by his spirit to supply all my defects and notwithstanding my infirmities not to faile to accomplish his power by weake meanes whether it be in confirming those whome he hath already called to the communion of his grace or whether it be in awaking others out of their security to the end that they may seeke his truth and in seeking it may find it and in it euerlasting life through Iesus Christ our Lord to whom with the Father the Holie Spirit be honour and glory eternally Amen FINIS Faults escaped in some copies PAg. 5. lin 18. for braue read some braue Pag. 8. line 21. for superstition superstition florished P· 11. lin 29. for accompany for the most part accompany 28.17 for won wondred 31.27 for liberally literally 132.1 for being true being no true Pag. 108. referre the citation out of Cyzicenus to that which followeth about Hosius and at u read Athanas. 2. Apol. Diuers other petty faults there are such as cannot wrong aâ— intelligent Reader a Vid. epist. de progress Rel. Christian ap Jndos b Munsler in Cosm. descrip Fâ—is c Rom. 1â— 2 d Gal. 1.14 e Rom. 10.3 f Ioh. 6.15 Act. 1.6 g 2. Cor. 3.16 h Mat. 15.3 6. Marc. 7.8.9 13. i Luc. 18.9.8 k Ioh. 6.15 Act. 1.7 l Ioh. 18.36 m Mat. 11.29 n 1. Cor. 1.23 o Act. 2.23 Ioh 9.39 49. a 1 Cor. 1.23 b Videsis Apolog Châ—â—stian 〈◊〉 Geâ—tâ—s viz duas Apâ—log Iustini dâ—sâ—er Tatiani â—heoph Câ—em Alex. Tertul. in Apâ—log Arnob. Minut. Fâ—lic Lactan. Ioseph cont Aâ—pion Cypâ—ian cont Demâ—t Nâ—ziâ—n coâ— â—ulian c Minut. Fel. Arnoâ— lib 7. Teâ—tul Apolog. cap 22· d Arnob. lib. 1. Cyprian contr Demâ—t Maxim Imâ—er in edict â—useb Eccles. 〈◊〉 ab 9. c. 7. Symmach li 10. epiâ—t 〈…〉 e Tertul Apol. cap. 49. f Sym. in relâ—â— g Mecaen apud Dion lib. 52. h Act. 3.17 1. Cor. 2 6. i Ioh. 7.17 k Mark 7.5 Math. 15.2 l Ioh 8 33. m Râ—m 11. n Maâ—k 1.27 o Ioh 6 42. Mat. 13. â—5 Ioh 7 49. p Act â— 5 q Gal. 1.14 Apolog cap. 1. a. Coster Enâ—hir controu c. 1 b. Bordes de abus Missae c. Cens. Colon. p 9. Andâ—ad explis orthodox lib 2. p 69 Eckius in Enchir pâ—op 4 pag 69. d. Peâ—rus a soâ—â— in defeâ—s de vno praes Iud. Eâ—cles p. 108. coâ— 2. Pighius de Hiera Ecel 1. c 4. e Card. pâ—rro in tâ—â—ct de iâ—suffiScript Pistorius cont disp Mentz f. 27 f Herman laudatus à Card. Hosio lib 3 de author scrip g Bellar. lib. 4. de verbo Dei cap. 4. Tertul de praescrip advers haeret c. 13. alibi b Ps. 45. v. 54. c Cant. 1.5 d Ephes. 1.21 4.15 5.23 Colos. 1.18 e Rom 8.29 f Esay 5â— 3. g Phil. 2.7 i Act. 4.13 k Ioh. 7.49 l Luc 2.7 m Math 2.5 n Mat. 1. Luc 3 o Luc. 2.1.2.3 p Mat. 1.18.23 q Mat 13 55. Marc. 6.3 r Luc. 2.8 c. s Mat. 2. t Mat. â— 12.13 u 14. â—5 Ioh. 1.31.33 * Mat. 4 1. x Luc. 9.58 z Colos. 2 3. a Colos. 2.9 b Act. 3.15 5.31 c Apoc. 19 16. d Math. 3.17 e Thes. 1.14.18 3.18 f Phil. 2.6.7 g Ephes. 2 1â— h Esa. 64.8 i 1 Pet. 1.19 k Ephes. 5.17 l Rom. 8.17 2. Tim. 2.11 m. Luc. 16.19 m Mat. 10.16 o Luc 21.17 p Ioh. 15 17.1â— q Ioh. 6.6 r Luc. 12.12 s Ioh. 16.2 t Ma. 10 24.25 u 1. Cor. 1.26 * Mat. 11.25 x Luc. 12 3â— y Hier. cont Luâ—ifâ—r z Thâ—odorâ—t Eccles. Hist. lib. 3. c. 16. a Athanas. in 〈◊〉 ad eos qui â—eg vit solitâ—r b Greg Naz. in orat cont Aâ—â—ian c Jn lib. cont Arri. Auxent a Esa. 49.7.23 b Ioh. 14.27 16.33 c Philip. 4 7. d Rom. 5.1 f 2. Coâ— 4.8 e Rom. 5.2.3 g Esa. 60.16 h Esa. 46 1â— i Esa. 54.11 k Esa. 43.2 l Psal. 125.3 m Prov. 30 8. 1. Tim. 4.8 6.6 n Act. 14.22 o 2. Cor. 5.6 p Heb. 11.13 q Heb. 11.14.15 r Heb. 13 14. Apoc. 14.13 s Prov. 30.6 t 2. Chron. 36.22.23 Esd. 1.11 Esa. 49.28 45.1 u Petrarch in Sonnet beginniâ—g Fontana * In vit Malch Monac ad iniâ—i Psal 10â— 15 Apoc. 17.17 a. Gal. 3.23 b. Cols 2 17. c. Colos 4.1.2 3.4.5 d. Luc 1.78 e. Malach. â— 2 e. f Col 2 7. g. Ioh 1.17 h. Gal. 4.1 et seq i. Colâ—s 2.17 Heb 10. k. Gal. 4 3. l. Gal 2.35.26 m Heb. 7.16 n. Colos. 2.19.17 Heb. 6.2 p 1 Tim. 4. dâ—e 5· 22. q marke 6.13 Iam. 6 14. Aug. ep 118. ad Ianuar. Aug. Jbid. Aug. 119. Epi. c. 9. Aug. ib. Esa. 29.15 Ioh 4.21.23 Colos. 3. â— a Ioh. 18.36 b Mat. 10.25 c Mat. 17.16 d Act. 23.10 e Rom. 13.1 1 Pet. 2.13.14 f 2. Cor. 4.5 2. Cor. 1 24. 2 Thes. 2.4 g 1. Ioh. 2.18 h lb. 2. Thes 2.4 i 2. Thes. 2.4 k See Monsieur dâ— Nevers his discourse of his embassage to Rome l Viz that of the Cleargy m Viz Monastick vowsâ— n Witnesse the King of Polonia who by a dispensation maried his sister in law o Clem 5 in buâ—â—a indulg a August civit Dei lib. 10. c. 59 b 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Plat. in vita Paul 2. a Joseph de bel Judaec l. 6. c 4. b. Gal. 2.11 c. 1 Cor. 11.18 d Act. 23. Bellar. de imag l. 2. c. 20.21 Vid. Sledian comment l. 22. Iohn 17. Iud. v. 12 a Marc 7.5 Math. 13.2 b Sym. in relat â—oh 5.39 〈◊〉 5 4â— Math 25.6 f. Tertul. Apol. c. 19. h Arnob. Contr. Gentes lib. 2. i Ambros in râ—spos ad Sym. celat Ezek. 2â— 18 Tertull. de praescent 〈◊〉 Cypri ad Pomp. cont epist. Seph Epis. epist. 