They tell the people both in Pulpit and private Conferences saith Sands that the Lutherans and Calvinists are blasphemers of God and p. 118. c. all his Saints that they abolish the Sacraments that they raze or rob Churches and convert them into Stables that there is no kind of villany which is not currant among them that in England they have neither Churches nor form of Religion nor serve God any way that the English since their apostacy from the Roman Church are become so barbarous that their Souldiers are very Cannibals and eat young Children But upon Geneva they are most severe affirming that it is a professed Sanctuary of all impiety giving entertainment to all the Rogues Traytors and Rebels of other Countries This was so confidently reported in Italy saith the fore-cited Author that some Fryars having robbed their Converts of their Church-plate and Repositonies they brought them in triumph to Geneva but contrary to their expectation they were forthwith advanced to the Gibbet for their labour which usage caused them to complain of their false information And in Spain also was this report so firmly believed that a Spanish Gallant who carried a mint about him repaired thither to have staÌ„ps made him for the coyning of Pistolets Being apprehended his defence was that he understood their City was free gave receipt to all offenders It was answeâ—ed that they received all offeÌ„ders but punished their offences A distinction which the grave Donne had not heard of before the learning of it then cost him no lesse than his life And that these calumnies might with more ease be credited by the Vulgar they confidently report the great Promoters of the Reformation as we Hereticks call it viz Luther Calvin Beza c. to be men of loose principles and licentious practices Bellarmine affirmeth of Luther that he justifies the Arrians and saith they did very well in expelling the word Homousion being a word that his soul hated Praefat disp de Christo Again That faith except it be without even the least good works doth not justify and is not faith Bellar de Justific lib 1. cap. 12. Luther averreth that the ten Commandments belong not to us for God did not lead us but the Jewes out of Egypt And how can a man prepare himselfe to good seeing it is not in his power to make his wayes evil For God worketh the wicked work of the wicked Marquesse of Worcester And concerning his death Thyraeus the Jesuite tells us this Storie That the same day that Luther dyed there was at Gheola a Town in Brabant many persons possessed of devils that waited on their St. Dimna for deliverance and were all that day delivered but the next day they were all possessed again whereupon the Exorcist asked the devils where they had been the day before and they answered that they were commanded by their Prince to be at the funeral of their fellow Labourer Luther And for proof of this Luthers own Servant that was with him at his death looking out at the window did more then once to his great terror see a company of ugly spâ—rits leaping and dancing without c. De Daemonaicis cap. 8. pag 16. And Calvin they charge with these blasphemous passages That God is the Author of all the evil that 's done in the world That in the death of Christ occurs a spectacle full of desperation Marq That Christ despaired upon the Crosse and was damned Bellar de Christi Anima lib 4. c. 8. And de Notis Eccles lib 4. cap 17. he saith that Calvin was eaten up of worms even as Antiochus Herod and Maximinus And then adds that he dyed cursing and blaspheming Of Beza they write that a little before Sands p. 101. his death he had in full Senate at Geneva recanted his Religion exhorting them if they had any care to save their souls to seek reconciliation with the Roman Church and to send for some Jesuites to instruct them Zuinglius affirms saith the Marquesse that these sayings and such like if thou wilt enter into life keep the Commandments c. are superfluous and Hyperbolical That when we commit adultery or murther it is the work of God being the mover the author or inciter c. God moveth the Thief to kill he is forced to sin c. Some of these and many more of the like nature which I have not time to mention you may find in the Marquesse of Worcesters papers to King Charles 1. all which are fully detected by our learned Mr. Cartwright in the second part of his Cerâ—amâ—n Religiosum And thus we have dispatched the first thing propounded shew'd you by what Arts and Policâ—es the Whore of Babylon hath advanced her self and deluded the Nations And who ever considers the nature of them how contrariant they are to all Lawes both Divine and humane and what dreadful menaces are annexed to them in sacred Writ cannot doubt of the truth of this Proposition which was the second thing propounded viz That the wayes and methods which Rome Papal hath used to advance her selfe and propagate her Doctrines will bring inevitable ruin and destruction upon her CHAP. IX Some practicall Inferences from the foregoing Discourse ARe these the Wayes and Methods which the Pope and his Factors have used to propagate their doctrines 1. Here then we may see how it comes to passe that the Church of Rome hath such a numerous company of Proselytes There was never Government framed by the wit of man more powerful to attain itâ— designed ends than that of Rome never any either more wisely contrived â—â— more diligently observed insomuch that but for the natural weaknesse of falshood and dishonesty their external meanes were sufficient to prevail upon the whole world to submit unto it Whatsoever either wealth can sway with the lovers or voluntary poverty wâ—th the despisers of the world what honour with the ambitious