learned Monarch the Lord of 3. Kingdomes woed and sought vnto by all the Catholike Princes palliate his religion in hope of a Bishoprick These are poore and toothlesse aspersions Then for our Ecclesiasticall estates they are so par'de and pol'de with duties and impositions all which had their Originall from the Court of Rome that the time of the charge of breeding vp a minister would raise him a better meanes then he hath in the Church in any other trade or trafficque whatsoeuer The King is gracious to his seruants of all professions But a Countrey Minister cannot inne for the haruest of a whole yeere what a Iesuite can get in an hours confession Lastly concerning these professors of pouerty the Priests and the Iesuites it is too well knowne they want no maintenance What by traducing our Nation abroad and seducing our people at home their bones are full of marrow and their eyes swell with fatnesse and what the Statute hath taken from vs cogging and cheating hath drawen vpon them I mean the priuie Tithes and Beneuolences of the Kingdome But to choke this Obiection in one word That our meanes is no cause to keepe vs in this profession witnes our Brethren in France and elsewhere who without the same means teach preach the selfe same doctrine Pap. They also inform vs that your Ministers haue neither learning nor honestie Prot. It is true indeede they teach their Nouices that the greatest Doctor in our Church doth not vnderstand the common grounds of Diuinity and must of * Britanno-Romanus pag. 19. necessity bee put to his A. B. C. againe But common reason can inform you whether this bee true or not Againe they are onely the base fugitiues and discontented runnagates of our own nation that spread these rumours who thinke their Countrie-men the grossest fooles in Christendome that they dare thus amuse them and lead them by the nose with such impossible assertions And therefore I will giue you a touch heere how other Papists haue ingeniously acknowledged the learning and piety of many Protestants * Aeneas Syluius de orig Bohem c. 35. Pope Pius commended Hus for learning and purity of life Alph. lib. 2. aduers haeres tit Ador. haer 2. Alphonsus de Castro Oecolampadius for all kinde of knowledge and the tongues especially * In annot in Tert. coron Militis In defens conc Trid. l. 1. p. 41. Rhenanus also Conradus Pellican as a man of a wonderfull sanctity and erudition Andradius likewise Chemnitius for a man of a sharpe wit and great iudgement Costerus all the Protestants for their ciuill behauiour their almes their building of hospitals and forbearing from reuiling swearing * Enchirid. c. 2. p. 101. De prohib l. 2. c. 13. Gretzer himselfe our ordinarie writers to bee for the most part of great learning 1 Recherches de la Fraunce pag. 910. 511. and iudgement Stephen Paschier held Caluin worthie set his opinions aside to be compared for zeale and learning to the chiefe Doctors of the Catholique Church 2 Lib. 11. epist 11. Epist Erasmus held Luther of that integritie of life that his very enemies had nothing to cast in his dish 3 Lindan l. 3. Strom. cap. 33. Lindanus acknowledged Melancthon to be adorned with all kind of learning In a word your Writers themselues did so applaud the persons of their aduersaries for learning and pietie that 4 Index expurg distinct 2. Pope Clement the 8. was faine to command all your Controuersie-writers to bee reuiewed and these graces and praises bestowed on our men to be blotted out and expunged And therefore when you next heare a Iesuite in this theme thinke vpon these true relations and withall laugh at him and pray for him Pap. Sir I haue receiued some satisfaction that matters are not so farre out of square in the Church of England as I haue beene informed But yet my conscience will not serue mee to come to your congregations because there are beside these triuiall many other points of doctrine neuer heard of amongst Protestants which be in very deed the Caballas and mysteries of the Romane-Catholique Religion You haue beene very tedious in your answeres and declarations I pray you therefore bestow the last Chapter vpon me to shew the reasons why so many Ladies and good Soules refuse to conforme themselues to the Church of England Prot. With all my heart I will therefore end my speach with the summing vp this fifth Chapter and leaue the euent to God and your Conscience 1. The meanes of our Churchmen are not so great as to make them