74. ex edit Pamell Cypr. ibid. a Tertul. contr Marcion lâ—b 4 ca. 5. b Just. Mart. in dial cont Tâ—y Iren. cont Her lib. 5. c. 33. Euseb. Eccl hist. lib. 3 c. 36. Tertul de spe fidel prout citaâ—ur à Hier. in Com. sup 36 c. Ezâ—ch Vict ap Hier. ib. in Catal. script Ecâ—les in nom Papius Lactan. lib. 7. c 25. c Aug. lib. 1. de merit peccat c. 20 24 lib ad Bonif. cont 2. Epist. Pelag. c. 22. lib. â— c. 4. l. cont Iulia â— c 2. passim a ibi d Chrys. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 inacta tom 4. edit Sauilâ— Cypriari Epist. 74. a. Rom. 1. â— b. 1. Thes. 1. â— c. Math. 3.9 d. Iohn 8.39 e. Rom. 4.16 9.7 f. Ierem. 3.11 Ezech. 16.51 23 11. 2. King 16 21. g. Esa. 1.9 h. Ezech. 9.4 a 2. Thes. 2.3 b. Ierem. 7.4 c. Ierem. ib. d. Ezech 7.10 e. Gal 41.23 f. Heb. 11.13.39 g Zach 2.8 b Gal 1. 3.1 a. Math. 16.18 b 1. Tim. 3.15 c. Ephes. 1.32 d Cant. 2.16 6.3 f. Iohn 16. e. Math. 28.20 g Rom. 2.28.29 h Ib. i 1. Cor.
AN EXAMINATION OF THOSE PLAVSIble Appearances which seeme most to commend the Romish Church and to preiudice the Reformed DISCOVERING THEM to be but meere shifts purposely invented to hinder an exact triall of doctrine by the Scriptures By Mr IOHN CAMERON Englished out of French OXFORD Printed by Iohn Lichfield and William Turner for Edward Forrest Ann. Dom. 1626. To the Reader COurteous Reader for preventing mistakes giue me leaue to aduertise thee that in many passages of this book beside the running title J haue vsed the word Preiudice in a sense not very vsuall in English make it answere to the French word Preiugè which my Author vseth not for an ill preconceit as wee commonly take it but for such a plausible appearance as before due examination maâ— bee a probable ground for any preconceit of a thing either good or bad So Antiquitie is a Preiudice for the Papists and against vs because that before a iudicious examination it is a probable ground for common braines to conceiue well of their Religion and to mistrust ours Secondly I haue not beene so superstitious in expressing my Authors word as I haue obserued some translators to be I haue not construed but translated keeping as neere as I could an euen course between a Pedant a Paraphrast For when the Originall is not to be learned by the Translation I tbink it not only lawfull but also conuenient to make vse of that liberty The neglect of it I take to be the reason why commonly Translations are thought to tast flat in respect of the Originall I shall not wonder if some slipps haue escaped mee seeing a man may be as absurdly ouer seene by too much animaduersion as by none and which is the misery of the most circumspect diligence a man may dote as much by gazing through a thing as by staring beside it yet I hope there are none so grosse as that they may abuse either my Author or his Reader Farwell AN EXAMINATION of the Prejudices of those of the Romish Church against those of the Reformed Religion CHAP. I. That passion blindeth the iudgement of man and hindreth it from assenting to the Truth IT 's a matter worthy astonishment that not onely vulgar braines but even the most eminent wits should suffer themselues to be so easily wonne by the out-sides of lies to beare armes against the truth Albeit the spirit of man the more excellent a temper it is of the more naturall and eager an appetite it hath after the knowledge of the trutâ— by the same instinct loathing ignorance and especially disdaining to be cheated So that even the most artificiall flatterers insteed of humoring it would offend it if it once conceiued it selfe to be but flattered as on the contrary if it once compleatly apprehended the truth it would stoope to it how harsh and bitter soever it were So hard is it but that the compleat representation the inside of a lye will offend vs and that of the truth affect vs. But the cause of our mischiefe is the perversenesse of our passions which oftentimes so over-heat and distemper the heart that out of it as it were exhaling thick and black vapours vpon the vnderstanding they either disturb our iudgements or altogether dull our apprehensions Neither deale they so well with vs as those piercing smoakes which bereauing man of his bodily sight yet leaue him still this vncomfortable priviledge that as he seeth nothing so he cannot bee gull'd by any lying apparitions Whereas when a heart chafed with passion hath dimmed yea extinguished the light of the vnderstanding yet that takes not from it a presumptuous conceit of its owne cleere sight and reall comprehension of the truth Whence it commeth to passe that man compassed about with thick darknesse confidently dreameth that he walketh in the Sunne shine and is strongly conceited that he hath then fast hold of the truth when he huggeth an absurd ridiculous fable This corruption is almost vniversall and like to a generall distemper of all the humours in the body it 's dispersed into all the passages of mans life In a word it 's the Epidemicall disease of our soules which maketh vs easily induced to beleeue all that for true which we desire should be so as being more sutable