the entire Rule They forbid holy Scriptures to be read in vulgar Tongues to the people being afraid belike least the light thereof should discouer their false errors and foule deeds Contrarie to the Doctrine of the Fathers they make the Bookes of Tobia Iudith Wisdome Ecclesiasticus the Machabees and those peeces of Bookes that are in the old vulgar Latine Translation and not in the Originals to be Canonicall Scriptures equall to the Law and Prophets The old Latine vulgar Translation they make authenticall and neyther the Hebrew nor Greeke Originals of the Old and New Testament They forbid all interpretations of Scriptures contrarie to the sence of the Pope and Roman Church and might as well forbid all Scriptures They teach that the worship of Dulia is due to Saints and Hyperdulia to the Virgin Mary They worship Images of Gold and Siluer and fall downe before the workes of their owne hands Before a Stock they say Pater noster and before Images of Stone and Mettall they say Mater nostra praying helpe of them that neyther heare nor see nor walke nor speake They desire the Picture of Christs Face giuen as is said to Veromca to blot out their sinnes and to bring them to the societie of Saints They call vpon Angels and Saints in all places as if they were euery where present and could heare their prayers and vnderstand their thoughts and could helpe Praying to the Crosse they say Aue spes vnica and desire it to encrease instice in them and to pardon their sinnes They giue diuine honor to the Crosse and to the Images of Christ and the Trinitie which is vnexcusable Idolatrie Consecrating a Crosse they desire it may be to them a Foundation of Faith and a Defence in Aduersitie They beleeue that the Image of the Virgin Mary can helpe the faithfull and that the Image of S. Iohn the Euangelist hath power to driue away Diuels as appeareth by their prayers in the Pontificall when they consecrate them They pray without vnderstanding in a strange Tongue and call vpon Saints and Angels that neyther are present nor heare them They make the Images of the Trinitie and not onely of Angels but mens soules in Heauen The Apostle sayth there is but one Mediator betwixt God and man they employ all Angels and Saints as Mediators Yea they call vpon S. George S. Katherine S. Christopher and XI M. Virgins yet are not assured that there are any such Saints in Heauen or euer were in the World In the Masse the Priest presumptuously taketh vpon him to be a Mediator for Christ Jesus beseeching the Father to looke vpon his Sonne with a serene countenance and to send Angels to carrie vp his Bodie into Heauen Masse-Priests beleeue that they are Priests according to the Order of Melchisedech but the Apostle Hebr. 5. 7. sheweth how that Office belongeth only to Christ They beleeue that Christ is by them continually offered to God but the Apostle sayth he was but once offered and that by that one Oblation he persited all that are sanctified They offer Masses for the redemption of their Soules as if men were redeemed by Masse-Priests as well as by Christ They say Masses also for Hogges and sick Horses which is an intollerable impietie presuming that Christ dyed for brute Beasts They hold the Masse to be a Sacrifice propitiatorie as if sinnes could be remitted without bloud which the Apostle denyeth Hebr. 9. S. Iohn 1. Epist 1. sayth Christs bloud doth cleanse vs from all sinnes quite contrarie to the Doctrine of the Romanists holding that sinnes are cleansed by Purgatorie fire and by our owne and the Saints sufferings They whip themselues thinking by their owne Penance to purge away sinnes like Baals Priests not considering that we are healed by Christs wounds The Apostle Ephes 2. sayth we are saued by grace they beleeue they are saued by the merits of their workes Hee sayth God called vs not according to our workes but according to his purpose and grace They hold that God doth predestinate and call such as by free-will admit that calling and iustifie men that first prepare themselues to iustification Rom. 9. he sheweth That it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth They teach that euery one that will may be saued if he run well They doe also teach that God giueth sufficient grace to all to be saued as if euery one were chosen and called and had grace giuen him to beleeue The Apostle Rom. 3. sayth We are iustified freely by grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus They beleeue they are iustified by their workes and merits Christ breaking Bread sayd This is my Body These denie that he gaue Bread or called it his Body Christ distributed the Cup to all that had receiued the Bread They suffer not any but Priests to drinke of the Cup. They say Christ did eate himselfe and offer himselfe at his last Supper but for a man to eate himselfe it is absurd and for Christ to offer two Sacrifices was superfluous In priuate Masses the Priest doth eate and drinke all alone but that is contrarie to Christs Institution Christ bad his Disciples preach the Gospel The Popes Emissaries preach Traditions and Doctrine contrarie to the Gospel Among Papists Women baptize and sometime preach as Katherine of Siena and Joane