was no talk of Visible Heads or much of Universal Bishop for then Rome had no more priority then the rest for the Churches at Constantinople at Jerusalem at Caesaria at Cyprus and Alexandria for the first three hundred years they had as much power in their several Churches as Rome had and often the Elders or Bishops of the aforesaid Churches did reprove sharply the Bishop of Rome But at last about five hundred years or upward Phocas to aspire to the Empire of Rome he murthered his own Master Mauritius and his Children to attain unto the Empire So at that time Boniface the third was Bishop of Rome and Phocas somewhat fearing and willing to have Boniface his favour condescendeth to all his Petitions and grants him to be Universal Head-Bishop over all Christian Churches and there was the first rise of Rome's visible Head for this frivolous reason of being Peter's Successor could never have raised him to that height but then the Emperors Power and Authority became to be the more forcible plea for before that time the Bishops of Rome were chosen by the Emperors consent but after he had got power Emperors could not be chosen but by the Popes consent and then came the Bishop of Rome to be a visible Head and be called Universal Bishop Christ's Vicar a Lord Spiritual over all the Churches and in process of time Lord temporal over all the Empire And thus your Church of Rome became magnificent and great and to sit as a Queen upon the Waters Nations Kindreds and Tongues as you acknowledge your Church of Rome hath spread over and here is a Héad and a Body which are joyn'd together in union Christ is the Head of the true Body which is his Church and his Wife and Antichrist he is the visible Head of his visible Church and Wife Mysterie Babylon The next piece of Merchandize which the Author brings forth to view is Purgatory and prayer to be made for the dead and also prayer unto the Saints and the Authors proof is 1 Cor. 3. 15. where the Apostle speaks Every mans work shall be tryed and that work which will not abide the fire must be burnt and this the Author calls the fire of another World and prayers for the dead he proves out of the 12. of Maccabees and prayer to the Saints He sayes it 's lawful to pray in this world unto good people and Paul while he lived did pray for others and also did beg their prayers And the Angel in the first of Zachary prayed for Israel and there can be no harm in praying to them that can pray for us Ans. Them that dwell in the shadow of death are like to speak out of thick darkness and they that have made a Covenant with death are loath to have it broken and they that have a mind to continue in sin while they live have a mind to put the evil day afar off and Judgement afar off and evil-doers will never have it time to give account for their evil deeds and so puts it off till they are dead and to another world and let the Devil have preheminence in their hearts while they live and reckon their sins venial and light faults this is contrary to the Doctrine of the true Church of Christ and contrary to the Apostles Doctrine who said The wages of sin is death and there is no sinne goes unpunished nor unjudged and Sion is redeemed through judgement and by the Spirit of burning and Purgatory is a fiction a falshood and a lye there is no cleansing from sin in another World Solomon saith As the Tree falleth whether to the North or to the South so shall the tree lye and the Word of God who hath received it in their hearts which is as a fire that purifies and the Blood of Christ is that which cleanseth from all sin there 's not any cleansing from any sin but by it there is no cleansing in another world but Purgatory hath been invented and prayer for the dead that thereby the Pope might be enriched and sell the invented Prayers and Ave Maries and so cheat people of their money and there 's no sacrifice to be offer'd for the dead who dye in their sins nor no remission after this life And as sor praying to the Saints the Scripture makes no mention of though Paul did pray for others and beg the prayers of others yet he prayed not for them when they were dead neither did beg the prayer of the dead but prayed for them who were believers in the true Church and desired the prayers of them that were living Members and were alive and lived in the world and were redeemed out of it and the Angel prayed not for the people of Israel when they were dead and that which thou calls Jeremy's prayer in the Maccabees was never spoken by the Spirit of the Lord nor the offering was not made in the will of God and the Prophet saith Though Abraham know us not and Israel be ignorant of us yet thou O Lord art our Father And the Lord said unto David Seek my face and call upon me in the day of trouble and I will hear and answer Not upon Mary Peter and Paul Dominick and Anthony Again it 's contrary