Great within few yeeres after about anno 607. Boniface 3. obtained that title with much suite and bribery of Phocas an adulterer and murtherer of his master that Christian Emperour Mauritius with his wife and children But succeeding Popes for the credit of that dignitie being belike ashamed of such an institution pretended to hold the same by the Donation of Constantine the first Christian Emperour So that al this while there was no cōueyance of that authority from Peter that yet came to light At last the Pope being come to the height of his pride thought it a scorne to be beholden to Constantine or any of them all and therefore laid hold vpon those words of Christ Thou art Peter c. But what hold he hath by them is partly shewed before and is further to be considered In that the Popes champion father Bellarmine made a Cardinall for his deserts doth confesse that this Vniuersal Bishopricke is descended to the Pope by a conueyance indeed but not of the word but of tradition Thus you may discouer the sūdry groūds of an article of the Popish creed viz. That the Pope hath Apostolicall authoritie ouer the whole Church as he is Peters successor 17 Leauing these doubts touching the pretended successors of Peter and commending them to the aduised examination of the Reader I proceed briefly to proue in more speciall manner the Church of Rome not to haue been an apparant member of the Catholike Church euer since the Apostles time I say Briefely For if I should demonstrate as I could the many grosse errors of the Church both in doctrine and discipline vnder which word I vnderstand the administration of the Sacraments and the Liturgie and if withall I should paint out the bloodie tyrannie thereof in persecuting the children of God it would appeare more than manifest that it is and hath bin long an apparant member not of the Catholique but of the malignant Church But then I should be longer than I may by reason of necessary busines or need considering so many bookes are written of those Arguments I will therefore only propound some few things of many concerning the Pope whom the Papists make the head of the Catholike Church So that as a member of a mans body is but dead if it receiue no life from the naturall head so a particular Church is in their opinion no apparant member of the Catholique Church which is not vnder the iurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome From hence it followeth That if the head be dead the body must needs be dead and if the Pope be not the Church of Rome cannot be an apparant member of the Catholique Church But the Pope is not Ergo. 18 The Pope is Antichrist and hath been so long therefore the Church of Rome is not and for a long time hath not been an apparant member of the Catholique Church For as his See is the seat of Reuel 17. 9. 18. the whore of Babylon to wit the Citie builded vpon 7. hilles namely Rome so he hath the properties of Antichrist For he sitteth in the Temple as God In charging 2. Thess 2. 4 the conscience as strictly with his decrees and traditions as with the Word of God from whence the other haue no warrant and In auouching himselfe to be free from error which is proper to God 2. He exalteth himselfe aboue all that is Rom. 13. 4. 2. Thess 2. 4. called God In esteeming himselfe as far aboue the Emperour who must hold his stirrup on whose necke he must tread as the Sunne is aboue the Moone and Rom. 13. 1. therefore hee will not bee subiect to any Magistrate contrary to the expresse word of God 3. He is an aduersary to Christ 2. Thess 2. 4. howsoeuer he pretend to be his Vicar but 1. Ioh. 2. 22. therefore Antichrist in deed seeing this word Antichrist signifieth For Christ and yet Against Christ I say an aduersary not only In teaching Iustification by workes to the preiudice of Christs death for if Gal. 2. 21. Righteousnes be by the Law Christ died in vaine but also In teaching that by Christ we are freed from the guiltines of sinne but not from the punishment therof and yet the Popes pardons and the breaden God of his owne creation can do as much good to soules frying in Purgatory as to all that pay well for them 1. Tim. 4. 1. 3. while they liue on the earth 4. He teacheth doctrines of diuels forbidding to marry and commāding to abstaine from meates which God hath created to be receiued with thankes-giuing of thē which beleeue and know the truth And 5. Hee 1. Ioh. 4. 3. denieth Christ to be come in the flesh In affirming Christ his body to be by transubstātiation in so many places as where Masse is said As the Anabaptists likewise deny Christ to be come in the flesh In affirming Christ to haue brought his flesh from heauen 19 Againe Sith the Pope as supposed head is of the essence and forme of the Church of Rome it must necessarily follow that the Church of Rome hath not been alwaies an apparant member of the Catholike Church according to the sense of the Papists themselues if it can be proued that often somtimes many yeeres together there hath been no apparant Pope But that is not impossible to bee proued For first it is to be noted with a memorandum That by the speciall prouidence of God Pope Ioan was deliuered of a child as she was going solemnly on procession in the middest of the open street and in the presence