or obedience with the humble what great employments with active spirits or perpetual quiet with restive bodies what satisfaction the pleasant nature can take in sports and pastimes or the austere mind in discipline and rigour what love either Chastity can raise in the pure or voluptuousnesse in the dissolute what change of vowe with the rash or of Estate with the inconstant what pardons with the guilty or supplyes with the indigent what Miracles with the Credulous and Visions with the Phantastical what glorious shewes with the Vulgar and multitude of Ceremonies with the superstitious in short whatsoever is congruent and complacential to the various tempers and dispositions of men is to be found in the Church of Rome To conclude never was there a Politie or Government in the world so strangely compacted of infinite contrarieties all tending to entertain and gratifie the several humours of men and by Consequence more powerful to attain the ends of its institution 2. Let us then thankfully acknowledge the infinite goodnesse and mercy of God in our signal deliverances
sin that England is deeply guilty of If we compare this Land with other Nations and Churches we shall find our Portion to be like that of the First born double to what any of our Brethren in other Kingdomes have enjoyed What blessing is it that deserves to be stiled matchlesse transcendent glorious which God hath not conferr'd upon us If Peace be it we have had it if Plenty we have had it if Victory we have had it if the Gospel we have have had it Our implacable Enemies of Rome have attempted all wayes that wit or malice could invent to deprive us of what is and ought to be most dear unto us and bring upon us the heavy Yoke of Popish Tyranny and Superstitions which neither we nor our Fathers were able to bear If cursing could have done it what a miserable and forlorn People had we been at this day How often hath Balack sent to Balaam come curse Israel come defy England and how often hath that Balaam cursed our Israel We have heard of his Anniversarie Anathema's wherein this Church and State have been struck with the thunder and lightning of his Papal curse But the curse causlesse saith Solomon shall not come And we may say to England as Moses did to Israel concerning Balaams curse Deut 23. 5. Neverthelesse the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee because the Lord thy God loved thee And if power and policy could have done it we had been a wretched and ruin'd people long ago witnesse the Spanish Armado and the Gun-powder-Plot These Archers of Rome have sorely grieved us and shot at us and hated us But our Bow hath abode in strength and the arms of our hands have been made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. Gen 49 23 24. O but how sadly have we abused these signal mercies and deliverances How is that mercy of mercies sleighted by us nay a burden to us which should be prized above all the endearments of this world I mean the Gospel of salvation How have we wasted these mercies as the Prodigal did his Portion upon our lusts and filthinesse we have strengthen'd our hands by them in rebellion against the Author of them Not onely the banks of Religion but Cavility too are broken down Whereas 't is usually said that ill manners produce good lawes we have reverst the Aphorisme and the good precepts of our Religion have introduced the most corrupt manners Our holy Faith which like a foundation should support good works hath like a Gulfe swallowed them up And so universal a depravation is there amongst us that we have scorce any thing left to distinguish us from the most barbarous people but a better â—ame and worse vices How many give no other demonstration of their belief of a Deity than their Oaths and blasphemies and in stead of calling unto mercy to save them their ordinary prayer is God damne them How many think it a â—iece of gallantry to scoffe at Religion â—â—oll upon God and make sport with his lawes In aword how many think it an argument of judgment to be above the follies of Conscience and the height of courage to defy Heaven and outdare the Almighty O tell it not in Gath nor publish it in the streets of Aâ—kelon that a people whom God hath so signally own'd and miraculously delivered should thus requite the Lord. How justly may we expect some remarkable judgments as the product of these monstrous impieties and that if we consider that sins against mercy are committed against a darling attribute of God which of all others he most delights to reveal and make known to the Sons of men Now the more any sin is injurious to this attribute of mercy the more black it must needs be No darknesse is more formidable than that of an Eclipse which assaults the very Vessels of light no taste more unsavory than that of sweet things when corrupted even so no sinne more hideous than that which would darken the brightnesse of Gods love and corrupt the sweetnesse of his mercy and therefore none more provoking to wrath and jealousie To conclude let us not frantickly defie that omnipotency which we are not able to resist nor despise that goodnesse which is our only refuge but since it hath pleased God in wrath to remember mercy let us transcribe his Copy and be as kinde to our selves as he hath been to us O that we may take pattern from Niniveh cry and cry mightily unto God joyn humiliation to our prayers and reformation to both And could we be perswaded to doe this with the same sincerity and universality we might hope with the same successe Would all who have brought their firebrands bring also their teares it might secure us such a tranquility here as may calmly convoy us to that impassible state where all teares shall be wiped from our eyes And so much for the second Inference 3. Think not then of an accommodation with the Church of Rome It hath been the desire of many and the endeavour of some to work a reconciliation betwixt our Church and that of Rome these have attempted an impossibility No communion between light and darknesse truth and falshood Christ and Antichrist The North and South Poles may sooner meet than an accommodation with the Church of Rome be effected Come out of Babylon is the voice from Heaven come out in affection â—nd come out in person separate far from them Say with Jacob Gen 49. 