no where And therefore the Church is not alwaies visible and seene to the outward eye nor splendent in the faces and sight of men yet a true church notwithstanding as then it was for it is the Sumâ—e though it bee sometimes ouerwhelmed with a cloud and it is fire still though it bée sometime raked vp in Embers and so the true Church is and may bee although not séene or known to the worlde yea though it séeme ouerwhelmed with tyrannicall malice and hide it selfe as though it were cleane extinct 2 Let them tell mée where the Church was visible when béeing assembled at Ierusalem there arose a great persecution against it insomuch as they were all dispersed and scattered as the Text sheweth Or let them tell mee where or how the Church was visible when Christ was smitten and all the rest were scattered and hid and concealed themselues the face of the visible Church was then not in Christ his Apostles but in the Iewes among the Scribes Pharisées and therefore it visibility bee such a marke of the true Church then these who crucified Christ were the true church and not Iesus Christ his Apostles Which who dare affirme yea who will not denie yea when the shepheard was smitten and the shéep scattered and yet a true Church who can denie bâ—â— that a true Church may bée though it bée not apparantly visible and séene to the world What should I say more Doth not S. Iohn in his Reuelation testifie expressely That the Church of Christ signified there by a woman fugit in solitudinem fled into a desert or wildernes where shee had a place prepared for her of God and where she could not for a certaine season bée found of her persecutors Let them further shew mée how the Church was visibly in the time of Elias the Prophet when he complained that himselfe was left alone O Lord saith he they haue forsaken thy couenant they haue destroyed thine Altar slaine thy Prophets with the sword and I am left alone Elias did not thinke himselfe to be solus Propheta relictus as Campion answered in the Tower I say hee spake not of himselfe onely in that respect but in this respect that hée tooke him to bee the onely true worshipper that was left in Israell which is manifest by the answere which God gaue him namely that beside him he had seuen thousand true worshippers yet remaining which had not bowed their knée to Baall I demand of the Papists when Elias knew no other true worshippers of God but himself how the church was visible for whither hee should go to finde a true worshipper he knew not Againe it is written in 2. King 16. that vnder the raigne of Achas there was taken a patterne of the Altar of the Idolaters of Damasâ—us and that Vrias the high Priest remooued the Altar of the Lorde whereby it appeareth that the Priesthood was corrupted the Altar remoued consequently the sacrifices ceased c. What visibilitie of the true Church could there be in those daies either of Achas Manasses and other kings being Idolaters when the Temple it selfe where onely by the law of God the Iewes were to offer the sacrifices was polluted and defiled with heathenish Idolatry What Church or Congregation could any man in this case haue resorted vnto to haue performed a true and acceptable sacrifice vnto God in those times when the Temple of Ierusalem which was the place to worship at would admit no true worshippers but onely Idolaters It is therefore manifest that a true Church may be though they know not a congregation of God to resort to yea though it bée close and not séene or knowne one to the other nor yet to the world And consequently visibility which the Papists make a marke of the Church is no perpetuall marke thereof Yea if such visibility should be a marke of the true Church then were the Idolatrous people in the time of Elias in the time of Achas Manasses and many other kings of Israell that were Idolaters the true Church who indéede were the false Church And then were Elias and all other the true worshippers of God who had in those times no places left to sacrifice in the false Church which is absurde Chrysostom saith that in the times of the abhomination of desolation spoken of by Christ Iesus in Math. 24. that is in the time of wicked heresie which is the armie of Antichrist as he expoundeth it Nulla probatio potest esse Christianitatis neque effugium potest esse Christianorum aliud volentium cognoscere fidei veritatem nisâ— scripturae diuinae No proofe can be made of Christianitie neither can there bee any other refuge for Christians which are desirous to knowe the truâ— faith but onely the diuine Scriptures And therefore I conclude which is apparant that the true Church sometime is in such a state as that visiblenes cannot discerne or proue it but only the diuine scriptures must demonstrate declare it And consequently it is demonstratiuely manifest that it is no true position of the Papists that the Church of God is alwaies and euermore visible seene and splendent to