of the Crosse did They thinke it is sufficient to beleeue implicitely Christ sayd eternall life consisted in knowing God and Christ Jesus They beleeue in a God that neyther made Heauen nor Earth and in Christ made of Bread contrarie to the words of the Creed Priests take vpon them to be creators of their Creator as if they had power ouer God They beleeue that Christs Body is in many places at once as if euery body were not circumscribed by place and continued to it selfe now what is this but to destroy Christs humane Nature Christs true Body in the Sacrament they say neyther seeth nor feeleth nor moueth How is that Body then a true humane Body that hath no sence nor motion The Masse they say is an externall Sacrifice How then is Christ offered in the Masse which is not externally seene Christ in the Capernaites condemned the reall eating of his flesh yet doe Papists beleeue they really eate his flesh and drinke his bloud with their mouthes Christ sayth they liue for euer that eate his fiesh Yet Papists say Reprobates eate his flesh which cannot attaine eternall life The Faith of Papists being founded on the Pope and his Decretals is meerely an humane Faith and therefore not true Christian Faith The Cardinals hauing elected a new Pope place him on the Altar and adore him Great Princes also kisse his feet and common people esteeme him as a God They forbid certaine Meates and prohibite their Votaries to Marrie which the Apostle 1. Tim. 4. calleth no better then Doctrines of Diuels They teach rebellion against Princes excommunicated contrary to the Apostle Rom. 13. that teacheth
Doctrine of Trent concerning Traditions Iustice of workes Freewill dispositions 7. Sacraments worshipping of Saints and Images and other heresies reiected by vs. How then can Papists pretend that their Religion is Catholike which that Catholike Father admitted not as catholike The Catholike Church euer prayed and administred Sacraments in a tongue vnderstood of the hearers The Friers Monkes and Masse-Priests therefore that pray and administer Sacraments in a tongue not vnderstood of their hearers declare themselues and their adherents not to belong to the Catholike Church To hold that Christ hath a body that can neither bee felt nor seene nor can it selfe either feele or see is a Doctrine not of Catholikes but of hereticall Papists contrary to our Sauiours words Luke 24. inuiting his Disciples to feele and see They are also Heretikes and not Catholikes that destroy Christs humane nature and that giue him a body like a Spirit But so doth Bellarmine and his Disciples the Papists Without mee saith our Sauiour you caen doe nothing and this all true Catholikes beleeue But the Apostate and his consorts hold that by force of Freewill they can turne to God and prepare themselues to grace and doe good Catholikes thinke and speake reuerently of Christ But Papists blaspheme and say his holy Body is eaten of brute beasts eating the Sacrament and that it may be troden vnder feet and cast into vncleane places Catholike Christians neuer admitted 7. Sacraments or beleeued that men were iustified by Matrimony order Confirmation Confession or extreme Vnction S. Austine said the Sacraments issued out of Christs side which cannot bee verisied of the fiue Romish new Sacraments True Catholikes confesse their sinnes to God and so doth Scriptures and catholike Fathers teach them Papists contrariwise confesse to Angels Saints and the Virgin Mary They thinke themselues also bound to confesse in the Priests care contrary to the practice of true Catholikes Catholikes doe beleeue that God onely doth forgiue sinnes Are they then Catholikes that teach that Priests not onely intercede for sinne and declare sinnes forgiuen but also forgiue sinnes as did the Audean Heretikes mentioned by Theoderet haeret Fab. lib. 4 This Apostate and his mates beleeue that the Virgin Mary in body is assumed vp and crowned Queene of Heauen therefore they call vpon her as their Mediatrix But this will not be proued to be a Catholike doctrine or practise Holy Martyrs and true Catholikes in time past suffered death because they would not serue and worship Creatures and fall downe before dumbe Images Are they then Catholikes that worship Creatures and adore Images Not Catholikes but the Priests of Baal and Cybele vsed to lance whip and beat themselues thinking thereby to expiate sinne Are they then true Catholikes that practise this Heathenish custome and commend it as Christian Discipline Heathen men in time past fell downe and prayed before their Images and can they pretend to be Christian Catholikes that say Pater Noster and Aue Maria before Stocks and Stones practising this Heathenish custome Papists doe also fall downe before their Lord and God the Pope kissing his foot but this was neuer practised by ancient Catholikes or true Christians True Christians receiued deuoutly the holy Sacrament and neyther put it into Pyxes nor carryed it in Procession But these false Catholikes put it into Pyxes carry it about on Corpus Christi day and worship it as a God The Apostle 1. Tim. 4. accounteth it a Doctrine of Diuels to forbid Marriage and to command Christians to abstaine