doe well In his first Booke of Retract c. 21. S. Austine doth vtterly ouerthrow the Popish Doctrine concerning the power of Free-will in doing good For if man cannot change his will vnlesse it be giuen him nor doe good but by grace as hee teacheth then doth it not lye in the power of Free-will to doe well more then it lyeth in the power of the Apostate to be made a Cardinall which is a grace bestowed by the Pope on his fauourites and not obtained by euery loose companions free-will S. Austine doth also confound the Heresie of the Apostate holding iustification by Faith and Workes for if Workes follow him that is iustified and goe not before then doe not Workes iustifie vs. Yet hold we not that Faith deuoid of Workes doth iustifie but that Faith liuely by good Workes doth onely apprehend Christs Mercy and lustice and not our Workes effect Iustice That S. Austine with other Fathers of the Church teach that our Workes are meritorious of Eternall life as this Apostate auoweth is an impudent assertion disauowed by them and meritorious of a sharp censure S. Austine neither in his 105. Epist nor in his 46. Epist ad Valent. doth in one word signifie that Workes are meritorious of Eternal life Nay contrary albeit he doth mention Merits yet he saith men are justified by Grace without merits Which ouerthroweth the Doctrine of Merites de congruo and the Decrees of Trent concerning mens preparations to Iustice Jn Epist 46. ad Valent. he saith Man is conuerted by mercy grace In Conc. 2. in Psal 36. he denieth our Workes to be meritorious of that we shall receiue And in Psal 83. That what soeuer he hath promised he promised to such as are vnworthy And Ser. 16. de verb. Apost He is made our debtor saith he not receiuing anything from vs but promising what pleased him And thus it appeareth that S. Austine is little propitious to Papists euen in those points in which they thinke him to be most fauourable But their maine grounds hee eyther knew not or contradicted them as hath been formerly demonstrated Most idle therefore is his whole Discourse ensuing First he wondreth that any should be so silly or impudent as to auouch S. Austine as a Patron of the Faith which wee professe whom he like a Calfe of the Popes Buls calleth Caluinists But I haue alledged against him so many particulars that I hope he will cease his wonderment I haue also deriued our Faith from Christ his Apostles and not from Caluin or any late teacher S. Austine argued against the Manichies that held Fate and the Pelagians that magnified Free-will and made an Idoll of it But what doth that concerne vs who detest all the Heresies both of the one and the other It rather toucheth the Apostate and his consorts who according to the Doctrine of Thomas 1. P. q. 116. Art 1. 2. allow Fate and with the Manichies condemne Mariage in Priests and giue to CHRIST a phantasticall body that is in many places at one time and refuse Flesh and other meates They also magnifie Free-will as being the Cause of mans conuersion and hauing power to prepare vs to Iustification and hold that the Virgin Mary and some others were borne without Originall sinne and that Iust men may liue without sinne for some time and the vniust doe any good by their Free-will all which are Heresies of the Pelagians He addeth that S. Austine beleeued the inuocation of Saints and Angels to bee a Catholike Doctrine and that hee did not onely approue Prayers made to Saints but also recounteth many Miracles wrought by them Lyes idly repeated and formerly refured See S. Austines Confes lib. 10. c. 42. 43. lib. 22 de ciuit Dei c. 10. and you shall finde hee teacheth contrary The miracles reported Lib. 22. de ciuit c. 8. are thrust in there by some falsary and yet is it not there sayd they were wrought by Saints He supposeth that wee inferre that Scriptures containe all things necessary to saluation because as S. Austine saith lib. Confes c. 5. they are excellent meanes whereby God may hee both beleeued and serued But his supposall is ridiculous and false for neyther hath S. Austine in that place any such words nor doe we ground our selues vpon any thing therein contained but vpon diuers other place Lib. 3. de doctr Christ. c. â— Tract 49. in Joan. Lib. 1. de cousens Euangel c. 35. lib. 3. centr lib. Petil. c. 6. and lib. 3. cantr dâ—â—s epist Pelag. c. 4. Farre hee was saith the Apostate from holding Scripture to hee the supriame Iudge of Controuersies Yes lib 3. de Nuâ—â— Coâ—oâ—pâ—â—… c. 33. hee appealeth to Christ and his Apostle He doth also try all questione in all place by Scriptures