to our dispositions and convenient for the accomplishment and execution of our desires and designes Vpon this we invent vnto our selues probabilities and readily entertaine such as are presented vnto vs to make vs beleeue that matters are so as passion willeth vs to conceiue them as on the contrary that which we desire should be false as thwarting our aymes crossing and encumbring our enterprises by the like naturall flattery of our selues we perswade our selues that it is false indeed or suffer our selues to be easily so perswaded by another The first veine of this corruption may be espied even in the infancy of man Children are cheered and delighted if one tell them that the tale which pleaseth them is true and they willingly beleeue it how strange and fabulous soever it otherwise seeme vnto them coÌ„trariwise they are vexed and discouraged if one plainely tell theÌ„ that it was fained only for pleasure it will be a hard matter to stick this impression into them So naturally familiar is the power which passion hath to darken and blindfold the vnderstanding After the same manner whosoever loueth with a fit of passion he will descry many shewes of arguments to encourage his affection in the discourse of him who extolleth that vpon which he doteth And as he desireth that that which he loueth shouâ—d bee praise-worthy beholding it through this clowd he vieweth it in a shape and colour farre different from the naturall Parents oft-times curb'd by civility from an outward expression of their indiscreet affection yet in themselues giue the lye to those who freely tell them the truth of their children for it being a iust cause of extreame griefe vnto vs to be the parents of vntoward children so is it hardly beleeued by vs so long as there remaineth any probability of the better contrary He who is desirous to enter into a law-suit will conceiue a pretious esteeme of weake and frivolous counsell which perswadeth him that his cause is good contrariwise he will disesteeme and bee much displeased with the solidereasons of a sage Counseller who out of the goodnesse both of his conscience and skill certifieth him of the weaknesse of his cause and disswadeth him from entring into law All this proceedeth from this passion which entangleth his vnderstanding and hindreth it from a steedy view of those cozening semblances from an impartiall examination of them and from comparing of them with the truth Even so some one sick of an ignominious disease against all other Physitians he will willingly approue of him who shall iudge him to be sicke indeed but of an honest disease Imprinting according to his desire this false conceit into his minde vnder the superscription of
sence But if they deale fairely and say no more then what is true why giue they not their people leaue to looke and consider at their leasure whether matters are so or no Why is the meere curiositie of reading and hearing our workes accounted a sinneâ— What a wild contradiction what a strange confusion is this to cite our bookes and forbid the reading of theÌ„ But the naturall lazinesse of meÌ„ maketh this both excusable plausible For to referre the people to our writings seemeth vnto them a token of assurance in their Doctour this assurance or rather boldnesse serueth them also for a note of conscionable dealing and withall the prohibition of troubling themselues about this matter easeth them of a labour They are glad to heare our bookes cited that they may not seeme so vnreasonable as to condemne vs vpon other mens words they are as glad to be forbid to examine the citations that they may be discharged of such a trouble So the lazie merchant relyeth vpon his factour and the vnworthy Councellor vpon his clarke so long as the one looketh now and then to some accounts the other to an extract of the processe but carelesly hand over head and both of them say the one of his factour the other of his clerke that they are sufficient and conscionable men made both for their Masters profit and ease they willingly perswade theÌ„selues so that they may sleepe the quietlier CHAP. VII Vpon what Preiudices we haue beene condemned in the Church of Rome WEE could easily demonstrate that which we haue said particularly running through all the points of the Reformed Religion and manifesting the disguisement put vpon it to expose it to hatred and suspicion But our ayme is to examine vnder what pretences it hath beene is endevoured to hinder those reasons from beeing at all or duely considered which haue made the reformation of their abuses necessary Their master-peece or chief-trick of policie hath beene to decline the will and law of God speaking in the scriptures And as wicked Magistrates and the corrupters of iustice in a common-weaâ—th make thâ— authoritie of the lawes to depend vpon theirs vnder good and popular colours of a pretended obscuritie imperfection in them that so there may be a gate opened to al liberty in substituting in