the swift destruction see perform'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in a moment they were utterly destroy'd by the breath of Christs mouth brightnesse of his coming one denoting the Evangelicall power in the mouth of Peter and Paul personally opposing him and Christs comming to take judgement on the Iews and his favorites the Gnosticks who adher'd to them in the persecution of Christianity Sect 9. This with our incomparable Doctor Hammond doth carry more probability then the whimzies of Brightman who wil have the Martyr Antipas antipapas though he suffered in Domitians time must be an Antipope or some mens phantastick humour of Anagrams where Doctor Chatterton may come as near the number of the Beast as Calixtus whose name the Parsons torture in revenge of their depriv'd lechery or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 where they serve the phancy of Irenaeus to that hee did not apprehend or Saint Hierom Tertullian and Chrysostom about the Apostacy it would be well if with those Fathers they would ingenuously confesse their ignorance of Antichrist and not byasse them to their phancies to call what they phancy not Antichristian Nor is the whimzey of the Romanists and some Fathers more rationall who would have him of the Tribe of Dan and the text of Dan a Serpent in the way lies like a Serpent in the way to seduce them out of the waies of truth as if there were any Jew expected a Messiah from that Tribe when there was never any that expected him not from the Tribe of Judah the ten Asiatick Kings which Daniel saw must be the same with the ten horns in the Apocalyps and Antiochus Epiphanes must bee the Pope heaping up gold and silver id est adorning the Temples with gold and silver extolling himself above God viz. more zealous to have his own constitutions perform'd then Gods the same arguments being applicatory to all Magistracy as well as the Pope Phanaticks have took notice of them to name them Antichristian and the Churches have been rob'd out of zeal while sacriledge hath been incourag'd the unhappy companion of rash reformation and if they are usher'd in by rebellion and attended by sacriledge a wise man need not wonder at either while all think they are nearer to God by being further from each other he that deserts the Romanists seldom stops till he hath orerun all Church-fences by renouncing discipline and our Precisian Proselytes as I have known not a few rarely prove not Jesuited Papists and out of the phrantick zeal call'd Conscience brand their brethren with the names of Antichristian c. when men should hate corruption which depraves Religion run from it and not from Religion Atheism and irreligion gather strength while the ship of the Church tost with blasts of error indangers splitting in the waves of contention there is in all national Churches truth enough to save men but I fear malice enough to damn envn Angels who resists any of their phancies hath the spirit of Antichrist though Antichrist in Divinity resembles the Elixir in Philosophy many rules are prescrib'd but few if any have attain'd the Philosophers stone and though the Pope in hew and cry for him might be taken on suspition by the marks a Pope hath set on a him yet suspition entring the actions-plea there wants proof to maintain the Plea Sect 10. The motions of these superior bodies was in excellent order and perfection til exhalations from the gross and putrid matter of ambition produc'd horrid trepidations and became precursors of prodigious calamities while they grovel'd here for truth and traded away the stock of Christian Charity for fictitious coyn minted by passion mutable affection or seduc'd reason to preferre the pageantry of the world before the simplicity of the Gospell and to blaze like Meteors with the vapor of an empty name rather then shine like stars in an Orb of Sanctity irradiating by their benigner influence the horizon of Christianity yet some good patriarches maugre envy triumph in innocence the beams of their Sanctity too glorious to be orecast with the mantle of blind malice though clouded and interwoven with specious pretences Sect 11. I can find Lillies and roses Popes candid with innocence and purpl'd with Martyrdom whose blood became the seed of the Church while Christian Rome as well as Pagan had her foundation in red ruines the foundation of Christianity laid with the blood of Martyrs Amongst those some please themselves by naming Nimrods Abaddons and incurable Babylonians I can find one die for the losse of a terrene Jerusalem as well as others neglect a celestial A Peter Marron alias Celestine the 5. so busied about his prayers that