to the practice of the Saints in the primitive times and contrary to the Doctrine of Christ who said unto his Disciples Whatsoever you ask in my Name the Father shall give it you He doth not speak of any other Name neither is any Prayer or Supplication accepted of the Father but in the Name of Christ alone So these Doctrines are false and Doctrines of Devils never commanded nor practised by any of the Saints in the primitive times but onely have been invented and practised by the Apostates who have erred from the faith and Practice which was once deliver'd unto the Saints which the Church of Rome hath made shipwrack of in many things which I have made appear and I shall proceed to more particulars to manifest it lest any should be beguiled with such deceitful Babylonish Merchandize which the Nations are too much corrupted with already The next false Doctrine which the Author lays down is That Christ is really and personally in the Mass and in the Eucharist And his proof is Luke 22. 19. 1 Cor. 11. 25 26. For saith he God who is Almighty is able to change Bread into his Body and Wine into his blood in the Mass as he did change the Water into Wine and make the World of nothing Hence also by the way you may learn that we are no Idolaters adoring the Eucharist because it 's no more Bread but whole Christ our God and Redeemer who placeth himself there by Miracle after the Priest hath uttered the sacred words of Consecration yet the external accident of Bread and Wine remain as our eyes represent to us but faith tells us the true Body of Christ is hidden under it and the substance and
and gone in their own traditions and inventions and have forsaken the strait way and the narrow path that leadeth to life and all are exhorted to come unto him who is the light and life of men that their souls may live and that they may witness assurance of the love of God unto them by his Spirit 's manifestation And now let us see whether the Author will keep to his word whether the church of Rome will all turn unto our way which is Christ the way the truth and the life or they will follow their visible Head the Pope who is changeable and doth not abide for ever who leadeth onely to an observance of outward things but neglects the weightier things to walk in And now I shall come to some Propositions which the Author saith hath been propounded which are unanswerable and the Propositions are against all Sectaries and the Propositions are laid down by Francis Costorus as the Author saith of the Society of Jesus which hath been laid down fifty years ago and they are in number eight and with them eight Propositions the Author saith he hath put all the ablest Ministers of Germany and the Low Countreys unto their wits end now I hope some will be able to give an answer and yet keep both their Faith Wit and Reason 1. The first Proposition is this That never since the Apostles time till the Year 1517. wherein Luther began his Doctrine were any found in the world who did consent with either the Lutherans Calvinists or Anabaptists or other Sectaries opinions nor ever shall any of the Sectaries prove that any of the Apostles or Evangelists were of their Faith so by consequence the Sectaries are without Faith they are the men whom the Scriptures in several places affirms that should come In the latter times false Prophets c. Answ. As I said before any opinion which Luther Calvin or the Baptized people do hold I shal not stand to vindicate it because they have so holden yet in many things they are separated from you upon good ground their Doctrine and Worship was far more consonant and agreeable unto the Apostles dayes then yours are but I am one that owns my self a Protestant who denies the Church of Rome and I do say this Proposition is silly poor and feeble and I do not believe that any was so hard put to it as to be brought to their wits end by answering of it for what need he talk of since the Apostles time till such a year we shal come to the Apostles time and age and if any society of people now are found the same in Faith in Doctrine in Worship in Life Practice and Conversation then they are the true Church And let Francis Costorus with the rest of the Roman Merchants take that Faith to themselves and that Doctrine to themselves and those particular points of Worship and Tradition to themselves since all the world hath wondred after the Beast and hath worshipped his Image and this was since the Apostles dayes And if the Church of Rome plead the whole world as for a proof John saw that Antichrist's false Prophets Deceivers were entred in then fifteen hundred years ago and the world went after them and he saw the whole world wonder after the Beast and the Whore sit upon the Waters Nations Kindreds Tongues and People and this comprehends the World the Whores seat and we matter not for her consent