the roome of the lawes their owne willes and particular passions So in the Church wicked Pastours not daring to accuse the Scriptâ—res of falsehood or to râ—fuse subiection to their authority directly haue contriued diuers meanes by which they may auoid their sentence determinatioÌ„ charging theÌ„ with all those defects which make a writing meeâ—ly humane defectiue imperfect in its own kind denying the efficacy and maiesty of the Scripture while they call it a dead letter of white and blacke its clearenesse and simplicitie whil'st they blame it for obscuritie and ambiguitie its sufficiencie while they dare to accuse it of insufficiencie its aucthority in respect of vs when they make no scruple to teach that it hath no more authoritie over vs without the authority of the Church then Aesops fables or Mahomets Alcoran But we suppose that we haue by Gods assistance elsewhere suffâ—ciently shewed how false these censures or to speake more fully these blasphemies are wee haue at least wise performed it in such a manner that the adversaries of this truth hitherto haue not replied any thing Only the vexation and desperate rage to see the vanity and villanie of their vngodly policies exposed starke-naked to the view of the world hath forced them insteed of dissembling their exâ—reame griefe to vent it in iniuries and outragious insolencies woâ—thy indeed of their persons and well befitting so desperate a cause so accursed both of God and men but doubtlesse most vnbeseeming a Christian a Doctor of Christians vnsutable to the gravitie the sweet demeanour and gracious mildenesse of truth This euent sad in it selfe hath notwithstanding afforded vs ioy in affording vs a new example of the preuailing force of truth which faileth not to convince euen then when shee perswadeth not and if shee cannot bend her adversaries yet shee so trampleâ—h them and so sorely bruiseth them that albeit they submit not themselues vnto her they are neuerthelesse constrained to testifie the vlcer and wound of their coÌ„sciences by furious railings like those proceeding from a woman surprised in the shamefull act of adultery In the mean time this ioy hath encouraged vs to proceed farther in discovering by what devises they hinder an examination of the conformity of our Religion with the rule of faith as Tertullian calleth it whilst God enableth vs in the meanes to shew how they haue maâ—e it an impossibility to consider religion in its owne naturall guife representing it so counterfeit vnlike it selfe that as they pourtray it for the most part it is prodigiously mishapen Now to make our religion so obnoxious to hatred and suspicion that none should vouchsafe to consider its harmonie and concord with those maximes and principles which haue beene at all times and are at this time vnquestionable amongst Christians they haue pronounced it an impossibilitie for any ChristiaÌ„ to discerne the truth by the spirit of God dwelling in him And hauing once appropriated to themselues the title of the Church â—nobled with so many elogies priviledged by so many promises that no man may presume to question her authoritie vnlesse hee forthwith professe himselfe a Iew Turke or Pagan it was easie for them afterwards to shuffle the doctrine contrary to their abuses besides all examination But they seeing that it was not enough to vsurpe a magnificent title vnlesse it were after some sort justified and that contrarily the presumptuous rashnesse of such proceedings might pull vpon them the generall hatred and vniversall detestation of all Christians they haue found out as they imagine notable pretences to colour this vsurpation and verefie their title All thâ—se pretences may be reduced to tenne heads which they propound vnto vs after this manner 1 The magnificent state of their Church opposed to the contemptible condition of thâ—se who call for a reformation of their abuses 2 Her vnity and the division of her adversaries 3 Her antiquitie and the noveltie of the Reformation 4 They vrge vs to confesse that sometimes they hâ—ue beene the true Church if we yeeld that then they cry out that therefore they are so still because the Church perisheth not as certainly shee cannot either perish or change in that which is essentiall 5 They stand vpon a quotation of times places persons when where by whom this change was wrought this defection begunne 6 They demand where our Church soiourned so long time in what citty yea into what valley what desert did she retire 7 They except against the commission of the Authors of the Reformation as false and counteâ—feit 8 They make great braggs of their succession continued without interruption 9 They boast