the outward eye and view of the world Wherefore the Papists do vs great iniury and bewray their owne ignorance when they would haue vs to shewe our Church in all times ages which notwithstanding perhaps may bée done for our Church was alwaies though it were not seene or knowne to them but lay bid and kept it selfe close from their fury and tyranny as the first and primitiue Churches did from their bloody persecutors Our Church was then persecuted in those times when it could not be séene many then like constant Martyrs endured the tyranny of that Romish religion so that some were banished others fled into other Nations some indured Martyrdome at home some other hid themselues but the whole Church generally was vexed and oppressed And therefore when our Church was thus persecuted it is a good argument I thinke to say Wée had our Church then and alwaies though a persecuted Church though a Church chased and pursued though a Church scattered though a Church not séene or visible to them yea though in it selfe it were inlightened from God many ages together Namely till the tyrranny eâ— Antichrist were ouerpast Secondly Another erronious position whereby they are miserably deceaued is this They hold the Church cannot erre And therefore suppose because the Church of Rome was once the true Church of God therefore it is so now and euermore As though there might not be an Apostacie in the Church which Saint Paul affirmeth there should Or as though a perticular Church for the Church of Rome is but a perticular Church could not erre Yea as though general Counsels which represent the whole Church could not erre for so they affirme but how truely let the world iudge And if it may be shewed that generall Counsels
vnwritten traditions and Popish Cannons must also bee receaued vpon like perill of damnation as before it shewed concerning the Priesthood of Christ. It consisteth in two things namely the offering vp of himselfe once for a full perfect and sufficient Sacrifice And his intercession with his Father which yet remaineth also and shall doe to the worlds end Both these the Papists annihilates as I will proue First concerning the Sacrifice and Oblation of Christ there is noe doubt but béeing once done vpon the Crosse it was a most full perfect and satisfâ—ctorie Sacrifice to deliuer both a culpa pana from the guiltines and the punishment incident to that guiltines for otherwise how should Christ bée Iesus that is a Sauiour if he did not deliuer vs from the punishment as well as from the sin But the Papists hold that Christ hath obtained by his passion remission for our sins going before Baptisme but sinnes committed after Baptisme that his passion hath taken away only the guiltines but that the punishment remaineth notwithstanding which is to be paide in purgatorie as they say and to be redéemed by our owne satisfactions and so they make the punishment due to sinne which is indéed eternall in hell to bee but temporarie in purgatorie vpon satisfactions as they haue deuised But what can a man giue for the ransome of his soule And it appeareth before euen by the reporte of Augustine that the Catholicke faith beléeueth in Purgatorie such as they haue inuented For as Saint Iohn saith the blood of Christ is that which purgeth vs from all sinne and that his most pretious blood is the onelie Purgatorie wée holde and doth deliuer his people from the punishement due to sinnes aswell as from sinnes for our punishment was laide vppon him and with his stripes are wee healed as the Prophet Esay speaketh Againe the Papists doe saye they offer vp Christ in their Masse which Masse they saye is propitiatorie both for the liuing and the dead First for the dead it cannot bee propitiatorie nor doe good vnto for as the tree falleth so it lieth and as a man is found to die so bee goeth either to heauen or to hell A third place which the Papists call purgatorie there is not And if any bee in heauen their Masses can doo them no good for they inioy all good alreadie And if any bee in Hell wee know that Ex inferno nulla redemptio from hell there is no redemption And therefore for the dead it canot be propitiatory nor any thing els availeable And for the liuing it cannot be propitiatorie Yea it is blasphemo us derogatorie to the passion of Christ once for all for in asmuch as he is a Priest for euer after the order of Melchisedeck he is to die but once which he did vpon the Crosse whose obligation béeing perfect as the Author to the Hebrews speaketh néedeth not any other helpe as of maske or whatsoeuer els to make it perfect yea it is wicked grosse blasphemous and damnable to suppose any imperfection in the sacrifice and ablation of Iesus Christ for God twice cried with a voice from heauen saying This is my beloued Sonne in whom I am well pleased 5 As touching the other part of his Priesthood namely his intercession with his father whereby he maketh request vnto God for