neither to Doctrines and Principles nor opinions nor for the approbation of them that have drunk of her Cup. But if we can prove a people which are gathered by the Word of God and thorow the preaching of the Gospel into the same Faith Hope Doctrine Life and Practice which the Apostls walked in then this is the Church which is coming out of the Wilderness again where she has been preserved while the Mother of Harlots has sit as a Queen and has been so visible as over all the World and hath made the Nations drink her Cup of Fornication and therefore your Unity in this thing and in this time is clear that the Church of Rome is not the Church of Christ but there are some whom Rome is pleased to call Sectaries that own the same Practice the same Doctrine the same Faith which the Apostles walked in and therefore this great Proposition is false That all that have separated from the Church of Rome have no Faith or a new fancied Faith and now I come to his second Proposition 2. Propositon The Religion and Faith of the Romane Church hath not been any way changed in any Article that belongs to Religion by any Pope Councils or Catholick Bishops but it is the very same Faith hath remained intire and inviolate from the Apostles to this present day There were Churches planted before there was any at Rome and the Faith which they received was that which did overcome the world and gave them victory over sin and death and the Religion which the Churches of Christ professed as Corinth Galathia Thessalonica and the rest of the Churches which the Apostles planted is no more like the Faith and Religion of the Church of Rome now then Black is to White as for instance Prove us out of the Scripture what foundation you have for Purgatory for selling Indulgences and Pardons for sins and vvhat Scripture have you for Auricular confession for an Unbloody Sacrifice for Prayer to Saints for worshipping of Images in the New-Testament for observing of Lent consisting of so many days And what Scripture and example from the Churches that were in the Apostles dayes before Rome was called a Church concerning prayer for the dead for yours crosses your tapers and candles for annointing with oyle and cream in Baptism which was onely invented by Pope Clement which another Pope Pope Silvester confirmed 315. Plat. Volat. Sabil And what example from the true Church for baptizing of Infants and for God-fathers and God-mothers in Christ's day when he planted the Church And that Infants should be baptized and onely at Easter and Whitsuntide was not this ordained by Pope Leo in the year 676. Lib. Council Volat. Pol. Chron. And was not Transubstantiation which you call the Body and Blood of Christ after the consecration when the Priest hath whispered over the Bread and Wine a few Latine words As Hoc est Corpus meum hic est enim sanguis meus c. The Bread is turned into the natural Body of Christ's flesh blood and bone was not this ordained by Pope Innocent held at Latterane by twelve hundred Romish Priests Monks and Fryars in the year 1215. decret de summa Trinitate Cap. firmiter And whether are not these articles of the Church of Rome yea or nay If I should traduce the church of Rome in their Bishops and Councils these 12. hundred years and upward I might bring a cloud of witnesses that the church of Rome is not the same in articles of faith in Religion
nature of the material Bread is there no more Oh horrible Blindness and gross Ignorance great Idolatry and horrible blasphemy your Priests by their words it seems can make God who made all things and can make Christ the Redeemer then your Priests are greater then God and Christ for he which createth and maketh must needs be greater then that which is created and made And thou confesses that it is really Bread and Wine before the Priests sacred words are uttered of Consecration but afterwards it becomes the real and true body of Christ yea whole Christ our God and Redeemer So it is clear that the Priest hath power in your judgment to make the body of Christ to make God and whole Christ a Redeemer Oh that ever such gross darkness should enter into the hearts of the sons of men As for those two places in Luke 22. 