commandement is of the nature of those which alwaies haue this condition vnderstood when the thing is possible The Lord had regard to the time wherein he liued and hath prescribed a law which ought to be obserued but alwaies the possibility of obseruance supposed and an estate of the Church semblable to that in his time when the Church discipline was not as as yet corrupted in this point This Commandement then presupposeth not that the Church should alwaies be obvious to the eyes of men but that in the case propounded recourse should be had vnto her when shee was so As for the Pastours of the Church they are called the light of the world not alwaies in relation to the effect but to the duety as they are called also in this respect the salt of the earth beecause they were ordained for this purpose and are bound to this duty But then when they are in effect the light it is a spirituall light not discernable but to the eyes of the soule mindes of those which are spirituall of those which are in the house as our Saviour expresseth it So that none of these considerations can yeeld a sufficient argument for the perpetuall outward visibility of the Church neither in the whole nor in her parts CHAP. XXIIII That the Church of God was before the last Reformation where shee was and who were her Pastors BVt if they will needs presse vs further yet demaÌ„d where our Church was extaÌ„t immediately before our separatioÌ„ we tell theÌ„ that shee was in BabyloÌ„ in captivity vnder the kingdome of Antichrist a Come out of BabyloÌ„ my people it is written in the Revelation the people of God were then in Babylon albeit they served not the Gods of Babylon and which is more their Teachers were the Teachers of Babylon If this seeme strange to any maÌ„ let him call to minde the estate of the Iewish church before our Saviour had begunne his preaching Might it not at that time haue beene demanded where the Church of God had beene before and who were her Pastours What could one answere to this query Might it haue beene said that the Scribes and Pharises and their adherents the greater part of the people were the Church alas they were nothing lesse they were enemies of Christ and â—his Church the true answer then had beene to say that the Church was a small number of righteous persons which groaned vnder the burden of that spirituall tyranny which lamented the desolation come vpon them by the corruption of the ancient doctrine and discipline That the Doctors of â—he Church were the Pharises of whom the Lord testified that they sate in Moses chaire Now we say the very same thing That God before the reformation begun in the daies of our fore-fathers had a Church in the midst of Babylon in the midst of the Popish and Antichristian church but that this church howsoeuer was not the multitude of those who had received the marke of the Beast and worshipped it but the small company of those which misliked the Roman tyrannie and corruption of whom some from time to time being detected haue beene banished others cruelly put to death and slandered to haue beene guilty of horrible and hainous crimes to make their persons odious to the people their memories execrable to posterity had not God by his providence maugre the subtiltie and furie of calumnie preserved the monuments of their faith and pietie even vnto this day Such were the poore Waldenses constrained to wander to fro such also were the exiled Albigenses Concerning that which is further demanded of vs who were the Teachers of the Church during that time so full of confusion then when Babel raigned We answer that questionlesse the holy Ghost alwaies instructed his Church inwardly and that outwardly they were the very same which taught publikely namely the Doctours of the Romish Church But some man may here say that by consequent they were true Teachers to which we answer that in some sort they were true as the Scribes and Pharises were both true Teachers and seducers true when they sitting in Moses chaire teaching his doctrine the people receiued wholsome instruction by their Ministery Seducers when they sitting in their owne chaire teaching their owne traditions their owne inventions they who pâ—rished the people whom God had not chosen sucked in the poison which they tempered Thus it was in the Iewish câ—urch before the Lord had begunne to manifest himselfe to the world otherwise God had not had a Châ—rch This being true and evident it should not be necessary sollicitously to insist vpon a farther answer to the demand How this could bee When there is an agreement about the thing it is curiosity to inquire after the manner of it Yet that we may leaue no scruple behinde we will tell them after what manner God vseth false Teachers to instruct his people The Scribes and Pharises propounded the word of God and read it amongst the Iewes before the comming of our Saviour so much as was necessary to salvation but they mingled their leaven with it they thrust in their expositions glosses and traditions the true Church sustained her selfe with the word and reiected the leauen the false glutted her selfe with the leauen and let passe the word What strange matter is there in all this The sheepe in their pasturage where there are some venomous