vs although the Papists ascribe them chiefly vnto Christ yet what doo they else but cleane robbe him of it when they associate others with him As namely the virgin Mary They call her the Queene of heauen the gate of Paradise their life and sweetenes the Treasurer of Grace the refuge of sinners and the Mediatrix of men I pray what doo they nowe leaue to Christ Yea when they say thus to her O felix puerpera nostra pians scelera iure matris impera Redemptori that is O happy mother satisfieng for our sinnes by thy motherly authority commaund the Redeemer What greater blasphemy to Christ coulde they haue vttered It is cleare that saint Paul saith there is but one God and one Mediatour betwéene God and men the Man Christ Jesus 1. Tim. 2.5 But the Papists bée not content with him but will haue many Mediatours Saint Paul saith moreouer that by him wée haue bâ—ldnes and accesse vnto God Eph. 3.12 And therefore what foolish feare is it of the Papists to appoint to themselues other Mediatours Sith therefore the Church of Rome doth not repute the once Oblation of Jesus Christ and his Intercession to bee perfect but accuse them of imperfection as appeareth by their doctrines it cannot possibly be the true Church Christ himselfe biddeth to aske in no other name than in his and promiseth that whatsoeuer shall bée asked in his name it shall bée done Ioh. 14.13.14 Chrysostome speaking of the woman of Canaan who though shée were a sinner was hold to come vnto Christ saith thus En prudentiam huius mulieris non precatur Iacobum non supplicat Iohanem non adit ad Petrum nec Apostolorum caesum respicit aut vllum eorum requirit sed pro his omnibus penitentiam sibi comitem adiungit ad ipsum fontem progreditur Behold the wisedome of this woman She doth not pray Iames shee doth not beseech Iohn shee goeth not to Peter shee looketh not to the companie of the Apostles neither doth request any of them but for all this shee taketh repentance for hir companion and goeth to the verie fountaine it selfe And againe he saith that to haue accesse vnto God Nihil opus est atriensi seruo vel intercessore sed dic miserere mei Deus is enim te audit quocunque sis loco vndecunque innocetur VV haue no need of any Courtly attendant or intercessor but say haue mercie vpon me O God for hee heareth thee in what place so euer thou art and from what place soeuer thou callest vpon him Ambrose likewise answeareth the carnall reason of the Papists solent saith he misera vti excusatione dicentes per istos posse ire ad Deum sicut per comites itur ad reges ideo ad regum per tribunos comites itur quia homo vtique est rex ad deum autem quem vtique nihil latet suffragatore non est opus sed mente deuota Vbicunque enim lelis locutus fuerit respondebit illi That is They are wont to vse a pityfull excuse saying by these Saints They may haue accesse vnto God as by Earles there is accesse to Kings Therfore is it that by Officers and Earles accesse is made to the King because the King himselfe is a man But to come to God from whom nothing is hid there is no neede of a spokesman but of a deuout minde for wheresoeuer such a one speaketh to him he wil answeare him The Church of Rome therefore which accounteth not of the sufficiencie perfection of that one Oblation of Christ nor of his
auaileable But faith and works must goe together and indéede where a true faith is there good works will shew themselues as the fruits thereof And thus Paul and Iames are to bee reconciled which thing Thomas Aquinas a schooleman of the Papists doth himselfe plainely testifie saying that Christ Iesus doth iustifie effectiuè effectually Faith doth iustifie apprehensiuè by taking hold of Christ and good works doo iustifie declaratiuè that is doo declare vnto men their iustification before God And so it is cleare that howsoeuer a true faith cannot bee without workes as fire cannot bee without light and heate yet our iustification before God is to bee imputed to our faith not to our works as warmth is to bee imputed to the heate of the fire not to the light of the fire For so saith saint Paul expressely That God imputeth righteousnes without works Rom. 4.6 And againe That it is by grace not of workes Rom. 11.6 And againe Not of workes Rom. 9.11 Againe saint Paul telleth the Saints at Ephesus that God hath ordained men to walke in good workes yet he saith that they may not trust to be saued by them for he affirmeth and assureth them That they are saued by grace and not by their works Eph. 28.9.10 Againe he speaketh in the person of himselfe of all the children of God and saith that wee are saued not by workes but by his predestination and grace 2. Tim 1.9 And againe God is our Sauiour not for any-workes which wee haue done but according to his owne mercie hee hath saued vs Tit. 3.5 And diuers other like places bée Wherefore saint Hillary hath these very words which we hold Sola fides iustificat Faith only doth iustifie And