6 7. O my soul come not thou into their secret unto their assembly mine honour be not thou united Cursed be their Principles for they are Damnable and their Practices for they are cruel 4. Much lesse then think of returning to Rome Stand fast in that truly Ancient Catholick and Apostolick Faith which you have received This Exhortation cannot be adjudg'd unnecessarie if we consider that Romes Factors the great Whores Panders are crafty and subtile to seduce men to their Religion See how the Spirit of God describes them 9 Rev 1 2. c. The Papists confesse that here by the Starre fallen from heaven is meant the Master of some error and heresie and by the Locusts that arise out of the earth the Teachers of these heresies This Starre saith our learned King James in his Paraphrase on Revel is the Pope of Rome and the Locusts that infect the aire are Monks Fryars Jesuites c. They have Crowns of gold the the faces of men and hair like Women all alluring enticing and tempting And that you may stand fast in the truth and not be seduced to Popery I wiâ—â— commend to you passing by many others these two directions 1. Doe not nourish any known sin The Jewel of faith can never be kept in a crack'd Cabinet a crazy Conscience He who puts away a good conscience concerning faith will soon make shipwrack 1 Tim 1. 19. Pâ—ophane Gospellers become a prey to those that goe abirding for souls with their corrupt Doctrines 2 Thes 2. 10 11. The Apostle here describes the persons that shall be seduced by Antichrist they are such as walk after their lusts and will not receive the love of the truth These like the out-setting Deer are shot while they within the Pale are safe 2. Read the Scriptures carefully and constantly It was the Speech of a dying Arch-Bishop of this place to his Chaplain that in all the word of God he could not find the least ground for Poperie And so much â—â—y more is confessed by certain Bishops in Bononia in their Letter of Advice to the Pope concerning the establishment of the pag 6. Roman Church Lastly which amongst the counsels and directions given to your Holynesse at this time is chiefest and most weighty the greatest care and diligence must be used that as little of the Gospel as may be especially in the Vulgar Tongue be read in these Cities which are within your Dominions Let that little suffice which is wont to be read in the Masse and more than that let no mortal be allow'd to read For so long as men were content with that little your affairs succeeded according to desire but quite otherwaies since so much of the Scriptures was publickly read In short this is the Book which above all others hath raised these storms and tempests And truly if any one read that Book viz the Scriptures and observe the customes practâ—ses of our Church will see that there is no agreement betwixt them and that the Doctrine which we preach is altogether different from and sometimes contrary to that contained in the Bible This Letter or Epistle was first discovered by Vergerius after the death of Pope Paulus 3. saith Crashaw and Wolfius gives us a large account of it Lection Memorab Tom 2. p. 549. Carefully and conscientiously observe these directions and I doubt not but you will be preserved from or enabled to overcome all temptations to Popery I will conclude with one of the Collects appointed for this day O LORD Who didst this day discover the snares of death that were said for us and didst wonderfully deliver us from the same Be thou still our mighty Protector and scatter our Enemies that delight in blood Infatuate and defeat their counsels abate their pride asswage their malice and confound their devices Strengthen the hands of our gracious King Charles and all that are put in authority under him with judgment and justice to cut off all such workers of iniquity as turn religion into rebellion and faith into faction that then may never prevail against us or triumph in the ruine of thy Church among us But that our gracious Soveraign and his Realmes being preserved in thy true Religion and by thy mercifull goodnesse protected in the same we may all duly serve thée and give thee thanks in thy holy Congregation through Iesus Christ our Lord. Amen FINIS
only with the Observations Annotations or Scholies that are made upon them by late Authors Ans The insufficiency of this plea will appear by demonstrating these three particulars 1. That they have commanded several sentences in the Text of the Fathers to be expung'd and blotted out 2. That they defend the justice and equity of that Command 3. That their practice hath corresponded with it 1. That they have commanded several words and sentences in the Text of the Fathers and other Primitive Writers to be expung'd and blotted out This is clear from their Expurgatory Indices printed at Madrid Rome and other places I will give you a few Instances and so passe on to the next particular In the Spanish Index these words are commanded to be thrust out of the Text of St. Cyrills Commentaries upon Isaiah cap 47. * Deleaâ—tur â—â— Tâ—rtu illa verba â—â— veró 〈…〉 Thou hast proceeded so farre in