maintaine a false religion but their religion is so true as it makes them contented with any meanes 2. Yet in other countries where no hope of preferment appeares there appeares an equall zeale of our Religion 3. Our Church-men are commended for their liues and learning by the pens of their prime aduersaries CHAP. 6. Reasons of refusall to leaue the Romish religion collected out of printed Authors Pap. I Cannot leaue my Religion I. Reason Because We must simply beleeue the Church of Rome whether it teach true or false Stapl. Antidot in Euang. Luc. 10.16 pag. 528. And if the Pope beleeue there is no life to come wee must beleeue it as an Article of our Faith Busgradus And we must not heare Protestant Preachers though they preach the Truth Rhem. vpon tit 3.10 Blasph And for your Scripture we litle weigh it For the Word of God if it bee not expounded as the Church of Rome will haue it is the word of the Diuell Hosius de expresso verbo Dei II. Reason You rely too much vpon the Gospel and S. Paules Epistles in your Religion whereas Blasph the Gospel is but a fable of Christ as Pope Leo the tenth tels vs. Apol. of H. Stephen fol. 358. Smeton contra Hamilton pag. 104. And the Pope can dispense against the New Testament Panormit extra de diuortiis And hee may checke when hee pleases the Epistles of S. Paul Carolus Ruinus Consil 109. num 1. volum 5. And controule any thing auouched by all the Apostles Rota in decis 1. num 3. in nouiss Anton. Maria in addit ad decis Rotae nou de Big n. 10. And there is an eternall Gospel to wit Blasph that of the holy Ghost which puts down Christs Cirellus a Carmelite set it foorth III. Reason You attribute all your Saluation to Faith in Christ alone Whereas He is the Sauiour of men onely but of no women Dial. of Diues and Pauper compl 6. cited by Rogers vpon the Artic. and Postellus in Iesuits Catech. l. 1. cap. 10. For women are saued by S. Clare Mother Iane. Som. in Morn de eccl cap. 9. Postellus in Iesuits Catech. lib. 8. cap. 10. Nay to speake properly S. Francis hath redeemed as many as are saued sithence his dayes Conformit of S. Fran. And the blood of S. Thomas a Becket Hor. Beat. Virg. And sometimes one man by his Satisfactions redeemes another Test Rhem. in Rom. 8.17 IV. Reason In your Church there is but one way to remission of sinnes which you call Faith in Christ but we haue many For we put away Our Venials with a litle holy water Test Rhem. in Rom. 8.17 Mortals by 1. Merits of the B. Virgine Hor. B. Virg. 2. The blood of Becket ib. 3. Agnos Dei or holy Lambes Cerem l. 1. t. 7. 4. Little parcels of the Gospel Breuiar 5. Becomming Franciscans confor l. 1. fol. 101. 6. A Bishops pardon for 40. dayes a Cardinals for a 100. daies and the Popes for eeuer Tak Camaer apud Espens in 1. ad Tim. V. Reason You stand too precisely vpon your Sacraments and require a true Faith in the partaker Whereas with vs To become a Monke or a Nunne is as good as the Sacrament of Baptisme Aquin. de ingres relig l. 2. c. 21. And the very true and reall body of Christ may bee deuoured of dogs hogges cattes and rattes Alex. Hales parte 4. q. 45. Thom. parte 3. q. 8. art 3. VI. Reason Then for your Ministers euery one is allowed to haue his wife or else enforced to liue chastly whereas with vs the Pope himselfe cannot dispense with a Priest to marrie no more then he can priuiledge him to take a purse Turianus found fault withall by Cassand Consult art 23. But whordome is allowed all the yeere long See Sparkes discouery pag. 13. constitut Othon de concubit cleric remouend Abhominable And another sinne for Iune Iuly August which you must not know of Allowed for this time by Sixtus Quartus to all the family of the Cardinall of S. Lucie vessel Grouingens tract de indulgent citat a Iacob Laurent Iesuit lib. pag. 196. vide Io. Wolfij lection memorab centen 15 p. 836. For indeed the wickednes of the Church-men is a prime argument of the worthinesse of the Roman Church Bellar. l. 4. de Rom. Pont. cap. 14. artic 28. And the Pope can make that righteous which is vnrighteous l. 1. Decretal Greg. tit 7. c. 5. And yet can no man say vnto him Sir why do you so In extrau tom 22. titul 5. c. ad Apostolatus VII and last Reason You in the Church of England haue cast off the Bishop of Rome Blasph whereas the Bishop of Rome is a God Dist. 96. c. Satis euidenter Panorm cap. Quanto Abbas FINIS