heaâ—bes and others convenient for this nature knowe well how to choose that which is proper for them â—o let alone that which is hurtfull and shall the sheepe of Christ be vnfurnished of this discretion They of whom it is said that they heare his voice knowe it follow it and fly from the hand of a stranger Who then will wonder any longer that before the great Reformation which the Lord hath begunne in these latter daies as it were in the decrepite age of the world the Church hauing truth propounded vnto her mixed with lyes hath embraced the truth and reiected the lyes Surely this truth hath sounded alwaies in the Church it hath beene in the mouthes of the Romish Doctours as the benediction was in the mouth of Balaam This truth that there is one God Creatour and preserver of all things that the Father Sonne and Spirit distinguished but not divided are this God that the vniverse being created for man and man after the image of God he by his sinne hath drawne vpon himselfe anger and malediction That the sâ—nne of God hath taken our nature vpon him and in it hath expiated our offences that all thâ—se which beleeue in him which repent in syncerity obtaine mercy That therefore we ought to loue so mercifull a God to call vpon him to giue him thankes Thus farre the Scribes and Pharises were in Moses chaire in the chaire of the Prophets of Christ and his Apostles thus farre they were to be harkned to Thus farre the Church did heare them But whilst
amongst them doe preach it is not as they are Monkes That license was anciently granted them in the forme of a dispensation In St Hieromes time the office of Monks was not to preach but to weepe To imploy ones selfe in preaching is to bid the Monkish life farewell to renounce it in this respect And if every Monke should imploy his gift and talent as doe the small number of those amongst them which preach the Monasteries would remaine emptie and these Monks would be no longer Monks but secular men conversing in the world and busying themselues for the common good of it every one according to his abilitie every man in his ranke station one in pleading the cause of the Orphane another in applying convenient remedies for the prevention or expulsion of diseases another in distributing almes out of his abundance one in the exercise of one calling another in another But the Monkes by their vowes quite disenable themselues for the performance of these offices Some ancient lawes punished certaine cowards which that they might not be pressed for the warre got their thumbs cut off not only for hauing vsed an inhumane cruelty towards them selues but also for hauing cosened the Common-wealth of its due They then make themselues culpable after the same manner who wittingly depriue theÌ„selues of those meanes by which they might giue a helping hand for the reliefe of the common necessities of mans life We are not placed in this life neither abide we in this world for our selues only but for others also every man for his neighbour It is the law of nature it 's the law of God it 's the precept of the Gospell that we should doe good to all and especially to those of the houshold of faith He then who purposely maketh himselfe vnprofitable willingly violateth this law shewing himselfe vnnaturall rebellious against God full of selfe-loue seeking that which is his owne and not the Lord Iesus any farther then the lips and outward profession But which is yet more intolerable they make themselues not only vnprofitable but also burdensome they liue vpon other mens labours they depriue those who are poore indeed of their reliefe intercepting that which might and ought to be giuen them They think it a more blessed thing to receiue then to giue quite contrary to the iudgement of our Saviour They labour not and yet they thinke themselues worthie to liue and be maintained notwithstanding the speech of the Apostle he which worketh not let him not eat They say that their prayers are their taskes their oraisons their businesse But St Austin in his booke de opere Monach where he hath taken vpon him to proue that every Monke which liues vpon almes and gifts is guiltie of theft hath amply refuted these flim-flamms shewing that the spirituall service of God doth not hinder vs from but incourage vs to labour The Grecians account him not a true Monke who is chargeable to others The Abyssin Monkes follow the same law And indeed though the Monkish profession be ancient enough in the Church yet the idlenesse of Monks and their begging is but new In St Austens time some beganne in fauour of them to alleage the example of the birds of the fields of whom the Lord saith that they neither sow nor reap But that good father answereth them as they deserued telling them that hee was of opinion that they might goe as the birds doe to feed themselues in the fields without bringing any thing home with them and that it would bee good if they had wings that they might be affrighted away