he can neglect to bee called O holy Father in Earth to cry our Father in Heaven bee perswaded out of a triple Crown here to ascertain one hereafter A third Benedict who can weep to bee chosen A Deodate a Sicilian Monk which being chosen gave none ever occasion to weep Agathon and Theodate reported to cure Leprosies by kissing as wel as others by their ill breath cause the Leprosie of Schism orespread the face of the Church A John giving sight to the blind as well as others of the name blinding A fourth Adrian an English man converting Norway as well as others perverting Nations A Gregory so charitable as to call Anglos Angelos de ir a liberandos who call'd us Angels I have no cause to believe him an evill one since an Angel of darknesse would not have sent Angels of light to deliver us
theirs must have sworn vassalage to the Papacy Sect. 20. Or that communion of Saints was an article of levelling taken up pro necessitate temporum since Saint Cyprian takes no notice of it in his time and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Praising God and having all things common was the Saints communion May we all be members of one body while we show a mutuall sympathy partake of the same head by obeying Christs directions cemented together with his blood and knit by the unity of his spirit though every part may conduce to the good of the other none can so supererogate as the other may be uselesse similar nor dissimilar breeds no contrarietie but all parts comply to the service of the whole no dissimilitude of site motion ceremony divide but the gangreen of sin only enforces an amputation ne pars sincera trahatur The eyes are not incensed against the feet for not seeeng nor doth the ear commence a quarrell with the hands for not hearing or the back parts about the faces uncovering since decency of one part is the indecency of another every part not made for it self but for others all to the captivity of the head in compliance of whose dictates we must expect an unity in the body But an uniformity would prove a monster above a sober expectation above the chymaera's or phantasms of Enthusiasts who damn all the world that weather-cock-like turns not round with their own vertiginous heads Scimus quosdam quod semelimbiberint nolle deponere nec proposituÌ„ suum facile mutare sed salvo inter collegas pacis concordiae vinculo quaedam propria apud se semel usurpata retinere nec nos vim cuique facimus nec legem damus was the opinion of Saint Cyprian I could wish those who pretend most to be of his opinion would challenge a little of his charity Sect 22. For forgivenesse of sins I as little believe a Solifidian as a Romish Priest that attrition by absolution becomes contrition the one while he deceives himselfe by a lie or the other while he imposeth upon others secure neither from being deceived they may send to the father of lies but lying will scarce bring to the God of truth since none can be implanted in the death of Christ who bring not forth the fruit of this tree of life nor partake of the resurrection to life everlasting He that will be saved must keep the faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sound in faith and free from reproach in conversation holy as well as whole and so his holinesse himselfe may be prov'd the most fallible and though they violate the sense of the word while they render it inviolate yet God grant that they may keep it inviolate no more writh and wrench it to rivet in their own ambitious designes and we may keep it so undefiled that Momus himselfe may not carp at our lives since Christs death is mention'd for our regeneration birth for mortification resurrection for our rising in newnesse of life that we may enjoy the communion of Saints remission of sinnes and resurrection of our bodies to eternall life Sect. 23. There are but a few credenda petenda and agenda where I cannot avoid an Anathema non credendo non opponendo I will seek security embrace verities all hold if I cannot those wherein they differ though sometimes enterlacing discords graces the best Musick yet a quiet error is rarely not to be preferred before an unruly truth and crochets and quavers prove unseasonable when they disturb the plain songs of peace and it is better a son of the Church should be unknown then what they report of the viper he should make his way through the bowells of his Mother or a Milstone hung about his neck and he buried in the depth of his imaginations rather then they soar in the narrow way and keep weak brethren from heaven It shall not trouble me with Delrio whether the old Serpent was a Viper with Bonaventure and Comestor a Dragon or with