and no where by the Pope or his 〈◊〉 That the Gospell with hâ—n had beene no Gospell if the authority of the Church had not obliged him is a wicked speech of this blasphemous Apustate and no saying of S. Austine Hee said onely the Authority of the Church moued him which hee might haue affirmed of any godly Preacher yea of his Mother If S. Austines or other Fathers words seeme to fauour vs the Rinegate pretendeth That so many other places are plaine and expresse for his Romish Religion insomuch that some confesse they contradict themselues Both grosse and impudent leasings For the first we haue refuted by many vnanswerable arguments the second hee cannot chuse but confesse vnlesse he can produce such as charge the Fathers with contradictions But saith he The Roman Church hath preserued S. Austines Workes vntouched secondly shee preserued two Orders of Religious men instituted by him thirdly shee permitted his Images and Reliques to bee kept and honoured his Festiuall to bee solemnized and Churches and Altars to bee erected to God in his name I answer that the first is most vntrue for the Popes factors haue not onely added to his Workes many suppositious Bookes but also haue falsified his true works and if any sinceritie haue beene vsed in the edition of his writings it is much against the Popes minde But suppose the Romanists should haue vsed diligence in preseruing his Writings yet is not the same comparable to the diligence of the Jewes in preseruing the Old Testament by which notwithstanding they are plainly conuinced 2. It is false that eyther Hermites or Chanons regular were instituted by S. Austine they hauing receiued their Originall and Lawes from the Pope 3. The Jewes honored the Prophets albeit they regarded not their admonitions and counsailes 4. It is guibrish to say that Churches and Altars were built to God in S. Austines name for S. Austines Church is built to Saint Austine as Baals Church to Baal 5. Not Gods Church but the Sinagogue of Sathan maintaineth the Idotrous worship of Saints of their Reliques and Images He saith wee disclaime S. Austine and call him superstitious and scornefully trample vpon the head and heart of this
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
Obedience With their equiuocations and mentall referuations which they take to bee lawfull they deceiue not onely priuate men but also publike Magistrates affirming denying and swearing what they list without any scruple of Conscience especially if they take the Iudge to be incompetent or themselues not bound to answer Neither doe they thinke it vnlawfull to murther Excommunicate persons being moued with zeale toward their mother the Church c. Excommunicatorum 23. q. 5. The Conuenticle of Constance giueth them libertie to breake their Oathes made with Heretikes And the Pope if any be more scrupulous then other doth easily dispense with them in cases of Periurie For Heresie they account it meritorious for Parents to bring word to burne their Children condemned for heresie and for Children to doe the like to their Parents They permit for the same cause Wiues to depart from their Husbands and husbands from their wiues Neither doe they make any scruple either to defraud their creditors or to spoyle good Christians if they be censured as Heretikes As Mariana and Philopater teach They forbid their Masse-Priests Monkes and Friers to marrie yet cannot they keepe them out of Brodels Nay they forbid not publike Stewes albeit they thinke it a great sinne for Votaries to marrie Before Marriage consummated they giue permission to either of the parties that are publikely married to betake themselues to a Monasticall life The law of God teacheth Children to honour their Parents But the law of the Popes Alchoran permitteth Children either to marrie without their Parents consent or to forsake their parents and to enter into a Monastery For Prisoners to breake prison and to breake their word and oath giuen to the Gaoler they hold to be no sinne And this is a common practise of Masse-Priests and their disciples in England They thinke it a small sinne to steale things of small value and to curse and blaspheme if it be done without premeditation They teach that Penance is not needfull for veniall sinnes and that such offences are done away by knocking of the brest or by the Bishops blessing or sprinkling with Holy water As if Christ had not made satisfaction for mens sinnes they teach that all must satisfie for sinnes committed after Baptisme eyther in this life or in Purgatorie Nay albeit sinnes be remitted