had in suspicion when there is anie question of their profit or authority Heere my Masters it is easie to shewe you that they lead you in a way by which it is altogether impossible you should bee saved for you are taught simply to beleeve the Church of Rome and without farther enquiry to depend entirely upon her authority and yet you are deprived of all means to know whether this Church whereunto you give credit bee pure and teacheth true doctrine For how should you knowe that should it be by the holy Scriptures yea but this book is not permitted you At Rome and in Spaine to read in it is no lesse than burning at a stake or would you knowe it by the Antients those are greek latin books which the people understand not What knowes an artificer or a woman or an husbandman amongst you whether the Church teacheth conformably unto the Scripture or if their church bee such as it was some 12. or 1500. years since or whether of a long list of Popes pictured the first have beleeved as the last and that the times have altered nothing In briefe you have no other proof of the purity of your church but the witnes of your Church it self whose Prelates vanting themselves that they cannot erre in the meane time deprive you of all means to discern of error from truth by hiding from you the rule of truth which is the holy Scriptures But wherfore should the Roman Church rather have this perfection that the Greek or the Syrian more antient and more pure than the Roman founded by Ies Christ himselfe and by his Apostles and who also brag to have Saint Peters chair Doth the Scripture give unto the Roman Church any prerogative above others or doth it give her the priviledge of not erring From hence doe ensue two things as cleere as the day the one that your faith is grounded onely upon the authority of men and by consequent that your religion is a humane religion and not divine Whosoever saith I beleeve the Gospell and the Word of GOD because the Church ordaineth it maketh the Church more credible than God To doubt of Gods truth is a lesse crime than to make it depend upon men The other is that of all humane witnesses you ground your selves upon the worst and most uncertain for you say your Church is good because shee saith it and so doo make her Iudge in her owne cause not considering that by this word Church you understand not Christian people nor the generality of Pastors but the Pope and some fewe Prelates whose rules are called Church-rules although they tend onely to the profit of the Clergie and the advancement of the Empire of the Bishop of Rome And you poor soules whom God hath framed after his owne Image whom hee hath redeemed with the blood of his Son whom God solliciteth by his Word will you languish alwaies in this captivity will you heap up unto your selves the wrath and indignation of the Lord by rejecting the salvation which is proposed you I confesse that the Roman Chur. in certain points alleageth scripture and that between her and us there is strife about the interpretation but we make use of the Scripture in another manner than those which teach you For first they are afraid the people should read the Scriptures but we exhort men thereunto Secondly they perswade you that the Scripture is obscure and ambiguous but we say all things necessary unto salvation are therein layd downe with much clearness Thirdly they say that the Scripture is an unperfect rule they will needs have another unwritten word and traditions of the Church equall in authority to the Scripture wee on the contrary say that the holie Scripture can make us wise unto salvation 1 Tim. 15. 1 and that wee ought not to bee wise beyond what is written 1 Cor. 6. 4 and that in that which is cleare in the Scriptures and needeth no interpretation are cōtained all the doctrines necessary unto salvation Fourthly when wee alleage the Scripture we alleage it as soveraign Iudge and as it that ruleth the Chur. and giveth her her authority but the Romane Church alleageth the Scripture as a doctrine authorized by the Church and that you ought to receive it because the Church hath ordained it Fiftly when wee interpret the Scriptures wee give not out our interpretations for lawes as doth the Roman Church nor call our selves judges or infallible interpreters of the holy Scriptures Finally when wee interpret the Scriptures wee draw our interpretations from the Scripture it self but the Roman Church draw their interpretations from the unwritten word and from tradition For example wee expound those words This is my body He took the bread gave it c. Do this in remembrance of me By the bread which I give you is the commemoration of my body the which expositiō is found in the text it self of the institution of the sacrament or by these words of the Apostle 1. Cor. 10. 