as certainely washed from your sinnes Original being an infant and actuall if you had beene of yeeres by the holy Ghost and the Blood of Christ as you were rinsed outwardly in body by this Element of Water Marke then these vses of Baptisme 1. It assures vs wee are washed from our sinnes by the Holy Ghost and the Blood of Christ 2. It keeps vs from despaire because it assures vs our sinnes are washed away 3. It keepes vs from sinne for it is a shame for one washed to soile himselfe againe 4. It giues an entrance into the Church 5. It hath a visible signe Water Grace inuisible Forgiuenesse of sinnes by the blood of Christ VII THe Lords Supper is a distribution of Bread and Wine which seales signes and exhibits or giues vnto you Christs true Body offered and his true Blood poured out vpon the Crosse for your sinnes as certainely as the Priests exhibite vnto your hands the Bread and the Wine And withall the Supper assures your heart that Christs Body and Blood nourish your soule to perpetual life as surely as Bread and Wine doth nourish your body to the offices of this temporall life Marke then the vses of this Sacrament of the Supper 1. It assures you of all the benefit that is to be expected from the Bodie and blood of Christ 2. It puts you continually in minde that Christ dyed for you 3. It strengthens and ascertaines your faith if it be receiued worthily And therefore you must not neglect twice in the yeere at the least to approch with all reuerence this heauenly Table VIII THat this Sacrament may be receiued worthily you must examin your selfe before the receiuing Pray vnto God for Faith in the receiuing and take heed of grosse and premeditated sinnes after the receiuing of this Sacrament IX BEfore the receiuing you must examine foure things 1. You must examin your knowledge 1. Whether you know how you ought to liue To this end read ouer the 10. Commandements 2. Whether you know how to beleeue Read ouer attentiuely your Creed 3. Whether you know how to Pray Say ouer aduisedly the Lords Prayer Without this little knowledge at the least you are not fit to Receiue 2. You must examine your faith Whether you are assured in your heart that Christ hath fully satisfied for your sins and perfectly reconciled you vnto God not others only but your selfe also Without this assurance in some measure you may not receiue 3. You must examine your Repentance 1. Whether you are sory for your sinnes 2. Whether you hate sinne 3. Whether you resolue to indeauour to sinne no more Without this Repentance you cannot receiue worthily 4. You must examine your Charitie 1. Whether you forgiue all the world 2. Whether you are free from malice and hatred When you haue examined these foure points you may receiue worthily X. NOw your faith in Christ which you haue gotten in Gods Church being thus hatched by the holy Ghost in your heart brought foorth by your hearing cherished by your reading of the word sealed by your Baptism and strongly confirmed and strengthened by your partaking of the blessed Sacrament of the Supper must be continually maintained and preserued by these two meanes Prayer vnto God him only And Good works or holines of life And this is the summe of all your notes which I recommend vnto you for this time 1. Saluation is only by faith in Christ 2. Faith onely in Gods Church 3. Where by the Word read or heard Faith is nourished 4. By the Sacrament of Baptisme assured 5. By the Sacrament of the Supper ratified and confirmed 6. By Prayer and Good workes for euer established A Prayer after the reading of these few Notes O Lord God that I may be partaker of thy couenant of Grace make me a beleeuing member of thy Church send thy holy Spirit into my heart to beget there a confidence and full assurance of the remission of all my sinnes in Christ Iesus let this assurance bee still nourished with my hearing and reading of the Word let it be sealed vnto mee by my Baptisme confirmed by the Sacrament of the Supper and fully established by my seruing of thee in Prayer and Good workes to the glory of thy Name and the endlesse comfort and saluation of mine owne soule through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen ¶ A SHORT CATECHISME concerning Faith and good Workes to be read and meditated vpon once euery weeke at the least which may be well called The Catechisme of the Conscience Question WHy hath GOD made me a reasonable Creature and not as well hee might of a meaner kinde Answ That with your whole heart that is with your will and vnderstanding you