like stares birds not be apprehended as theeues Concerning the second point the Monkish life doth not quench but nourish doth not cast water but oyle vpon the fire of concupiscence An honest liberty of marrying when one will if a man be not altogether gracelesse easily spends and exhales this passion and suffereth it not to breake out into flames whereas the constraint by vow taketh away all hopes of vent and shutteth it vp within vs. There is no man lesse troubled with hunger then he who hopes that he may eat wheÌ„ he pleaseth he who despaireth of it betaketh himselfe to his owne flesh and as the Prophet speaketh eateth even his owne arme Now this is not spoken with a purpose to discouer the secrets of the Couent but only to giue a secret glaunce at that which all the world knoweth of it But what Can their fastings and scourgings afford them no remedy Yes if they would in due proportion fast continually if they would fast simply and absolutely otherwise for him which hath not the gift of continence to fast by starts and lash himselfe by fits this is but to stirre his disease insteed of remouing it and to anger his sore insteed of healing it There are diseases which are nourished by gentle lenitiue remedies The anodins such medicines as cast the sicke into a sleep take away the paine for a time but they either kill the persoÌ„ out right or else the paine returneth with the greater violence as if it had gone backward for a time that it might come forward with a doubled furie Witnesse St Hierome himselfe my countenance saith he was wan by reason of my fasting and my flesh was dead before my selfe and yet my spirit boyled within me with the heat of my desires Did so holy and devout a man out of I knowe not what humilitie publikely divulge so base and scandalous a lye of himselfe No no. He spake the truth and thereby how highly soever he hath extolled virginitie vnwittingly confesseth that for concupiscence which is not moderated by the gift and particular grace of continence there remaineth only that remedy set downe by the Apostle that for avoiding fornication every man should haue his owne wife and every woman her owne husband True virginitie is râ—dically in the soule if it bee not â—â—ere principally it cannot be in the body and if it be there it will transfuse it selfe thence into the body whether it be in wedlocke or in a single life Imagine we that St Peter married as the most ancient testifie of him was lesse acceptable to God then St Paul vnmarried God measureth not men but by piety where he findeth that equall he is equally pleased with it be it in married or vnmarried persons What then shall the single life haue no prerogatiue Yes questionlesse if it conduce more to pietie then marriage but if it faile in this point it 's much inferiour to marriage Now it alwaies fayleth of that in them who haue not the gift of it There are some saith our Saviour which make themselues Eunuches for the kingdome of heaven but all men cannot receiue this saying saue they to whom it is given Which is clearely expounded vnto vs by St Paul telling vs that he could wish indeed that all had the gift of continence as well as he but that every man hath his proper
gift one in one kinde another in another· To him then who hath receiued this gift after the same maner as St Paul had receiued it his single life doubtlesse will be farre more advantagious then marriage because that to him who is thus qualified virginitie is a helpe for piety marriage would bee but an incumbrance But to him who hath not receiued that gift in that manner his single life would be but a snare and a trap for by reason of his single life he would burne the Apostle tells vs that it is better to marry then to burne As then marriage serues but for an hindrance and disturbance to him who hath the gift that St. Paul had to wit the gift of continence so the single life serueth but for an encumbrance and temptation the danger of which is vnavoidable and deadly to him who hath not receiued the gift of containing himselfe Wee worthily esteeme of the single life of those whome God calleth to it but wee say that no man is called vnto it who is forced to burne in it Wherefore then say they see wee not this single life more common amongst you Heere wee could tell them that they should dispute against our doctrine not against our manners that faults in manners ought not to be thrust vpon the doctrine if the doctrine condemneth theÌ„ that our doctrine approueth not their doeings who being able to containe themselues are married vnlesse they are driuen vnto it by some other vrgent necessity But wee will answere directly that the gift continence being rare wee are not to wonder if the single life which presupposeth this gift be lesse frequent but rather to admire the wisdome of the Apostle who hauing set before vs the conueniences of a single life and the inconueniences of mariage professeth that it is not to ensnare vs. Now if