16 The bread which wee break is the communion of the body of Christ Your Teachers do not thus interpret the Scriptures for they draw their interpretations from the unwritten word and from tradition When the Lord said to Peter I have prayed that thy faith fail not they say that by these words Saint Peter and the Popes of Rome his successours were promised the vertue that they could not erre but the Scripture speaketh not of Popes or of Bishops of Rome nor grants unto Saint Peter any successor in his Apostleship So Malachie speaketh of a pure oblation which was to bee made in all places Mal. 1. 11 This oblation according to the interpretation of these Masters is the Masse in which they say the body of Christ is really sacrificed But this interpretation is taken out of the unwritten word for the holy scripture speaketh not of any Masse nor of the sacrifice of the body of Iesus Christ nor establisheth any sacrificers in the Church to sacrifice the Son of God So when the Scripture saith Thou shalt worship one God and shalt serve him alone The interpretations of these Masters is that God forbiddeth onely the worship of Latria but not the adoratiō of Dulia which is an inferiour religious service But the Scripture speaketh not of the adoration of Dulia nor of any other religious service then that which is due unto God These are interpretations which the Romane Church draweth from the unwritten word which is at the discretion of the Romish Church nor can bee learned but from her mouth for I doo not think there is any that ever hath seen all the instructions of this unwritten word reduced into one body Bellar. in Barkl c. 3. He thinkes not rightly of the chur of the chur of Christ that admits nothing but what hee reads expresly to have bin alledged or practised in the old chu as if the Church of later time either ceast to be a chr or hath not
authority to expresse and declare to decree also and cōmād those things which concern faith Christian manners and that because this word changeth according to the age and is fitted unto the time and that the Romish Chur. hath power also to adde new articles thereunto even in the points of faith The greatest mischief is that these traditions and instructions of the unwritten word are not only additions unto the Scripture but also manifest oppositions thereunto whereof the Mass alone doth furnish us with many examples 1. For Iesus Christ administring the holy Sacrament of the Eucharist spake in a tongue understood of the standers by but the Priest in his Masse speaketh in an unknown language 2. Iesus Christ administred to all there present but the Priest oftentimes eateth drinketh himselfe alone 3. Iesus Christ communicated the cup unto all and willed that all should drink thereof but the Priest drinketh alone and denieth the chalice unto the people 4. Iesus Christ offred nothing to God but the Priest prayeth in the Masse that God would be pleased with his oblation 5. Iesus Christ made no elevation of the hoste but the Priest houldeth up an hoste to bee adored 6. In the institution of this holy Sacrament there is no speech of a sacrifice nor of sacrificing the body of Iesus Christ cleane contrary the Priest pretendeth the sacrificing of the body of Iesus Christ in a reall propitiatory sacrifice for the living and the dead also 7. Vnder the Table of our Lord there were no reliques hid We beseech thee Lord through the merits of the Saints whose relicks wee have heer and for the merits of all the Saints besides that thou wouldest vouchsafe to pardon all our sins nor the bones of any Patriarch or Prophet on the contrary the Priest hath under the stones of his Altar the bones of the dead without which reliques an Altar cannot bee consecrated and so accordingly the Priest in his Masse craveth salvation by the merits of those Saints whose bones lie hidden under that Altar a thing that Iesus Christ never thought of 8. Iesus Christ witnessed that it was the fruit of the Vine that hee drank but the Priest denies that it is so 9. Iesus Christ will that we make commemoration of him but the Priest pretendeth to make Iesus Christ himself 10. Saint Paul saith foure times that we eat break bread on the contrary the Priest maintains that we neither eat nor break bread 11. The Lord instituteth a Sacrament but the Priest celebrateth a Sacrifice In a word the one administreth the Communion the other singeth Masse expresly made to dis-figure the holy Supper of our Lord. These Masters thinke themselves well fensed with using a childish recrimination in objecting unto us that seeing wee will imitate our Lord we ought all to celebrate the Communion after supper in a high chamber and not to admit of women but neither the place nor the houre nor the sex of the assistants is either part or essence of the action and without any of these the action remaineth intire nor hath Iesus Christ touching the same given any rule or forbidden any circumstance But the chāge which wee object against them is in things essentiall and which change the nature of the action seeing that thereby is introduced an adoration not commanded nor practised by the Apostles and a sacrifice established which our Lord hath not ordained and an authorized superstition about dead mens bones and a publike repast changed into a private Mass and the people frustrate of understanding their ordinary service and instructed to take God and to eat their Creator adore the creature and deprived of one halfe of the Sacrament to wit the cup wherof Christ hath said 1 Cor. 8. 