might serue him and loue him which creatures only indued with reason can doe Q. How is God principally serued and loued of mee A. By your faith and good workes which God commaunds you in his Word And these good workes of yours are twofold Prayers to God Charitie to men Q. What is Faith A. A full beliefe assurance and perswasion of your heart whereby you are vnmoueably resolued of these three points 1. That there is one onely God one Essence three Persons The Father who created you Sonne who redeemed you Holy Ghost who sanctified you 2. That God the Sonne came into the world to doe all that was to bee performed and to suffer all that was to be endured by you for your sinnes actuall and originall And hereby obtained for you perfect forgiuenesse of all your sinnes and hath bestowed vpon you his owne perfect righteousnesse by the meanes whereof you stand iust and guiltlesse before the throne of God 3. That God hath prompted with his holy Spirit the Pen-men of the Scriptures to teach you all this faith and beleefe as also all the course of his worship And that euery thing contained in these Scriptures is true Q. Why doeth God so much require of mee Faith and beleefe A. Because without beleeuing in him you cannot loue him nor reuerence him As if you did not beleeue your father to be your father you would not loue him or reuerence him as your father Q. How is this Faith first wrought A. By your hearing of Gods word and vsing those two Sacraments appointed by Christ in his Church Baptisme and the Lordes Supper And withall by praying continually vnto God and doing of good workes Q. How shall I know that I beginne to haue Faith A. If you finde in your selfe these alterations 1. If you finde that you haue gotten more knowledge of God and of Religion are glad therof 2. If you doe desire more then you did to haue the Sonne of God to become your Sauiour and to stand betwixt you and Gods wrath for the sinnes you haue committed against God 3. If you take more delight then you did in Reading and hearing the Word of God Receiuing the Sacrament 4. If you finde doubtings in your minde and can pray vnto God to strengthen your
the Holy Ghost 2 A minde free from other thoughts and desirous of the truth 3 Knowledge of the Scriptures Creedes Catechismes Principles and other Axiomes of Diuinitie 4 A considerations how our meaning suites with other points of Christianitie 5 The weighing of circumstances antecedents and consequents 6 Knowledge of Histories Arts and Sciences 7 Continuall reading meditating and praying 8 Ioint and vniarring expositions of the Fathers 9 Consenting decrees of auncient Synods and Councels 10 Knowledge in the tongues Because therefore lay-men and women Papists Brownists and Anabaptists are wanting in all or some of these helpes they bring foorth many times such lame and prodigious interpretations Pap. If wee make the Scripture not the Church the rule of our Faith how shall we beleeue the Creed the Trinity the Sacraments the vnity of Essence the three persons in the Deity c. words neuer read in the Bible and yet necessarily to be apprehended of vs vpon paine of damnation Prot. I say that all these things are set downe in Scriptures either in so many syllables or at leastwise by necessarie inferences and deductions And wee doe not therefore beleeue them because they are onely taught by the Church but because they are rooted and grounded in the holie Scriptures the onelie stay and pillar of our affiance To summe vp therefore all this Chapter 1 The Church doeth prepare vs but the Scripture onely doeth force vs to beleeue 2 The whole Church cannot any part thereof may erre damnablie 3 Wee are taught the Scriptures to bee the word of God by the Holy Ghost mouing in our hearts and not by the Church sounding in our eares 4 Lay-men are to reade not to interprete Scriptures 5 The misse of some rules causeth wrong expositions of Scriptures 6 All things necessary to bee beleeued are either found in or collected and inferred from the Scriptures CHAP. 3. Of Iustification Pap. HOW then doe you learne out of the Scriptures that you are to be iustified and saued before God Prot. I am to bee iustified before God by an Act single in it selfe but double in our apprehension which is By Gods not imputing vnto me my sinnes and the same Gods imputing vnto mee Christs righteousnesse and withall by his creating of faith in my heart by the Holy Ghost to assure my Soule that God for