Eugubinus a Basilisk or with others a common Snake it shall trouble me rather to continue the delusion of the Serpent by endeavours of propagating error that Adam tasted forbidden fruit may trouble me what fruit shall not I shall number it among the foâ—bidden fruits of knowledge which so many wiser heads have made disquisitions after and would have truth satisfied by the relish of their palats Sect 25. Whether our Saviours Crown was made of Paliurus or a piece of it visited Glassenburie and the precursor of his death turns an Angel of his Nativity blooming every Christmas day is not worth a disquisition I could make a Rose by moistning dilate and by rendring again insucâ—ous close may I rather avoid those thorns the curse of my sins which may render me incapable of both Whether Durantes distick of the Crosse be true need be no part of my creed Pes Cedrus est truncus Cupressus oliva supremum Palmaque transversum Christi sunt in cruce signum May I partake of no corruption like the Cedar in mourning for sin resemble the Cypresse by fertility in goodnesse assimilate the Olive so shall I flourish like a Palm even in the storms and pressures of this world mount upward by taking up the Crosse and following be partaker of him who was crucified Prudent symbols and pious applications may have an influence upon ingenious conceivers which may elevate devotion but on the mad rabble melancholy Monks and ignorant Priests they have no other efficacy beside warping to Magicall applications and miraculous expectancies It shall not trouble me whether the soul of Christ in triduo mortis went into Hell really as Thomas Aquinas believes or virtually and by effects only as Durand or whether the soul of Christ did descend really and in essence into the lowest pit of hell and place of the damned or really only into the place or region of hell called limbum Patrum and then but vertually from thence into the lower hell The Father to him who ask'd what God did before he made the world answe'rd Provide hell for such curious scrutinists as you are Non per difficiles Deus ad be atam vitam quaestiones vocat c. in absoluto nobis facili est aeternitas Jesum suscitatum à mortuis credere ipsum esse Dominum confiteri I will not procure a certain purgatory to my selfe here to make stranger guesses of an incertain one hereafter or whether the inventor of it Origens purgatory which could even purifie Devills reform them to Angels of light or the differing purgatory of S. Gregory Nissen St. Cyprian or St. Austin carry a greater probability or the Roman purgatory which took a platform from neither I can believe I may find a way to heaven without taking purgatory in my way or else the Fathers before Gregory the great might mistake never any one was directed that way with above an ut
if it be confirmed by the Pope it cannot be confirm'd till finish'd if finish'd it hath err'd or not err'd if err'd the Pope ought not to confirm falshood if not err'd it was truth before he confirm'd it and at best his assent is but signum pro causa or a Councell must be either infallible by the means or the prophetick part the conclusion the means humane learning fallible meanes may have fallible effects or if by the conclusion the spirit makes no use of meanes they must either make means uselesse or open a gap for Enthusiasts to ruffle the Church Where two or three are conven'd Christ is in the midst of them to concede what he shall think fit for them not they fit for themselves a generall Councell may bee supposed not to erre led by the spirit of truth in Scripture and not presuming to lead both spirit and Scripture no Father having to deal with Hereticks intitled Councels infallible The letters of Bishops according to Saint Austine may bee disputed by more learn'd Bishops nationall Councells by plenary and even plenary may be amended the former by the later that onely which is found in Scripture may be neither doubted nor disputed The comforter shall abide with them and lead them into all truth viz. the Holy Ghost that lead the Catholick Church not into all curious truths in or about the faith but all truth necessary to salvation in which the Catholike Church can't erre for if it could erre it could not bee holy Sect. 67. Now let us peruse a little of the Elixir of the Fathers which some Pontificians sure rightly understood would turn al into Catholike Gold in which we may believe them but never that it is able to convert one intelligent man to be a Papist Illa Ecclesia quae fuit omnium gentium jam non est periit apostavit hoc dicunt qui in illa non sunt O impudentem vocem illa non est quia tu in illa non es vide ne tu ideo