11. Drink ye all of this as also the Apostle commandeth the people of Corinth to take the cup as well as the bread Let a man prove himself and so eat of this bread and drink of this cup. Whereupon wee propose a means of agreement which cannot bee refused but by him that loves discord or is thirsty of Christian blood or which will war against God for all Christians confesse that Iesus Christ hath done well and that there is nothing amisse in his institution and that even when it might bee lawfull to celebrate the holy Communion in some other fashion then hee did yet all agree that it would not bee ill done to follow his example speak as hee spake and doo as he did Now this is that which wee demand and certaine it is that the Pope might make an end of all contētions sprung from this point which trouble and divide Christendome if hee would restore the holy Communion unto the form in which our Lord did celebrate it laying aside all disputes binding the people unto the example of the Son of God What incommodities or incōveniences soever might bee alleaged against the same could not bee put in balance against the obedience which wee owe to Iesus Christ against the peace of Christendome and the re-union of that rupture and separation of people which hath caused so many troubles and spilt so much blood and which goareth the side of the Ro. Church as well as ours exposing it to the violence of Turks and Infidels Every spirit that is not preoccupated will easily acknowledge that this is the language of truth wherewith lest your consciences should bee touched they use a device namely to represent unto you our religion altogether other then it is and paint it out unto you like a hideous monster and to make us speake things wholly against our beleef And thereupon many amongst you are of so easie beleef as to chuse rather to learne what our religion is by our enemies invectives than by our owne confession yea after wee have protested not to beleeve any thing of all they father upon us yet would they make us perswade our selves that wee beleeve that which wee beleeve not wherein they justifie us before they bee aware For thereby they privily confesse that our religion truely proposed cannot bee encountred and that if it were represented in as true colours at the very first it would make a strong impression in the minde of the Auditor through the evidence of the truth thereof They tell you 1. that our religion teacheth that good works are not necessary 2. that the Elect may without danger licence themselves to doo evill 3. that God gives no recompense to good works 4. that God constraineth our willes and forceth them unto good 5. that we accuse God of injustice as having given us a law which wee cannot accomplish 6. that wee are enemies to the Saints and the Virgin Mary 7. that for the understanding of the Scriptures every one of us vanteth to have a particular inspiration 8. and that wee deny the Almightinesse of God in the Eucharist Is not this all false and contrary to our beleef 1. Our religion teacheth that good
works are necessary unto salvation for men goe not to Heaven by the way of hell nor unto the Kingdome of God by serving the divell 2. Our religion teacheth that the predestinated unto salvation are also predestinate to live holily To say I may abandon my self unto evill seeing I am elected it is the language of a reprobate who will be bad because God is good and who makes of the grace of God which is a spurre unto vertue a pillow to sleep upon in all vice 3. Our religion beleeveth that God rewardes good works but with a salary freely given 4. We beleeve that God constraineth not our wills but bendeth them and causeth them to give themselves willingly unto good 5. We esteem it not a thing unjust that God should demand at mans hands that which hee cannot when man doth owe it and when his unablenesse commeth of his owne default fault 6. We honor the Saints as they honoured the Saints that were before them 7. For the understanding of the Scriptures wee content our selves with that which we finde clear in them and leave particular inspirations to frantick persons 8. Wee deny not the omnipotency of God in the Eucharist but rule our selves according to his will wee use the Sacrament of the Communion not to make Iesus Christ but to honor him not to make his body descend unto us but to elevate our hearts to him Wee undertake not to take GOD in this life but content our selves that hee take us at our deaths Wee feare not that God can fall to the ground or be stolne away or gnawn by mice or eaten by his enemies We beleeve not that the Son of God and the divell could enter both together into Iudas nor that Iesus Christ did eat himself seeing it was nothing necessary for our salvation Our religion