of the people As if God had said from heauen Behold the Whore of Babylon Secondly It is worthy the obseruation That Stephen 6. and Sergius the third proceeded against Formosus as against an vnlawfull Pope both taking him out of the graue spitefully disgraded him The former summoning a Councel attired him with the pontificall robes plucked them off againe put on Lay-mans apparell cut off the two fingers of his right hand cast them into Tiber buried him in Lay-mens buriall and disanulled his decrees The other set him in the Popes chaire drew him thence againe cut off his head and the other three fingers hurled body and al into the riuer recondemned all his actes so that it was needful to admit them new to orders whom hee had made Priests Thirdly It is not to be neglected as not worth the reading That sixe Popes viz. Clement 5. Iohn 23. Benedict 12. Clement 6. Innocent 6. and Vrban 5. their See was 70. yeers together at Auignion in France Where Popes were elected liued and died so that some of them neuer saw Rome This I say is not to bee neglected For if Iohn the Patriarch of Constātinople claimed the title of Vniuersal Bishop because the Emperours had then their seat there howsoeuer they then bare the title of Emperours of Rome If Peter were therefore the Bishop of Rome because he had his feat
there and there died as Papists doe suppose and If by the holy daies for Peters chaire at Antioch and Rome Papists shew their iudgement to be That it is of the essence of a Bishop to sit in the See whereof hee hath the title for otherwise they need not make such adoe to proue that Peter was at Rome seeing it were sufficient to proue if they could that he accepted the title then those 6. Popes howsoeuer they were in title Bishops of Rome yet in truth they were Bishops of Auignion and therefore no apparant successors of Peter and therefore no apparant heads of the Church and therefore for 70. yeeres the Church of Rome was not an apparant member of the Catholike Church according to the sense of the Papists themselues Fourthly Onuphrius a Popish writer telleth of 30. Schismes in the Church of Rome Of which the 29. lasted 50. yeeres together Wherin there were sometimes two Popes together and sometimes three All which three were remoued by the Councel of Constance Can any say that all this while there was an apparant head If not it must necessarily follow That the Church of Rome hath not been euer since the Apostles time an apparant member of the Catholique Church according to the sense of the Papists themselues 20 Lastly As when the eye is darke Matth. 6. 23 the whole body must needs be darke So if the head viz. the Pope be so corrupt as that it cannot be perceiued to be an apparāt member of the Catholike Church how can the Church of Rome whose being is altogether in that head be an apparant member But most of the Popes haue been such Ergo. For howsoeuer that cannot be verified of al the Popes which was said of Boniface 8. commonly called A diuell incarnat That he entered like a Fox raigned like a Lion and died like a Dog yet some of them entered by Coniuration or the diuels helpe as Siluester 2. and Gregory 7. first called Hildebrand or The brand of Hell Some by harlots as Christopher 1. and Iohn 11. Some by poysoning their predecessors as Damasus who also did drinke of the same cup and the said Hildebrand who besides his Coniuration made way to the Popedome by poysoning sixe of his predecessors and many by Simony or Violence Were they apparant members of the Catholique Church when they were Popes Nay sundry of them were heretiques As Liberius was an Arrian Honorius 1. a Monothelite Anastasius a Nestorian Iohn 2 2. denied the Life to come and the resurrection of the body and this was laid to his charge when he was deposed by the Councell of Constance and Eugenius 4. was condemned and deposed as an heretique in the Councell of Basil As for their Liues In respect of all it is no lesse truly than commonly said of Gregory 1. That he was the worst Bishop but best Pope of Rome But some of them Platina no Protestant called Beasts and Monsters and of Iohn 12. Cardinall Turrecremata writeth thus Because the life of this Pope was detestable therefore Christ himself gaue out the sentence of condemnation For while he was abusing a certaine mans wife the diuell stroke him sodainly and so he died without repentance To set downe in particular the monstrous offēces of most Popes is too large and too filthy a field for me to walke in I will therefore shut vp with the words of Genebrard a Popish Chronicler who writeth thus For the space almost of seuen-score yeeres and ten from Iohn 8. to Leo 9. about fiftie Popes did reuolt wholy frō the vertue of their auncestors and were Apostaticall rather than Apostolicall Yea some did get into the See by force or bribery Wherefore it is no maruell if they were monstrous sith they entered in not by the dore but by a posterne gate To conclude If the Church of Rome be not the Catholique Church because it is confined visible faileth in the faith without which faith personall succession is of no validitie If it haue no promise of perpetuity the words of Christ to Peter not seruing the turne and therefore may be ouercome as well as the Church of Israel whereunto the