the Actiue and Passiue obedience of Christ Iesus hath accomplished those two former Actes of not imputing my Sinne and of imputing vnto mee Christs righteousnesse Pap. A verie easie no doubt and reasonable religion which you haue learned out of the Scriptures Heere is no burthen left for your owne backe you cast all vpon Christs shoulders by the meanes of these two fine wordes Not imputing and imputing and a third swimming notion of your own conceipt which any man may haue with a little imagining termed by you faith it would be knowne therefore where your Church hath found out these words of Art in the holie Scriptures Prot. We do in all humilitie confesse that the globe of our sinnes and the world of that righteousnesse which is to appeare in the presence of Gods Iustice is too massie for vs to sustaine that are but dust and ashes and supportable only by that Atlas Verba Lutheri ep ad Henr. 8. tom 2. ep p. 290. Christ Iesus vpon whose shoulders not our conceits but the goodnes of God hath plac't and pressed them But that these wordes imputing and not imputing are such Greeke vnto you I doe impute it to your not reading of Scriptures and taking vp your religion by trust and credit from such Fripperers and Brokers as by lending your soules a false opinion of merits and good workes do diue into your purses and eat vp your estates by way of interest Not to trouble you as I might with a thousand places aske Dauid Psal 32.1 whether not imputing of sin and S. Paul Rom. 4.45 whether the imputing of Christs righteousnesse doth not make vs blessed and iustified For the words vse your owne eyes and inspection And for the meaning I referre you to a August tom 8 in psalm 31. S. Augustines vpon the one and b Amb. in ep ad Rom. c. 8. S. Ambrose his commentarie vpon the other passage Now that you fondlie imagine that Faith this heauenly hand that reacheth at this double Act and applies it to our owne Soules is such an apprehension as you may command when you please out of your owne phantasie it is such a poore opinion that no Soule warmed with the least touch or feeling of religion but contemnes with a most holie scorne and reproach I tell you and if you once haue it your conscience will tell you no lesse this Faith is the richest iewell in Gods cabinet Ephes 2.8 and can neuer be compas'd by any endeuour of ours vntill the Holy Ghost comes downe from heauen to set and enchase it in our hearts with his owne fingers as it were And being once obtained it new moldes and fashions the whole nature of man so as the vnderstanding becomes more enlightned to know God the will to obey God the affections to loue God and our brethren Nor can it bee preserued to the comfort of our conscience without daily praying meditating doing good workes reading the Scriptures hearing good Sermons and perusing of deuout and godly Treatises My beliefe therefore is this Gods not imputing of sinne and imputing of righteousnesse is the worker The Merits of Christ the procurer Faith wrought by the holy Ghost the instrument or applier good workes or my inherent righteousnesse poore as it is a consequent onely effect and follower of my iustification Pap. I haue heard some of your side raile against the very name of inherent righteousnesse which you seem now to acknowledge embrace Do Protestants therefore challenge any other righteousnesse besides that of Christs which is imputed Prot. They doe acknowledge a Sanctification or inherent righteousnes in the same sence as the auncient Fathers tooke the Word but not as Iesuits of late mistake it We haue righteousnesse inherent or subsisting in vs according to the which we shall be iudged but not according to the which wee shall be iustified You make your righteousnesse to goe before as the cause we ours to come after as the effect of Iustification You suppose yours so absolute as to euict from God all wee expect from ours is but to testifie vnto men that we are iustified You bragge of a perfection of degrees wee onely teach a perfection of parts in our righteousnesse For as in the dawning of the day euery part of the heauens is enlightened though none as yet in a full and compleat splendour so after the Act of Iustification apprehended by faith euery facultie of the soule is sanctified and made righteous the vnderstanding the will the affections the thoughts the words the deedes but none of those so exactly perfect as to implead a Iustification at the throne of