from certaine Meats Foolishly therefore Papists repute themselues to be Catholikes that forbid Marriage to Priests and Votaries and restraine certaine Orders from eating Flesh and forbid all men to eate certaine Meates in Lent and on Fasting-dayes Catholike Christians neuer beleeued they should be saued by eating Salt-Fish and Red Herrings or forswearing Marriage or keeping Holy-dayes and the Precepts of the Church of Rome How then are Papists Catholikes that beleeue such fooleries Jesus Maria were neuer ioyned together in the Prayers of Catholikes neyther did they prayse Mary as well as Jesus In this coniunction therefore Papists make a separation of themselues from true Catholikes True Catholikes vsed alwayes in time past to burie the Bones and Reliques of Martyrs A plaine argument that such as digge dead men out of their Graues and worship them vpon Gods Altar are Heretikes and Idolaters and not Catholikes Neyther did ancient Catholikes beleeue that an Agnus Dei was good against Lightening and did as well purge sinnes as Christs bloud Which is another euidence that Papists so beleeuing are not Catholikes S. John 1. Epist 1. teacheth vs that Christs bloud doth purge our sinnes and that is a point beleeued of all Catholikes Papists therefore that beleeue that the bloud of Saints and their owne bloud and Satisfactions yea that holy Water doth purge sinne are but sorry Catholikes Sorry Catholikes also and poore Christians they are holding that the paines of sinne are purged away in the fire of Purgatorie For how are they purged when they are imposed And where did ancient Catholikes teach such a Purgation Farre also were Catholikes from beleeuing that Salt and holy Water did driue away euill spirits Ancient Christian Catholikes did not say Masses for sicke Horses and Hogges nor did they sing Masses of the Crowne of Thornes or of the three Nayles or de praeputio Christi nor had they seuerall Masses for Saylers Hunters Trauailers Barren Women Maides and Women with Child Are not Papists then degenerated quite from ancient Catholike Religion True Catholikes neuer blessed Crosses nor beleeued that any Woodden or Stone Crosse consecrated by them was the Foundation of Faith or a Defence in Aduersitie or Victorie against the Enemies as Papists professe in their Pontificals plainely declaring themselues therein to be idolatrous Heretikes They doe also beleeue that our Ladies Image can helpe such as pray before it and that it is a remedie against Thundering and Lightening inundation of Waters and tumults of Warres and that the Euangelist S. Iohns Image can expell Diuels and bring to vs the assistance of Angels matters neuer heard of or beleeued by Catholike Christians In a Booke called Antidot arium animae ignorant Papists are taught to pray to the Image of Christs Face called Veronica to be purged from all blemishes of sinne to obtaine grace and the fellowship of Saints And this Prayer as they say was made by Iohn the two and twentieth Pope of that name But neyther can the Apostate nor all his Masters the Iesuites prooue that such a Prayer was vsed by any ancient or true Christian Catholike Papists also are taught to consecrate Bells to cause Tempests to cease and to driue away Diuels They doe also salute consecrated Oyle saying Aue sanctum Chrisma But if the Apostate were all greased with Oyle and signed with Crosses yet shall he neuer be able to shew that this was a practise of true Catholikes The Apostle Ephes 4. sayth Christ
gaue the Church Apostles Prophets Euangelists Pastors and Teachers and true Catholikes beleeue that these onely are sufficient for the worke of the Ministerie and building of the Church But the Papists beside these haue in their Synagogue vniuersall Popes Cardinals Inquisitors dumbe Woluish Prelates that neyther feede nor worke any good sacrificing Priests Monkes Fryars and Nunnes which haue no institution from Christ How then are they Catholikes Among Catholikes none were chosen Bishops in time past but by the Clergie and People nor consecrated but by conprouinciall Bishops as our Aduersaries themselues confesse c. nulla ratio Dist 62. and c. in nomine Dist 23. And this was an Ordinance allowed also by Leo the first But Popish Bishops are intruded into their Seats by the Pope without any allowance of the Clergie or the People or any conprouinciall Bishops and the Pope himselfe is neyther elected by the Clergie or People of Rome but onely by a few Cardinals the most part strangers And doe you call them Catholikes that haue no Pastors lawfully instituted by Christ or called by the Church The Apostles and their successors were sent by Christ to preach the Gospell to baptize and to administer the Eucharist according to Christs institution and those are only true Catholikes whole Prelates and Priests doe performe that Office which Christ enioyned them But among Papists Priests are ordained not to preach but to sacrifice for quicke and dead and Prelates are not ordered by the Church but by Antichrist the Aduersarie of Christ and the Church and preach not the Gospell but humane Traditions and the Popes Decrees Further they obserue not Christs institution in administring the Sacraments