promises did appertaine If Papists cannot proue that Peter was at Rome nor that hee was Bishop there nor that he was Vniuersall Bishop nor that his authority was sufficiently cōueyed ouer to the Bishops of Rome vpon which succession standeth the being of that Church If the Pope vpon whom as their head the Church of Rome dependeth be Antichrist and sundry times yea many yeeres together there hath bin no apparant Pope at all and most Popes haue been no apparant members of the Catholike Church because of their heresies or monstrous liues it followeth euidently that the Church of Rome is not the Catholique Church neither hath bin an apparant member of the same euer since the Apostles time And therefore it is to be wondered that any Christian man or woman should bee so simple as to hang their saluation vpon such a Synagogue as out of which God from heauen biddeth his people to depart Reuel 18. 4. THE THIRD POSITION PRIESTS ARE EXECVted not for Religion but for Treason IT is not to bee denied that Priests are executed for affirming the Popes Primacie and reconciling to the pretended Church of Rome c. which are points of their supposed religion But yet they are not executed for these or like points or parts as they be religious but as they bee trayterous or dangerous to the State in ciuill consideration 1 For if Priests were executed for these or like poynts as they be religious then the Church would proceed against them in Ecclesiasticall maner before the secular power execute ciuill punishment As against Anabaptistes and other in this Queenes raigne hath bene performed So that Priests their case differeth from Hackets only Secundum magis minus the one being more dangerous in ciuil consideration then the other 2 Secondly they should be executed as wel for affirming the Popes primacy and reconciling c. as Story for his misdemeanure though beyond seas For such affirming the primacie and reconciling c. are as damnable in religious consideration on one side of the seas as on the other but not so dangerous to our state in ciuill consideration 3 Thirdly they should be executed as well for other points of popery as giuing the glory of the Creator to wit prayer and praise to creatures Angels Saints stockes and stones c. being no lesse damnable then such affirming the Popes primacy and reconciling c. in religious consideration but not so dangerous to the state in ciuill consideration As may appeare by a like case propounded If Anabaptistes denying magistracy and that Christ tooke flesh of the Virgin Mary should swarme in England and if Magistrates should punish in a more ciuil manner of proceeding not the latter though no lesse damnable as it is religious but the former being more dangerous to the state in ciuill consideration
holy Apostles are sufficient to perswade an humble Christian to receiue it as the Lords ordinance though it be not certainly knowne when Christ did ordaine it But it is probable that he gaue commandement concerning the same within those 40. daies after his resurrection When as it is written x Act. 1. 2. 3 in expresse words he gaue through the Holy Ghost Commandements vnto the Apostles whom he had chosen and spake of those things which appertaine to the Kingdome of God Now doth it not especially appertaine to the kingdome of God that Christians should sanctifie their Lords day wherein y 1. Cor. 1. 23. 24. Christ crucified z 1. Tim. 3. 16. The mystery of godlines and a Mat. 1. 21. Sauiour of the world should be * Act. 10. 42. 43. preached as well as the Iewes had their Sabbath on which Moses A schoole master b Gal. 3. 24 to Christ and A minister of the Letter c 2. Cor. 3. 6. which killeth was d Act. 15. 21. preached Againe If in those 40. daies Christ e Eph 4. 8. 10. 11. appointed what Ministers should teach his Church for euer how can it be but that theÌ„ also he appointed some Sabbath wheron they should ordinarily performe the worke of their ministerie as hee was wont f Luk. 4. 16. to do himselfe Seeing it is prophecied g Psal 110. 2. 3. That the power of his rod should be such that His people should come willingly at the time of assembling his army in holy beauty Seeing his Father whose works * Ioh. 5. 19. he imitateth appointed h Leuit. 16. 2. 29. as an high Priest so a time when once in a yeere he should enter into the Most holy place and as other Priests i Exod. 29. 44. 38. so morning and euening sacrifices and considering it is written k Eccles 3. 1. To euery purpose vnder heauen there is an appointed time Lastly If the Sonne be like his Father as in teaching his Apostles 40. daies for so long l Exod. 24. 12. 18. 39. 42. was Moses with the Father vpon the mount so in speaking those things which appertaine to the kingdome of God as his Father taught Moses al things belonging to the furnishing of the Tabernacle and If the Sonne be like his Father in sanctifying a day to his owne honor as hath been declared Why may not Christians beleeue that Christ sanctified The Lords day within those 40. daies as the Father m Deut. 9. 9 confirmed The seuenth day in those 40. daies that Moses was with him on the mount And the rather because it is te be obserued That the Disciples n Ioh. 20. 19. 