wee are not fitly qualified for a single life it is vndoubtedly to ensnare our selues if wee chuse rather to burne in a single life then to quench the fire by marriage The thousands and wee dare say millions of Martyrs both in the Primitiue Church and in our owne times giue a sufficient testimonie that wee entertaine and embrace not marriage but so farre as it fitteth vs for our calling In how base and dispitefull a mannâ—â— soeuer men calumniate it which of our Martyrs was ever held back by the consideration of the sweetnesse of his marriage by the naturall affection towards hiâ— children by the cares of the world from sealing the Gospell with his blood They might all haue liued and many of them might haue liued in all outward content either for honours or pleasures yet notwithstanding all this they preferred death before life torments before pleasures the ignominy shame before the honour and applause of the world Let our enemies be our Iudges is not such a kind of death more admirable then the single life of Monkes is it not a sure token of a more magnanimous spirit of a more feruent zeale of a more fixed hope of a more vehement loue of a more liuely faith theÌ„ the single life of these Votaries vnchast for the most part and chast onely by constraint But let us returne to our purpose As the Monkish life tends to make him who addicteth himselfe to it a theefe and a whoremonger vnlesse he hath receiued the gift requisite for a single life so in the third place it is a thing which puffeth a man vp with a wonderfull presumption of himselfe I know the Monkes make great profession of humility but how can he be humble who thinketh himselfe able who vndertaketh to merite and beleeueth that he doth merite True humility is for a man to thinke himselâ—e vnworthy to somuch as looke vp vnto heauen these Votaries presume to merite it Moreouer true humility is for vs to thinke that when wee haue done all wee are but vnprofitable seruants these Monkish Saints beleeue that they doe workes of supererogation and that they merit for others also What pride is this or what blasphemie God himselfe commandeth vs to loue him with all our heart with all our mind with all our strength They make profession of doing a great deale more then he commandeth vs. In what mood soeuer God speaketh it is imperatiue after what fashion soever he speaketh he cannot but command see in the meane time the monstrous pride of these Monkes There are say they some counsells which God giueth to obey which man is not bound vnlesse himselfe please his owne vow alone bindeth him to obedience Who can in conscience thinke thus of the Counsells of God without a proud exaltation of himselfe against him was this the ayme of the Lord is this the fruit of his familiar mildnesse when he commands in counselling and counsells in commanding deales he so courteously with vs to the end that man should mistake him for his companion that he should misconstrue his commandements and allow them onely the faint emphasis of counsells which a friend giues to a friend without any strongertie of obseruing theÌ„ The entreaties of our superiours are commandes if wee either speake or thinke of them otherwise wee cease in effect to acknowledge them for our Superiours we proudly exalt our selues against them And what may wee then thinke of these professors of humility who allow not God that in matter of religion which they owe to men in matter of ciuility Questionlesse this proueth them not onely proud but also both sacrilegious and blasphemous persons These things being so how commeth it to passe that such grosse impiety should serue for a pretence to iustify that religion of the which it maketh professioÌ„ Yea seing that it is so farre froÌ„ being what it seemed to be at the first view that it is indeede the quite contrary as wee suppose wee haue proued let it serue rather to accuse yea to condemne that religion of which it 's said to be the excellency and perfection The Conclusion WE haue at length examined in order all â—hose preiudices and pretences which they of the Romish Church haue inuented to hinder our cause from being throughly exactly examined It was the onely scope of this treatise to shew that all those allegations 1 of the Magnificence 2 Vnity 3 Antiquity 4 Stability 5 ContinuatioÌ„ 6 Succession 7 the substance of truth 8 the holinesse pretended to be in the Church of Rome are but friuolous pretences devised to hinder an exquisite and solide enquirie of the truth If wee haue attained to this scope it s all wee could desire the indifferent Reader shall iudge of it For my owne part it sufficeth me that my conscâ—ence beareth me witnesse that I haue proceeded in it without vainglory without stomack in all sincerity as speaking rather before God then before men This maketh me hope for his blessing vpon my paines so much the more as he is iealous of his truth at the clearing of which I haue wholy aimed Wherefore I humbly entreat him