impiety that now there is left unto thee no place for salvation for equal punishment will alwayes follow grievous offences And upon 51 chap these words †Deleaâ—tur ex Tertu illa verbâ— Sed vbi non haâ—erent p 62. But when they cast away all fear of God and would not receive Jesus Christ by faith as it is written Hillary in his Enarration upon 118 Ps must have these words dashed out * Span Index p 1â—0 Non ex meritis salus salvation is not of merit with many other passages in his Works I might instance in several other Fathers which have many expressions against Idolatry Satisfactions Peters Supremacy c. commanded to be blotted out in their Expurgatory Indices but these are sufficient to evidence the truth of this first particular viz That they have commanded several words and sentences in the Text of the Fathers to be expung'd and blotted out Obj It s true say they some words and sentences are commanded to be expung'd out of the Text of the Fathers but they are only such as crept in either by the Printers negligence or the fraud of Hereticks that is of Protestants Concil Trid In Indice Lib prohib de Correct Ans 1. The corruptions we charge them with cannot be attributed to the oversight of the Printer or Corrector for they are of a larger size whole sentenceâ— are Commanded to be blotted out 2. Nor could they be foisted in by the fraud of Hereticks for in those dayes none of the Fathers had been printed by Protestants Again peruse the places which we produce as razed and corrupted and it will appear whether â—ide Papal or Protestant were more likely to have an hand in it The nature of most of the corruptions will discover the guilty person 2. That they defend the justice and equity of that Command Though their Gretser deny this purgation of the Fathers lib. 2. de jure more prohib lib mal cap 9. p 313 where he chargeth Junius against whom he writes with a lye and lib 2. cap 7. pag 298 calls upon our Dr. James to name but one Father purged and corrupted by them Yet he asserts the Popes Authority to do it and and calls the exercise of it a worke of mercy lib. 2. cap 9. p 321. And that he may not seem to contradict himselfe in this and the precedent Chapters he makes use of this subtile distinction the Fathers may be considered either qua Fathers or qua Fathers in law The Fathers of the Church as they are Fathers feed their Children with sound and wholesome doctrine and are not to be purged But as they are Fathers in law that is deliver any other doctrine than their Father the Pope or Mother the Church doth or shall maintain then they may nay they must be corrected lib. 2. cap 10. p 328. 3. That their practice hath corresponded with that command So much is acknowledged by Sixtus Senensis in his Epistle to Pope Pius 5. in which amongst his many and famous Acts he recounts this for one of the greatest That he caused the Writings of all Catholick Authors but especially those of the Antient Fathers to be purged Manutius employ'd by the Pope to print several of the Fathers at Rome saith * In praefat ad Piuâ— â— in lib Cardinaliâ— Poli de Concilio that care was taken to have them so corrected that there should be no spot which might infect the minds of the simple with the shew or lâ—keness of false doctrine To make this yet more clear I will subjoyn a few Instances St. Cyprian de bone patientiae tells us post gustatam Eucharistiam c. After the eating of the Eucharist the hands are not or ought not to be defiled with blood But in their Cyprian printed at Colen they have changed the words and read it post gâ—statâ—m Eucharistiam and so urge this place foâ— the circumgestation of the Sacrament Thus much is confessed by †Annot in lib de bone patient p 270. Pamelius That notorious corruption of St. Cyprian de Unitate Ecelesiae hath been often mentioned by our Divines The Ancient Cyprian saith The rest of the Apâ—stles were equal to Peter both in honour and power The Paris Cyprian hath added these words The Primacy is given to Peter he hath appointed one Chair Peters Chair He who forsaketh Peters Chair in which the Church was founded doth he trust himselfe to be in the Church * Prefat in Iâ—â— â—â—pâ—rg Belg Franciscus Juâ—ius as an eye witnesse tells us that being at Lyons and intimately acquainted with Ludovicus Saurius Corrector of the Presse and going to visit him he found him revising St. Ambrose's Works which Frelonius was then printing After some discourse Saurius shew'd him some printed leaves cancellated and â—aâ—ed saying this is the first impression which we printed according to the best Câ—pies but two Franciscans by command have blotted out those passages and put these in their place praeter omnem nostrorum librorum fidem to the great losse and trouble of Frelonius And not only particular Fathers but also general Councels have been corrected and corrupted by them The Councel of Laodicâ—a Can 35. saith It is not lawful for Christians to forsake the Church of God and nominate or invocate Angelos Angels they have made it Angulos Angles that is they must not forsake the Church and pray in Corners The Councel of Agatha Can 3â— saith Let no Clergy man presume to sue any man in a temporal Court without the leave of his Bishop But they read Let no man presume to sue a Clerk before a temporal Judge without the Bishopâ— leave I might also instance in the Councel of Chalcedon and many others but these few may serve in stead of multitudes which might be brought of their corrupting the witnesses and raâ—ing the Records of Antiquity by which their Errors and Novelties might be condemned Many hundred nay thousand places in the Fathers and Ancient Writers are purged of which no mention is made in their Expurgatory