is a religion which acknowledgeth no other head of the Church but Iesus Christ nor other rule of faith then his Word nor other propitiatory sacrifice then his Death nor other purgatory then his Blood nor other merit than his Obedience It is a religion which would have the people to read the word of God because we fear not to finde our condemnation therein and which speaketh in a knowne tongue for that it is not ashamed of her beleef It is a religion which holdeth fasting to bee in abstinence and not in distinction of meats wee fast for exercise of humility and not in opinion of merit or satisfaction wee borrow not other mens satisfactions but wee beleeve with the Apostle That every one shall bear his owne burden It is a religion which distrusting her owne works beleeveth in Gods promises which preacheth the assurance and not the doubt of her salvation recommendeth an humble assurance and not an arrogant perplexity by which they that set forth their merits make a profession to doubt of their salvation It is a religion wherein men confesse they have often don that which God hath forbidden farre from having done more than hee hath commanded so farre from dooing overmuch as that they faile even of that which is necessary they pretend not to make God a debter by their works of supererogation but confess themselves debters through their disobedience It is a religion which in stead of forming of stones to the likenesse of man endeavoureth to reforme man unto the image of God which in stead of adoring a wooden crosse adoreth the crucified trusteth in his passion and glorieth in his reproach It is a religion which beleeves not that God taketh pleasure to torment the soules of his children in burning fire and to punish them for faults already ready pardoned and for which Iesus Christ hath fully satisfied by punishment which serveth not to amend the sinner but to content the Iustice of God It is a religion which maketh not her praiers by count nor placeth the power of it in the number of the repetition of one the self same praier but in the faith and disposition of the heart It is a religion which holdeth that faith consisteth not in ignorance but in knowledge which equally distributeth holy things to rich and poor not like as in the Romane Church whose dispensations letters of absolution are sold and particular Masses never said for him that hath nothing to give Briefly it is a religion which hath lesse splendour without but more solidness within which will endure narrow sifting which ordaineth few ceremonies but giveth much instruction You wil heer say But these things are new How new seeing Iesus Christ and his Apostles have thus taught Indeed these are new to persons brought up in an inveterate errour and you knowe that healing is alwaies newer than sicknes but wee must alwaies goe up to the spring-head of truth in comparison of which all ould errour is new Never did any man oppose himselfe to any rooted errour settled by long custome who hath not been accused of novelty And this reproach of novelty is very unseemly in their mouthes who hide from the people the true Antiquity which is the holy Scriptures and who to this day maintaine that the Church can make new ordinances touching faith and by the Church understand no other but the Roman who in the very first time after the Apostles cannot shewe one man of their religion who knowe that in all Antiquity there is no mention made of excluding the people from the cup nor of forbidding from the reading of the Scriptures nor of reading the Scriptures unto them in an unknowne tongue which they understand not nor of picturing the Trinity nor of adoring Images nor the Hoste with the adoration of Latria nor of private Masses nor of the Bishop of Romes Court nor of his Indulgences and Church-Treasure nor of his power to depose Kings draw soules out of Purgatory nor of many other new corruptions which they plaister over with the fraudulent title of Apostlique traditions as if they came from the Apostles The themselves who thus vaunt of Antiquity are those which use the antient Doctours most coursely censuring and condemning them upon slight occasion who will that the Fathers should be interpreters of the Scriptures in case they themselves alone may be the fathers interpreters and the Iudges of Antiquity who not only condemn every Father personally but also whole Councels where the Fathers speake in common Three universall Coūcels did condemn Honorius Bishop of Rome for Cotton in the preface of his Catholique institution speaks thus of these two universall Councels an heretique but at this day they maintain that those Councels mistook themselves Greece began in the year 388. to rebell against the holy Sea to thwart the Bishop of Rome giving him the Bishop of Constantinople for a Second At the first Councell of Constantinople in the yeare 381. there were a hundred and fiftie Orthodox Bishops and 630. in the Councell of Chalcedon the yeare 450. Neither this great number nor their great Antiquity hindreth our