26. assembled the two first daies of the two weeks immediatly following Christ his resurrection and that our Lord not only of purpose sanctified both those assemblies with his holy and miraculous presence but also immediatly before his Ascension commanded his Apostles o Act. 1. 4. 5. 7. 9. to wait a few daies for the promise of the Father Which by his prouidence in whose power bee times and seasons as Christ affirmed euen in this case was fulfilled p Mark 16. 1. 2. Leuit. 23. 15. 16. Act. 2. 1. 4. 14. vpon a Sonday and at the same time the Apostles first began the execution of their ministery and preached Christ publiquely But publique preaching q Num. 10. 7. 8. Isa 58. 1. Ezech. 44. 23. 24. Act. 23. 14. 42. is a speciall worke of the Sabbath day It may therefore bee gathered That Christ appointed his Apostles to sanctifie Sonday whereon he would manifest himselfe r 1. 6. 7. 8 to be King of Israel as his Father instituted A seuenth day as on which he was manifested to bee GOD of heauen and earth To conclude If Saturday were made common not by man but by God himselfe and that not for a Ceremony but for some other cause If God sanctified a Sabbath as well to Christians as to Iewes If euery ordinance of Christ were an ordinance of God If Christ were as faithfull in all his owne house as Moses about the Tabernacle If Christ came to fulfill the fourth Commandement which prescribeth one day of seuen If the Church of God bee not easily to bee condemned as neglecting the ordinance of God in sanctifying Sonday for many huÌ„dred yeeres If Christ were like his Father in sanctifying that day to his owne honor whereon he was declared to be the Sonne of God and King of Israel to wit Sonday If the day be so appointed that the Creator is glorified with the Redeemer If it appeare by the Word that the first day of the week was confirmed by the Apostles practise and preceptiue exhortation If by the first day of the week be meant that day wheron Christ did rise againe and that was Sonday If in the Word Sonday be called The Lords day to the honour of Christ our Lord If the warrant of Sonday consisteth not in the ordinarie authoritie of the Church because it was established by the Apostles If euery spirituall man be to acknowledge the ordinances of the Apostles to bee the ordinances of the Lord and If the Apostles were informed by Christ touching the Lords day within those 40. daies after his resurrection I may safely hold this my Position The Lords day commonly called Sonday is an ordinance of God THE SECOND POSITION THE CHVRCH OF ROME IS not the Catholike Church neither yet hath continued an apparant member of the same euer since the Apostles time 1 THe Church is said to be Catholike in regard of the vniuersality thereof for this word Catholike signifieth Vniuerfall The Vniuersalitie thereof consisteth in Times Persons and Places For there is no age of the world no nation on the earth and no sort of people that can be exempted from the same And therefore it is called The celestial Hierusalem and said to be the congregation Heb. 12. 22. 23. of the first borne which are written in heauen So that we are to beleeue That as there hath been euer an head to wit Christ so there hath been also a body to wit the Church some where or other but the Church of Rome is a particular Church confined within a certaine compasse and hath not been a Câ—â—â—â—â— but since Christ his comming in tâ—◠〈◊〉 therfore it is not the Catholique Câ—â—â—â—â— 2 The Catholique Church is an obiect of faith according to the Apostles Creed and therefore inuisible howsoeuer the members thereof called by Peter Liuely 1. Pet. 2. 5. Heb. 11. 1. stones be visible as they be men For faith is the euidence of things not seene But the Church of Rome is visible therefore not the Catholique Church 3 I grant that as one man so one particular Church may be called Catholike but it is only in regard of the Catholique faith as being one the same throughout the Catholique Church which that one man or
that one Church professeth But the Church of Rome professeth not indeed the Catholike faith as shal be in part shewed hereafter therefore in no sense it can be truly called Catholique But suppose it held the Catholique faith yet were it not for that cause an obiect of faith according to the Apostles Creed more than a particular man or any other particular Church holding the faith Here it is to be vnderstood that howsoeuer we may say This man or that Church is Catholique yet we may not say and speake properly This is the Catholique man or That is the Catholique Church 4 That the Church of Rome holdeth not the Catholike faith neither yet hath done for many yeeres may be demonstrated in sundry fundamentall points Let it be sufficient to produce though but one yet that most fundamental sith it is called by an excellency The Word of faith preached Rom. 10. 6 8. by all the Apostles And the rather that One because it is the principall argument of that worthy Epistle which Paul wrote Cap. 1. 8. to the Romans whose faith was then published throughout the whole world So that if the Church of Rome swarue from this truth it is manifest that it is the ofspring not of the true members of the Primitiue Church of Rome but of the troublers of that Church of whom Paul thus writeth Now I beseech you brethren Cap. 16. 17. 