yet they hold that euen iust men must satisfie for the penaltie of sinne As if debtors were to pay after the Obligation is taken vp and they which owe nothing were to make payment They teach there are 4. Stages or receptacles in Hell to wit The 1. of the Damned the 2. of Purgatorie the 3. of Children dying before Baptisme the 4. for the soules of the Patriarkes before Christs ascention But let them beware they make not their Disciples to doubt of Hell as their proofes for the other 3. places are weake and doubtfull and make men deny them The wise-man Sap. 3. saith The soules of the just are in the hands of God and that no torment toucheth them Are they then wise that cast iust men into the fire and torments of Purgatorie By Masses and Indulgences and Almes they say Soules are drawne out of Purgatorie as if S. Peter and ancient Bishops of Rome had sung Masses and granted Indulgences to Soules in Purgatorie or Soules might be freed out of Hell which comprehendeth Purgatorie Christ say they instituted Indulgences but they know not where The Conuenticle of Trent sayth also they are wholesome and profitable but the Germans in Grauam 3. denie it In the Taxe of the Popes Chamber there is a Rate set downe what is to be payd for Incest Periurie Parricides and all sinnes From the Iewes they borrow Altars Priestly Orders and Apparrell burning of Incense offering of Paschall Lambes and such like Traditions Sacrifices for the Dead Purgatorie consecrated Water and such like seeme to proceed from the Gentiles rather then from the later Iewes Because Peter had the Keyes of the Church committed vnto him the Pope inferreth that he hath power to make Lawes to dispense against Law to dispense with persons periured to dissolue Matrimonie and to depriue Princes of their Crownes Monkes and Fryars albeit they liue wickedly yet boast of their workes of supererogation and hold their profession to be a state of perfection Generally they establish their iustice of Workes and inherent Charitie the iustice of God in remitting sinnes and imputing vnto vs Christs iustice they regard not And least any man should except against them for this wicked Doctrine they giue out that the Pope defining ex Cathedra cannot erre and that the Church of Rome is the ground and pillar of Truth matters most absurd and false Finally vnlesse the Apostate can proue that these Doctrines which are aboue specified are Catholike himselfe must needes confesse that neither the Papists are Catholikes nor their Faith Catholike or true CHAP. IIII. The Examination of the Apostates Title page and his Epistle dedicatorie THus hauing declared that S. Austine either knew not the Apostates Popish religion or else oppugned it and that Papists cannot by any meanes be esteemed Catholikes beleeuing and teaching as they doe it followeth now that we enter into the listes with this Confessionist and examine his whole proceedings In the fore-front and title Page of his booke he promiseth a Translation of S. Augustines Confessions But how foolish he was and euill aduised to vndertake this worke both that holy Father himselfe and this Discourse ensuing will declare I haue also partly touched this point heretofore Here it will be sufficient to remember that hee maketh his Confessions to God onely and not to Angels or Saints or to the Virgin Mary as this idle fellow and his mates vse to doe He maketh his sinnes knowne to God these fellowes thinke they are bound to confesse all their sinnes in the Priests eares All his deuotion was to God who could forgiue sinnes this Apostates deuotion is toward the Virgin Mary and to Saints to whom if hee be in his right wits he will not giue power to absolue him from his sinnes Hee consecrated his confessions to God this Apostate doth consecrate himselfe and his translation to the Virgin Mary A translation I say so idle false malicious and full of errours that he durst not set his name vnto it Which I take to be done with some cunning the man percase meaning to deny it Hee vaunteth that his large Preface will make the Booke more profitable and pleasant But it had beene farre better if it had beene shorter for of harsh and foppish Prefaces the shortest are best His Discourse is full of obseruations false vnpleasant full of poyson and hurtfull if any of his readers bee so foolish as to giue eare and credit vnto them For his Motto or word hee setteth downe this sentence Cibus sum grandium I am meat for the strong grow and thou shalt eate mee As if his translation and notes were meat for great men and sit to bee deuoured of