according to Christs institution How then are they true Catholikes among whom neyther the Word is truly preached nor Sacraments are duly administred and where in Doctrine and Chayre there is no Apostolicall succession Among ancient Catholikes onely the successors of the Apostles preached and baptized but among Papists Monkes and Fryars preach albeit they be no successors of the Apostles nor instituted by Christ but by Antichrist and Women sometime are permitted to baptize as if Women could succeed the Apostles Faith commeth by hearing and hearing by the Word of God sayth the Apostle Rom. 10. and this Faith onely is the Catholike Christian Faith But among Papists no Faith is allowed as good but that which commeth from the proposition of the Church as Canisius teacheth in Catech. c. de Fide Now this Church is nothing but the Pope and their Faith is grounded vpon Traditions not written and the Decrees of the Pope Can this Faith then be Catholike and Diuine Tiue Catholike Faith is also ioyned with firme Hope and assurance of faluation together with the certaine knowledge of God and his will and with feruent Charitie towards God and our neighbour But the Faith of the Apostate and his consorts is onely a bare assent to the word of God Knowledge of God they haue little contenting themselues with an implicite Faith and denying all assurance of saluation and warring against all that submit not themselues to the Pope and his sect But such a Faith is a dead faith a diuelish faith an erronious and wicked perswasion and not a true Catholike and Apostolike faith Finally if any man did well vnderstand the particulars of that Faith which the Apostate seeketh to commend to his Countrimen and which the Church of England reiecteth as comming from Antichrist hee might plainely see that the Papists are neither Catholikes nor hold the Catholike Faith in any thing which the Church of England disliketh Wherefore least any hereafter should boast that his Popish religion is Catholike I will hereafter specifie diuers points thereof which themselues will be forced to confesse to bee vncatholike An Appendix vnto the third Chapter contayning some principall points of the vncatholike moderne Romish Doctrine WHen wee speake against the Church of Rome and her Doctrine wee vnderstand not either the ancient Church of Rome or any Article of her Faith but the new Church of Rome as shee is subiect to the Pope and embraceth his new Faith contained in his Decretals and established in the late conuenticle of Trent and is maintained by the Schoole-men and other his factors And of this Doctrine these are some of the chiefe heads First as wee acknowledge Christ to be the author and finisher of our Faith so Papists deriue their Faith from the Pope as the Author and principall Founder thereof For whatsoeuer God speaketh to vs in Scriptures yet they allow nothing but what the Pope propoundeth We beleeue no head of the Church but Christ Iesus who is also the Sauiour of his body They professe the Pope to be the head of the vniuersall Church Wee are taught 1. Cor. 3. That Christ Iesus is the onely foundation of the Church Stapleton and his followers beleeue That the Pope and his determinations are the Churches foundation also And this is also the Doctrine of Bellarmine The Church being a chast virgin admitteth no Spouse but Christ Iosus But the adulterous Sinagogue of Rome receiueth the Pope as her Spouse as appeareth C. Vbi periculum de elect in 6. When any question ariseth about matters of Faith the Church of Rome will haue the Pope to be supreame Iudge a matter vnreasonable that an Heretike and an enemy should sit judge in matters of Faith and in his owne cause When Christ ascended into Heauen they say he left the Pope to be his Vicar But of this he sheweth no commission or proofe They beleeue also that the Pope is S. Peters onely Successor and the vniuersall Bishop and chiefe Monarch of the vniuersall Church But neither doth he teach or loue Christ. as did Peter nor doth hee demonstrate how this vniuersall Monarchy came vnto him They say he hath power to dispense against the Law the Gospell and the Apostle And so he doth indeed dispensing with periured and most flagitious men and neither regarding Law nor Gospell nor what the Apostle teacheth Suarez lib. 6. Defens Cath. Apost fid c. 4. 6. Teacheth that the Pope hath power not onely to depose Kings but to command them to bee killed Christ fled away when the people sought to make him King But the Pope challengeth not onely to be a Bishop but a King also The Popes Decretals concerning matters of Faith they say are cleare from all errors so doe the Turkes also thinke of their Alchoran Of holy Scriptures they speake euill calling them a dead Letter a dumbe Judge matter of strife a killing Letter a Nose of Waxe a Lesbian Rule They receiue the vnwritten Traditions of the Church of Rome with equall affection as they receiue holy Scriptures and yet doe they not certainly know them nor can demonstrate to others what they are The Doctrine of the Church of Rome they say is the Rule of Faith But what Rule then hath this Doctrine Some say Traditions not written added to the Scriptures make vp