18. marke them diligently which cause diuision and auoid them For they that are such serue not the Lord Iesus but their owne bellies and with faire speech and flattering deceiue the hearts of the simple But what is that most fundamentall point Euen that same which Paul after a large and learned disputatiō setteth downe as his peremptory iudgement in these words Therefore Rom. 3. 28. we conclude that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the Law But the Church of Rome that now is holdeth and for many yeeres hath held That a man is iustified both by faith and works contrary to the conclusion therefore the Church of Rome is not Catholique but Antichristian 5 I say Antichristiā because it may be proued such by many reasons and that because it erreth in this point but I only propound to wise and religious consideration this deduction That Antichristian Apostasy or Antichrist is called The Mystery 2. Thess 2. 7 of iniquitie that is a mysticall iniquity that is an iniquity which is indeed iniquity but not perceiued as Christ is called The Mystery of godlinesse that is a 1. Tim. 3. 16. mystical godlinesse that is godlinesse indeed but not perceiued But wherefore is Antichrist a mysticall iniquitie Because his Righteousnesse though glorious in shew is iniquity indeed because he attributeth Gal. 5. 4. Rom. 3. 27. 1. Cor. 4. 1. Rom. 1. 16. 17. 4. 5. Iustification thereunto Now this is a mysterie to flesh and blood which would faine reioyce in it selfe that Righteousnes should be Iniquitie Euen so is the Gospell a mysterie for by it the Righteousnes of God is reueiled which otherwise could not be perceiued of flesh and blood For is it not a mysticall paradox to carnall reason to say God iustifieth the vngodly which yet is cleere to him who vnderstanding the Scriptures doth not only abhorre his foule iniquitie but also Phil. 3. 9. Esa 64. 6. disclaimeth his owne defiled righteousnes and by faith layeth hold on the righteousnes of God which is only by Christ or Who trusteth not to his righteousnes inherent which tasteth of the caske but to righteousnes imputed which maketh vs blessed These things well considered It may appeare that as Christ is the mystery of godlines not only because he is very God though in the shape of a seruant but also because the Word of Christ viz. the Gospell teacheth a mystical righteousteousnes So the Pope is Antichrist not only because he is an aduersarie in exalting himself aboue all that is called God though he pretend to be the seruant of seruants but also because his doctrine is a mysticall iniquitie Heere it is to be remembred that on the forehead of the Reuel 17. 5. 9. 18. Whore of Babylon to wit Rome was written this word A mysterie and it is also to bee vnderstood that on the Popes Mitre is the same word set with precious stones If then for the doctrine of Iustification and merit by workes the Church of Rome bee Antichristian it followeth that it is not Catholique and therefore hath not continued an apparant member of the Catholique Church euer since the Apostles time 6 The later point inferred may be the rather admitted if wee marke well that Paul saith That the Mystery of iniquitie 2. Thess 2. 7 was working in his time So that it is likely that those troublers of whom mētion is made in the 4. section ouergrew as weeds the good corne in time and preuailed still vntill that mysterie of iniquity was reuealed and consumed by the Spirit of God in the mouth of Luther and other the seruants of Christ Iesus 7 For the better manifestation of this point let vs seriously consider that howsoeuer the Church of Rome were now an apparant member of the Catholique Church which indeed is not to bee imagined yet sith it is not the Catholique and inuisible Church but a visible and particular Church and hath not any speciall promise that it should continue the same from the first constitution how can we be assured but that in so many hundreds of yeeres there haue been some alterations and innouations as well as in the Church of God among the Israelites Rom. 9. 4. to whom pertained the adoption glory couenants giuing of the Law seruice of God and the promises And yet it is written 2. Chro. 15. 3 of the Church Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God and without Priest to teach and without Law 8 As for that promise of Christ Thou Mat. 16. 18. art Peter and vpon this rocke I will build my Church and the gates of hell shal not ouercome it it appertaineth to the Catholique Church as builded vpon Christ the 1. Cor. 3. 11. only foundation of his Church and not to the Church of Rome more than to the Churches of Asia which are ouercome or any other particular Church which may be ouercome yet that promise remaineth Gen. 9. 13. inuiolable as the couenant whereof the Raine-bow is a signe is inuiolable notwithstanding sundrie particular countries be ouerflowen 9 Indeed Augustine did once take that Rocke to bee Peter the Apostle and his successors the Bishops of Rome but hee after altered that his opinion and vnderstood Rocke to signifie Christ by Peter confessed For that Christ did not say to Peter I will build me vpon thee But his words were so Augustine conceiued them as if hee had said I will build thee vpon me and not me vpon thee His meaning Col. 1. 24. is