1 Cor. 11. it is but a pitiful ground for you to plead that the material Bread and the material Cup is the very Body and Blood of Christ was not Christ present when he broke the Bread and gave the Cup and after too and alive Did they eat his Body when he was with them and drink his Blood Was his body broken for them then before he was offered up and was his Blood shed then before he suffered upon the Cross nay it 's manifest he was alive in the Real Body after they had earen the Bread and drunk the Cup and this was a sign unto them of his Suffering for them and of his Death and as the Apostle saith As oft as they eat the Bread and drunk the Cup they shewed forth the Lords death till he came And reveal'd himself in his own life and power and then they saw and feel'd that which was signified through the figure before that like as the Bread and the Cup did nourish the natural man likewise their souls were fed and nourished with the Bread of Life and the Cup of blessing which they knew and feel'd little of when Christ broke the Bread and gave the Cup and doth not Christ say I am the Door I am the Way I am the Vine and also This is my Body and This is my blood Why should one place be literally and naturally understood and interpreted and not another so 2ly And we do not question what Christ can do but what he did That he turn'd water into Wine we do believe and that God made the world of nothing is for thee to prove yet and that Christ made himself Invisible passed through his enemies somtimes without being seen we believe but that he made himself Invisible vvhen he broke the Bread and gave the Cup to the Disciples is clear contrary to the aforementioned Scripture and divers others or that he conveyed himself so invisibly into the Bread and into the Wine as you ignorantly suppose or that he was so under it as thy own word is so as that he was not seen visibly by the Disciples even when they eat the Bread and drank the Cup and after he bless'd it is utterly false for they saw him before he took the bread and when he took it and bless'd it and brake it and when they eat it and after they had eaten he was visible in all these moments of time is very evident both by Matthew Mark Luke and John in their Narration of the Supper and so all your twining and turning and vain arguments are made void 3ly We do not believe that ever any of your Priests turn'd Water into Wine or Bread into Flesh or Wine into blood of one sort or other much less into the flesh or blood of Christ for thou saist the external Accidents remain as our eyes represent unto us after Consecration but yet the nature of the material Bread is no more as your faith teaches you so it seems you confess the visible appearance which may be seen and felt as to the natural Aspect doth remain that the natural Elements of bread and wine still remain in sight but the substance nature and matter is no more in being I shall appeal to the light of Christ in your consciences whether this be true yea or nay Nay it is so ridiculous a thing that I dare appeal to any man or woman that have not lost their sences whether that which may be seen with the natural eyes and may be felt by the natural hands and tasted by the natural taste be not the very same in nature and matter after Consecration as before if the external Accidents do remain as you say it doth we will join issue with you in this thing for trial if you dare venture it and put it to proof you and we with a joint consent will chuse Bread and Wine and you and we will both eat and drink of some part of it before and then your Priest shall consecrate it and we will hear and see what he saith and doth provided that he shall onely speak to it or pray over it and then when he hath done we will both eat again and if it be not of the same substance and the same effect as to your own understanding sence and feeling as you are men and creatures which if there be no alteration but it remain the same in substance in taste in matter nature and quality with that before Consecration then you shall confess your error deny your Doctrine but if it be alter'd we will deny ours and join unto your Faith Or secondly If you will stand to trial and appoint time and place for two or three of you and two or three of us to meet together where both parties may be secure as to their persons you and we will take Bread and Wine and one part of it shall be unconsecrated and another part you shall be allow'd to consecrate as well as you can for the honor of your Church and that which is consecrated and that vvhich is unconsecrated shall be set together and shall be watched by some of each party and if that which is consecrated do corrupt and decay as that which is unconsecrated then you wil renounce your Doctrine and leave your killing about it but if it do not corrupt and decay as well as that which is unconsecrated then we will deny our Faith and confess that you are the true Church Lastly If you be not Idolaters there was never any in the world who say that to adore or worship the Bread and Wine after consecration is no more Bread but whole Christ your God and Redeemer who placeth himself there upon the Altar by miracle It 's a miraculous thing indeed that that which is given unto you by the Priest which enters in at the natural mouth and goes into the belly should be the body of Christ and whole Christ and very God and Redeemer as thou saist that one person should contain whole God seeing the Scripture saith that the Heaven of Heavens cannot contain him for he is the