non sis nam illa erit etiamsi tu non sis O vocem abominabilem detestabilem c. hanc praevidit spiritus Dei ecce ego vobiscum sum usque ad Consuminationem seculi Sed forte ista civitas quae mundum tenuit universum aliquando evertetur absit Deus enim fundavit in aeternum si Deus fundavit in aeternum quid times ne cadat Portae inferorum non praevalebunt contra eam quod si non credâ—s verbo ipsis operibus crede Multo facilâ—us mâ—hi persuaderem Christo non esse credendum quam de illo quidquam nisi ab his per quos credidissem esse credendum Deus posuâ—t in sole tabernaculum suum qui contra Lucernam in candelabro positam oculos claudunt quid amplius dicturus sum quam caecos esse Quomodo impurâ—ssâ—me Diabole Ecclesiam te posse putas deâ—jcere adulterari non potestâ— sponsa Christi incorrupta est Pudica est domum unam novit unius cubiculi Sanctitatem casto pudore custodit Hoc Ecclesiae proprium est ut tum vincat cum laeditur tum intelligatur cum arguitur tum obtineat cum de seritur Haec ergo navis Ecclesia est quae si quotidie saeculum istud tanquam aliquod pelagus fortiter infestum nunquam elidâ—tur ad saxum nunquam mergitur ad profundum super petram fundata Ecclesia nullâ tempestate Concutitur nullo turbine ventisque subruitur Quorsum haec what a flood of Fathers is here without a drop of reason who ever deny'd God would have a Church spread ore the face of the Earth yet this implies that the Roman is only Catholick a Monopoly of heaven and mercy by usurpation of the name or because the Rivers of life shall not cease while time flowes to stream in the Citty of God his holy Catholick Church they lose their current if they stream not in the channells of Romish phancies Who would not with Saint Austin rather believe nothing of Christ then the Gospell of Peter Bartholomew Nicodemus the Acts of Paul and Tecla c. ridiculous figments of giddy heresie where the Devill in an Angell of lights shape would have brought darknesse in fashion this implies not sure we must not believe the true Gospell without it is maâ—gin'd with Pontifician notes and fenc'd with profit-angling baits of phanatick interpreters Gods Tabernacle is in the Sun and he hath a Church like the Sun shining with light and eminent in vertues who see not this light in a candlestick or so great a mountain as Gods Church Christianity more eminent then all other Religions with the Father I could call them no lesse then blind I should think them hallucinate could not see through the disfigurements of truth and veils of ceremonies a face of Religion in the Romish Church but desperately blind could see no other and after he had received the phantasticall garb would shut his eyes and think it immodesty to view poor truth naked I may believe with Saint Cyprian the Devill cann't deject the spouse who leaves not Christs bed to lie with Adonis or exchanges Christianity for Paganism the joyes of his Spirit for the salt waters of Mundan complacencies or the pure streamâ— of life for polluted puddles of phanatick interpretations I can assent to Saint Hilary Persecution is the Churches seed to Saint Ambrose the Church is a Ship secure in storms to Saint Hierom a Rock which windes nor waves move Yet believe these sayings have no other relation to the Roman Church then the Roman hath relation to the Catholick Church by being part of the whole body of Christianity of which Christ is the head Sect. 68. Papists while they bring in the Fathers in vizards may terrifie some weak ones but the vizards once pluckt off from the faces of the Fathers the children whom they have afrighted dare play with them and wise men conclude the cause not honest which needs a disguise since the confines of truth is to be naked Ignatius called the Roman Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most chast and Metropolis of the Region of the Romans and wishes those things may be firm which they teach May the Roman Church be firme to what it then taught and then may all firmly believe what she teaches and though not in a power 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Ignatius was ignorant of but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he mentions be President Polycarp communicated with the Roman Church though disagreed about Easter was content to passe over rather a trifling formality then renounce his charity who instructs us nothing of their Roman power may instruct us in the power of Godlinesse not to relinquish Christian communion for triviall observances Irenaeus praises the Roman faith succeeding with Episcopacy yet oppugns Victor sure he dream'd not of Pontificiall infallibility Saint Cyprian saies the Romans are such to whom