Ambrose among other sentences hath this Non iustificà ri hominem apud Deum nisi per fidem That a man is not iustified before God but by Faith Which is as much as Faith onely doth iustifie before God Saint Basil doth say that this is perfect and sound reioycing in God when a man doth not boast of his owne righteousnes but knoweth that he wanteth in himselfe true righteousnes and that he is iustified by faith onely And Gregory Nazianzen saith that to beléeue onely is righteousnes And therfore it is euident both by the expresse testimony of the Scriptures and of the Fathers that wee holde the truth in this behalfe and that the Church of Rome is in a maruellous errour It is true which is written that euery man shall bee rewarded according to his works because the faith of men is estéemed and estimated by their workes as the frée is knowne by the trust But there is no Text of scripture to shewe that any man is saued propter merita for his works or merits but many Texts of scripture to the contrary as before appeareth For when we haue done all that we can yet we must say as Christ commaundeth Wee are vnprofitable seruaunts Luke 17.10 And therefore the Papists which teach workes meritorious yea workes of supererogation availeable to saluation as well for others as for themselues holde not the right faith and consequently are not the true Church 8 But if I should shew all the corruptions of the Rómish Church I should be infinite neither am I able to number them I will therefore conclude all this discourse onely with this argument following The Pope of Rome being the head of that Church is that famous Antichrist that was foretold by Paull the Apostle and that is presignified in the reuelation of Saint Iohn Ergo it is impossible that the Church of Rome should be the true Church for the Church of Antichrist though it boast neuer so much cannot bée the true Church though it would faine bee so accounted as many an harlot desireth to bee reputed an honest woman one marke of that Antichrist Paull sheweth to be this 2. Thes. 2.8 that he should exalt him selfe aboue euerie one that is called God hee doth not say aboue God but aboue euery one that is called God Iohn 10.34 Nowe those whome the Scriptures calleth God we know to be such as be the Iudges Magistrates of the earth Psa. 81.6 who for that they bee in the place of God and his Lieutenants are vouchsafed in Scripture this high and Honourable title is to bee called Gods That the Pope of Rome is such a one as doth exalt himselfe aboue any such God of the Earth namely aboue all Princes and Magistrates is a thinge so well knowne as I néede not to prooue it himselfe by his wicked practises and his Iesuits Seminaries and Patrons doe in their bookes manifest the same vnto the world 2 An other marke of Antichrist Paul setteth downe to be this namely 2. Thes. 2.4 that hee should sit in the Temple of God as God shewing himselfe to be God And I pray what doth the Pope els but sit in the Temple of God as God When claiming the Apostolike Sea he taketh vpon him to bee the head of the Church and to rule it as he list to erect Princes and to depose them againe from their thrones that hee cannot erre that hee can forgiue sinnes matters that belong peculiarly to God and to no other What doth hee els but by these demonstrations shew himselfe to be God insomuch as hee arrogateth to himselfe most proudly the authority of God himselfe which things the Sixt booke of the Decretals the Clemantines and the Extrauagants doe abundantly testifie For these men were not content with that which Angelicus wrote in his Poetry the beginning whereof is Papa stupor mundi the Pope is the wonder of the world Nec Deus es nec homo sed neuter inter vtrumque Thou art not God ne art thou man But neuter mixt of both But these Popes were bold to take vnto themselues the verie name of God and to accept it giuen of others according as Pope Sixtus the fourth when he should first enter into Rome in his dignitie papall had made for him a Pageant of Triumph cunningly fixed vpon that gate of the Citie he should enter at hauing written vpon it this Blaspemous verse dedicated vnto him Oraclo vocis mundi moderaris habenis Et merito in terris crederis esse Deus By Oracle of thine owne voice the worlde thou gouernest all And worthy lie a God on Earth men thinke and doe thee call Yea shall I say more The Pope if any man in the world doth take vpon him such more than Luciferian pride howsoeuer to deceaue the worlde with wordes he calleth himselfe seruus seruorum Dei a seruant of the seruants of God that he exalteth himselfe aboue God himselfe and his worship for hee taketh vpon him to bée aboue the Scriptures and to dispense with them at his pleasure and to allow matters contrarie vnto them which God himselfe whose will is immutable and reuealed therein will not doe for he and his worde will not be contrarie Againe héereby it is manifest that he exalteth